Philadelphia International Cycling Championships

Philadelphia hosts one of the premier cycling races in the country. Riders from all over the world come to compete in a 156-mile road race. The course begins on Ben Franklin Parkway, heads north through Fairmount Park in to Manayunk, climbs 300 feet up a 1/2 segment of Lyceum street know as the "The Wall," and returns to the starting line along a similar route with a few easier climbs thrown in for good measure. The Friday before the race, a colleague mentioned a pre-race event that for a fee allows amateurs to ride the closed course. I researched it on Saturday and decided to give it a try.

I woke up a 6:10 AM, ate a quick breakfast, and rode down to the registration table. The ride started at 7:15 AM. Knowing I'd be among the slower riders, I positioned myself toward the back of the pack. As the ride started I settled in to a quick pace with the wind at my back. I held my own and even passed a few other bikers. Though not a competitive or time race, the presence of other riders sharing the same course and starting at the same time gave me good incentive to push myself to finish as fast as possible.

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I thought the Wall would be my strong point as I'm a much stronger rider than I'm a faster one. I tried to ignore the stream of bikers whizzing by me as I struggled up the incline determined not to join the few walkers. I rode all the way to the top and started to much more enjoyable ride back down the ridge. The best part came at the downhill ride near Wissahickon train station. I've ridden down this hill before; however, this time, without traffic or the stop light at the bottom to worry about, the flight down was a blast.

I finished the ride at 8:15 AM--I'm usually not out of bed at that time on Sunday--having recorded an average speed of 13.5 MPH, which is around 20% better than my average! After resting, I went up to investigate around the staging area for the pro race. I found a shady spot to watch the start of the race.

Having only ridden about 13 miles to this point, I chose to extend my ride by venturing in to South Philly. I don't usually like to ride in town on account of the traffic and stop signs/lights, but this seemed an opportune time to enjoy a random jaunt around around a very interesting part of town. It's really better explored on foot, but I appreciated being able to cover more ground. Even before noon the temperature was already stifling. I finished my ride just before 11:00 AM.

The finish for the pre-race amateur ride.

The Pros

Smokestack with a Roof.
It's actually a shot tower. In the Nineteenth Century, to make bullets, they would boil a pot of lead at the top, poor the lead through a screen, and let it fall in to a pool of water at the bottom.

Tree Street in South Philly
(and yes I noted there are no trees on Tree Street)