Backgrounder

Biking In Philadelphia and The Countryside: From Serious To Seriously Scenic

PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2006 - With more than 200 miles of bike lanes in the city and 100 miles of off-road trails, bicycling is one of the most popular ways to experience Philadelphia and The Countryside™. It’s no surprise that Philadelphia is consistently rated among the top five big cities for cycling by publications such as Bicycling Magazine. Locals treasure the region’s extensive trail systems, and visitors come here for cycling events, most notably the Commerce Bank Philadelphia International Championship (formerly the International Pro Cycling Championship) and the annual Covered Bridges Ride in Bucks County.

Biking on Kelly Drive

Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Recreational Biking:
New amenities are making it easier for out-of-towners to go for a ride. Companies like Philadelphia Bicycle Tours and Trophy Bikes both offer bicycle service to hotel guests. A new Boundless Philadelphia™ regional bicycle map (available at events and local bike shops) details six favorite regional bike routes, and the Fairmount Park Commission has plans to install more signage along the Schuylkill River Trail and restore part of the trail system in summer 2006.

Recreational biking in Philadelphia blends city and country. Bike lanes cross through the heart of the city to link up with extensive trails in Fairmount Park and the surrounding countryside, providing a rich mix of urban excitement and open, rolling hills. Most popular is the 25-mile trail along the Schuylkill River on scenic Kelly Drive, which connects to artsy, hip Manayunk, where cyclists often stop for a river-side lunch. The route continues to Valley Forge National Historical Park, a pivotal site in American history. In a single afternoon, cyclists can visit one of the world’s most significant art museums (Philadelphia Museum of Art), pedal through an oasis of riverside views and open space, take a shopping or lunch break and visit the site of General Washington’s historic encampment. There’s a wide variety of social rides and clubs, so cycling can be as easy as a ride to birding haven John Heinz Wildlife Preserve, as extreme as mountain biking down steep, rutted Wissahickon Gorge or simply a way to get out there and meet people.

Serious Cycling:
For serious racers, cycling in Philadelphia starts with The Wall. The steep climb out of Manayunk is a challenge to the world’s most competitive cyclists and strikes terror in the hearts of everyone else. Every June, thousands of professional cyclists take it on as spectators line the streets, ringing cowbells and screaming words of encouragement during the annual championship race, the second largest championship ride in the nation. In addition, racing clubs such as the Quaker City Wheelmen and Sturdy Girl Cycling make the region a haven for elite, competitive cyclists.

Experts Weigh In:
The following experts give insight into Philadelphia’s cycling scene:

• Rick Miller, president of Quaker City Wheelmen, a training club for elite-level competitive racers, (215) 271-0683
  “It is rather surprising the number of folks that are out there that will travel with their bikes and ride while they are traveling on business or pleasure. In the last year alone, I met a couple of guys from the Navy who travel with their bikes and trained with us for a couple of weeks while their ship was docked at Penn’s Landing. And just a few weeks ago, an airline pilot from London joined us for a couple of rides when he was in town for the weekend.”
  
• Pat Cunnane, president of Fuji Bicycles, which recently moved its corporate headquarters to Philadelphia, (215) 824-3854
  “Philadelphia offers great riding for all types of cyclists. Families can’t beat the bike route from Center City out to Valley Forge or riding in Pennypack Park, and commuters have almost 200 miles of painted, signed bike routes in the city. Mountain bike riders are often amazed by the exhilarating single track along the Wissahickon Creek near Valley Green, and racers, there’s the biggest one-day professional bike race in the country right here in Fairmount Park and Manayunk.”
  
• Bill Strickland, editor, Bicycling Magazine, (610) 967-8663
  “Aside from the terrific trails, which are the reason we named Philadelphia one of the top five U.S. cities for mountain biking, what makes the region so distinctive for bicycling are all the clubs. There’s just so many of them, and they really cover the whole range of the sport. There are several racing clubs that are nationally known; there are road biking clubs, off-road clubs and recreational clubs. There’s even a club for people who love folded bicycles.”
  
• Sally Poliwoda, co-founder of Sturdy Girl Cycling, winner of the Division III Club of the Year by USA Cycling
  “Honestly, one of the best things about cycling in this area is that you can start in Center City Philadelphia, and in a matter of just 30 or 40 minutes you’ll be riding past a rural, country farm. Really, there’s just an abundance of great routes, and the terrain is great, too. You get good hill training all over the region, and there’s always the river drives, which are good for flat-course training.”
  
• Bob Ingram, publisher of Liberty Sports Magazine and director of the Adventure Sport Travel Expo, (215) 564-2047
  “No other city can touch us when it comes to what you can find within an hour radius of Philadelphia, with its rolling hills and beautiful countryside. We have more miles of off-road trails than the other five largest cities added up, with an incredible range of variety in the terrain, and at least 25 of them are considered world-class.”
  
• Matt Heitman, one of the nation’s top ranked master’s riders and co-owner of Cadence bicycle store, (215) 805-4300
  “Compared to the rest of the nation, this region is fantastic for cycling. There are great country roads and a huge competitive scene. I’d say Philadelphia is the second most competitive cycling community in the nation for amateur riders.”
  
• Joe Wentzell, elite cyclist, trainer and owner of Breakaway Bikes, (215) 568-6002
  “I think it’s the grass-roots love of the sport that makes this region so great for cyclists. We have so many races here, so many opportunities to ride and compete, and believe me, that has a snowball effect. More races attract more cyclists, and that creates demand for more races. The cycling community is already really strong here, and it’s definitely growing.”

Get Pedaling:
Philadelphia’s cycling scene has plenty of clubs, regular group rides, annual events and bicycle rental facilities that are open to anyone, from elite racing cyclists to families with kids in tow.
Here’s a look:

• Bicycle Club of Philadelphia, www.phillybikeclub.org
• Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, www.bicyclecoalition.org
• The Brandywine Bicycle Club, www.brandywinebicycleclub.org
• Central Bucks Bicycle Club, www.cbbikeclub.org
• Delaware Trail Spinners, www.trailspinners.org
• Delaware Valley Bicycle Club, www.dvbc.org
• Delaware Valley Mountain Bike Patrol, www.dvmbp.org
• Jersey Action Riders, www.jerseyactionriders.org
• Main Line Cycling Club, www.mlcycling.com
• Philadelphia Bicycle Tours, www.permaburnsociety.com
• Quaker City Wheelmen, www.quakercitywheelmen.org
• Sturdy Girl Cycling, www.sturdygirlcycling.com
• Suburban Cyclists Unlimited, www.suburbancyclists.org
• Sussex Cyclists, www.sussexcyclists.org
• Trophy Bikes, www.trophybikes.com
• West Chester Cycling Club, www.westchestercycling.com  

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

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