# serious climbing near philadelphia



## dennis1215

If I want to do some serious climbing near Philadelphia, where is the best place to do it?


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## SPlKE

Pretty much everything 10 miles west and northwest of the city is fairly hilly.

You should be able to find some cue sheets for hilly rides here:

http://www.phillybikeclub.org/

Are you looking for road, bike path, or off road?


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## mleptuck

*How far you willing to go?*

If you're willing to drive a bit (and I'm assuming you want to ride on the road), the western side of Lancaster County's got some pretty serious hills (and as you get closer to the Susquehanna, they get steeper). Northern Chester County/Southern Berks County (French Creek State Park area) can get a bit hairy too. Welsh Mountain, which sort of parallels Rt 30 on the north side from Honeybrook almost to Lancaster has some good climbs (and descents!) too.

Granted, the longest climbs I've been able to find in those areas haven't been much than 1.25-1.5 miles, but some of them are fairly steep (Flowing Springs in Birchrunville is only a little more than 3/4 of a mile, but is ~9% average with pieces in excess of 14%)

If you're willing and able to get out to any of these areas and want further details, let me know...

-Mike


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## Farmertan

If you're in Philadelphia, you can do some nice repeats up from the river either into Belmont or Manyunk.

Follow the river on the south side (the opposite side of the trail) heading west and you'll find yourself forced to climb quite frequently.

Follow the trail all the way out to Valley Forge. Follow the auto tour road and Climb Mt. Joy. Go through the covered bridge on Yellow Springs on the far side of the park and turn right on any of a number of roads and head up Mt. Misery. Welsh Valley Road, Diamond Rock Road, Howells Road, Jug Hollow, County Club Rd, Clothier Springs all offer routes up Valley Forge Mountain. Do laps.

If you want more, cross back over the valley and go up Eagle School Road, South Valley, Cedar Hollow on the other ridge.

Mill Road is a nice climb up from Rt 29 just on the other side of VF. Further west is Flowing Springs as mentioned. Keep going west and climb Chestnut Ridge - it's gravel at the top and the highest point in Chester County. Old Philadelphia Pike, will take you up past Coventry Forge.

There's tons of climbing in this area. Try looking up some of those roads and mapping routes with http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ to see the elevation profiles.

Enjoy.


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## ChuckUni

All good recommendations. Don't forget climbing IN Philadelphia. Short and sweet, but you can find some fun stuff. Try looking up zip code 19127. It's the manayunk section of Philly. Here you'll find a number of street climbs from Main St by the river up towards the top (Ridge Ave.)

Tend to be steep and shorter. These include the famous Levering/Lyceum St "Wall". Green Ln is good too but busy with traffic at peak hours. Leverington Ave is a slightly flatter grind to the top, as is Fountain St. Hermitage Street has a pretty steep section with cobbles at the bottom and top (not on the steep parts). If you are looking for a good ole cobbles beating try climbing (or decending slowly!) Port Royal Ave at the very start of the paved part of the river trail. It looks like a alley way but it is very rough and steep becomes a somewhat interesting street with farm houses, right in Philadelphia.

Further out by the Miquon Septa station on River road there is a good climb if you go up Manor road....even better if you turn right on to Hagys Mill (STEEP at first). You can contine up Hagys and there is a fence that has a pedestrian opening at the city line (cars cant go throught) and get to Spring mill ln. Further out but only by a bit is Harts LN. A short but steep rolling climb.

Don't forget the other side of the river. Cross the Green Ln/Belmont Ave bridge off of Main St manayunk. Go under 76 and the RR bridges and make your immediate right. This is Jefferson St. It forks a bit up at Ashland. Follow the double yellow and it kinda becomes Ashland...and its a steep grind to the top. Make a right at the triangle intersection to bomb down Maryswatersford Rd. This becomes Flat Rock Rd and the uphill to the top begins again. You can link these to River Rd which is flat but takes NW you to Waverly Rd. Good one. Right on Youngersford bombs you back down and you can take a left onto Lafayette. Up again. 

Plenty more but those are my local faves. You can link that lower marion side stuff up to the Philly side by crossing over the bridge at Conshohocken.

I can do a ~20 mile short loop right from Manayunk that looks like this on elevation. There are more hills out there if I wanted to add them as well, not a problem. This one has a nice flow to it however....


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## eddymerckx#1

shawmont ave. which also goes to the bike trail is steep ,my sis lives on the 300 block 0f hermitage which is also steep


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## levels1069

The best climbers I know of in philly go out to Montgomery County frequently by way of Conshohocken....man that is the hillest 70 mile ride I've ever been on.

If you can take Conshohocken State Road all the way from Center City there is a few good climbs. You'll descend down a gigantic hill before you get into Conshocken...when you get to the bottom, turn around and start heading back up. I'm from the Poconos where there is 3mi+ climbs of 12%, and that Conshy hill still hurts.


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## ChuckUni

eddymerckx#1 said:


> shawmont ave. which also goes to the bike trail is steep ,my sis lives on the 300 block 0f hermitage which is also steep



Fun extension of this is to keep going on shawmont...cross over ridge then left onto wises mill rd. Follow that all the way down till it bends right into Forbidden Dr (park road...dirt but only a short section....watch out for holes) then go left up Valley Green Dr into chestnut Hill. Good hills and scenic. There are a few ways to loop back around. One is to take side streets NW though Chestnut hill and pickup Germantown Ave as NW as possible (traffic and rough in further S you are, trolley tracks...bad combo). Follow it down across the bridge go left onto northwestern ave, becomes andorra rd. Takes you gently up then makes a quick jog 50ft right up to Church Rd. Go left (traffic here but not bad) then straight though the light (Ridge), becomes harts ln. Bombs your right back down to the river rd, harts is a fun descent. Other ways, but thats a good one. Scenic little loop.

Levels: Conshi hill is mile 9-10 in my elevation profile...going down.


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