How's the riding (road) in PA? [Archive]

bumknees

05-02-2016, 03:26 PM

peanutgallery

05-02-2016, 03:42 PM

Lots of lane and a half farm roads. East and west will run up and down the valley and north/south will find you a climb or 2. Little bit more traffic than my area as there are more folks on the road. Main roads won't have a lot of shoulder typically

Mtb and gravel, there's a ton available

OtayBW

05-02-2016, 04:23 PM

Stay away from southcentral PA unless you want to gravel grind your life away on paved roads...:eek:

Matt-H

05-02-2016, 04:48 PM

Where in Montgomery County? No experience around the Main Line at all and although I'm not familiar with the Collegeville/Harleysville area, I've heard plenty of great roads to be ridden.

Using Perkiomenville and the Green Lane Reservoir as an Upper Montgomery County reference point, west into Berks County to Reading and North to Hawk Mtn and beyond, there are countless farm roads that include flats, rollers, steep punchy climbs and a couple of sustained (for around here) climbs. Lots of rides that leave from the T-town Velo cover this area. Lehigh Wheelmen has cue sheets available, but it appears you must now be a member to access them. I've ridden here a lot- beautiful. Weekends can get a bit busy with traffic, tho.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1639/24774918486_a97d42b935_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DKgW81)image (https://flic.kr/p/DKgW81) by mattsthreesons (https://www.flickr.com/photos/40747725@N02/), on Flickr

East of Perkiomenville into Northern Bucks County to the Delaware River (my primary riding area), endless routes on gorgeous roads. Lots of climbing and fast descents. 100 feet/ mile is the norm here.

I really enjoy the road riding here.

bumknees

05-02-2016, 05:03 PM

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. We'll likely be near Blue Bell, Ambler, North Wales, or Lansdale (or anywhere in between).

Ray

05-02-2016, 05:18 PM

Those are pretty crowded areas, so I wouldn't expect the best riding right from home. But you won't have to drive too far north and/or west to get to some really sublime riding. I live in Chester County (adjacent to the SW from Montgomery County) and I've done the century ride out of Philly several times that runs through big portions of western Montgomery and northern Chester Counties and it's beautiful. Most of the northwestern part of the Montgomery County is still full of little farm lanes and winding country roads with not much traffic at all. It's a great place to ride...

-Ray

572cv

05-02-2016, 07:28 PM

The guys who live there will have the best sense of things, but going down from VT to visit my brother, I can do some short loops from his house that are not bad. Here are some roads I remember for that purpose. And as a caveat, I try to ride when the traffic is somewhat at an ebb.
-Sheaff Lane
- Morris Road ( but it gets lots of traffic at times)
- Lafayette Ave/Joshua Road
- Militia Hill Road (same area)
- Stenton Ave is not bad either. Heading into the city, you can take it to West Wissahickon to Fairmount Park and do Forbidden Drive, if you have at least fat tires (Forbidden Drive is along the Wissahickon and is not paved. Goes all the way to the Schuylkill. You have to do that from time to time).
- Stenton heading north to Narcissus/Lewis Lane,or to Blue Bell/Penllyn Pike is fine.
-Penllyn Pike to Springhouse, back through Ambler, I've done.
-School Road/Plymouth Road out to Gwynedd Valley is ok too. Lots of Welsh names in the area , huh!

I've never been able to take advantage of the riding further out, just the kind of thing where I can sneak an hour or two in here and there while on a trip. I find my really bright NiteRider flashy taillight is a comfort, though. When the traffic is lower, its a pretty area to ride.

blantonator

05-02-2016, 08:49 PM

My family lives in West Chester and there is great riding west and south. Better than anything we have within riding distance here in NoVA

ripvanrando

05-03-2016, 05:37 AM

I used to live off the Main Line and currently do a good amount of riding in Bucks. The good riding starts just north of your intended area. Here are two clubs that will have good cycling routes in your area or not too far to the north.

http://www.suburbancyclists.org/

https://www.cbbikeclub.org/

AJosiahK

05-03-2016, 07:00 AM

I lived down there for a good 10+ years after undergrad. Both living out on the mainline and commuting from w phila out.

Commuting via bike out that way wasn't fun or safe. a lot of mainline drivers sucked in my experience. However, once your away from that tis quality. The Phila area and suburbs are pretty great for riding, just like any other suburban and metropolitan areas, they have places to avoid.

I did more trail riding, belmont plateau, wissahickon etc and wasnt as into road riding as I am now.

Lots of good suggestions above

Formulasaab

05-03-2016, 07:16 AM

Vinci

05-03-2016, 07:58 AM

I've done some riding a little East of Montgomery County near Elverson. There is a LOT of beautiful quiet roads out there. A lot of Amish communities, from what I can tell, and lots of horses/buggies on the road. I really enjoyed riding out there and will be doing it again here in a few weeks.

Ken Robb

05-03-2016, 09:24 AM

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. We'll likely be near Blue Bell, Ambler, North Wales, or Lansdale (or anywhere in between).

Did they really change the name to Blue BELL?
Folks used to love saying that to get from Lancaster to Paradise a good route was through Intercourse but a wrong turn and you might end up in Blue BALL. I'm not making this up. :D

Formulasaab

05-03-2016, 09:31 AM

No. They haven't changed it. Thankfully.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

PaMtbRider

05-03-2016, 10:46 AM

ripvanrando

05-03-2016, 12:09 PM

Blue Balls, Elverson, Lancaster county, and most of Chester county are quite aways from Landsdale area. Great riding there but you are looking at an hour drive to get there if RT 202 thru KoP cooperates.

PA roads are narrower than comparable NNJ roads and shoulders are non-existent; however, some of the best country lane riding can be had to the north of your target home area.

OtayBW

05-03-2016, 12:20 PM

The further west from Philly you get, the better the riding. South central Pa has some of the best riding in the country. We are blessed with an extensive road network. The roads aren't always in the best condition, but the lack of traffic makes up for it. We have great diversity in our terrain, only lacking in long, sustained, mountain climbs.I can appreciate the rural character of many of the roads, but good grief, the roads are really beat up, IMO. It's pretty easy to ride a century in southcentral PA and never get off a chip-seal surface.

Ray

05-03-2016, 05:13 PM

It's really good, actually. I ride from northern Delaware up into Pennsylvania. The roads on the northern end of my rides will be some of the same ones you might find yourself on. It's "horse country" there, so beautiful, varied, and with light traffic.

Some pics from a recent ride:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/eb34dab7796f63a184e99814b4305e97.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/c7b447f508608d37a245fbc257de38f7.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/227dc88ce2cb5562a10ccb4440ccb6ae.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/9f970cd2bc72bb3e575a179f76cd5049.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/903e31a87aac3d17f2bc3b75da31c841.jpg

See you out there!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Those are all on and around Runnymead, no? If not, looks EXACTLY like it! I live in West Chester and have done a lot of my favorite riding out in that area.

No, it's not this nice in tight around Blue Bell and Ambler, but you don't have to go too far north and west of there to get to similar farm country. Some of the roads aren't great, some are, but I always do alright with 23-25mm tires. Many roads are narrow with no shoulder, but most are quite winding with limited sight distance, so the cars tend not to go too fast. I've ridden in a lot of areas and haven't found any I like more than this area and damn few I like as much.

-Ray

bumknees

05-03-2016, 05:41 PM

Did they really change the name to Blue BELL

Actually, there is a Blue Bell, in SE PA, which is the general area where we're targeting

Ken Robb

05-03-2016, 06:00 PM

So we have Blue BELL and Blue BALL Pennsylvania? I worked for Armstrong in Lancaster,PA. many years ago and like many young male newcomers had many laughs learning the names of surrounding towns like Blue Ball, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, etc. I guess Blue Bell was too normal-sounding to register with us. :cool::beer:

I did learn to be very careful riding my Ducati on the lovely country roads because I could never know when the pavement might be covered in road apples due to the many horse-drawn buggies in that area.

Formulasaab

05-03-2016, 06:40 PM

Those are all on and around Runnymead, no? If not, looks EXACTLY like it! I live in West Chester and have done a lot of my favorite riding out in that area.

No, it's not this nice in tight around Blue Bell and Ambler, but you don't have to go too far north and west of there to get to similar farm country. Some of the roads aren't great, some are, but I always do alright with 23-25mm tires. Many roads are narrow with no shoulder, but most are quite winding with limited sight distance, so the cars tend not to go too fast. I've ridden in a lot of areas and haven't found any I like more than this area and damn few I like as much.

-Ray

Route from the same ride... It started and ended at Victory Brewing in Kennet Square. :beer::beer:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/aa52bd139c897d59241e205d44a8ca8b.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ray

05-03-2016, 07:35 PM

Route from the same ride... It started and ended at Victory Brewing in Kennet Square. :beer::beer:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/aa52bd139c897d59241e205d44a8ca8b.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Most of those shots (all but the first I'd wager) were from that little section of the ride out to the west of Route 841. Some of the prettiest country anywhere around here, with tiny little roads where you almost never see a car. A huge chunk of it is owned by heirs to the Campbell Soup fortune - sometimes if you're lucky (or willing to scale the gate) you can ride through that property on their dirt road. Just gorgeous...

-Ray

ripvanrando

05-04-2016, 08:06 AM

South and West of Kennett Square has great country riding on course chip seal roads but the area is 90 minutes from the OP's desired home base.

Ray

05-04-2016, 11:37 AM

South and West of Kennett Square has great country riding on course chip seal roads but the area is 90 minutes from the OP's desired home base.

I know, but the point is there's really good riding in the outer portions of Bucks and Montgomery County too, just as there is in Chester County. In all cases, the most suburban areas closest into Philly are gonna be the worst for riding, and the area the OP is planning to live is just such an area. But he won't have to go far to get to some really nice riding. I used to do the Nockamixon century that did a lot of miles in upper Bucks and Montgomery County and a good portion of the Philly century heads out in to Montgomery County before looping down into Northern Chester County. I don't know if the OP would have good riding from his front door, but he wouldn't have to drive nearly as far as Kennett Square to get to some really nice country roads...

-Ray

bumknees

05-04-2016, 11:41 AM

Yeah, I'll prob have to drive out a bit to get to a nice area to ride. I lived in PA many years back, and remember nearly getting driven off the road by two nice fellows in a truck who took issue at men in spandex... This was when there were still many cornfields in MontCo. Hopefully, things haven't gotten worse.

echappist

05-04-2016, 12:48 PM

I'll be moving to the Philly suburbs (Montgomery county, PA) soon and was wondering what the riding is like out there. Are there any good routes on par with, for example, the NYC to Bear Mountain (via 9W) ride that many of the northern NJ/NYC members here are familiar with? Thanks!

It was years after i left that i realized just how special 9W is. I am not aware of any place on the East Coast where you have wide shoulders and almost uninterrupted riding for ~8 miles. The sheer # of cyclists on it is also a rarity, and the roads out of DC are barren in comparison. Then, as you mention, there's the proximity to Bear Mountain. You'd be hard pressed to find a 20-min long hill only 40 miles away from a major metro area. If i were in NYC these days, i'd be on 9W all the time with my time trial bike.

I'm also thinking of relocating to Philly, and it would seem that doing intervals by the airport is the way to get in 15min of uninterrupted training.

DerekB

05-04-2016, 01:11 PM

Plenty of great riding. I am in Merion Station, right next to Narberth. I lead a shop ride out of Main Line Cycles every Saturday morning leaving at 8:00. Come join us! 50 ish miles, 4,000-5,000 feet of climbing.

There are plenty of nice roads and I leave from my house on the bike. Also check out BCP, Bicycle Club of Philadelphia. They organize a great century ride every fall.

Formulasaab

05-05-2016, 06:08 AM

I don't know if the OP would have good riding from his front door, but he wouldn't have to drive nearly as far as Kennett Square to get to some really nice country roads...

Correct. My home is in northern Delaware, in the northern Wilmington suburbs. I have decent roads right from my front door, but need to ride for 30 minutes or so before I get to better stuff. We often start rides from a friend's house in Hockessin, DE or, from Garrison's Cyclery in Centreville, DE. Both are about 6 miles from Kennett Square. We are always trying to find the time to ride and explore farther north and west but truly appreciate how nice the riding is near to us.

ripvanrando

05-05-2016, 12:12 PM

It was years after i left that i realized just how special 9W is. I am not aware of any place on the East Coast where you have wide shoulders and almost uninterrupted riding for ~8 miles. ......

RT 29 south from Frenchtown, NJ to Stockton has wide shoulders and is about 12 miles along the Delaware River where there is about an 8 mile stretch with new pavement although the climbs off the River onto the plateau are only about a mile long. This is where I do my FTP confirmatory tests and although I generally prefer totally traffic free country lanes, I know I can let it Rip and not worry about any traffic ruining the effort. South Jersey has a few roads that fit that bill, too.

Ray

05-05-2016, 07:15 PM

Correct. My home is in northern Delaware, in the northern Wilmington suburbs. I have decent roads right from my front door, but need to ride for 30 minutes or so before I get to better stuff. We often start rides from a friend's house in Hockessin, DE or, from Garrison's Cyclery in Centreville, DE. Both are about 6 miles from Kennett Square. We are always trying to find the time to ride and explore farther north and west but truly appreciate how nice the riding is near to us.

Yeah, I live in West Chester so I ride from my door and have about 3-4 miles of somewhat suburban riding to get through (but low traffic volumes) before I'm out on farm roads. When I used to ride a lot, I used to do all of those roads on the route you posted (and pretty well down into your neighborhood in Delaware as well) from my front door, but now the outer-reaches are getting a bit beyond my range unless I drive and park out there somewhere...

-Ray

echappist

05-05-2016, 07:37 PM

RT 29 south from Frenchtown, NJ to Stockton has wide shoulders and is about 12 miles along the Delaware River where there is about an 8 mile stretch with new pavement although the climbs off the River onto the plateau are only about a mile long. This is where I do my FTP confirmatory tests and although I generally prefer totally traffic free country lanes, I know I can let it Rip and not worry about any traffic ruining the effort. South Jersey has a few roads that fit that bill, too.

thanks for the tip. I have done a few rides on 29 from Washington's Crossing toward Lambertville, but for whatever reason never ventured further north. The furthest north i've been is at the intersection of CR-519 and Rt-29, and i didn't recall seeing wide shoulders and basically wrote off the roads heading north. But exactly as you mentioned, google map shows wide shoulders.

I guess i also didn't want to explore the area that much because the first time i was in that region ended up being extremely windy, but it seems that i should give it another consideration.

cmbicycles

05-05-2016, 08:12 PM

pakora

05-06-2016, 12:28 AM

I just moved out of the area and had no idea how amazing I had it. And I just moved to Seattle. No kidding, SE PA has some pretty excellent riding all around - Goshen all the way out to West Chester sticks out as well as the roads around Ambler and Conshohocken. Yeah. At rush hours they're all terrible but that's true everywhere.

echappist

05-06-2016, 08:18 AM

Right across the river on the pa side around carversville is fleecydale rd, one of my favorite roads... A few nice climbs off it, winds along a creek, shaded, virtually no traffic. It's been a few years but I always enjoyed heading out from Doylestown towards the river along this route.

Ah, very good to know. Out of curiosity, anyone has a good route from center city Philly to Washington's Crossing/Lambertville? Years ago (almost 5 year to the date), my friends and i rode from NYC to Philly, but we really didn't like the route. I think it was Huntington Pike/232 --> Short jaunt on Philmont --> Valley Road --> Washington Lane. We took the route as it didn't involve many turns and was relatively direct, but we didn't particularly like the section between Valley Road and Wrightstown.

Also, is there a trial along the Delaware River that goes upstream?

Formulasaab

05-07-2016, 09:48 AM

Yeah, I live in West Chester so I ride from my door and have about 3-4 miles of somewhat suburban riding to get through (but low traffic volumes) before I'm out on farm roads. When I used to ride a lot, I used to do all of those roads on the route you posted (and pretty well down into your neighborhood in Delaware as well) from my front door, but now the outer-reaches are getting a bit beyond my range unless I drive and park out there somewhere...

-Ray

We should get together and ride sometime.