Leaving Philadelphia via West Fairmount Park, I spent much of the ride in Lower Merion Township, one the wealthiest suburbs. The Gladwyn zipcode, in particular, is usually listed among the top 10 zip codes in the country. More present for my purposes, the terrain is among the most challenging around Philadelphia. It is quite hilly and the roads tend to amble in random directions. I even had to ford Mill Creek along Righters Mill Road (see picture). Immediately following this stream crossing, I pushed up the steepest hill of the ride, a sustained 14% grade over 1/4 of a mile. After moseying among the posh real estate, I enjoyed a rapid descent down Conshohockon State Road.
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I continued north along PA-23 to through Swedesboro to Swedesburg. A section of the road was closed to traffic, but on my bike I was able to pass. It was very nice because it kept cars to a minimum for that leg of the ride. I challenged some more hills in Swedesburg and Bridgeport, two towns I drove through when I first moved to PA but had not been to since.
Finished with these sister cities, I connected with the Schuykill River Trail on the other side of the river. I felt I had one more climb in me so I took on Shawmont hill (a 6.8% grade over 0.8 miles) for the first time since 2007. I intended to descend in to Wissahickon Valley, but when I saw Eva--the name of my new niece--Street, I decided to track it for awhile and ended up riding through the Roxborough/Manayunk neighborhoods. The Pro-Cycling race was this morning. People still partying after the event launched a few wisecracks--"You're winning!"--in my direction as I rode by.
Trip Statistics
Length: 51.3 miles
Ride Time: 5 hours 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 41 minutes
Avg. Speed: 10.2 MPH
Max. Speed: 29.2 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 55 RPM
Total Ascent: 2,500 ft.
Max Elev.: 483 ft.
Elevation Profile
Righters Mill Ford at Mill Creek
Norfolk Southern Train
Ukrainian Catholic Church
Norristown Skyline
Old Bethlehem Steel Plant
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