Bike the Burgh

Photo: OTB Bicycle Cafe

By Karin Baker

It’s a common problem among city residents: You move to the busy land of bright lights to escape a boring life of late-night Eat n’ Park runs and hanging out at Wal-mart. Inevitably, the newness of your fast-paced living situation wears away, and you find yourself sitting in your apartment watching reruns of Family Guy. You can’t help but utter: “There’s nothing to do here.”

I too found myself in your position. I had exhausted every museum, every coffee shop, every local bar. I was out of options.  Until the day I bought my bike.

Commonly thought to be a pastime that dies out when you hit 16 and can finally drive a car, biking is a quickly growing hobby among city dwellers. Pittsburgh, with its excessive rivers and steep hills, was previously considered relatively unbikeable. Through the efforts of local organizations like Bike PGH, the biking scene in Pittsburgh has developed exponentially. Now, the city is rampant with trails throughout every district of Pittsburgh, and continues to develop.

With the recent news that additional bike lanes will be installed in the Shadyside, Bloomfield, and Oakland districts of Pittsburgh, the ease of navigating in the somewhat narrow streets will become a much less daunting task.

If road biking isn’t your thing, don’t think that you can’t get the fun of a mountain bike in the city.  Frick Park is located on Forbes Avenue, just a short 61 bus ride outbound.  The park includes trails that weave through the forest, and easily makes you forget about the existence of a city just four miles back.  With every Port Authority Bus equipped with bike racks, the transportation of a bike is easier than ever.

Pittsburgh’s bike culture has stretched much further than trails and safe riding lanes.  OTB – Over the Bar Café – is a local Southside hangout that is any biker’s dream bar.  While their main objective is to get those bikers fueled and tipsy, OTB holds bike rides throughout the year, most recently riding with Pedal Pittsburgh – an initiative begun by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh in 1994.  PSA: Never Drink and Bike! But their “Blissfully Bicyclist Bisque” (AKA: Roasted Pablano and Corn Bisque) recently won the Best Vegetarian Soup in the Southside.  Bisquing and biking is acceptable.

Tucked away in the Northside of Pittsburgh is Bicycle Heaven, both literally and figuratively for a bike enthusiast.  The bike museum, named above, is home to over 90,000 bicycles and bicycle parts that have been developed over the years.  From the Boneshaker (below), to a vintage cruiser, Bicycle Heaven is an ethereal site to be seen.

Trail Mix: Stay fit in Pitt via the great outdoors

photo courtesy Kayak Pittsburgh

By Emily Welsh

Congratulations, you made it. You’ve landed a job in the all-American Steel City, but you’re ready for the world.

As a young professional you’ve quickly noticed that with a full work week it can be challenging to get to know your new city and meet new people, not to mention find time to hit the gym. Luckily for you, Pittsburgh offers a variety of options that combine all of these essential elements into one, as you can see from the services offered by Venture Outdoors.

The outdoors club has the largest membership base of any of the city’s nonprofits, and the main demographic is young professionals who are trying to learn the city or meet new people with similar interests, in this case outdoor recreation and touring. “We focus on enjoying the city from a different perspective, not in a car,” explains membership director Rob Walters. That means biking, walking, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. You may live in a concrete jungle but outdoors opportunities are all around you; you just have to know where to go.

photo courtesy Venture Outdoors

A number of top-notch parks and hiking destinations are within a 90-minute drive — Ohiopyle State Park, for example, where you’ll even find some impressive white water rafting. And you may be surprised to learn that Downtown Pittsburgh has approximately 22 miles of continuous biking trails on the riverfront, all connected by biking- and pedestrian-friendly bridges. The three rivers, one of the Burgh’s greatest natural resources, offers another way to stay active outdoors. In summer, kayaking is one of Venture Outdoors’ biggest selling points. The organization owns Kayak Pittsburgh, which is based on the Allegheny River but operates throughout all three waterways. No experience? No problem. Most programs run by Venture Outdoors, including kayaking, have volunteer instructors to help you out. “Our organization is mostly focused on beginners so if you’ve never done it before and you’ve always wanted to try it or you just want to try something new, that’s where we come in,” Walters tells me. “We’re one of the basic stepping stones to getting out and enjoying the city from a different approach.” The group emphasizes water safety and offers classes for new kayakers in an indoor pool.

The thought of paddling for hours on end might not immediately appeal to you, but Kayak Pittsburgh puts a little bit of a twist on an old sport. They do bridge tours, eco tours, and even Happy Hour paddles. (But sorry, no alcohol on the water.) They also do fireworks paddles during Pirates games, so paddlers can enjoy the show from the river.

You don’t have to be a member to participate in Venture Outdoors activities, but membership benefits include discounts up to 50 percent on activities, $5 off your first hour of kayaking, and invitations to members-only events. Take a look at the calendar to discover some upcoming events, such as the “Oakland Top to Bottom Urban Fitness Hike,” “Whiskey Tasting Walk,” “Wilderness Survival 101,” and dog-friendly “Day Treks.”

Get out of the office, explore a different side of the city, and meet some new friends along the way.