SLIPPERY ROCK — Two teams of cyclists from Slippery Rock this week will pedal through a relay celebrating Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary and the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage.

A team of Slippery Rock University students and another from the community will participate in the PNC Legacy Relay, retracing the footsteps of George Washington from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh.

As part of the event, 18 teams of cyclists will pedal collectively for 335 miles over 24 hours to deliver a Senate resolution proclamation congratulating Pittsburgh on its 250th anniversary.

The first team will leave Washington, D.C., at 1:30 p.m. Friday while the last team will arrive at Point State Park in Pittsburgh at 1:18 p.m. the next day.

Steve Roberts is on the team and also is the organizer of the monthly Critical Mass bike rides in Slippery Rock. He said the two local teams will cycle in legs during the middle of the night in Maryland.

The first group starts at 11:29 p.m. Friday night in Little Orleans, Md., passing off the proclamation to the second Slippery Rock team at 12:34 a.m. Saturday morning in Paw Paw, Md. That group will bike to Spring Gap and arrive at 1:37 a.m.

Joanie Anderson of Grove City is on the community team and will start her ride in Paw Paw and end in Cumberland. Anderson said although this is her first commemorative ride, she has done road bike rides before.

"I always look forward to the camaraderie of the group we are with — that's a big part of cycling with all the people you meet and the personalities that come together for a common event," Anderson said. "It's always fun."

Anderson also said she is excited to celebrate the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage, which is a bike trail that runs from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. She said the work on the trail has taken about 10 years to complete. While portions of the project still need work, Roberts said, it was recently completed.

"I am always up for a good bike ride so that's what it's about, but it's also in support of the trail we will be riding on, because it's been many years in the making," Anderson.

Jeff Shaffer of Grove City has done 100-mile bike rides before and decided to join the community team because of its special significance.

"The fact that it's in conjunction with the Pittsburgh 250 celebration means it's a historical event, so it's a unique way to incorporate bike riding into local history," Shaffer said.

Shaffer also said it will be a great way to connect with other cyclists.

"It should be a neat adventure since we are doing the ride at night with lights, and it's on a section of the Allegheny Passage that I have never ridden before." he said.

The relay will be tracked online using a GPS beacon device that will upload the position of each team every 10 minutes. To track the Slippery Rock team rides, visit http://tinyurl.com/bike250.