Northeast - Phoenixville/Pottstown PA - question

I have ridden the Schuylkill River Trail from Manayunk to Mont Clare. I've been looking at maps and wondering what would happen if I continued through Phoenixville. Is Route 23 toward French Creek a good ride? How about 724 toward Pottstown and on into Reading? I know the SRT picks up for a little ways around Pottstown. I'm pretty new to riding in traffic but if the roads are wide and/or not terribly heavily traveled I'm OK with it.

Anybody familiar with the area? I really do not want to find myself on a horrible ride (I'd rather do the Perkiomen trail to Green Lane - again) and I don't want to waste the gas driving up from Delaware County to reconnoiter.

Anything around French Creek is a great ride in my opinion, just be prepared to climb. If you can get route 345 in your ride, do it. As to road width, use maps.google.com or local.live.com with satellite view on to check the conditions. Best way in general to avoid traffic is to head out early but from my rides in that area, there isn't much traffic regardless of the time of day.

I have ridden the Schuylkill River Trail from Manayunk to Mont Clare. I've been looking at maps and wondering what would happen if I continued through Phoenixville. Is Route 23 toward French Creek a good ride? How about 724 toward Pottstown and on into Reading? I know the SRT picks up for a little ways around Pottstown. I'm pretty new to riding in traffic but if the roads are wide and/or not terribly heavily traveled I'm OK with it.

Anybody familiar with the area? I really do not want to find myself on a horrible ride (I'd rather do the Perkiomen trail to Green Lane - again) and I don't want to waste the gas driving up from Delaware County to reconnoiter.

I live in the area. Take the bridge from Monte Clare into Phoenixville. Follow Bridge Street to Rt. 113. Cross 23 at the first crossing, ride to Pothouse Road, turn right. Make a left at the light onto Rt 113 for about a mile, and make a right onto Kimberton Road. The whole area from Kimberton to Rt 100 is hilly but very nice. Pughtown Road is nice and flat, but little else is.

Thanks! Exactly the type of advice I was looking for!

I'd stay off of both Rt 23 & Rt 724. Both are heavily traveled with cars typically going 50 + mph & little to no shoulder in many places.
Try finding some back roads that will get you to French Creek from phoenixville area. There are lots of back roads that are going to be much better then either Rt 23 or Rt 724

I'd stay off of both Rt 23 & Rt 724. Both are heavily traveled with cars typically going 50 + mph & little to no shoulder in many places.
Try finding some back roads that will get you to French Creek from phoenixville area. There are lots of back roads that are going to be much better then either Rt 23 or Rt 724

Along Rt 23:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2009/2500834348_3dc1bfc37d_b.jpg

I commute on Rt 23, and it's not as bad as it's made out to be. During the day it's not heavily trafficed. I've also ridden Rt 724. That said, other roads are more scenic.

Neil,
How would you get from Mont Clare to Pottstown to pick up the SRT?