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The Philly Bike Ride returns this Saturday, for its fifth year of bringing thousands of cyclists for a social ride along Philly’s streets.
Like the Philadelphia Cycling Classic in August, there won’t be a car in sight on the streets.
Unlike the classic though it’s a ride, not a race.
“It just represents what Philly cycling community is all about,” said Lana Harshaw, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, which is a founding partner of the ride. “There’s a place for everybody and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy wrapping up our education youth cycling programming in the fall, and this being a paramount point for the kids.”
The event is billed as a “party on two wheels” by organizers American Bike Ride, which runs similar events in Dallas and its flagship race in Washington D.C., with one in Boston coming next year. This year’s ride in Philly is expected to have 7,000 cyclists on the streets.
The ride offers 20- or 10-mile courses for riders ages 3 and up and all ability levels. It’s free for children ages between 3 and 7, but they must ride with a parent or guardian on a child bike seat, tagalong bike, tandem bike, in a bike trailer, or in a bike cargo. Children ages 8 to 17 and college students can still sign up for half the rate of the standard ride pass.
The ride begins at 7:30 a.m. and registrants can also begin the festivities early at Friday’s packet pickup party on Eakins Oval from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The car-free course starts from the Ben Franklin Parkway and finishes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with a festival for everyone to celebrate afterwards. The landmarks along the route include Independence Hall, City Hall, LOVE Park, Chinatown, Penn’s Landing and Boathouse Row.
For those not involved in the ride, here are the street closure and parking restrictions for the day.
There’s photo stops, music, free food and drink, restrooms and other entertainment and amenities scattered throughout the route. Most bike variants are welcome, including unicyles, tandem bikes, and class 1, 2 or 3 e-bikes. Indego bikes are an option and there’s also rent through the Rent-and-Ride Pass option. Scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, Segways, rollerskates and rollerblades are not allowed though.
A portion of the proceeds from the ride go towards the Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling (BCYC) program. Harshaw said the program teaches youngsters leadership, independence, teamwork and other healthy life skills and habits through cycling.
“Safety is at the foundation of our core programming and at the end of the day we want the kids to be able to feel empowered, be able to explore their city,” she said.
A study published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute in Basel, Switzerland found that teaching children to ride a bicycle not only improved motor coordination and balance, but also appeared to improve social interaction and self esteem.
“Biking is a simple yet powerful way to support both physical and mental well-being, while helping people connect with the community and city around them,” said Dr. Domenick Bucci, a vice president at Independence Blue Cross, which is one of the event’s sponsors. “For five years, Philly Bike Ride has provided an opportunity to bring people together while celebrating movement, wellness and Philadelphia itself.”
The Philly Bike Ride and the Bicycle Coalition has also partnered with the School District of Philadelphia to give away bikes and safety gear to district students who completed a full year of bike training.
Harshaw said that around 50 riders from the coalition’s youth programming should be participating in Saturday’s ride. Along with May’s Hunting Park Hustle, the “Roll Wit It” Fun Ride and Challenge in the fall, and a few other criterion and community rides during the year, she says the Philly Bike Ride has become a “pinnacle event” for the program’s youth riders. While a small faction of the kids are into competitive riding, the majority are mainly learning how to navigate the city on a bike
“I think for all of our kids, who I would consider beginner riders for the most part, I think this is a very cool experience for them to experience,” Harshaw said. “Not only for the sake of building confidence, but just to feel what bike riding and cycling can feel like in Philly. For them to understand the people that are coming from near and far to enjoy a ride like this and for them to really experience it in their backyard, I think that that is also very impactful.”
