Came across this bit of history as we rode through Elkton on the East Coast Greenway. I had to stop.
Lafayette came through Elkton, Maryland
Came across this bit of history as we rode through Elkton. I had to stop.
Category: bike ride
Who is Kelly Drive in Philadelphia named after?
If you, like me, said Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco, wrong.
If you, like me, said Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco, wrong.
And it’s not the John B. Kelly whose statue you see on the Schuylkill River Trail around Boathouse Row. (This is the sort of stuff you notice moving at bike speed.) He won three Olympic golds in rowing and lived in Philadelphia.
No, it’s his son, John B. Kelly Jr., who was a city councilman. And brother of Princess Grace. He also was a rower and went to four Olympics. But the best he did was one bronze.
Politics?
Day 1 — Conshohocken to Philadelphia to Wilmington
Today’s 50-mile route was bookended by two fabulous trails: The Schuylkill River Trail and the Northern Delaware Greenway trail.
Today’s 50-mile route was bookended by two fabulous trails: The Schuylkill River Trail that runs from Conshohocken (actually 27 miles from Valley Forge, or even beyond, with some road bits) to Philadelphia, and the Northern Delaware Greenway trail, which runs for at least nine miles, sometimes in sight of I-95(!), and connects several parks before it essentially dumped us out in downtown Wilmington.
In between was plenty of urban grit and some surprises, such as the view of the Philadelphia skyline from Bartram’s Garden. And then the birds enjoying the wetlands of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge within sight of the airport.
Of course we also stumbled across odd stuff too, like the groups of guys who drove their cars onto the piers under the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester. Not that there looked like there was much to do in town.
Sunday morning
One of the best thing about staying with friends instead of a hotel: Last night’s leftovers for breakfast, says this non-egg-eater.
One of the best thing about staying with friends instead of a hotel: Last night’s leftovers for breakfast, says this non-egg-eater. Of course the conversation is even better. So why I am blogging?
Time to head to the start to load the truck, get the safety talk and then head out.
Day 0 — Conshohocken
Beer and bikes go together, especially for guys. So off we went with many of the East Coast Greenway riders to the Conshohocken Brewery, where on summer weekends as many customers come in through the back door (which faces the Schuylkill Trail) as through the front door.
Beer and bikes go together, especially for guys. So off we went on Saturday evening with many of the East Coast Greenway riders to the Conshohocken Brewery, where on summer weekends as many customers come in through the back door (which faces the Schuylkill Trail) as through the front door. No surprise, then, that it plays up its affinity for cyclists, from its logo to the bike jerseys for sale.
The brewery has been operational for less than a year and is exceeding expectations, one of the riders (and an investor) says. And the trail is heaving with cyclists, runners and others on weekends and during the week too, as people head to and from work. It was built in 1976 for the Bicentennial, when this area was struggling. Now the area is thriving and I’m going to give the trail some of the credit. It’s hard for me to understand why other parts of the city (and in other cities) are so resistant to trails that take people off the roads, reducing congestion for those who prefer to drive and helping to revitalize neighborhoods.
Are you paying attention, other parts of Philadelphia?
Packing for the ride
I’m packing up for the ride, hoping I don’t forget anything major. Any last-minute suggestions?
It’s almost that time!
I’m packing up for the ride, hoping I don’t forget anything major. Yes, I once drove to a day ride without my bike shoes. Unlike my neighbor the project manager, I’ve been lax about a packing list and still need to pick up some spare tubes for my tires. Any last-minute-suggestions? (One advantage of riding a route that connects cities: how far will I ever be from a store?)
Unlike the self-supported rides I have done, the East Coast Greenway is hauling all the gear. Will I end up overpacking?
Then I head to Philadelphia Saturday afternoon for a pre-ride gathering with some of the other 39 riders. And at 10 a.m. on Sunday, we start riding and I’ll find out if I did enough training. May it not rain all week, at least while I’m on my bike. (Got the rain jacket, got these Dutch “rain legs” that don’t smother you like pants would.)
Meanwhile, the ride has already raised more than $42,500 for the East Coast Greenway. Thank you to all who have supported me!
Thank you to all who have supported the East Coast Greenway
I’ve met my initial fundraising goal for the East Coast Greenway — so I’ve just increased it a bit.
I want to thank everyone who has so generously supported this fundraising ride for the East Coast Greenway. I’ve met my initial fundraising goal — so I’ve just increased it a bit. I don’t want to discourage anyone from contributing!
Asking and thanking
If you don’t ask, you don’t get. So I’m excited to see a number of “ask” (and “thank”) events as part of the Week-a-Year ride. Here’s what’s planned as of now.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
So I’m excited to see a number of “ask” (and “thank”) events as part of the Week-a-Year ride.
Here’s what’s planned as of now:
– A press conference with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, a big supporter of trails. The state has just budgeted for the final phase of a 7-mile trail from Wilmington to New Castle and is doing planning work on a Wilmington-to-Newark trail. Nice!
– A rally in Perryville, Maryland, in support of a bike-friendly crossing over the Susquehanna River.
– Happy Hour with Annapolis Mayor Mike Pantelides and state officials. I’ll be thanking state officials for the just-opened bike beltway in Towson, Maryland, one of our overnight spots. I’m hoping it can connect the East Coast Greenway and downtown Towson.
– A photo event and signage installation in Alexandria, Virginia.
Personally, I’d like to thank Philadelphia for the Spring Garden Street Greenway now in the works. It will connect the popular Schuylkill River route and the East Coast Greenway.
And I have a big ask for you: Please sign the petition for a bike-friendly crossing over the Susquehanna River between Perryville and Havre de Grace. Right now the choices for East Coast Greenway users are bus or taxi — or in our case, barge.
A North Carolina bike ride
We spent a long weekend in North Carolina, tasting out way through its famous barbecue and the Brit sampling many of Asheville’s craft beers. Of course I couldn’t resist trying out Charlotte’s bike-share system.
We spent a long weekend in North Carolina, tasting out way through its famous barbecue and the Brit sampling many of Asheville’s craft beers. Of course I couldn’t resist trying out Charlotte’s bike-share system. That included a ride on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway, a waterway that until recently was a polluted mess and partially concreted over. Now it’s a welcoming linear park with fountains, benches and restrooms, a cleaned-up stream and some mixed-use development that seems to have been attracted by the still-uncompleted project.
The goal is a 20-mile trail to the South Carolina line that fits into a broader two-state network of trails near 2.3 million people (but not part of the East Coast Greenway, which goes through Raleigh quite a bit to the east). Yes, the power of connecting trails! We only rode a few miles, until B-cycle ran out, so this really isn’t much of a training ride. I hope B-cycle will keep following the trail past Freedom Park, and include directional signage to docking stations, particularly that one in the medical center that took us too long to find.
As for the bikes: 3 speeds, like Citi Bike, but lighter. Easier to dock — definitely no temptation to slam it in just to make sure it locks. In fact locking and unlocking was far easier than in NYC. I like that you hear three beeps when it locks and you can get a confirmation text. Citi Bike, I’d be happy with just the text. The bike also has a proper basket (guess B-cycle cities don’t worry that their residents will treat them like trash cans) and a cable lock attached to the basket for running an errand where there is no docking station (something else Citi Bike doesn’t have.)
B-cycle is a different company than the one behind bike-share programs in big cities like New York and Chicago. There’s a Trek connection, and it has about two dozen second-tier cities signed up in the U.S. But there’s the same 30-minute limit for each ride when you have a day pass. We used seven bikes apiece in our explorations, and the coverage area was pretty limited.
And Charlotte? Pretty bike-friendly. There’s a nice, busy multi-use trail along much of its lone light-rail line (and lots of new condos too that seem dominated by Millennials, in case you needed visual proof that they prefer more of a city lifestyle to that of the suburbs). We biked quite a bit of it, until B-cycle ran out there too. On the whole, traffic wasn’t bad, especially when you’re used to New York City. And motorists are far more polite!
Maybe next year the East Coast Greenway ride will end in Raleigh and I can discover another part of North Carolina.
It’s a hill. Get over it.
This ride is just a few weeks away. Where did all the time go?
This ride is just a few weeks away. Where did all the time go? Unlike last summer, I wasn’t obsessed with getting in my training rides. Unlike my neighbor, I’m not disciplined enough to go out for a 20-mile loop no matter how late it is (and having done it with her one Friday night, I can say it’s in the dark).
Nope, it’s been mostly Citi Bike (let’s say their weight and general clunkiness means each mile counts more. Humor me.) and spin class. So I was thrilled that the Sourland Spectacular ride — 35 miles of hills through the Sourland Mountain forest and the scene of many of last year’s training rides — was pretty easy, 12 hours after that fast ride with the neighbor. I did it on my road bike, which helped. Definitely doing the flatter East Coast Greenway ride with it.
Got to love the T-shirt message from the ride. Take it whichever way you like. And now to cram in some more rides.
Exploring by bicycle 