Image via Wikipedia This is a steal, maybe I should say steel, of a deal – plus they even have bikes and helmets for you. The Young Preservationists are a great group – looks like an awesome way to spend a Saturday morning in Pittsburgh. I like that they have 3 different tours – a great opportunity to check out a neighborhood that may be new to you.

Young Preservationists Association (YPA) Wheeling Through History bike tours, which take place this Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

There are three tours from which to choose (tour descriptions are at the bottom):

1. North Side
2. South Side (with Rivers of Steel)
3. Strip District-Lawrenceville

Developed by YPA members Lee Ann Antol and David Wohlwill in 2005, YPA’s “Wheeling Through History” Bike Tours feature Pittsburgh neighborhoods, history, and the progressive sport of cycling. YPA will stage these tours on Saturday, September, 20, 2008, in partnership with Venture Outdoors and Rivers of Steel. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is the sponsor.

All tours will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at the Heinz History Center at Noon. Wheeling Through History is a healthy and fun way to learn about our heritage while appealing to a youthful audience. Free Eat ‘n Park Smiley Cookie to all participants!

YPA’s Wheeling Through History bike tours are part of the Pittsburgh Regional Youth Heritage Festival, which takes place on October 11th at the Heinz History Center.

Register Today!

You can register for Wheeling Through History on YPA’s website, www.youngpreservationists.org. The cost is $25 (includes bike & helmet) or $20 if you bring your own bike (you must bring your own helmet, too). Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. this Thursday, so hurry up and secure your spot on Wheeling Through History!

For more information, call 412.512.8885.

Tour Descriptions

• Wheeling Through History North Side
  • Join the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh and Venture Outdoors as we trace the original Wheeling Through History route through old Allegheny, now Pittsburgh’s North Side. Visitors will be treated to historic sites in Allegheny Center, Manchester, Allegheny West, and the Mexican War Streets. The tour concludes with a ride along the North Shore Trail. It’s a scenic and healthy way to view Pittsburgh’s historic North Side.
• Wheeling Through History South Side
  • Join Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area for a bike tour of Pittsburgh’s rich industrial history through the South Side and Four Mile Run. Meet at the History Center, then it’s off to Station Square to follow the South Side Trail through the oldest mixed use industrial neighborhood in Pittsburgh – South Side. The tour crosses the Monongahela River at the Hot Metal Bridge, then turns towards the Panther Hollow Trail into the heart of Four Mile Run, an isolated area named for the stream about four miles above The Point that flowed into the Monongahela River. The tour returns to Station Square via the Eliza Furnace Trail past the high-tech corridor that is representative of the brownfield development taking place along the length of the Monongahela River.
• Wheeling Through History Strip District-Lawrenceville
  • See what the excitement is all about in the historic Strip District and Lawrenceville. Neighbors in the Strip and YPA will feature these neighborhoods, which are sandwiched between the 16th Street Bridge and the 62nd Street Bridge. It includes more than 100 shops, galleries, studios, and professional services firms. Lawrenceville’s Butler Street commercial district is an official Main Street program that features many newly restored storefronts and bustling new shops. The Strip District is best known for its retail produce and ethnic food stores, restaurants and coffee shops.