On any given Monday night, Stephan Kincaid is on the back of his bike, riding between Shillington and Reading.
Ever since moving to the city three years ago, he's made the Monday night ride a ritual — joining a weekly outing organized by other cycling enthusiasts.
It's a ride, in Kincaid's mind, that encapsulates the best that Berks County has to offer. The route traverses several of the area's popular trails, goes up and over Neversink Mountain, and then winds back down into the city for post-ride refreshments.
For Kincaid, who spent his younger years as a pro cyclist, Berks County is a hidden gem for cycling on the East Coast. The excellent trail network, challenging rural roads and city infrastructure makes Berks a cyclists' dream. While Philadelphia has good bike lanes, and Portland is better known for its cycling commuters, Berks County has an enviable combination, Kincaid says. “This place has something special,” he explains. “There's a true richness and depth to the riding that you can do here.”
Kincaid's not alone in his belief in Berks. A number of county residents including the Redesign Reading organization, are working to promote cycling in the area, not just as a form of exercise, but also as an environmentally-friendly way to commute. “We have dense infrastructure and limited resources, but we want to find a way to make changes at a low cost,” says Brian Kelly of Redesign Reading which recently opened a downtown bike shop. “We believe Reading can be a bike-friendly community.”
The Mountains
Dane Clay is an unabashed promoter of mountain biking in Berks County. He's among a group of riders seeking an international designation to rank the greater Reading area as a mountain biking destination.
“We are an underrated biking destination,” Clay says. “We are working to change that.”
The skeptic might raise an eyebrow at Reading as a cycling mecca, but Clay puts together a convincing argument. Among mountain bikers, Mount Penn has a reputation as a thrilling downhill ride. That's evidenced by the Duryea Downhill, which draws cyclists from across the East Coast who use steely nerves to plummet down Mount Penn as fast as possible.
At the same time, a rider can park his or her car in a lot along Antietam Lake and spend a day riding an extensive network of trails along the mountain. Or take a short hop over the valley in East Reading and churn the legs on Neversink Mountain. For the flatlanders, the Thun Trail runs from Reading to Pottsville. And riders can leave Reading and ride the Union Canal trail all the way out to Blue Marsh Lake, which is surrounded by nearly 30 miles of challenging single-track riding.
All of this riding is within close proximity to Reading and its suburbs, with restaurants, brew pubs, hotels and shopping. Add that up, and Clay believes Berks is a place that more cyclists need to learn about and come visit.
“We have this unique terrain, all kinds of trails that appeal to different riders, and it’s all within an urban destination,” he says. “We are trying to get the word out for what we have.”
Late last year, the Berks Area Mountain Biking Association applied to the International Mountain Biking Association seeking to have Berks County certified as a Ride Center. The group hopes to find out about the designation by this summer.
In order to apply for the Ride Center designation, the mountain bike club had to document trail mileage, ease of access, and that riders from various abilities and skill sets could find places to ride.
“A designation like this brings tourist-riders who are looking for places to ride when they travel,” Clay says. “We want to be a positive participant in Reading and Berks County.”
The Countryside
On Tuesday nights when the weather is warm, as many as 50 cyclists will leave Oley Middle School for a pre-dinner ride. It's been a longstanding tradition among members of the Berks County Bicycle Club to hold a social mid-week ride. The less hectic pace and friendly atmosphere is a way to introduce new riders to the group.
While there may be a casual feel to the Tuesday rides, it's still exercise. “All of our rides are at least 20 miles in length,” says Butch Ulrich, president of the Berks County Bicycle Club. “If you can ride 10 mph, we have a ride for you.”
Ask any avid cyclist in this area for their favorite place to ride, and the answer inevitably involves Oley. The flat farming community sits in a bowl-shaped valley. Both the flat land and the hills are laced with quiet, two-lane country roads. Get off the main drag of Route 73, and traffic slows to a trickle. Mile after mile is framed by fenced pastures and field corn. A climb out of the valley on Oysterdale Road will quicken the pulse.
“I love the hills around Oley. There are a lot of hidden places up there,” says Wayne Beaver, a Berks County Bicycle Club member. “The scenery is unbelievable. If you live around here, you grow accustomed to it.”
But that's what sets Berks County apart from its neighbors, says Kincaid. Our neighbors to the south — like suburban Philadelphia — are built up, which means more development and traffic. There's still unspoiled terrain here. “Once you know how to navigate around the highways, you can really get out and ride,” he says.
And it’s that countryside that keeps riders coming back.
Ulrich, whose been riding for 30 years, first got into the sport as a way to get exercise that was less taxing than running. He found he enjoyed the experience, and the view, so much more. “I found a great group to ride with,” he says. “When you get riding as a group, moving along, it's just a great experience.”
Group rides gave Linda Gross, who moved to Berks from suburban Philadelphia four years ago, an extra feeling of safety when out on the roads. She's never had a mishap when out on the bike, but being with a group of riders adds a layer of visibility for motorists, Gross says.
Those group rides have taken her up Hawk Mountain, through the quiet roads around Kutztown, and up the ridges that frame Wernersville and Womelsdorf — some of the true bright spots for riding. “I've never gone out on a club ride and come back disappointed,” she says.
The City
For years, the only bike shops in Berks County were located on the outskirts of Reading. And then, almost by happenstance, downtown Reading got its own shop.
The Reading Bike Hub grew out of an overall transportation and recreation initiative – and ideas tossed around by concerned city residents. Reading has its fair share of people who ride their bikes out of necessity, or because they are concerned about their environmental footprint, says Kelly, a member of Redesign Reading.
Some of those early conversations centered on quality of life concerns, and the realization that cycling could be a lot safer in Reading. While some communities around the country have developed designated bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure, getting around Reading is very much designed with a motor vehicle in mind.
“We decided that Reading needed bike advocates, not just for casual riders, but for those who use bikes as their primary way for getting from one place to another,” Kelly says.
But there was also a realization that Reading didn't even have a place where someone could come and get a bike fixed or buy a new one. Kelly and several other county residents formed the Reading Bike Hub in a vacant storefront in the BARTA Bus Station on Cherry Street.
“It happened really fast. We approached BARTA about one of their vacant spaces and it all came together,” Kelly explains. “There wasn't another shop in the city, but people are riding bikes all around the area.”
But while Kelly and others had a vision for promoting safe cycling in Reading, none of them had the familiarity needed for running a bike shop.
In stepped Jason Orth, who found out about the Reading Bike Hub on Facebook and offered his repair services. Now, on most days, Orth is the public face of the Reading Bike Hub, repairing bikes and servicing donated bikes for resale.
“When I was younger, I grew up riding bikes in Reading,” Orth says. “We never had anything like this.”
Orth, who volunteers his time at the shop, fixes up donated bikes and sells them. Most sell for under $60. This past fall, the Reading Bike Hub held organized rides for teenagers in the area to get them accustomed to safe riding habits. They've also hosted workshops on bike repair and maintenance, all in an effort to help educate kids on how to stay safe while riding in the city.
Someday, the organizers behind Reading Bike Hub would love to see designated bike lanes, places in front of businesses for people to lock up their bikes, and city residents and commuters using bikes to get from one destination to another. But they know big dreams start small. So they are focusing their efforts on keeping their downtown bike shop open, reaching out to kids, and championing safe biking one rider at a time.
“There is an active bike culture here, but there was no place to go and channel it,” Kelly says. “We have made it more accessible.”
Resources
There are so many good roads to ride in Berks County that it's hard to narrow down a few places to highlight. But Oley is a good place to start. From the village itself, riders can get out into flat corn country, like along Covered Bridge Road, and up into the hills, like the nice long climb to Huff's Church.
- The Wernersville/Womesldorf area is an excellent destination itself, including the aptly named Charming Forge Road. The hills above Wernersville State Hospital can take the starch out of a good rider — both going up and coming down.
- With a little knowledge of the roads, and traversing a few closed bridges, riders can take a scenic ride around Lake Ontelaunee, in a circuit that can take just over an hour riding at a comfortable pace. But that's just one writer's opinion.
- The Berks Conservancy maintains the trail network on Neversink Mountain. Perhaps the best place to start from is Klapperthal junction off Klapperthal Road in Exeter Township. Parking is limited, but it is a great jumping off point to explore the south side of the mountain and its excellent view of the Schuylkill River. Riders can also reach the northern half and Witches Hat Pavilion from there. Learn more at berks-conservancy.org.
- Both the Berks County Parks Department and the Schuylkill River Trail Association have done an excellent job tying in their trails. A rider can park at the Berks Leisure Area, ride into Reading along the Union Canal Trail, and then reach the Thun Trail — maintained by the Schuylkill River Trail Association. The Union Canal also connects with the nearly 30-mile circuit around Blue Marsh Lake. Learn more at: co.berks.pa.us/parks and schuylkillrivertrail.com.
By Darrin Youker | Photos by Walt Hug & Heidi Reuter
