Updated - First (Unoffical) Social Cycling Meetup Event!

LAMBERTVILLE SHAD FEST BIKE RIDE
April 26, 2008
Visitor's Center Parking Lot, Washington Crossing State Park (NJ)
10 AM


To get the ball rolling and squeeze in a ride yet in April, I'm going to piggy-back on another group's ride. Since this is not an official meetup, there's no RSVP function, so just reply to this message or e-mail me if you're interested.

This ride is an annual event which is organized by the Fallline Ski Club and the South Jersey Ski Club. Some years, including this year, the King of Prussia Ski Club joins in. It's a fun ride from Washington's Crossing State Park on the NJ side of the Delaware to Lambertville.

Note, this ride is best done on a hybrid or a mountain bike. Most of the canal path is gravel. I do it on my road bike with 25c tires with more than a little difficulty. Anything smaller than 25c or with no tread will not work.

We meet at the Visitor's Center at the state park at 10 am, and ride up the canal path to Lambertville. In addition to the wealth of interesting shops and restaurants in Lambertville, during the Shad Fest the streets will be filled with art and craft vendors and food stands. Return to the state park is flexible. Some people grab a quick lunch, do a little shopping, and head back, others meetup at the Iron Horse Brewery for a leisurely lunch and microbrew, and others make a whole afternoon of it, often heading across the bridge to New Hope. Some cyclists usually ride a few miles further up river to Bulls Island, then come back on the PA side to New Hope. There usually enough people that you can find a small group to arrange to ride back with.

I plan spend about an hour in Lambertville and then ride up to Stockton, a couple miles upriver, for the Stockton Inn Jazz Festival, and spend the afternoon there, leaving for the return ride around 6. For more information on the Jazz Festival, go to my other meetup, The Philadelphia Jazz Meetup, and The Stockton Inn.

Highlights:
1. This is a ride for hybrids and mountain bikes. If you have a touring type of road bike only do it if you're prepared to go real slow over the loose gravel, and can handle some slipping and sliding. If you have a racing type road bike forget it.
2. Helmets are mandatory.
3. Bring water and a lock.
4. Round trip distance from Washington Crossing to Lambertville is 14 miles. Add another 4 or 5 miles for Stockton.
5. We meet at the park Visitor's Center at the top of the hill, off of Washington Crossing-Pennington Rd., NOTat the parking lot betwen the canal and the river. This is important!
6. If this is your first ride of more than a few miles this year, please make sure your brakes, cables, chain, seat, etc. are in good condition.
7. Please be on time. (10 sm).

This is always a really fun time and most years we've had perfect weather. Please reply to this message to indicate your interest or for more info.

I'm looking forward to meeting some of you and having a great kickoff to our Meetup!

Dan