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!