People Cycling Rides

Barns, Buggies, & Bridges Amish Tour (III).

This is a Approved Ride
Moderate
Ride Info
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Ride Leader
Greg Corwin
Tour Dates
9/28/2024–10/6/2024
Start Location
Lancaster PA
End Location
Lebanon PA
Cost (est.)
$1400 (USD + $100.00 ride fee)
Deposit
$700 (USD
Payment Due
8/1/2024
Avg. Distance
46 mi / 74 km
Avg. Elevation
2336 ft / 712 m
Ride Description

OVERVIEW
The Barns, Buggies, and Bridges (III) is a 326-mile semi-fixed base ride from three locations; Bird-in-Hand, Manheim, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania. We will cycle through the heartland of scenic Amish and Mennonite farmland with historic sites dating from the Colonial era. Routes will loop out and back from the three base locations and two days require transfer to a new town.  The areas we will be riding in will vary from flat farmland filled with Amish families in the middle of harvest season, through the Middle Creek Wildlife preserve, to forested and somewhat hilly State Game Lands 156. We will explore eight (8) covered bridges, several handmade ice creameries, go through the Moravian hamlet of Lititz, past the Colonial era Cornwall Iron Furnace (tour included), a winery or two, the (infamous) Three Mile Island nuclear plant, and a 20+ mile stretch along the Susquehanna River. Accommodations will also vary from a modern hotel in Bird in Hand to the famous – and quite luxurious – Brasenhill Mansion in Lebanon PA.

RIDE RATING
The Barns, Buggies, and Bridges rating is Moderate with an average elevation gain of 2335 feet and 46.0 miles in distance. There is one day that the distance is 54-56 miles, but there is an alternate route for that day that is only 42 miles.  Some of the challenging conditions include short climbs of 10% grade, some highway sections with limited shoulders and intersection crossings of routes with some heavy traffic. Each r… (Join People Cycling to read more)

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People Cycling's Ride Rating

People Cycling has four categories for our rides – Easy, Moderate, Difficult, and Challenging. It should be somewhat obvious what these categories mean, but please become familiar with the elevations and distances that define them:

Easy
Easy rides are under 30mi/48km in average distance and 1600ft/500m in average elevation
Moderate
Moderate rides are over the Easy rating but under 50mi/80km and 2460ft/750m
Difficult
Difficult rides are as over the Moderate rating but under 75mi/120km and 3280/1000m
Challenging
Anything over the Difficult rating

NOTE: This is not a strict guideline. There could be rides that have a day or two where the average elevation or distance exceeds the values given above. These anomalies should be outlined in the ride description. It is recommended that you read it carefully.

About People Cycling

People Cycling is a bicycle touring club, which you can join for free. We offer Domestic and International Cycling Tours which are led by volunteer Ride Leaders. Our tours are made up of a small group of participants (typically 15-20 or so) who want to ride an average of 30 to 55 miles a day over a one or two week period in interesting regions of the world. Our tours range in price from frugal getaways to luxurious adventures. We travel road, gravel, or mountain bike styles, and all bicycle types – including e-bikes, recumbents, and tandems are typically allowed.

Our ride leaders are volunteers and do not financially profit on tours they lead. They are also given broad discretion on how to lead their tours, and we consider them our greatest asset.

People Cycling tours are operated at cost or at lower cost (as negotiated by our ride leaders) than individuals can obtain on commercial tours. Within the cost of a tour, there is a nominal fee to support club operations and provide tools to ride leaders to manage their rides.

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