Scranton / Wilkes Barre Runs/Rides

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi All,

Going be in Scranton / Wilkes Barre next weekend. Can anyone suggest and early morning group rides or routes for riding/running?

Thanks!

2

Riding is tough… I’m from Scranton. Hilly as all get-up and the roads SUCK. We have two seasons… winter and road construction.

For running… Lake Scranton has a nice paved road around it… running and walking only. 3.55 miles long. Lots of people also use the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail for a run as well… the Scranton section is 6.1 miles. link: http://www.traillink.com/trail/lackawanna-river-heritage-trail.aspx

I’d avoid running in Wilkes-Barre… that’s turned into a great place to get shot.

3

You can take some rides on roads like Newton Ransom Blvd (outside Scranton) and there are a few roads near the Susquehanna River in towns like Pittston (right between SCR and W-B) but I’ve never liked the riding there.

Mountain bike?? Now that’s another story. Great MTB riding there.

5

Hi All,

Going be in Scranton / Wilkes Barre next weekend. Can anyone suggest and early morning group rides or routes for riding/running?

Thanks!

Been a long time since I lived in Wilkes Barre. Sicklers (across the river) used to have some informal rides. A very nice route is Wilkes Barre, up though Mountain Top, and then back down the valley, along the rver. If you want to do a great climb, start in the center of WB and then head up Giant’s Dispair, which eventually will take you to some rolling roads heading toward the Poconos. A beautiful area, once you get out of town, which is dreadful.

+1 on that. Giants Despair (aka E. Northampton St) would be nice… break out your climbing gears!

I don’t know if Sicklers does the rides anymore. If I go back home to visit, I’m never in W-B… but some friends I knew who rode around there never mention them anymore.

6

You guys mind mapping out Giants Despair? I’m not from the area and turns out I’ll be staying in Dunmore: Here is the address: 102 Monahan St, Dunmore, PA 18512

7

I know Around Town Bikes in Wilkes Barre does group rides…
http://atownbikes.com

8

If you’re on Monahan, I’d recommend heading up that street, up Reeves St and onto Marshwood Road. That can be some good riding and given the right time of day, isn’t that heavily traveled. There’s some industrial places right there but the truck traffic isn’t bad, and when I rode over there my last time in town, the few trucks there were shared the road. No idiots.

I might have a Garmin route mapped there… let me look. Giants Despair is about a 25 minute ride south in the car to get there.

9

Here’s one… not mine but a loop I have done (or pretty close to it). The start for you…looking at the map, would be just on the North side of I-81 near the end of the words marking Marywood University.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/add_to_website/85066537

10

Was your ride this weekend or next? I’m located in Scranton and I could recommend a few in your area if you’re still in need.