Last Sunday, I took a short ride through Fairmount Park. Though I would have liked to have taken a longer ride, it was a busy weekend. I was in New York and Saturday and had many tasks to take care of Sunday, but I found an hour and half for a short ride. Mostly, I wanted to test my amateur repairs to my front gears. They bike rode well, but in the higher gears I do feel a little hitch.
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I left late in the day, rode a typical pattern out Martin Luther King Drive on the west side of the Schuylkill River. I definitely wanted to test my handiwork on a few climbs so I rode up in to the park as far as Chamounix Drive. I crossed Strawberry Mansion Bridge three times to enjoy some fine Spring views up and down the river. I rode by Mount Pleasant, a estate in the Park briefly owned by Benedict Arnold, had a fun descent down Fountain Green Drive, and finish my return along the Schuylkill Trail.
Statistics
Length: 12.7. miles
Ride Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 13 minute
Avg. Speed: 11.9 MPH
Max. Speed: 28.9 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 60 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 500 ft.
Max. Elevation: 266 ft.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Levittown
Last Sunday, I rode to the Pennsylvania incarnation of Levittown. After, Artur Levitt & Sons constructed the original mass produced suburb on Long Island, they started a second project in Pennsylvania northeast of Philadelphia. Having passed through the Levittown train station numerous times on my way to and from New York, I thought it would be a great biking destination.
Setting out at 9:00 AM, I used the new bike lane along Pine Avenue to reach Columbus Avenue. At Columbus Avenue along the Delaware river, I began a long segment northeast directed segment. Sixteen miles and an-hour-and-a-half later, I final exit Philadelphia at one of its extreme northeast points. Dropping in to Huntington Valley, I rode east, including a very brief pass back through part of Philadelphia. On Brownsville Road, at about the northernmost point on the ride, I enjoy a rapid descent on a smooth room, followed by a quick bust up the other side of the gulch. Once through Langhorne, I crossed into the snowball section of Levittown.
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Levitt planned the development in 41 individual section, with few connections between them. Major roads, which I presume pre-existed, criss-cross the development. Within each section all the road begin with the same letter. There are no four way intersections. Today, the development houses about 50,000 people. On a bike it's easy to appreciate how large it is.
I turned away from my GPS and tried to navigate from the western edge to the central-southeastern edge that housed the original commercial center, Levittown Shop-a-rama, which was recently demolished in favor a modern power center with Walmart, Home Depot, and Ross. I lost my since of direction and took a more southerly route than I would have liked, but managed to touch at least 11 different sections, taking a nice long break in the park between Cobalt Ridge and Quincy Hollow. The later was the nicest section through which I rode.
Leaving Levittown behind, I found the towpath trail along the old Delaware and Lehigh Canal, which took me in to Bristol, an old town along the Delaware River that I explored in more detail. Outside of Bristol, I maintained a steady pace into the teeth of a stiff wind out of the southwest. My circuitous routes rarely accommodate long steady rides. I appreciated the chance to test my endurance.
Back in Philadelphia, I found a short trail around Holy Family University that led into Eden Hill Park. Trying to hop a curb on to a trail in the park a caught my front gears on the curb. I'm still not sure the long to consequences, but with a little on the spot tweaking did I keep in bike in semi-working order. I had to ride with lower gears than I would have liked, but I made it home. Starting in the 9500 block of Torresdale Avenue, I stayed on the same road all the way to the 1800 block where it became Erie Avenue, which took me in to North Philadelphia for the last section of my ride.
Statistics
Length: 75.7. miles
Ride Time: 7 hours 52 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 32 minute
Avg. Speed: 11.6 MPH
Max. Speed: 34.0 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 58 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 2300 ft.
Max. Elevation: 284 ft.
Setting out at 9:00 AM, I used the new bike lane along Pine Avenue to reach Columbus Avenue. At Columbus Avenue along the Delaware river, I began a long segment northeast directed segment. Sixteen miles and an-hour-and-a-half later, I final exit Philadelphia at one of its extreme northeast points. Dropping in to Huntington Valley, I rode east, including a very brief pass back through part of Philadelphia. On Brownsville Road, at about the northernmost point on the ride, I enjoy a rapid descent on a smooth room, followed by a quick bust up the other side of the gulch. Once through Langhorne, I crossed into the snowball section of Levittown.
Full Screen Version
Levitt planned the development in 41 individual section, with few connections between them. Major roads, which I presume pre-existed, criss-cross the development. Within each section all the road begin with the same letter. There are no four way intersections. Today, the development houses about 50,000 people. On a bike it's easy to appreciate how large it is.
I turned away from my GPS and tried to navigate from the western edge to the central-southeastern edge that housed the original commercial center, Levittown Shop-a-rama, which was recently demolished in favor a modern power center with Walmart, Home Depot, and Ross. I lost my since of direction and took a more southerly route than I would have liked, but managed to touch at least 11 different sections, taking a nice long break in the park between Cobalt Ridge and Quincy Hollow. The later was the nicest section through which I rode.
Leaving Levittown behind, I found the towpath trail along the old Delaware and Lehigh Canal, which took me in to Bristol, an old town along the Delaware River that I explored in more detail. Outside of Bristol, I maintained a steady pace into the teeth of a stiff wind out of the southwest. My circuitous routes rarely accommodate long steady rides. I appreciated the chance to test my endurance.
Back in Philadelphia, I found a short trail around Holy Family University that led into Eden Hill Park. Trying to hop a curb on to a trail in the park a caught my front gears on the curb. I'm still not sure the long to consequences, but with a little on the spot tweaking did I keep in bike in semi-working order. I had to ride with lower gears than I would have liked, but I made it home. Starting in the 9500 block of Torresdale Avenue, I stayed on the same road all the way to the 1800 block where it became Erie Avenue, which took me in to North Philadelphia for the last section of my ride.
Statistics
Length: 75.7. miles
Ride Time: 7 hours 52 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 32 minute
Avg. Speed: 11.6 MPH
Max. Speed: 34.0 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 58 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 2300 ft.
Max. Elevation: 284 ft.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Bartrams Garden
I used my bike for a different purpose than normal today, that is, as a mode of transportation rather than method for recreation. Seeing the cherry trees in blossom on my Easter ride reminded me that there's a Japanese Tea House and Garden in Fairmount Park that I'd never visited. No Rail State nearby; too far to walk; and too expensive a cab ride, bike was the best means to get to the Tea House. Unfortunately, they weren't giving public tours, only private ones with reservations today. I wish that obstacle had been clear on their webpage. So I took a few pictures from outside the fence and walked around the horticultural center than abuts the Tea House.
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Since I didn't take the tour, I also had time to ride south to Bartram's Garden, once home to America's preeminent botanist, John Bartram. I arrive at 2:45 PM, a little too late for the garden tour, and signed up for the 3:30 PM house tour. In the meantime I walked around the botanical gardens. The back (really the front) of the property leads down to the Schuykill River, which is lined with industrial complexes. The garden's historical significance saved it from a similar fate. I was the only attendee on the house tour, which lasted about forty-five minutes. A quick twenty-minute ride by to my apartment left me enough time to shower and make it to 5:15 PM mass.
Full Screen Version
Since I didn't take the tour, I also had time to ride south to Bartram's Garden, once home to America's preeminent botanist, John Bartram. I arrive at 2:45 PM, a little too late for the garden tour, and signed up for the 3:30 PM house tour. In the meantime I walked around the botanical gardens. The back (really the front) of the property leads down to the Schuykill River, which is lined with industrial complexes. The garden's historical significance saved it from a similar fate. I was the only attendee on the house tour, which lasted about forty-five minutes. A quick twenty-minute ride by to my apartment left me enough time to shower and make it to 5:15 PM mass.
Japanese Tea House
John Bartram's House (finished 1770)
Bartram's Garden. Leading down to the Schuylkill River.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Power Line Trail
Today, I took my second bike ride of the year. Having logged so many miles on my first ride, I upped the ante and aimed for a 70 mile ride this time out, and fell just a a few miles short of that goal. I started the ride retracing the route I used in 2006 to reach Willow Grove Park, a mall my company owns in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia. Repeating this route provided good perspective on how much stronger a rider I've become in the last four years, as well as the effectiveness of the hours I spent riding in gym over the winter. What in 2006 was a late-season half-day trek to reach Willow Grove Park is today a warm-up early-season ride that is but a launching point for explorations in lands beyond.
I rode north along the Schuylkill River and up through Wissahickon Gorge for about 13 miles. Even though I've since found an easier route, I stayed true to the 2006 course over two hard hills along Thomas Road. I thought I'd have to divert from the route when I saw road construction signs and barriers indicating a bridge over Wissahickon Creek was out, but I was able to walk my bike through the construction zone without any difficulty. Riding through a suburban neighborhood, I saw one girl in her Easter dress hunting Easter eggs. Approaching Willow Grove my adherence to past decisions, again, took me up an avoidable hill. I stopped to rest and recharge in a public park opposite the mall
Full Screen Version
Continuing on, I followed some busy roads into to Hatboro and found my way to the Warminster regional rail station, my furthest point from Philadelphia. Zigzagging in a westerly course, I reached the southern trailhead for the Power Line Trail, a short paved trail in Montgomery County. This trail is one of the few in the area that I had not ridden. I wanted to check it off my list early in the season.
At the end of the that trail, I joined the course of an ambitious 2007 ride which reached all the way to Doylestown. Riding in the opposite direction along Limekiln Pike I reached Maple Glen. The recommended lunch stop, a pizza joint, was closed for Easter, which I thought a good thing, but it led me to decide it was time head back to Philadelphia, though it was not yet 1:00 PM. My route back took me through Ambler. I rode a couple circuits along the side streets in the lovely small town before continuing south. I crossed over the same out-of-commission bridge--this time to avoid those two hills on Thomas Road--to get back to Wissahickon Gorge for an easy downhill ride back in to town.
Statistics
Length: 66.2 miles
Ride Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 49 minute
Avg. Speed: 11.9 MPH
Max. Speed: 31.7 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 59 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 2700 ft.
Max. Elevation: 504 ft.
I rode north along the Schuylkill River and up through Wissahickon Gorge for about 13 miles. Even though I've since found an easier route, I stayed true to the 2006 course over two hard hills along Thomas Road. I thought I'd have to divert from the route when I saw road construction signs and barriers indicating a bridge over Wissahickon Creek was out, but I was able to walk my bike through the construction zone without any difficulty. Riding through a suburban neighborhood, I saw one girl in her Easter dress hunting Easter eggs. Approaching Willow Grove my adherence to past decisions, again, took me up an avoidable hill. I stopped to rest and recharge in a public park opposite the mall
Full Screen Version
Continuing on, I followed some busy roads into to Hatboro and found my way to the Warminster regional rail station, my furthest point from Philadelphia. Zigzagging in a westerly course, I reached the southern trailhead for the Power Line Trail, a short paved trail in Montgomery County. This trail is one of the few in the area that I had not ridden. I wanted to check it off my list early in the season.
At the end of the that trail, I joined the course of an ambitious 2007 ride which reached all the way to Doylestown. Riding in the opposite direction along Limekiln Pike I reached Maple Glen. The recommended lunch stop, a pizza joint, was closed for Easter, which I thought a good thing, but it led me to decide it was time head back to Philadelphia, though it was not yet 1:00 PM. My route back took me through Ambler. I rode a couple circuits along the side streets in the lovely small town before continuing south. I crossed over the same out-of-commission bridge--this time to avoid those two hills on Thomas Road--to get back to Wissahickon Gorge for an easy downhill ride back in to town.
Lots of Pink and White Blossoms throughout the ride. These Cherry Blossoms line the Schuylkill River in Fairmont Park
It's no secret how the Power Line Trail got its name.
Ambler Theater in downtown Ambler
First signs of spring along Forbidden Drive is Wissahickon Gorge
Statistics
Length: 66.2 miles
Ride Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 49 minute
Avg. Speed: 11.9 MPH
Max. Speed: 31.7 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 59 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 2700 ft.
Max. Elevation: 504 ft.
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