Hey there!

Just wondering if anyone has done this ride in either direction and had any cue sheets or even just ideas on a best route. We are planning to do this ride next weekend, and currently the plan is to use the NJ bike maps to make up our own route, but im sure it wont be ideal.

I've not done that ride, but have ridden a lot in the Pine Barrens. I live in Cherry Hill NJ.

Coming out of Phiily look to get onto Haddon Ave thru Collingswood, Westmont and haddonfield. Once thru Haddonfield Pick up Kresson Road thru Cherry Hill. Kresson is a major bike route used by almost every shore bound charity ride. For planning purposes once you get across RT 73 there are many options for working your way east and south throught the pine barrens. I'd look for a route that works east to Batsto area or Chatsworth and then south using rt 563 The roads in that area are light traffic and many have bike lanes. Check with the Shore Cycling Club as they have routes throughout the area

Lastly, You can take the High Speed line as far as Woodcrest, skipping the ride thru Camden. Up to the haddonfield stop the speed line runs along the same route you would be cycling.

For more ideas, see the MS City to Shore cue sheets at the MS City to Shore website. The ride goes to Ocean City but it might give you some routing ideas.

Bikely has one.
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...hiladelphia-PA

Edit: Note it is tagged with dangerous.

My guess is that it's tagged that way because they cross the Barry bridge and ride through Chester.

Take PATCO from Philadelphia to Cherry Hill, and bypass Camden. Start in Cherry Hill. Save the miles and the potential trouble.

You could probably pick up NJFOT's High Point to Cape May route around Washington Township or Egg Harbor.

I had planned a ride to Cape May to reach the ferry and then a ride on the Eastern Shore of Md.

I live about 3 miles from the Woodcrest Patco station and my plan was to ride east to get out of the sprawl and then south. My ride plan took my east thu Atco, on backroads, then a short one mile stint on Rt 206 south and then a jog over to RT542 past Batsto. From there about five miles to pick up Rt 563 south which becomes Rt50 into Mays Landing. RT 50 has a wide shoulder and through Mays landing is part of the ACS ride.

The planning problem starts once south of Mays Landing in that the south bound options really thin out. It's either Rt 50 to Rt 9 south or a jog over to RT 47 south. Both are busy roads.

As I said, contacting the Shore Cycling Club, a good option. This is their neck of the woods and they would know all the alternative routes. As for me, my plan was to ride Rt50 to Rt 9 then cross the GSP to the beach and then take the road closest to the beach south to Cape May. Not low traffic, but not a speedway.

So, it looks like our current plan is to take NJT to Atlantic city and ride from there on Saturday, then take that Bikely route back to Philadelphia.

Hrm... so it looking into that Bikely route it seems as though Bicycles cannot actually cross the Commodore Barry Bridge. Does anyone know anything about this?

I looked into this a while back, and the Ben Franklin is really the only Philly - NJ bridge that's bikeable. You do have to ride through Camden, though.

My, goodness. All of this irrational Camden Fear is silly, although it does make me feel super-macho. The fact is, I rode a FG or a mtb through Camden (down haddon avenue) anywhere from 2 to 10 times each week while attending school at Rutgers. I'd make the trip both ways, at times ranging from 8am to 10pm. And no one ever shot at me, ever. Not even once. To do such a relatively short ride with PATCO involved would be sad, and a slap in the spirit of adventure's face!

You'll want to cross the Ben. The Ben franklin Bridge is open to bikes on the elevated sidewalk-thing from 7am to 7pm, so plan accordingly. You'll need to walk the bike at the ends, where you'll encounter stairs. At the East end (Camden, NJ) of the Bridge, you'll want to get on the southside at the Rutgers Campus, on whatsitcalled street and Fifth. Take Fifth South to cooper, make a left on Cooper.

Now, you can continue roughly straight on Cooper and take Admiral Wilson Blvd (Rte 30 east) using the sidewalk. I personally don't like this, because i think riding the sidewalk is slightly more dangerous than riding in the projects, but I've seen a few cyclotourists (presumably, frightened of urban crime) over the years riding Admiral Wilson's sidewalk. From Admiral Wilson Blvd, you can cut upto rte 130south on the walk, and cross rte 130 just before the cooper river at the first light, across the street from Connie Mac's bar-n-grill. Follow the road that runs parallel to the cooper river to the first light, which is Cuthbert blvd. Right on cuthbert, through 2 lights, left at the third light/WaWa onto Haddon Avenue, and then follow the route Tom Cotter described above, with the turn onto Kresson at kress Liquors.

Of course, this wouldn't be adventurous, and we all know it. Anyone starting a ride in Killadelphia need not fear Haddon Ave, Camden in daylight. I'd leave as early as possible, which is good form. This'll put you at Rutgers around 730am, depending where in Philly you start. From the Bridge, take Fifth to Cooper, left on Cooper, 2 blocks up there's a light. To the left the street is called "7th street"; to the right, it's Haddon ave. Take the right. Bask in Camden's endemic charm. Be wary between Cooper Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, because there are some shenanigans, but not at 745am! Stick up kids sleep late. It'll be a shame that you can't stop at Donkey's Place for the best cheesesteak on earth, but perhaps the Donut Queen at Kaighn/Baird/Haddon will be open. (But, don't bother.) Once you're past lourdes, you're effectively out of Camden. Bear left at the light just before rte130 to go *under* the highway, stay on Haddon, Follow Tom's excellent route to Kresson road.

Really, you're just looking at maybe 2 miles of hood. If you get shot there, you're very unlucky, and the tour would've failed regardless.

So, in order from least-to-most dangerous, from a guy who's done em all:
-Ben directly to Haddon Ave, via the hood (almost zero chance of gun-violence, widish shoulder for most of route, any vehicular traffic is likely to be going slow, half-hearted thug-hazing a slight possibility)
-Ben to Admiral wilson blvd to Haddon (zero chance of gun violence, NO SHOULDER, 55mph traffic, up to 6 lanes of it, probably some honking.)
-Patco Speedline to whatever (No traffic, almost zero chance of gun-violence, harassment from patco people about the presence of your ungainly bike, wierd, sporadically enforced rules regarding bikes, NO CYCLING involved for start of the trip, violent heckling from other cyclists who will jokingly suggest that you take the Patco to Lindenwold, and then take the AC train all the way to the shore, so you can get by with just a back pack and some train tickets rather than a bicycle, racks, bags, etc.)

Seriously, many "outsiders" see Camden as a place peopled by the super-fast Zombies of films like "28 Days Later". Not so. *People* live in Camden. And, in the morning, you'll see normal people going to normal jobs, who will just be confused by the stuff you have hanging on your bike. Yes, Camden has crack and guns and violence. But, there's more crackheads, bullets, stick-up kids, crime, and murders in Philly than there is in Camden. (Lately, Camden reclaimed the "per-capita" crown over Philly, but it is close. And, you're a cyclotourist, passing thru for 15 minutes aroung 8a.m. You're not even a blip on the radar of drug czars and professional gun-slingers. You need not worry about Philly or Camden. In fact, I'd say that you're at more risk in Philly, because some art-school drop-out will covet your bike, and possibly attempt to take it by force.)

hth,
-rob