BCP offers a wide variety of rides for cyclists of all levels of ability. Whether you want a leisurely jaunt through Fairmount Park or the challenge of the hills of Gladwyne or Chester and Berks Counties, we have something to suit you.

All Club rides sponsored by BCP are led by members who volunteer to select a destination and determine a route. BCP maintains a library of cue sheets, which describe in detail routes to various locations. The library is available for all members. So lead or be led (or both!)

Everyone is welcome on a BCP ride, regardless of whether you are a current member but we do have some rules. Of course, we hope, after attending one or two rides with us, you'll consider joining!

Ride Classifications

A ride classification gives you important information about the type of ride listed. The most difficult, long, and fast rides are rated Class A and progressively go to less difficult, shorter and slower rides rated Class D. The classes often have a wide range of average miles and distances and sometimes have an attached + or - to indicate if the ride is at the higher or lower part of the range. So please read the specific ride description which tells you what the ride leader plans to do. If you have any questions whether a particular ride is for you, contact the ride leader (that's why the leader's contact information is always in the ride description).

If this is your first ride with BCP, we suggest that you start at a level of difficulty that is lower than what you think you can do. You can always move up to a more difficult class. We want you to enjoy your rides with BCP and also get better.

Class	Difficulty	Rate
Class A	Difficult, 45 to 100+ miles	18-20mph average on flat terrain 16-18mph average on rolling/hilly terrain 15-16mph average on very hilly terrain
Class B	Advanced, 25 to 90 miles	15-18mph average on flat terrain 13-16mph average on rolling/hilly terrain 12-14mph average on very hilly terrain
Class C	Moderate, 15 to 75 miles	12-15mph average on flat terrain 10-13mph average on rolling/hilly terrain 9-11mph average on very hilly terrain
Class D	Easy, 5 to 20 miles	8-11mph average on easy terrain

Types of Rides Offered

Individual Rides BCP sponsors various bicycle rides of 20 to 100 miles. Many of these rides are scenic inspiring rides, often with social lunch stops and good company. Increasingly, they are multi-level rides, allowing groups of different ride abilities to have the same great ride experience at their own pace and rendezvous for lunch. See the ride calendar for more specific information.

During daylight savings time, a variety of short after-work rides are offered, such as the Thursday night training rides, as well as morning rides for those who have the day off.

We also list last-minute rides on a continuing basis! We call these additional rides our Ad Hoc/Add On Rides and they are added to the ride calendar on this web site. These rides are sent by email to all members of the BCP email list. For more information or to join this list, click here.

Regular Weekday/Weekend Rides In addition to individual rides, BCP has a number of ongoing regular weekly and weekend rides which should meet your riding style and ability.

Instructional Riding Class for New Riders Class begins with a basic safety and bike check. Instruction on the fundamentals of group riding and gear shifting will be given along the route. We will ride on MLK Drive and in east Fairmount Park to practice our riding skills and gear shifting on a gentle hill. Two instructors lead each ride and there is plenty of time for questions and answers and no one is left behind. BCP offers this class on the second Sunday of the month from March through October starting from the Italian Fountain Circle behind the Art Museum near the trellis.

Sunny Sunday Afternoon Ride for the Beginning Cyclist Designed for the beginning cyclist and cyclists new to Philadelphia. The Sunny Sunday Afternoon D ride meets every Sunday at noon, at the Italian Fountain behind the Art Museum, near the trellis. It's a 15-20 mile leisurely bicycle ride.

Next Step Up C Spin-Off Ride Also of interest to new riders is our C Spin-Off Ride, which starts at Noon, also at the Italian Fountain. Many of our members probably started in the club with the C Spin-Off Ride.

Also Check Out the Sunday B Ramble Both the C Spin-Off and the Sunday B Ramble are regular Sunday rides, starting about noontime and leaving from the Italian Fountain. These are excellent choices for people who already bike and who no longer consider themselves novices. So pick the speed that fits you.

Saturday Northwest Philly Rides Another favorite starting location is NW Philly. We offer a variety of scenic rides into surrounding counties, often with a sit down food stop. Class C to B, often with multi-level paces. We meet at Ft. Washington State Park Flourtown Picnic Area. Check Ride Calendar for specific pace, distance, destination, and start time, as they will vary each week.

Monday on the Main Line This is a popular place for evening rides on the Main Line from the spring to the fall, as long as light allows. Multi-level rides leave @ 6 PM. We meet at Church of the Savior in Wayne.

 

Starting Locations

BCP leads rides starting from many different locations such as the Art Museum in Phila but also from Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Chester and Lancaster Counties and also rides in New Jersey especially in the New Hope\ Lambertville Area. Below are some of the most popular starting locations:

Art Museum - Many BCP rides leave from the Italian Fountain Circle which is behind the Art Museum, off Kelly Drive, on Waterworks Drive past Lloyd Hall. For mapping purposes from your house, the address to use is Lloyd Hall, #1 Boathouse Row, Kelly & Waterworks Drive, Phila, Pa 19130.

Ft. Washington State Park Flourtown Picnic Area - The Northwest Philly rides meet at Ft. Washington State Park Flourtown Picnic Area on W. Mill Rd, between Stenton Ave and Bethlehem Pike (from the Chestnut Hill direction: 1st right on Stenton after Northwestern Ave. or left just after Acme on Bethlehem Pike). For mapping purposes, the address to use is 31 W. Mill Rd, Flourtown, Pa

Chesterbrook Shopping Center - Meet at Manhattan Bagel in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center, easily accessible from US202 and PA252 (near Valley Forge).

Church of Our Savior - The Monday on Main Line rides meet in the rear parking lot of the church adjacent to the gym (Bldg F) at Church of our Savior, 651 N. Wayne Ave, Wane, PA.

Maps and Directions

Use these sites for maps and door-to-door driving directions:

Expedia maps and directions
Google (maps and directions)
Map24 (maps and directions)
Mapquest maps and directions
Yahoo! maps and directions

Important Rules for BCP Group Rides

• Helmet required.
• No earphones allowed.
• Minors must have a release waiver form signed by a parent.
• Follow the Pa. Vehicular Law - a bike is a vehicle.
• Use hand signals to indicate stops and turns.
• Always ride on the right.
• Arrive ten to 15 minutes early and Be Prepared To Leave On Time! The starting times are actual departure times.
• Each rider assumes his or her own risk on all rides.
• Those who ride ahead of the group are on their own ride.
• Always notify the ride leader when leaving the group.
• Ride should adhere to the advertised speed of the ride.
• Ride safely (See Safety Page for more information)

Suggested Equipment

Make sure your bike is in proper working order before you arrive. Ride leaders are not expected to be bike mechanics.

Anyone planning to participate in a ride should bring along the following equipment at a minimum. (Even if you don't know how to change a flat tire, someone will be there to do it for you if you have the spare tube)

• A flat kit consisting of tire levers and a patch kit or spare inner tube
• 6" adjustable wrench if either wheel bolts on.
• A frame-mounted air pump
• A frame-mounted water bottle
• Some form of Identification (in case of an emergency)

And of course, a sense of adventure! See you on the roads.