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!

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 has its merits: cooling off in streams, packing less, and being able to 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, Millstone and North Branch, all in VT, and Blueberry Hills in Elizabethtown, NY.

2025 Philly Bike Expo, via Amtrak

The Brommie Ride, allowing other folder brands in 2025 - one of the
Philly Bike Expo's organized bike rides.

Why do I attend the Philly Bike Expo? It's the experience: organized bike rides, after-party, seminars, and vendor booths. It's also an excuse to connect with friends from around the country.

One of the Brommie Ride stops. A race on grass. I ogled the pristine Raleigh Twenty.

Memento Cycles is so creative! Check out the racks and "internal" cable routing.

The exhibitors range from frame makers, accessories, jewelry, bag makers, recumbents/adaptive cycles, bike clothing, and art, to advocacy. There's something for everyone! The two-day event is small enough to see in 3 hours, leaving room to attend morning and evening rides, and seminars, or get outside for fresh air and sightseeing.

A Bilenky - same colorway as my Hard Rock - and a colorful Velocity Wheel. Pink and Purple bicycles are popular.

Seminars attended: The Impossible Routes Q&A by Jeremiah Bishop, and How to Make Your Life into One Big Bike Adventure – a workshop by Pamela Murray.

I like checking out options at the Schwalbe booth. I noted an all-road tire that might provide more traction on Rachel.

Testing the Tern Spartan rack with front panniers.

What I did right

• I'm rocking two front panniers instead of the former large bag on the handlepost. It's more stable handling all-around, and the Dahon folds nearly as small as before.
• One bikable footwear option was perfect with slipper socks for AirBnB wear.
• I was so happy to stay at the same place as last year. My accommodation came with a full kitchen which meant comfortable evenings and breakfasts before setting off for daily activities.
• A foldable tote bag that also doubles as a backpack, adapts to grocery shopping, picking up souvenirs, or as extra storage on the train. Arriving at 8 pm Friday evening, I'd made a grocery list, then hightailed it to a store soon after check-in. I'm efficient - I bought enough for 3 days, and nights of breakfasts and dinners, while leftovers provided two meals for the return trip. 

View outside from the Expo windows, and the same view at street level.

Sunday afternoon exploring with lunch/dessert at the Italian Market.

Sunday morning gravel ride meetup. I opted for the shorter distance, navigating a stretch of single track on 20" wheels, though I knew most of the route was paved. A local guy named Patrick personally escorted me back to the Expo, avoiding a chunky section of the path. He turned out to be a history buff, explaining places en route. Thank you, Patrick!

AirBnB entryway and a homecooked meal.

What I learned

• Normally I fold and store the Dahon in a tote bag. This works well for one train journey, keeping me and the bike clean. But, it was an arduous transfer between Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall in NYC - I'd forgotten how arm-busting the distance had been the previous year, reminded again this time around!  There had to be a better way. At the Expo, anyone entering with a folding bike was required to fold it to save on bike parking space. By accident, I discovered that once folded, I could gently roll the Dahon by grabbing the seat, slightly extended, initially to move away from a crowded line and unfold it to get my stuff situated to ride. However, I practiced rolling it on the polished floor, because, I figured it could ease my return train connection. I found that as long as the fold is a bit loose, otherwise, the brake lever rubs on the spokes - not a pretty sound - but I was fairly sure that I could make the arrangement work. And I did! As it turns out, I keep the bike fairly clean anyway, and wearing black pants helps. The fold needs to be a bit loose, otherwise, the brake lever rubs on the spokes. There might be a way to improve the fit of the fold so that it doesn’t rub. In the future, I’ll figure out something to attach to the bars—perhaps a small block of foam—that will prop the bar in the perfect position. I'm always learning!
• Once in Philadelphia, especially after dark, it's not intuitive access from the station to the Schuylkill River Trail. But in daylight, it made more sense (as the photo below shows). Two years in a row I had difficulty getting to the AirBnB. Next year I'll get it right.
• Pack less next year. Two pairs of tights are fine, not three. And no need for two jackets. One is adequate. 3 lightweight top layers. It helps to wash items after the first day so they're dry and usable for the latter portion of the trip.

A visual reminder of directions so that next year I can do it correctly in the dark. Crossing Market Street Bridge (arches) I need to exit onto the ramp in the opposite direction to double back, traveling underneath the bridge to find the AirBnB. The Amtrak Station is the historical, square building on the left.

Late afternoon ride along the Schuylkill River.

Slowly heading to the train station on Monday morning, soaking up more sunshine. We were lucky again to have perfect weekend weather.

Left: Dahon folded in the Philly Amtrak Station, ensuring the seatpost is lowered enough to protect the crank. Middle: on board the train. Right: unfolded in the Moynihan Train Hall because as a solitary traveler, I needed to wheel the bike and my stuff around, including visiting the bathroom!

First Time at the Philly Bike Expo, via Amtrak

Friendships, connections, and organized bike rides, made the Philly Bike Expo weekend especially worthwhile.

Attending the Philly Bike Expo has been on my radar since sometime before 2019. Of course, travel restrictions, safety, and life upheaval waylaid the dream for a while, but I promised myself that 2024 was the year.

The interior Amtrak sign was fortuitous - that's my bike in a bag. 

By now, I'm comfortable rolling the five miles, boarding Amtrak with my Dahon. Last minute, I noticed the local rainstorm had passed, and the 4 day forecast in Philly was clear. What a gift! I left the rain gear behind. Extending the front bag's straps allowed me to pack enough gear for 4 days - my bag was stuffed - plus I brought food for the 10 hour journey! This time I carried a foldable backpack/tote bag, tucked away on the journey south, for getting groceries plus whether strapped on the handlebars, or worn on my back, allowed me to carry daily essentials, leaving the large bag behind at my accommodation. Traveling by folding bike - at least the way I do it - is all about packing light and bringing multipurpose gear/clothing. 

I couldn't entice any family members to go with me! Maybe next time. Later I would discover the building lit up on the other side of river was the train station. 

I arrived in Philadelphia at 8pm. Armed with Google voice directions I thought it would be easy to navigate the 1.5 miles to my Airbnb near the Art Museum, but I didn't account for traffic noise and being disoriented - first time in Philly didn't help. After circling a bit, I made it across the famed Skuykill River and cycled on a trail. Back on route, it was easy to find my cozy accommodation on a quiet but convenient tiny street (I'd stay there again).

Colorful titanium bottle cages. So many things to see at the Expo.

I didn't sleep well the first night so I was up early enough to make an organized ride leaving close by - a ride billed as "average 17 mph, no drop" which seemed like an oxymoron. As it was, I missed the meetup spot - wrong side of Art Museum - but noticed in time to tag on the tail end. 60 people showed up, so I didn't need to worry about speed. At the coffee shop stop - already the weather reaching high 50sF - I caught up with Leah and Pam, two online Riv Sisters, a connection we made years ago when I owned a Rivendell Clem-L - and they still consider me a member.

My tiny bike squeezed between the Rivendells.

The ride ended at the convention center at the opening of the two day Philly Bike Expo. I hung out with the ladies for a bit at the Rivendell booth, but I'm no longer a Rivendell fan so I made my way around the Expo. I enjoyed the mix of custom builders, bag makers, big name vendors, advocacy organizations, and the general atmosphere. I talked with the Brompton folks but they weren't allowed to offer indoor test rides. I reconnected with the Bassi folks - first time exhibitors, and makers of my Rachel - especially Julian - who later I would meet up with at the after party. The exhibit floor had food vendors. The taco truck served an assortment of delicious varieties, satiating a hungry belly after the morning's miles. I comfortably visited the whole Expo in 3-4 hours total, after a break with the ladies to grab a bite to eat from a crowded nearby food hall, reminding of Boston's Faneuil Hall. For me, the Expo was a one day event, but had the seminars been attractive, I could've gone back for more.

Saturday evening we dodged the Saint Patrick's Day revelers to eat at a lovely Italian restaurant. Then meeting at the Expo for a ride to the After Party, an outdoor parking lot event, complete with bonfire, beer, snacks, and Keystone Bikes shop opened up for all. Roberta (center photo) was a local and met up with us later, via car, offering to drive me to my accommodation after dark to keep me safe.

Sunday morning was the third and last organized ride for me, ending near the Expo. Pam and Leah left soon after for their long journeys homeward, while Roberta kindly guided me safely to Liberty Square, before she headed home. Another lovely day, temps topping into the 60's, I aimed to be a tourist for most of the day. I visited the Liberty Bell, of course, then set my sights on a path along the Delaware River. Rather short, I beelined west across Fishtown, then on a major throughfare with ample bike lane across North Philly - likely what Roberta would have me avoid - but it was a doable ride against a stiff headwind until I connected with the familiar Skuykill River trail network. Famished, I ate a burrito at a riverfront eatery and watched paddlers operate skulls and Canadian geese skuttle, honking, performing either a mating ritual or warning would-be suitors away.

I was surprised by the warm spring weather, flowering trees, bulbs, friendly and guided bike rides. I couldn't have asked for a nicer weekend, for sure! I grabbed more groceries and stocked my place, relaxing for a while. During golden hour, with tired bike legs, I wandered on foot around the Art Museum grounds. 

The architecture was stunning! 

Each side of the facade exposed something new.

Boathouse Row and the view to downtown was bathed in light; the flowering trees, even the entrance to my small apartment glowed. 

What a glorious time! I left with plenty of time Monday morning to easily find the train station. This time I had the Red Cap staff wheel my bike to the platform. My journey home went smoothly.

Parting Thoughts:

• Amtrak, while an all day journey, was a convenient resource to access the Expo. My journey south (direct from home) consisted of a difficult transfer - lugging the bike up two flights of stairs - in NYC onto a different train to Philly. The return trip was Philly direct to Essex, VT 10 miles from home where I got a ride in the evening. It was the cheapest alternative, but has made me wonder how to handle a heavy bike and connections. Perhaps I should be seeking the elevator!
• I would go again, purely to ride with others. 
• Having family tag along would be better, but I wouldn't let it deter me from traveling alone again, especially now that I have my bearings. 
• 3 nights was a perfect amount of time in the city, for the Expo, and playing tourist.
• Inclement weather would dampen organized rides, but the indoor venue of course is fine. I would love to visit the Art Museum or the nearby Rodin Museum.
• I wished there was a downtown historical bike ride. Philly reminded me of Montreal where ancient buildings mixed with modern skyscrapers.