This past weekend Felkerino and I put our bikes on the roof of our car and drove north to meet up with friends and attend the Philadelphia Bike Expo.

This was my first time seeing the city, and the short story is I really liked Philadelphia and hope to return soon for another visit to the area.

We parked in Phoenixville, 25 miles west of Philadelphia, in order to ride the Schuylkill River Trail into the city proper.

I rode my ever-reliable Surly Long Haul Trucker, while Felkerino was on his Rivendell Atlantis, a bike he loves and I would too, except for its sea green color.

We took the scenic route into town, pedaling the full length of the 19-mile Perkiomen Trail before merging back onto the Schuylkill River Trail to venture into the city.

It was a glorious day and we ended up logging 73 miles before settling into our hotel that evening.

The Perkiomen Trail was a highlight of our visit. Golds and yellows all around accompanied by the steady rustle of leaves as we pedaled the miles away. One of those “riding through a postcard” days.

This pleasing winding trail also interested me because it contains so many surfaces. One mile you are riding pavement, the next you are on gravel or hard pack.

Both the Perkiomen and the Schuylkill River Trail are wider than the trails or multi-use paths in the D.C. area. Most segments easily accommodated two-way traffic and even allowed us to ride many miles side by side.

Part of our weekend was spent at the Philly Bike Expo, and Felkerino has some good shots of our visit. Bikes bikes bikes!

I was glad we rode to the expo as it limited our consumption. We only purchased a couple of light small things :).

We made certain to go coffeeneuring, too. Our first and last stops were at Volo Coffeehouse, where I indulged in hot cider both visits. Volo is in Manayunk, a really pleasant little town a few miles outside the city. In between stops at Volo we visited Elixir, another excellent coffee shop in downtown Philadelphia.

A sense of of transition permeated the weekend. A transition from running to being on the bike more. The shorter days, cooling temperatures, and falling leaves signaled the seasonal transition from Fall to Winter.

Normally I dread the earlier sunsets and the trees losing their leaves, but this weekend was different. The weather and our time in Philadelphia rejuvenated me.

I’m ready for the cold stark days, and the awesome bike rides to come. Remind me in February that I wrote that, okay?