Pittsburgh is about to get swallowed up by a big winter storm that’s supposed to dump a bunch of snow. It was only seven degress (fahrenheit) out, but I wanted to get a ride in since it might be a while before it’s safe to get around on my bike.

So, I went for a firgid ten mile loop around Frick and Schenley Parks, starting in Shadyside and ending in East Liberty via Oakland to see how the bike lanes and trails are looking given the recent cold, rainy weather. My hands were ACHING by the time I completed the loop. If I want to ride for longer in these conditions I need to try using my barmits instead of the lobster gloves, which made my hands just sweaty enough to cause problems.

The first third of the Point Breeze entrance of the Hawthorne Trail is a river of ice, but surprisingly passable otherwise. I tried popping up to the North Clayton Trail from Regent Square, but I couldn’t even get up the hill from Forbes on foot. It was just ice all the way up.

Bridle Trail has lots of ice patches, but they’re easy to avoid. I was pleasantly surprised by how passable the entrance to Schenley from Phillips was.

The bike lanes on Forbes by Frick; near Phipps; and in Oakland are all impressively clear!

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Published on Sat, 24 Jan 2026 20:32:23 GMT