Everything You Need to Know to Bike the GAP and C&O 

Make sure you come back and tell me how it went. Also an update, the wells on the C&O are no longer being certified, so make sure you bring either a life straw or some tablets.

I am planning to do the C &O this spring and am looking for partner/s . Shoot me if you would like company

Good luck and please post any changes since I made it, for example now the C&O pumps are on, but you need a filter because they don't iodine anymore due to flooding issues.

I don't know if I would say better or worse, but in terms of field repair, simple is better. If this were road biking up and down hills I would love all the bells and whistles. But grit and grime finds a way. Thanks for watching.

@@BikesTrainandAuto Yeah, really liked watching this video and finding out more about this trail. I’m gonna make it out there and do both of them.

Thanks for the info

Glad it was helpful!

One time I did a loop from Great Falls down to D.C. across to VA up to Leesburg one the W&OD and took Whites Ferry back to the C&O to get back to my car. It will be missed and I hope they find a way to eventually work things out, but the VA side owners seem to have overplayed the hand into killing the whole thing.

@@BikesTrainandAuto Full loop there was a epic ride for long summer days, yeah... Washington Metro silver line has finally opened into Loudoun county, which could have put Whites Ferry on more modest routes. Nowadays going upstream beyond Chain Bridge, there is no crossing until US15/Point of Rocks, and that bridge can be terrifying on bicycle.

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks and glad you liked the video.

Feel free to add in comments anything that I missed or that has changed.

@@BikesTrainandAuto Got back last night. Man that was tiring - I definitely underestimated it, especially the C&O. To anyone heading out soon, the hardest parts for us were a very steep detour over the Paw Paw Tunnel, and a long climb over the Eastern Continental Divide. We covered about 70 miles a day on average, but we are pretty much beginners and it kicked our butts. I'd recommend bringing a LifeStraw or other filtering device if you don't plan on going into town every time you need water - the C&O has a lot of non-potable water pumps, but I was surprised that the GAP did not have as many fountains as I thought it would while doing my research. I bought about five bottles of water every time I went into town, and I still spent a night thirsty, which isn't fun. Be careful out there, there isn't always an easy way to get what you need, especially when it gets dark.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

You're welcome!

That is the same train in the video and it does get there close to midnight but there are hotels across the street from the station and some hotels in the area will do shuttle service from the Amtrak as they are used to those arrival times there.

@@BikesTrainandAuto good to know; but i plan on doing shorter trips to warm up to that anyway as I haven't done ANY bike-camping trip yet and i need to work up to such a trek :D

The bears on the East Coast are black bears and other than stealing food from campsites you should be fine. They are very passive, more a nuisance that a risk, unlike bears out west. You may get lucky and see one swimming before it runs away from you, but most years I've never encountered one. I wouldn't worry.

C&O, not S&O, lol.

That tire width should be fine, rule of thumb I would use is if you can ride it on grass for at least a little while on those tires you'll be fine because you may have to detour onto grass briefly on the C&O if the puddles get deep. But the puddles aren't generally pot holes or something that would full stop you as the base over the dirt has been packed down since the 1800's. National Park Service tests all the pumps regularly and will pull the handle on any that don't pass so I wouldn't worry about using them. I've never run out of water on the C&O, but I generally always top off when I come to a hike or bike on the off chance the next one has a pulled handle or just is a pain to pump. I don't remember if I mentioned it, but they also add iodine to the wells as the purifying which some people don't like the flavor of. I generally carry energy drink powder and throw it in when I fill up so I never really notice.

@@BikesTrainandAuto Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to the trip! Have you ever done the Ohio to Erie trip or the Erie Canal Trip? Planning for those next year.

@@timsmith5986 I did a lot of investigation of the Erie Canal but never pulled the trigger. Seemed like to many road bike sections for my taste but if I'm wrong or those sections have been closed I'd be open. Hadn't looked into the Ohio to Erie, but I will now as it looks better than the Katy, which was my next goal. Thanks.

No specific brands. I have a very old rockhopper as my primary and I use 29x2.2 inch tires so basically hybrid. The important thing is to have a bike that stays reliable even when filled with mud and grime, and that you are comfortable making quick repairs on.

You actually have to. It's one of the options when you book your train. If you don't add it.

Water will be off at the pumps because of freeze concerns, the only Tunnel is Paw Paw and you would want to check with the park service website. Link is below www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/paw-paw-tunnel.htm

I take that back, looks like they changed procedure and they now leave the hike and bike well arms on, but don't treat them with iodine anymore. Bring a water filter and you are good, other than the cold.

I'm not familiar with Runabouts specifically, I've hauled my kids on the GAP without issues but the C&O is very muddy and prone to things like trees falling across the path. I've done it...but I can't say I would recommend. Good luck!

That would be my suggestion. They have done some restoration in Georgetown, but I still think the best way to get to Mile 0 is the Crescent as it follows the river more directly and avoids some sections that can get confusing.

Great Falls is at Mile 14, so it's 14 miles to the marker then another 4 to 5 to Union Station. You have to pay for a National Park admission (If you don't already have one) and you let the rangers know you are doing overnight parking and give them your tag number. I would call ahead to make sure the policy hasn't changed, but I've never had any issues. Just remember it's the Maryland side, not the Virginia side. www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/greatfallstavernvisitorcenter.htm

It's more about the how comfortable you are on your seat than the bike as long as you aren't trying to do it on a road bike. It's fairly flat, so for the most part gears aren't going to matter much. I don't think you need a trail bike with a suspension, just a butt callous and not being too stubborn about taking breaks when you need them.

Not sure I follow the question 24 Days in the US or on this trail? 24 Days is longer than I would recommend on the trail, but 24 days in the States absolutely if you can afford it and depending on what you like to do. If you want to see cities Pittsburgh is worth a day, D.C. is absolutely worth seeing at the other end for at least a few days and from there and it's only a few hour train or Bus up to Philadelphia, New York or even Boston on Amtrak from D.C. or an overnight up to Chicago. If you are trail focused you could do the GAP and C&O in a week, fly our and do the Katy for a week in the midwest, then Fly out to Spokane and do the Hiawatha and the Couer De Lane and take a West Coast Flight home all easily in a 24 day window...if you have the budget for the flights/trains in between all those places. Hell the trains out west are a vacation in and of themselves. We are a strange country, but we are also a damn beautiful one.

cheers @@BikesTrainandAuto

I've never had a C&O through that wasn't muddy at some point. In the summer you have thunderstorms at night, in the fall even when it doesn't rain for a few days the leaves keep the moisture in the ground. It's part of the trip.

@@BikesTrainandAuto i live near the area, its not always storming or raining but maybe just because it never gets direct sun in most portions it just stays that way, i was curious if the cold ground made any changes. Guess not.

Very reasonable. Enjoy your trip.

I'd go wider on the tires if you can. You can probably get away with it on the GAP, on the C&O, you'd be pushing your luck.

They connect in Cumberland but they are very distinct from each other. There is a park area where the two connect.

On the GAP, maybe, on the C&O almost certainly no.