Previously, I my cycling trips were mostly to the south or west of the Pittsburgh. I’d ventured a couple of times to the north, but I had generally avoided the east part of the city. Recently, I’ve been rectifying that and exploring the roads heading east out of East Liberty. It turns out that there are many nice roads for cycling to the northeast, if you’re willing to ride some up some rolling hills (nothing too steep, though).
Based on the general direction of a route I saw from some other people in the Carnegie Mellon Cycling Club, I did a loop up through Oakmont. Riding through Shadyside is a pain because of all of the traffic lights, but you can pretty quickly get out onto much more pleasant roads. I did get stuck behind a school bus and some traffic for a while, which was somewhat annoying.
There was a decent amount of climbing (just above 3,000 feet) throughout the day. This route was also interesting for being a loop. I’ve generally favored out-and-back rides because they require a lot less planning, and it’s harder to get lost. But loops are honestly more fun to ride.
Anyway, the real reason I decided that this trip was worthy of its own post: I couldn’t resist taking a bike picture! I thought that the yellow of the bridge would make a nice background for my blue bike, although I’m not sure if it was the best angle on the bridge.