CAT Goes to the Dogs

CAT GOES TO THE DOGS
Hey everybody - yeah, it's true, we at CAT are going to the dogs... the HOT DOGS!

We designed this ride to include not one but TWO stops at locally famous hot dog hot spots -- Jimmy's right across the Delaware River from Easton, in Phillipsburg, and Pott's Dogs in Bethlehem Township.

We admit, this ride is totally about the silliness of Cat going to the dogs, but the ride itself is a gem - a great mix of trails and back roads covering a total of about 28 miles over about 2 1/2 hours of riding time, with some great scenery along the way. As with all CAT rides, we'll keep a social pace, and no one gets dropped from the ride.

If 28 miles seems too long for you, don't stop reading - we have options, including riding one way to Easton, and doing the return trip via LANTA bus (one of our stops will be the Easton Transit Center, we promise we will show you how to put your bike on the LANTA bus bike rack), or meeting up with us somewhere along the way.

We'll start and end the ride at Bethlehem Center City Plaza, in front of the library, at 10 a.m.; feel free to come a little early if you need air in our tires or any other minor adjustments to your bike. We'll take the D&L Trail from Sand Island to Easton, giving you the chance to jump on and join us at any of the trailheads along the way, should you wish to cut your ride a little shorter. Two reasonable choices are the Farmersville Road Trailhead, or the Route 33 Boat Launch Trailhead.

The route is about half on trail and half on roads. For any of you who are freaked out at the prospect of riding on the roads, keep in mind that when you are riding as part of a group, you are far more visible than when you are riding alone. Generally, the ride leaders will advise on optimal road positioning for specific conditions of the route where appropriate. These mediated rides are a great way to pick up safe riding skills and accustom yourself to the cyclist's perspective of sharing the road safely.

Our first doggy stop will be in Phillipsburg, at the longstanding Jimmy's Doggie Stand at the east end of the free bridge. Following this route will give you bragging rights to claim that you rode all the way across state lines for the sake of culinary adventure. From there we'll head back into the Commonwealth and the City of Easton, to the downtown Transit Center, where we'll help situate any who wish to stop their ride (at about mile 14) and return to Bethlehem (or wherever) via LANTA bus. Those of us who will continue on will ride the streets of Easton westward, up and away from the river, through Palmer Township and into Bethlehem Township, for our next dog stop at Pott's Dog Shack in Bethlehem Township. Yes, TWO doggie stops in ONE ride! From there we return to our starting point along quiet back roads.

For more details of the ride, you can check out the full route here. Note that the amount of climbing is quite reasonable for a 28 mile ride in Pennsylvania, with the only major hill being the climb away from downtown Easton and the Delaware River. For those of you who join us at the Farmersville Road Trailhead to the D&L, the return to there from Potts's Doggie Shop is about 3 miles. (here's the route). Starting and ending at Farmersville Trailhead will take about 6 miles off the route total, so you'll be looking at a little over 22 miles for your day's total.

Though we estimate the full route riding time at 2 1/2 hours, you should expect the ride to take about 4 hours, given the likely stops involved. Surely this will be a fine way to spend a chunk of your Saturday!

If you intend to join the ride at a spot other than the starting point in downtown Bethlehem, please let us know, so that we know to look for you. Also, while we will offer you information and mapping assistance on your route back to your starting point, we may not have ride leaders on hand to ride with you, if you are ending at other than the downtown Bethlehem location.

This ride is weather permitting. Any last minute change or cancellations will be announced on Meetup, so please check there for weather concerns. If you have any other questions we can help with, please contact ride leaders Jennifer (jenc@lvcat.org) or Anne (annef@lvcat.org). We look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.!

Some kind reminders:
If you are new to CAT bike rides, please complete your annual signup here: LVCAT.org
All riders are required to wear a helmet.
Bring a spare tube that fits your tire size.
Bring water and a snack.
This bike ride is organized by CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, serving the Lehigh Valley. CAT envisions a world where bicycling, walking/ADA accessibility, and public transit prevail. All are welcome at all CAT bike rides, classes, and events.
This project is being completed in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape. Funding is provided in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.