Celebrating its fifth year, Bike Philly returns to Philadelphia on Sunday, September 11, 2011. The family-friendly ride closes its entire route to cars, giving participants a unique bicyclist-first view of the city. The ride is organized by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, for whom the ride serves as their major yearly fundraiser.

Registered riders will gather at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for an 8:00 am start Sunday morning. Ten and twenty-mile options take riders along an entirely closed-to-cars route through Philadelphia and Fairmount Park. The ride goes through Old City, past the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Philadelphia Zoo, and (for the 20-mile option) along the Schuylkill River to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. More experienced bicyclists can opt for a 35-mile route which takes shared roads out to Haverford, PA and back. The ride is supported with mechanics, snack stops, and a finish line festival.

The ride has steadily grown in popularity over the years, reaching 3,500 riders in 2009. Rain dampened turnout at the 2010 Bike Philly, but the event drew 2,500 riders despite lousy forecasts. “Last year’s numbers show how special Bike Philly is, that over 2,500 people came out to ride in the rain,” said Alex Doty, the Bicycle Coalition’s Executive Director. “It’s a great opportunity to ride as a family, or to bring a friend who is nervous or new to bicycling. And seeing thousands of bicycles and no cars winding through downtown Philly is just inspiring and awesome.”

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is the primary bicycling advocacy organization in the Philadelphia region. A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1972, the Bicycle Coalition advocates for better bicycling through educational and advocacy initiatives. As a voice for cyclists in the Philadelphia region the Bicycle Coalition has pushed for more bike lanes, safer streets, and a well connected trail system. Part of this work, the Complete The Trail Campaign, is engaged in filling the gaps in the regional trail network. Bike Philly registrations support the Complete the Trail Campaign.

Registration is open and available online at bikephilly.org.

Liberty Sports Magazine readers receive a $5 discount off an adult Bike Philly registration. Use the code ‘LBRT5’ when registering to redeem your discount.