This week, we have a very special ride led by one of our favorite local bicycle nonprofits, Neighborhood Bike Works. This route starts out at Neighborhood Bike Works in West Philly and takes us through West Fairmount Park up to the Chamounix Mansion. We’ll make our way back to Neighborhood Bike Works via MLK Drive.

Our post-ride destination is Local 44 on Spruce and 44th St.

We’re hoping to raise at least $1000 to help support the incredible work Neighborhood Bike Works is doing to provide equitable access to bicycles through adult and youth programs and Bike Church, their volunteer-run DIY open shop. You can donate to Neighborhood Bike Works through this link or other platforms like your employer’s charitable matching platform or a donor advised fund. We’d also like to encourage you to stop by the shop for parts and accessories or a quick checkup or adjustment. They can also take donations in-person at the shop before and after the ride.

A few notes, complementary to our How We Ride guide:

• Stay behind the leader of the ride.
• Do not block intersections with stop lights, It’s OK for our group to get broken up at lights, in fact necessary as our ride grows in size. Stick with a group big enough to hold the lane, and make friends while waiting for a green light.
• Don’t forget your lights! Sadly, the days are getting shorter and our rides now start after sunset.
• Regroup points: we’ll have three on this ride – 1) On 41st St Dr just after entering West Fairmount Park before we enter the roundabout, 2) at Chamounix Mansion in the grassy field in the middle of the loop, and 3) the north side of Smith Memorial Arch on Landsdowne Dr to wait for everyone to make it up the Black Road climb.
• Hill alert: we’ll take Black Road from MLK Drive to Smith Memorial Arch which has a steep 4-5% incline that’s about 0.4 miles. This can be challenging so there’s absolutely no shame in walking up! However, please stay as far to the right as possible if you walk up the hill. We’ll regroup right after the hill, so there’s no need to rush.
• There might be some road construction in the area between Neighborhood Bike Works and West Fairmount Park. Please be prepared to dismount or (slowly) ride on the sidewalk through these areas.

A note on navigation: Last week, we started adding a .gpx file download link for you to use in your app or device of choice. From this week on, we’ll also start providing a Komoot link. Komoot is a free app that offers turn-by-turn navigation without requiring a paid subscription. Having more people on our ride using the turn-by-turn navigation helps everyone stay on the correct route, so if you’re able to do so using Komoot, RideWithGPS, or another app/device you prefer, we’d appreciate the help!

With respect to inclimate weather, our practice is not to make a call on cancellations due to poor weather until the day-of to give Mother Nature every possible opportunity to change her mind. We’ll cancel any ride by 3pm that day and send out notifications on our usual communication platforms (Instagram, Reddit, email, web).

Thanks for riding! Feel free to invite a friend and we’ll see you Wednesday!