11/19/12 241# 38M
Started riding at the Bastille at 0920 with S, temp about 32F. Rode around the football stadium where the local entertainers were beaten by the Baltimore entertainers.Outside of a restaurant owned by Jerome Bettis, we saw this most excellent Pittsburgh Steelers tandem bicycle:
Ft. Duquesne Bridge, Ft. Pitt Bridge, Southside Trail to Keystone Metals. There's some progress evident at Keystone Metals, some of the interior junk has been moved out of the trail's path, and the walls around the cross-street have been removed to make way for the trail:
Continued through Sandcastle. The single most reasonable bit of incremental progress I've seen in Pittsburgh trails this year has been the unlocked mini-gate at Sandcastle. I really appreciate their doing that, it's very good of them.
Stopped at Costco, which I am not familiar with. Wow, the free samples. I had turkey with gravy, stuffing, sweet potato, masked potato with bacon bits, some sort of flavored rice, three kinds of cheesecake - all one-ounce samples, mind you, but a smorgasbord of delights for a cyclist passing through.
Got to see the new improved sidewalks through the Costco-Hampton Inn section of the Waterfront development. Nice wide trail, well marked, I wish they hadn't put those steel-pipe killer bollards in the center of the trail. Generally, the purpose of those is to keep RNQD's (RedNeckedQuadDrivers) off the trail, and I just can't imagine that RNQD's have been a persistent problem in Homestead. Anecdotal rebuttals, anybody?
Back on the trail, continued south to the Riverton Bridge and the McKeesport shore of the Mon. Reversed, noted the new bench and the scenic view cut into the jungle at the Braddock lock and dam.
Stopped at Costco again, this time to pick up a cheesecake that S. had admired on the southbound passage. Tied it to my front rack's platform hoping to get it back to the cars in decent shape.
Sandcastle, the Keystone Metals walkway (it will be wonderful to not have to WalkWithTrains™), Hot Metal Bridge, Jail Trail. I seemed to be losing air in the rear tire, stopped to pump it up.
Got back to the Northside uneventfully, and remarkably without changing the shape of the cheesecake. Saw RedDan at the trailhead. 55F at the end of the ride. 38 miles on a very nice day.
Update: Just received a photo from Friday's Flock night ride showing the Design Shine rear light compared to several other top-of-the-line tail lights. There's at least a dozen other cyclists with rear lights in this photo:
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