Cycling

Pittsburgh's unique topographic blend of steep, winding hills and flat river areas makes it one of the best cities for cycling enthusiasts. Bike magazine recently acknowledged Pittsburgh's cycling assets by naming it one of the "Top five places to live and ride in the United States". Local support for cycling is strong, through both the official parks and recreation services, and a number of independent road and mountain biking organizations.

Order your Pittsburgh Cycling Jersey! The jerseys are available for men and women in three different cuts, all bearing the image of the iconic Pittsburgh skyline. A portion of the proceeds from each sale will benefit the local bicycle advocacy organization Bike Pittsburgh.

The City

Downtown Pittsburgh is quickly becoming a popular destination for cyclists with recent developments such as the 3.5 mile Eliza Furnace Trail. It's part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail System, a 37-mile trail and greenway system running along both sides of the Allegheny, Mononghahela and Ohio Rivers, that connects downtown to adjacent city areas including Oakland, the North Shore, the South Side and the Strip District. Friends of the Riverfront operates a public bicycle system called Blue Bikes, with several locations on the Heritage Trail.

The Steel Valley Trail is a developing 19-mile urban trail system that will connect with the Three Rivers Heritage Trail System and other regional trails, and will pass through the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area in the Monongahela Valley, a scenic route which was once the heart of the Pittsburgh steel empire.

Allegheny County

The Allegheny County Parks Department maintains nine county parks in the greater Pittsburgh area, which feature varied topography and hundreds of miles of trails. Their annual Mountain Bike Fest features rides of 12-15 miles of singletrack through six different parks.

The Montour Trail stretches for 42 miles between Coraopolis and Clairton and is expanding each year. The graded, crushed limestone trail was first established in 1989 and is intended for all types of non-motorized recreation.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County operates a "Rack 'n Roll" program which has installed bike racks on many public buses throughout the city, facilitating bike transport throughout downtown and the region.

Pittsburgh Mountain Biking

Pittsburgh has some of the premier single track and mountain biking in an urban setting in the entire country. Pittsburgh Off-Road Cyclists has extensive information on local mountain bike trails and an active community in their forums.

For a complete list of cycling clubs and shops in the Pittsburgh area, check out Bike Pittsburgh's resources page.

The Western Pennsylvania Region

Extensive road routes have been defined for almost all of the counties in the western PA region. Many of these take advantage of Pennsylvania's beautiful state parks. Ohiopyle State Park features 13 miles of mountain bike trails, plus the Youghiogheny River Trail, a 71-mile trail that winds through Allegheny, Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. Called "one of the world's best walks" by Travel and Leisure Magazine, the trail is among the most popular in the area and draws more than 200,000 visitors annually.

The Youghiogheny River Trail, along with the Montour Trail and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail System, are all part of the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile rails to trails project which, when completed in 2012, will connect Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD, and create a continuous non-motorized corridor from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.