2026 Philly Bike Expo

My favorite buddy and I attended the 2026 Philly Bike Expo, driving there on Friday rather than taking Amtrak. The benefits are that we carried full-size bikes and arrived in daylight, which meant bonus afternoon exploratory miles. The tough part was driving 8+ hours with many stops.

This was my third, and my husband's first time attending not only the expo, but also visiting Philadelphia, so after checking into an Airbnb we took advantage of the fine weather (I always get lucky), cruising south along the Schuylkill. My goal was to investigate the new connector, a white, cabled bridge, allowing easy passage to South Philly, which led to further meandering, finding a route near an active trolley line, a visit to the train station, then returning on another safe bridge crossing for dinner at the Airbnb.

I reserved the same place as in previous visits. Not only is it cozy with a full kitchen, but it's also convenient to the expo, easy access to the Schuylkill River trail, and walkable to museums and a grocery store, plus it has roll-in bike storage, while our car was parked a block away. I can't imagine staying anywhere else!

Ben Franklin's grave and a William Penn monument.

As mentioned in previous visits, though the expo is the main attraction, the connection with bike friends, interesting seminars, and organized bike rides is a major draw. I stay for 3 nights to also hit a few historical spots, which makes the 2 long travel days worth it.

We reconnected with an acquaintance that we met on the Cross NH Adventure Trail, who's staying in our town this summer! We plan to meet up. 

Local friend, Roberta, is a good source of ideas. The Liberty Bell had long lines (I saw that previously, but my husband hadn't), but we enjoyed ascending the Ben Franklin Bridge with views of the Delaware River and downtown Philly. Later, we walked from our accommodation and found a block-sized former prison and a defunct railcar business area with a sunken spot we imagine was where the cars "launched".

My favorite parts of this year's Expo: Tumbleweed Bikes booth, Schwalbe Tires plus their informative tubeless tire seminar, Memento Cycles creative small-wheeled creation (it won best in show), Pennsylvania Trails booth (lots of free maps), Shane Sellers bike-themed pottery, and a wonderfully comprehensive history of Schwinn Bicycles seminar, narrated by a relation, who sold the company and went on to found the Gunnar brand - since passed to a Colorado company.

Here's to the friend connections: Roberta, Pam, Leah, and finally meeting Spencer in person.

Philly, we'll be back!

The Bike Wishlist: An Orange-Colored Easy-Mount Mini Cargo Bike

Interesting concept: a step-through mini cargo bike. Paint it orange, and I'm in love. Photo credit unavailable.

I've long had a fascination with orange bikes, and I eventually want one. But it's difficult to justify a new purchase when I already own various styles. 

Enter the mini cargo bike idea. I love small-wheel bikes, so why not an orange-painted, easy-mounting, mini-velo-style? Pedal-powered only.

I've been eyeing the Tern Short Haul. On paper, it ticks all the boxes. It can be stored vertically in a garage, tipped onto its back rack. I had the opportunity to inspect one in our local bike shop. In person, the bike, to my eye, is clunky: thick tubing, moto-style tires, and overall, the length is longer than I had anticipated, especially when I sat on the saddle. It felt ungainly.

Tern Short Haul

There is always the Crust Clydesdale Fork or a similar Veloce Pick Up Fork that converts older mountain bikes into bombproof front loaders. I like this option, despite the hefty price, because it opens up various bikes for conversion. Add high-volume rear panniers, like Vincita's Skye Panniers, and, voila, lots of cargo space.

Photo credit: Veloce Pick Up fork.

What makes sense is eventually replacing my step-through commuter bike, or better yet, repainting it orange, because 20" step-throughs are hard to come by. Along with the fork conversion, I'd add Bullmoose-style bars, something else on my wishlist. They're at a similar angle to the Arc bar on my Peugeot commuter, so they'd work.

Whether or not these ideas come to fruition is anyone's guess. And honestly, I don't need a cargo bike - I just want one.

These are the musings that take up brain space. Tell me I'm not the only one.

From Tinkerer to Hero Bike Mechanic

Tinkering at 14 years old, working on a quasi-dirt jumper.

I find it interesting how lifelong passions manifest during middle school years. I dove into anything artistic. Our eldest son was into computer-related things (now a programmer). And our youngest plunged headfirst into bike mechanics.

Early on, he and a buddy rode with backpacks full of bike parts, swapping between their homes.

He was also an early winter riding adopter. He took that to heart, even if it made Mom nervous.

He enjoyed bike mechanics in summer school, learning to work on his own bike.

In high school, he thrived in a bike touring class, in addition to commuting to/from school.

I especially liked his quasi dirt jumper, a work of art. I learned about the plasti-dipping technique.

He eventually built a beautiful dirt jumper. 

His pivotal year was 2020 (pivotal for many of us!). Because of the pandemic, the spring of his senior year was rough, especially missing his last track season. At the same time, I was out of work. After his graduation and moving homes in June, we were able to connect. He showed me local single-track networks to avoid crowded rail trails. I eventually encouraged him to return to what he enjoyed, which was volunteering at a non-profit bike shop - his choice to meet a high school volunteer requirement. 

Between volunteering, YouTube research, and upgrading several bikes - including mine - he found his niche! In the spring, (at the same shop), he was offered a temporary bike mechanic spot, which turned into a full-time position. 

He fixed a broken shifter and cleaned up my Peugeot's drivetrain.

He's been a mechanic for 4-5 years. His favorite task is doing custom builds. He's competent, patient, teaches newer employees, and is passionate about his work. Not bad for a 23-year-old! 

Presta Schmesta - Bring Back Schrader Valves!

Presta valves on both my Hard Rock and Rachel.

Over the past twenty years, Presta became the default on most new adult-sized bicycles. Because Presta valves are narrower and longer than their Schrader counterpart, the evolution began with skinny racing tires - a smaller rim hole equalled stronger wheels. The longer Presta valve can also accommodate different wheel depths. The Presta standard eventually carried over to bikes of all styles, in my opinion, because of marketing hype, not strictly for the select ridership where it made the most sense. 

Presta valves are valuable for those seeking a tubeless setup, primarily for modern-day mountain and gravel bikes, and the rugged terrain where punctures are more prevalent.  Tubeless requires constant monitoring, ensuring enough sealant, and often constant inflation/deflation, depending on preferred pressure. Tubeless also allows single-digit PSI. Adventurous riders swear by tubeless. But most often, they carry a spare tube as backup. 

On top of that, there's a movement towards the Clik Valve, essentially an adapter for the Presta valve for easier one-handed inflation. 

In otherwords, users are tired of the finicky Presta valve. While I've had a lot of experience with Presta (no tubeless yet) I've always had a love/hate relationship with the system. There's a fine line between how much to unscrew the nut and how much to seat the pump for optimal inflation without risking bending the top screw. The washer-type screw that locks the valve against the rim periodically loosens - necessitating tightness checks. And when a tube replacement is necessary,  it's harder to remove/insert a tube with a 2" valve, plus keep track of the removable cap and screw! 

Here's a simple explanation of the differences between both valves. 

While Schrader has faded from the limelight, I've found it a better system for general use: commuter bikes, kids bikes, touring bikes, and recreational riding, because a stronger valve stem is easier to deal with. Bike touring is a good example, necessitating the use of a small hand-type pump. 

Araya rims, popular on early touring bikes and mountain bikes, were ubiquitous. All were equipped with Schrader valves. Those rims are still going strong today. 

I asked our son why he built Presta rims on my bikes. It's because the rims came with pre-drilled Presta openings. That further explains their prevalent use. In the past, I've had bike shops drill out Presta rims to accommodate Schrader (back when I had one Presta rimmed bike), and there wasn't any loss of structural integrity.

Pleasantly surprised to have Schrader valves on my newest bike,
the Downtube Dyan! Go figure, on the narrowest,
curviest rim of the bunch.

The good news is there's plenty of Schrader tubes available, even in the older 27" x 1.25 size, because as everyone knows, it's fashionable to restore old bikes!

Ideas for 2026

My goal in 2026 is to keep the cycling momentum by incorporating new trails and routes. Besides the  Colorado trip, I want to complete another weeklong bike tour - last year's was great - where is yet to be determined.

• In March, I'm heading back to the Philly Bike Expo, this time with my husband! I'm excited to meet up with cycling friends, ride with others, attend seminars, and, of course, attend the main event. It's also the 250th anniversary of the US, and we may stumble upon some of Philly's special events.
• Because bike touring in summer's heat was successful, I plan to do it again. It's not my favorite climate, but it has its merits: cooling off in streams, packing less, and I can bail on local adventures. Ideas include a 3-day Champlain Islands loop, an upstate New York adventure using the Adirondack Rail Trail, and a one-way journey using Amtrak. So many possibilities!
• With a front rack and comfortable bars installed on the Downtube Dyan, I plan to test its handling capabilities on an overnight. The long-term goal is to lower the gearing and try wider tires for more adventurous multimodal trips, but one step at a time.
• I'm heading back to Colorado, which has now become an annual pilgrimage, visiting family and friends in Fort Collins for more cycling/hiking fun. 
• We'll continue to explore more mountain bike trails. Ideas include Woodstock and Millstone in VT, and Blueberry Hills in Elizabethtown, NY.