Philadelphia Travel Forum

What's it like for cyclists on Philly's roads? Suicide? Semi-peaceful coexistence with cars? Bike lanes?
Thanks

Suicide, definitely. It's a great way to check out the local emergency departments.

There are bike lanes in SOME roads in Philly. There are also a fair amount of places within the city where you can get a great bike ride with no worry about cars at all. Forbidden Lane, for instance, got its name because cars have been banned from driving there since '94. That's _18_94, if you can believe it.

However, most Philly drivers view any truck, car, bike, or pedestrian that gets in the way of their driving, will get what's coming to them. I wouldn't recommend biking where bikes don't have a designated area. But I also don't recommend DRIVING in Philly, and for pretty much the same reason.

It's not as bad as NY, but there are very few bike lanes on the streets of the city. There are bike routes along the Schuylkill River that are extremely popular, though--if you are biking for recreation, rather than transportation, Philly has some very nice options.

Check out http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/ There is a bike map of Philly which you may be able to get a copy of. As the others have said the roads are for experienced urban riders but there are some very good places to ride where you don't have to ride on streets or ride very little on them. You can even ride from center city to Valley Forge on a bike path.