Cycling in Philadelphia

[nvpacchi]

I am going to be living in Philadelphia this summer, and need some help. I'm either going to live downtown near UPenn, or out in the suburbs around Villanova.

Depending on the ease of getting to and from group/training rides will impact the decision of where I choose to live. With this in mind does anyone know any good groups to get in touch with, either in Philly's suburbs or directly downtown?

Thanks in advance!

 

[US Patent Exploding Cyclist]

I would look at the bike club of philadelphia first - here

They have weekly rides in and around the city. If you can't find a ride with them I'm sure you could find someone there who could point you in the right direction.

If you're looking for ease of getting to group rides, I would suggest downtown. A lot of group rides meet at the Art Museum; getting there from anywhere Downtown is cake.

 

[fatandfast]

Cadence was nice to me the last time I was there 4323 Main St,Manayuk. they sell lots of high end stuff. Lots of racers go there. PA is a great place to ride. The NJ/PA border around Frenchtown is also a great training area. Lots of good MTB riding and racing in the area

 

[mikeNphilly]

Rides leave from the behind the Art Museum at: 600pm on Thursday, 6:00pm on Tuesday, 9:00-9:15(about 4-5 different level of rides) am on Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Wed. there are rides that leave at 6 in the burbs(Wayne and Flourtown). There are also weekend and daytime midweek rides that leave form burbs as well...You can find all of this on the BCP website that was linked to you earlier.

There are 3-4 bike shops that have rides during the week as well. Also on tues. is the famous Drive ride that leave from Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park around 600-630pm on Tuesday, that has alot of local racers and college racers in it.

Hopefully you are here in June, so you get to see the Philly race.

 

[nickel999]

Hi All-

I don't want to hijack the thread but its great that there are a lot of local Philadelphians here as cyclists on the forums.

* I used to live in Audubon about 10 years ago and would ride/run in Valley Forge Park. I worked in KOP and (even at that time) did the crazy 422 commute-sometimes backed up from my front door step.

I now live in Baltimore. The cycling scene here while active is not what it was in Philly.

My reason for posting is I would love to come up for the great bike race in June. I have some very found memories of the race. My brother (who used to live in East Falls) and I actually one year saw Greg Lemond flat about twenty feet from us.

With the realization that things have changed and more folks come out to the race (a good thing) I was wondering if folks could give me a recommendation for parking if I wanted to see the race from Lemon Tree hill? It would be day trip driving up from B-more early in th morning.

Thanks!

 

[nvpacchi]

Thanks a bunch for the info everyone! All seem like fantastic options, so I know I will not be short of groups to ride with this summer.

And I will most certainly be at the Philly International Criterium this June, I went last year (my first professional bike race) and I had an absolute blast. Now that I will actually be living in the area, it will be easier for me to ride around to different sections of the race. I am itching to see the attacks on the Manyunk Wall.

I have heard of the legendary Tuesday night training rides leaving from the Art Museum, does anyone have any experience with them?

 

[mikeNphilly]

I have not done the Drive Ride(as it is called) yet this year, as I did no off season training over the winter, so I'm stil abit out of shape for that ride.

Basically it's most of the local race teams represented as well as the college teams in the area as well(Drexel, Penn, St. Joe's, Temple..maybe some Villanova) plus anyone that wants to hang on for the ride. It's not for the faint, as it is race speed and if you can't hold the wheel in front of you will be told to get the F out of the line. I have never had the time to race, but I ride almost every day, so for me it is my most challenging ride. Speeds are in the mid 30's, when I looked down one time and we were at 37 mph on flats, it's quite a rush.

We basically take out the right lane of Kelly and MLK drive and do 8 mile laps around the Art Museum, numbers of cyclist range in the 20-80's just depends on who shows up. In recent years, a slower group has formed to follow for anyone that gets dropped.

 

[mikeNphilly]

Hi All-

I don't want to hijack the thread but its great that there are a lot of local Philadelphians here as cyclists on the forums.

* I used to live in Audubon about 10 years ago and would ride/run in Valley Forge Park. I worked in KOP and (even at that time) did the crazy 422 commute-sometimes backed up from my front door step.

I now live in Baltimore. The cycling scene here while active is not what it was in Philly.

My reason for posting is I would love to come up for the great bike race in June. I have some very found memories of the race. My brother (who used to live in East Falls) and I actually one year saw Greg Lemond flat about twenty feet from us.

With the realization that things have changed and more folks come out to the race (a good thing) I was wondering if folks could give me a recommendation for parking if I wanted to see the race from Lemon Tree hill? It would be day trip driving up from B-more early in th morning.

Thanks!

If you get to town early(6am), you can park on fairmount ave, 22nd, 19th, 18th along the old Eastern State Prison. Then just walk/ride down Fairmount and you are basically at the Art Museum. The roads close on the course around 6ish, so you can ride around and check out the course. There is a chairty ride that kicks off around 7ish I believe, that has a mass to the course. But you can ride all you want till 9 am when the races start.

Fairmout is free parking on sunday, other streets around there have meters that are closer to the parkway, and you have to feed them or you will be ticketed.

Alot of good restaurants around there as well...Bishops Collar, Pete's Pizza, London Grill, Belgium Cafe, Mugshots to name a few. Jack's firehouse is great for dinner.

 

[nickel999]

Thank you Mike!

I'm going to start Map-questing out a plan. I remember the old prison area *I believe* I have parked there before and walked over to fairmount for the race. Feed zone at the Art Museum and then Lemon Tree hill

I also appreciate the food recommendations. Belgium Cafe sounds so appropriate !

I bought one of my bikes from "performance tech?" on the main line down from Villanova an old Bianchi Celeste (now on my wind trainer). I'm sure there no longer there?

Is Cycles Bikyle still in business? I would just salivate at the frames he had. I remember they used to sponsor a team in the race.

Thanks again

 

[lean mean &green]

I have not done the Drive Ride(as it is called) yet this year, as I did no off season training over the winter, so I'm stil abit out of shape for that ride.

Basically it's most of the local race teams represented as well as the college teams in the area as well(Drexel, Penn, St. Joe's, Temple..maybe some Villanova) plus anyone that wants to hang on for the ride. It's not for the faint, as it is race speed and if you can't hold the wheel in front of you will be told to get the F out of the line. I have never had the time to race, but I ride almost every day, so for me it is my most challenging ride. Speeds are in the mid 30's, when I looked down one time and we were at 37 mph on flats, it's quite a rush.

We basically take out the right lane of Kelly and MLK drive and do 8 mile laps around the Art Museum, numbers of cyclist range in the 20-80's just depends on who shows up. In recent years, a slower group has formed to follow for anyone that gets dropped.

the "drives ride" deserves its own thread. i haven't done it in a few years because i live in the suburbs and there are other group rides closer and easier to get to where i don't have to battle rush hour traffic on the schuylkill expressway, philly people know what this means. let me mention that i've been racing bikes for over a decade and have been a part of group rides on countless occassions and in a wide variety of locations. it is the most hectic, chaotic, dangerous group ride i've ever had the misfortune of participating in....err surviving. the roads are far from closed or even quiet, autos still pass you on the left just a few feet away from where you are hammering just to hang on and not be the target of aforementioned f-bombs. it is extremely fast because there's essentially no climbing or tight turns to slow things down. when you think you've got the traffic and other racers under control there's a man-hole cover every ten feet. you say it's cool to race past the iconic art museum steps? not really, there's no time for rubber-necking. you need to look at the a$$ and back-wheel in front of you to avoid dying and will barely notice a naked supermodel on the sidewalk let alone a stupid old building a few hundred steps away. the "drives ride" is an absolute mess. i am 100% serious when i say it is also my favorite.

 

[george123]

I also lived in Philadelphia for a while and I discovered a site from a Philadelphia citizen that gives quite a lot of useful information, especially about major attractions in Philadelphia. So you might find the information you need there.