# Places to ride around Chadds Ford/Kennett/Wilmington/Newark?



## dbo

I live in Chadds Ford PA off of route 52. I can ride on route 52, but does anyone have any links to a list of bike route's other than on 52 around here, or any suggestions for rides that I wouldn't have to drive to? I'm starting out road biking and I need to find some places to ride. Thanks


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## Dream Plus

You are in luck. There is so much riding in that area that you really can't go wrong.
There are several marked routes that traverse that area. The Brandywine Tour and Dog Daze are a couple. Head west a little bit from 52 and Rte 100 and traffic really thins out. I live in Elkton but ride up that way often. West of Newark all the way to the Susquehanna is good riding.

Usually I head out without a map and ride based on wind direction. You can't really get too lost before you run into a familiar road, river or drainage system.

One of the best ways to learn an area is to do some of the tours put on by White Clay Bicycle club, Brandywine Bicycle club etc. Once you've done them a few times your never really lost since they cover the same territory on different routes.


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## ECXkid04

Hey! Dream Plus is defanitely right about there being a lot of places to ride. I ride off of Rt 52 all of the time. There are so many different back roads/routes that it would be virtually impossible to gain familiarity with all of the roads. If you're new to road cycling, I would suggest that you try to find a club/group of rides to ride with. I am a member of the West Chester Cycling Club (one of the best clubs in the tri-state area) and some of those guys (and gals) know more cycling routes than I'll ever know. Here's a link to their site, and specifically to their section with cue sheets and various rides. 

http://www.easternpaskicouncil.org/WCCC/viewrides/cuesheets_view.php

The main site for the club is: www.westchestercycling.com
It eally is a great club with riders of ALL abilities. My mom rides with the "Biker Chicks" group - believe me, they are NOT intense at all. However, if you're interested in "hammering" there are some awesome racers in the club too who can most likely (sorry if this is offensive in any way) blow the doors off of you. The club has Saturday and Sunday rides, and many riders have show-and-go rides (hillier routes) on Tuesdays and Thursdays (normally occur later in the season when there is more light out). The Chester County are is an amazing area with hundreds of miles of road waiting to be discovered.

Also, idk where you ride off of rt 52, but rt 82 right before Greenville (near the Hoops Reservoir and the Mt. Cuba conservatory) has some great sections of road. Let me know if you need any more help finding places to ride - have too many places to ride is a high-class problem!

Jon H.


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## ECXkid04

Oh, here's another part of the WCCC website that shows all scheduled rides. It's a helpful link if you're looking for places to ride and for people to ride with.

http://www.easternpaskicouncil.org/WCCC/viewrides/index.html


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## benchpress265

There are a lot of back roads just north of Kennett, up 82 to 162 or 842 that will lead you along the east and west branches of the Brandywine River. I cycle alone along the Brandywine but I pass (or they pass me) a lot of club riders. (162, 842, Brandywine Creek Rd, Powell, Green Valley Rd, Brandywine drive, Northbrook Rd, Creek Rd, ect)


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## dbo

Thanks for all of the help. I'm gathering that I should grab a map and just ride, and/or I should join a club to start out. By the way, I ride route 52 right near the Mendenhall inn and I plan to ride to Greenville after school during the spring. I'll check out Routes 100, 82, and other roads along the brandywine. Thanks everyone! 

I'll also post some pictures of my bike when it comes into the shop. I ordered a 2008 Cannondale CAAD9 R5 Double 58cm from Dunbar's in the raw finish. I'm only a teenager so after fitting and thinking about adjustments I got the slightly big 58cm, and Dunbar's will put a 90 or 100mm stem on for the time being. I got the bike as a birthday present, and I have to chip in a good chunk of money as well. I'm thinking about getting a computer for it when I pick it up for $50-75. Would you recommend a wireless or wired? And what do you get for your extra money when going with a higher end model? Thanks for the help!


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## ECXkid04

I'm going to be riding off of rt 52 during the spring also. I know some good roads that go from the Chadds Ford/West Chester area all the way Hockessin and pretty deep into the Chester County country side. Congrats on the new ride. Cannondale makes a great bike, and their aluminum frames are especially solid. My first bike was a Cannondale R600 (I'm now riding a Giant TCR C2) and it served me well for a couple of seasons of riding. I got both of my bikes from Dunbar's also. As far as a computer is concerned, it depends on what you want. I have a Cat Eye Astrale 8 on my R600 which, for the price, you really can't beat. It's a wired computer with the speed sensor located on the rear chainstay (it's nice to have a rear-mounted speed sensor in case you ever want to use the bike on a trainer - even though trainer speed vs. road speed is virtually meaningless). On my TCR, I have the Cat Eye CD300DW or something like that. It's wireless and has a lot of great features. Things to consider when buying a computer:

Cadence - def. something good to have. I won't evr buy a comp. that doesn't have cadence.
Heart Rate - it's hard to find a reasonably priced and reliable HRM that is incorporated into a comp. Cat Eye has a computer that has HR but doesn't have cadence, so I have just been using a separate, wrist-mounted HRM which works fine.

beyond those two, it comes down to personal preference (size, ease of use, display...). Anyway, good luck with getting ready and gearing up for the season. The West Chester Cycling Club, although it would be a little bit of a drive/bike up to where the start their Sat./Sun. rides (they meet at the corner of Chestnut st. and Darlington st.), is really accepting to new members. They have a massive range of abilities so it's quite easy to start lower and within your comfort zone and work your way up. I'm going to try racing as one of two juniors on their team this year, and i have NO idea how i'll do. i'll get dropped on the training rides and will def. be one of the weakest riders there, but it'll be a good experience (hopefully). Also, you don't have to be a member to participate with the group rides. Many of the people who ride with the club, in fact, aren;t members. there are just a few perks (like a "free" jersey and discounts at the Iron Hill Brewery if you are). Let me know if you have any additional questions. Maybe we can try to ride together sometime.

Jon H.


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## dbo

*My Bike has Arrived!*

I finally got my bike! I was looking at the Scott Speedster 30 and the CAAD9 R6. I was told to go for the Cannondale, but to get the one level up version, and this is what I did. I ordered my CAAD9 R5 on one of the first days of january, and I got it yesterday. It has Shimano R-550 wheels, and 105/Ultegra components. I have changed very few things:

San Marco Saddle Swapped for SLR XP
Cannondale Fake Carbon post swapped for 90's era Syncros Ti
Dimension Pro Alloy Platform Pedals
Cat Eye Strada Computer

I am new to road biking after getting into mountain biking last year. Today was my first road ride, and I did a very short ride to get to know my bike. I road down route 52 for about an hour and a half. Tomorrow I plan to go for a much longer ride. The bike is very quick and stiff, but compliant at the same time. It is everything I'd hoped for and more. I probably won't change out anything else except playing with different saddles and pedals and other small things. I love the raw finish and the generally understated look, it is really classy.


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## benchpress265

Bike looks good, Enjoy it!

I ride north of Kennett, up by the West Branch of the the Brandywine River. Maybe I will bump into you some day as I extend my distance, I ride a red/White BMC.


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