Fourth Annual · Saturday, November 29
Shorter. Faster.
Still ruinous.
Come one, come all to the fourth annual Dirty Onion. This one is shorter and faster, with 10,086 feet3,074 meters of elevation gain in 51.6 miles83.0 kilometers. The official route is on the map above.
The ride starts and ends at Allegheny City Brewing at 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 29. Two refreshment stops will be provided. Expect a brisk social pace. Can't finish the ride? No problem — just peel off and head back to ACB for a raging bonfire and a pint.
Uncrustables, Red Bull, and water will be provided at the designated rest stops. French onion soup provided at the end.
Only the core of the onion will finish
Peeling the layers
The climbs that do the damage
The worst of them, Suffolk Street, averages 17.5% and touches 21.9%. Plenty of what falls between them is uphill too. Pick one to see it on the map.
Climbs are named for the street they run up, and grades are smoothed over 100-metre pitches — your legs may file a dissenting opinion.
Run of the day
How it goes
8:15 AM
Roll up
Coffee, kit fettling, and lying about your fitness at ACB.
9:00 AM
Rollout
Neutral out of the Northside. Brisk social pace once the road tips up.
Mile 27.8
Rest stop
Facilities, water, and snacks. Uncrustables and Red Bull.
Mile 41.1
Final rest stop
Porta potty, water, and snacks. Last chance to top off.
Afternoon
Bonfire & soup
French onion soup and a raging bonfire back at ACB.
What you get
Provisions
- Two refreshment stopsUncrustables, Red Bull, and water.
- French onion soupWaiting for you at the finish.
- A raging bonfireBurning all afternoon at ACB.
- A pintEarned, whether you finish or not.
Questions
Before you ask
Do I need to register?+
No. There is no entry fee and no sign-up sheet. Show up at Allegheny City Brewing before 9:00 AM and roll out with everyone else. A $10 donation is recommended to cover the food, drinks, and bonfire.
What bike should I ride?+
A gravel bike or a cross bike with 35mm+ tires is the sweet spot. The route mixes pavement, city steps-adjacent alleys, park trails, and enough loose stuff that a road bike will make you miserable. A mountain bike will get around fine, just slower.
What if I can't finish?+
Peel off. That is the whole point of the layers. Every mile of this route is within a few miles of the Northside, so bail out whenever you like and head back to ACB for the bonfire and a pint. Nobody is keeping score.
Is the route marked?+
No. Download the GPX and load it onto your head unit or phone before you show up. There is no sag, no course marshals, and no closed roads.
Is it a race?+
No. Expect a brisk social pace, regroups at the top of the big climbs, and no results. The hills sort everyone out on their own.
What should I bring?+
Layers for late November in Pittsburgh, lights (it gets dark early), a spare tube and the tools to use it, and enough food to get you between stops. Everything on this route is steeper than it looks.
Saturday, November 29 · 9:00 AM
Only the core
will finish
No entry fee, no sign-up, no results. Just 51.6 miles83.0 kilometers, 10,086 feet3,074 meters, and soup at the end. Roll out from Allegheny City Brewing at 9:00 AM.