For the first ride of the year, we’re continuing a WNR tradition established by Andrea Gonzalez, who we lost in October 2023. Andrea was a beloved part of WNR and wanted to make sure we started each year in the Philliest way possible. Please join us for the 4th Annual Tour de Wawa. We’ll be using a slightly modified version of Andrea’s 2023 route and roll by six Wawas, as well as an off-street jaunt through Penn Park and behind Franklin Field. We look forward to celebrating one of the many ways Andrea brought so much joy into our lives.

Mark your calendar, the next ride scheduled for Feb 19th should be extra fun: we’ll write LOVE across Philadelphia with our GPS tracks, the brainchild of Philly Bike Train’s own Alexa R.

Social media news: we’re on Bluesky. This ride started on Twitter, but we left the platform in late 2022. The rapid-fire format was great for the rides, so we’re looking forward to returning to a similar interface on Bluesky for easier real-time updates, engagement and chattiness. Follow along if that’s your thing. Thanks to Frank I. for setting us up.

Special ride notes:

• The 34th St Wawa is a “fast food” Wawa, so if you want a hot drink or a snack before the ride, hit up the 36th & Chestnut location before you come
• Be careful of the trolley tracks on Spruce from 40th to 41st
• At the intersection of 30th and Chestnut, we plan to turn right on red from the Chestnut St bike lane into the bike lane on 30th St
• At 30th & Walnut, we roll up a curb cut onto the sidewalk to enter Penn Park

As usual, we’ll ride according to our How We Ride guide. Please follow these ride norms so everyone’s on the same page, and we keep the ride safe and fun. We’d like to highlight:

Stop at lights. Please, please DO NOT block intersections contrary to the traffic light. Our group can be very large and extended, and holding traffic risks serious conflict. If the light turns red, please stop.

Roll past conflict. Whether it’s angry motorists or unruly pedestrians, please do not engage with conflict and move on in a way that de-escalates the situation.

Finally, a reminder of risks and responsibilities. You don’t need to sign a waiver to join a Wednesday Night Ride, because it’s an entirely voluntary & free group activity. But please keep in mind:

• Everyone rides at their own risk.
• Every rider is responsible for themselves, their behavior, and their bike.
• Keep your bike properly maintained. Here’s a link to a basic bike check.
• Cycling has inherent risks–you could crash, fall down, or get hit by a car, and get hurt or even killed–though we try to minimize these risks.
• If you have a health condition that could affect your ride or put you at additional risk, consider a) checking in with a doctor, b) letting us or a friend know, c) having a backup plan to get home if riding doesn’t work out.
• We always plan to have a sweeper, but can’t rule out that you could get lost, or that your bike could break down and you’ll need to find another way home.

Want to lead a ride in 2025? We’re looking for ride leaders for Mar and Apr (or later in the year, too). Let us know if you’re interested! Our only criteria for leading a ride is that you’ve joined us before. You don’t need to have prior group ride lead experience or come up with the whole route on your own, we can help with that!

Thanks for riding! See you Wednesday.