Bike the Pike
November 25, 2005 9:08 PM   Subscribe

Pike 2 Bike! You've done rails to trails, how about a bike ride on an abandoned section of the PA Turnpike?
posted by Fat Guy (20 comments total)
 
Heh, funny site design (front page), almost so strange it creates the strange mood of the deserted road more than the content. Bravo to bad design which couldn't have been emulated if I tried.
posted by uni verse at 9:25 PM on November 25, 2005


The feel is quite half-lifey. There are headcrabs in those tunnels, I bet.
posted by solipse at 10:13 PM on November 25, 2005


That's really neat -- I love deserted places. It never occured to me to imagine an abandoned stretch of turnpike. I wonder how common that is.
posted by Marit at 10:19 PM on November 25, 2005


This is interesting. The four PA Turnpike tunnels that are still in use have a bit of an abandoned feel to them - I'd love to see what the truly abandoned tunnels look like.
posted by amro at 10:43 PM on November 25, 2005


Excellent. I wouldn't make a special trip, but if I were on my way somewhere...
posted by fixedgear at 6:05 AM on November 26, 2005


someday, in the future all the roads will look like this... and be open only to bikes.
posted by RockyChrysler at 6:18 AM on November 26, 2005


The Pike 2 Bike is a non-motorized trail. ATVs, dirt bikes, motorcycles or any motor vehicles are prohibited!
...
Officially the trail is not open. Unofficially the trail is used by hundreds.

Unofficially, fuck you. Officially, next time I'm out there, I'm taking my motorcycle on your illegal bike trail. This is one of those things I hate about "bicyclists" (I own a bicycle, too, but I'm not an elitist asshole about it). It's that attitude of "only we can break these laws" (Critical Mass, anyone?) that really underlies the reason people don't like you. That, and the fact that I can see your nipples. Put them things away, man. No one wants to see that.

More info on the abandoned segments of PA Tpke here. (Gribblenation's an excellent road geek site. Has it ever been FPPed?)
posted by Eideteker at 6:26 AM on November 26, 2005


Eideteker. An official FU2U. And for the record, you can think Critical Mass is a flock of assholes and still think you are, too.

This link reminds me of how the Bronx River Parkway, which is barely fit for cars, should be turned over to bicycles. At least on the weekend. Every weekend.

Thanks for the link.
posted by ParisParamus at 6:31 AM on November 26, 2005


Eideteker there are many good reasons to ban motorized vehicles that have nothing to do with "eliteism".

This is cool, post-apocolyptic even. It's odd that there are no trees fallen in the roadway, no sticks blow in by the wind, it appears to be somewhat maintained. I've always wondered how long it will take nature to reclaim roads, seems to last longer than I would have thought.
posted by stbalbach at 9:07 AM on November 26, 2005


stblabach: I would like to hear them. I have always had a problem with people who say, "You can't do this." and provide no further rationale than "Because I said so." I have a small, quiet, lightweight and efficient dual-sport bike; which is designed for on/offroad conditions just as this with minimal impact to the environment (my friends refer to it as the "apocalypse" bike, in fact). I can understand wanting to keep it from being a tourist trap and the desire to keep out "certain elements" but I think cyclists sometimes lose sight of who are their enemies and who are their allies. I don't personally care for cars much myself, but a bicycle is not going to get me cross-country in the amount of vacation I have. And someone motorcycling 200 miles to visit this location is more environmentally friendly than someone who loads their bike onto their car/SUV to travel the same distance. Two-wheelers need to unite. I think that those who favor more efficient modes of transport need to cooperate rather than make divisive declarations like "you can't hang with us." Not everyone is going to get that from their proclamation, as you have shown. But plenty of us will. It doesn't take much to say, "for the following reaons..." Gee, thank you, NippleMan, I hadn't thought of that. You're right, I shouldn't take my bike out there for those reasons. Thank you. We're not all "Hell's Angels" types.

I wave to motorcyclists and I wave to bicyclists. The motorcyclists wave back more often. 'Nuff said.
posted by Eideteker at 11:01 AM on November 26, 2005


Editeker, get over it man. The reason they don't want motorized vehicles of any kind is to keep the serenity of the wilderness. If you want to cruise in the backwoods on your motorbike than feel free to use the other 6.3 million kilometers of highways in the US.

Do you insist on using your motorbike on the Appalachian Trail?
posted by smcniven at 1:05 PM on November 26, 2005


Unofficially, fuck you. Officially, next time I'm out there, I'm taking my motorcycle on your illegal bike trail. This is one of those things I hate about "bicyclists" (I own a bicycle, too, but I'm not an elitist asshole about it).

bwahahahahahahahahahaha. haha. ha. oh... i'm sorry, really, i am. it's just... that... ha. haha. hahahahahahahahaha.
posted by poweredbybeard at 3:17 PM on November 26, 2005


Eideteker, what is the make and model of your bike? (Just curious.)

Also, are you really an eidetiker?
posted by Crabby Appleton at 3:45 PM on November 26, 2005


Crabby Appleton: It's a KLR 650.
re: my handle; you're not the first to ask. The fact that I remember that comment probably says more than any BS I could spin you. I can't remember everything, but that's what the Internet is for.

smcniven: That's better as far as an explanation goes. Though, like I said, my bike's fairly quiet; I'd probably be past you before you heard me. But I do tend to be respectful to others on a trail, unless they act like dicks. But like I said, I can't imagine ruining more than 30 seconds of someone's "experience" on the trail. I'd do it outside "peak" hours at any rate. And I'd be certain to donate money and/or time to maintaining the trail. Like I said, I can understand them not wanting thousands of bikes all day long, but a few conscientious riders here and there aren't going to just magically "wreck" things. Everyone who cares for a trail has a right to ride it, my friend. Otherwise, it's about as stupid as those "claims" communities on LiveJournal. "You can't ride it because we were here first!" Right, and I'm going to do what you say why? You catch more flies with honey.

poweredbybeard: I'll race you from NY to Boston. While I can still afford to fill my bike's tank, it remains cheaper than a car and faster than a bicycle. I'll be to the nearest town, the last available gas (which you may want to power your generator) in the area, or the food supply long before you're to the edge of town. I'll save some for you, but not if you're going to be a laughing sphincter. "Hahahaha here are some links rather than an opinion I have formulated myself hahahaha." Go back to the BBS days, OK PLS TKS. If I could get everywhere on my bicycle I would. If I had to, I would. However, as gas prices rise, people with cars won't be able to afford it while it'll cost me what it costs a car to fill up now. Not devastating by a longshot. Thanks for being cooperative, though, fellow friend of the environment. I'm glad your feeling of smugness is more important than intelligent discussion.
posted by Eideteker at 4:48 PM on November 26, 2005


I'll race you from NY to Boston.

Um... no?

And my derisive laughter was my opinion. I'm sorry, I thought that was clear.
posted by poweredbybeard at 5:04 PM on November 26, 2005


See also, the well maintained but de-commissioned origibal old Rt 9W running from exit 2 of the Palisades Parkway to the new 9W right by Lamont Doherty. Its a nice bike ride (if you like hills)
posted by Fupped Duck at 9:13 PM on November 26, 2005


Fupped Duck, tell me more about that. That's something other than the road in the Park? Want to ride to Piermont together?
posted by ParisParamus at 9:19 PM on November 26, 2005


Cool industrial spelunking/archaeology! In my youth there were many exciting forays into the local abandoned power plant (recently demolished to make way for another wallyworld). I was in Eastern PA recently, and will be again soon-gotta checkthese out.

derail
I'm with Eideteker. I can't recall seeing a bike loaded into/onto anything more fuel efficient than my motorcycle (42mpg). He is right. Few of these asshole skinsuit geeks ever return a wave. You bike bitches can have the roads when all the dino juice is gone. Till then, quit with the elitist bullshit. I'd rather be a ironbutt than a numbnuts any day. BTW: I smoke at national parks too (but I always pack my cigarette butts out with me). So MYOFB.
/derail

....back to regularly scheduled programming...
posted by HyperBlue at 7:47 PM on November 27, 2005


numbnuts
posted by HyperBlue at 7:54 PM on November 27, 2005


Excellent. I wouldn't make a special trip, but if I were on my way somewhere...

Well fixedgear, you could bike the pike, then go visit your brother in central PA.
posted by Fat Guy at 8:18 PM on November 27, 2005


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