Northeast - Philly Week

I'm rather new to cycling so please forgive my naivety. I am considering going to Philadelphia this weekend to see the third leg of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown Of Cycling but I've never attended a bike race before so I'm not familiar with how it all works. The race's website doesn't give a whole lot of information other than that VIP tickets are available and a course map. I assume you don't HAVE to buy tickets, but can just go to a spot on the course and watch. If anyone is familiar with the Philadelphia race and could give me any guidance (the best roads to take to get to the Manayunk wall, a good place to park, what time you have to get there to beat the crowds, etc.) or any other resources, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Cheers,

Eric

You don't need to buy tickets to watch the race. There are many great places to view it. Manayunk gets very crowded and there are lots of drunk people on the streets. I have never parked there but I assume your best bet is to try to find parking on the street several blocks away.

I always like to be on Ben Franklin parkway near the end of the race because you can watch the action on the giant video screen and catch a glimpse of the finish. They also have a big expo there with some good deals on bike gear. Lemon Hill is a short walk from the finish line and is a fun place to watch as well. For parking at the finish line, Pennsylvania Ave and the streets north of there usually have spaces. You could also park in West Philly on the other side of the Spring Garden street bridge and walk across. If you bring a bike with you, you could always park near the finish and ride up to Manayunk or other places along Kelly Drive.

It is a great race to watch - I hope you have a good time.

Ditto what Noonito says. Lemon hill is a nice place to have a picnic and watch. If you get in early enough, you should have little trouble finding parking in the art museum area behind.

You don't need a ticket to watch anywhere along the course.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice. Hopefully the weather holds out and its a great race!

Cheers,

Eric

Another possibility is to park along the Schuylkill River Trail and ride into Manayunk. It's a really easy 8 or 9 mile trip from Conshohocken.

Weather.com says mostly sunny and 90, moderate humidity...should be a beautiful June day.

+1 on taking 76 to Conshocken. It's a short ride to Manayunk. Conshocken also intersects 476.
There's a bridge that enters into Conshocken. The street immediately to your right has a train station for parking, which is free. A trip to the right takes you to Valley Forge. A trip to the left takes you to Manayunk (there are some odd spots on the trail - but it gets you there). You'll see a number of bikes. If this sounds good, make sure you bring a U-Lock should you want to park and leave your bike. If you do Manayunk - expect crowds. Enjoy...

I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice. My girlfriend and I had a great time. Being from out of town and staying in Plymouth Meeting, we took the R6 into the city from Conshohoken and watched the race around from the circle, from Kelly Drive and Lemon Hill with a mid race intermission to the Art Museum to cool off. I'll definitely come back next year.

Cheers,

Eric

Glad you had a good time. It was hot on Sunday! I thought one of the breakaways might get away because of the heat, but it ended up coming down to a sprint finish like it usually does.