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Women Bike PHL Circuit Camping Trip
Written By: Steve Taylor
In late July, a group of women active in the Women Bike PHL group organized a bicycle camping trip that took advantage of two connected Circuit segments. The 42-mile route started on the Schuylkill River Trail at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Twenty three miles later, they turned onto the Perkiomen Trail, which lead to the campsite at Green Lane Park.
According to Shelly Salamon, owner of Fairmount Bicycles and one of the organizers, “This trip happened because The Circuit connected us directly to a campsite. We wanted to plan a simple bike trip that would interest both experienced tourists and beginners, and that's exactly the group we got. We were able to get folks on board who were initially intimidated by bike camping.”
Shelly and fellow organizer Caitlin Martin made a video showing what to bring. The clip gave those who were new to bike camping, like Hana Elum, guidance for what to pack and how to carry everything on a bike. For Hana, “the trip seemed like a safe, local, affordable way to try bike camping and a good way to spend a summer weekend and meet people.”
Takia McClendon shared that, “Prior to the Women Bike PHL camping trip, I had no experience with long distance cycling or camping. My longest rides were 8–12 milers in the city or along the Schuylkill River Trail.” The fact that the entire trip was on The Circuit made this new experience inviting for Takia: “I'm fairly comfortable riding on designated bike paths, but I still get nervous riding in traffic. Covering that distance on open roads would have been a little much for me.”
Kiera Smalls, who was also new to long rides and camping, appreciated “the support from the other women, who stayed with me the entire time, made me feel at ease during my first long-distance trip and shared so much knowledge about biking and exploring.”
Rebecca Cweibel is an experienced cyclist and camper, though—like other women on the trip—she didn’t know many of her fellow riders. “When I arrived at the Art Museum meetup spot, I realized that I had only met one person on the trip before. It seemed like most people didn’t know anybody else on the trip, but were looking to branch out over some low-risk bike camping. A few weeks later, someone from the group hosted a potluck at her house. The shared experience of bike camping for a weekend was a quick way to bond.”
Takia’s “highlight of the trip was definitely the bike ride up. Not having prepared for traveling that distance, I had no idea what to expect. My other favorite moment was roasting marshmallows over the campfire. That's something that I always wanted to do as a kid but never had the chance to do it.”
For Kiera, the trip was an eye-opening introduction to the potential of The Circuit: “The fact that I can get through so many towns on connected trails is unbelievable. It definitely showed me that I need to do some more exploring.”
Group Photo Credit: Lauren D'Auria; Riding Photo Credit: Caitlin Martin
