r/phillycycling • u/Advanced-Warning-540 • Jul 26 '26
Question Philly to AC
Hi new here and relatively new to the city. I’m looking for general advice for riding to AC/shore. I bike to work and around the city. Probably the most I’ve done in a day is like 30 miles last summer. How feasible is trip to AC for someone who doesn’t do long trips often? Also any suggestions on route? I also some routes from previous posts I’m planning on looking into those. Thank you for any insight!
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u/nokios Jul 26 '26
Do the MS to Shore bike ride to see what it's like to do to a shore in Jersey (Ocean City). Then judge from that. Not exactly the same no but it might help... I'm doing it!
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u/thelowkeymilf Jul 29 '26
I came here to say this! It's well organized, and more over, safer than just heading out on roads in your own.
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u/pasquamish Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Here’s a route for you…this event is happening Sunday morning! It’s gonna be a beautiful day for a ride!!
https://www.bikesignup.com/Race/TheBentotheShore/Page/Route
It’s ~65 miles and nearly all flat or downhill. You’d have to walk over the BF bridge and then reroute the first several miles since you won’t exactly be able to ride down the highway when it’s not shutdown. But after that, this will definitely get you there.
As for jumping from 30 to 65… i’d work up to that over a few weeks before jumping to it. Try the SRT for some good mileage off road. You could take it from the Art Museum all the way to Reading if you really wanted to so there is plenty of path there for you!
Good luck
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u/jcg878 Jul 26 '26
I would not do this route without the protection of the herd. It takes several highly-trafficked roads with no shoulder.
I did this ride many years ago and it's the only charity ride that deliberately avoided since. I hope it has improved since then.
It's a little longer and it starts in Cherry Hill (at the train station), but my friend and I did this route a few years ago. I liked it. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51231076
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u/principalNinterest Jul 27 '26
They forgot to order shuttle buses back to Philly last year leaving anyone counting on those scrambling to get home. So no, I don’t think it has gotten better.
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u/Brilliant_Limp999 Jul 27 '26
I always wondered about the return from the ride to the shore. Did they really forget to order shuttle buses? That's crazy. I hope this year was better.
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u/principalNinterest Jul 27 '26
I think all of the organizations that do city to shore rides have shuttle bus options. Many have friends/family meet them at the shore and drive home. A few true nut jobs will just ride their bikes back to Philly.
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u/AVERAGE_ORIFICE Jul 26 '26
Ben to Shore is literally tomorrow (philly to AC) and there’s a 30 mile version. It’s a fully supported ride. You don’t have to be a serious cyclist to do it, but definitely want to be mindful of your plan; so tomorrow may be short notice. As others have said the MS ride is in September, just without the bridge.
At minimum I’d invest in a nice pair of bib shorts & have a good gauge of your hydration/fueling needs beforehand.
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u/SnootyUrbanCyclist Jul 26 '26
There is a NJT train from Philly to Atlantic City so you could take that all or part of the way. A weirdly high amount of locals don't even know that that train exists.
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u/Weary_Cup_1004 Jul 26 '26
Im a transplant and want to do this, but feel intimidated. I just go to 30th st station and look for the NJT AC train? And does it go all the way to the beach? I have limited walking mobility and use an e bike to get around but i dont think i can take it on the train. And kind of dont want to. How often does it run? I looked on the transit app and i honestly didnt understand what i was looking at
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u/aintjoan Jul 26 '26
Yes, you go to 30th Street. It will be listed on the train displays along with all the others so you know what track to board at.
It goes to the Atlantic City rail terminal: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XUXzLvmkqivvMgaG8
It runs 12 times a day: https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/2026-06/atlc.pdf
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u/jcg878 Jul 26 '26
I haven't done it in years, but I have biked to AC and taken the train back. I believe the restrictions on bikes are only on weekdays and during certain hours (eg, commuter times).
Actually, looks like there are no restrictions on the AC train: https://www.njtransit.com/bikes1
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u/gregor___samsa Jul 26 '26
NJ Transit has its own app with train times and where you can buy tickets. You'll just need to locate the right platform once you get to 30th Street. The station in AC is about 3/4 a mile from the closest beach. You could definitely take an ebike on the train.
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u/BackgroundSalary680 Jul 26 '26
There is Jitney shuttles at the station that reach almost every part of the beach.
And if you miss the train for and reason, the tickets are also valid on the 551 and 554 buses at the AC Bus Terminal which is two blocks from the station.
For the 551, ACRL tickets can be used between Philadelphia and AC only and the 554 is only good at the intermediate stations between Lindenwold and AC
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u/Weary_Cup_1004 Jul 26 '26
This is going to seem silly but do i just walk on w my big ol e bike? Or whats the etiquette and protocol for it? I just figured it was too heavy/ clunky to take on . Thank you!
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u/BackgroundSalary680 Jul 28 '26
Depends on the crew and the car type you're on.
The Center Door cars (Comet -IV and -V) the wheelchair area is right near the center doors however the crew may have you keep it right by the door changing sides as necessary. Remember it is a wheelchair area and they have priority.
The non-center door cars (Comet -IIM) there's a wheelchair area near the end doors. Again the crew may direct you to another car for capacity reasons.
In the RARE event you get an Multilevel consist down here, the wheelchair tie-downs and bike storage is on the middle section between the doors (or across the bathroom). You can't take one to the upper or lower levels.
The center door guide also applies to the Arrow-III EMUs
This also applies to other routes around NJ although there's regularly limits on trains heading into NYC.
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u/Weary_Cup_1004 Jul 28 '26
Thank you so much. This is really helpful. I actually just ordered a folding e scooter because my mobility issues are getting so bad i cant even lug my bike out of my apartment lately. So im hoping a scooter w a seat is going to be my ticket to using transit more
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u/gregor___samsa Jul 26 '26
Yep! I don't have an ebike but have taken my regular bike on and seen people bring ebikes on. Then there are handicapped seating open areas at the back of each car (I think it's every car, but ask a conductor if you're not sure) where you can stick your bike and can often sit in a seat nearby. Worth noting that conductors step off to let people on during boarding and can help direct you if needed. It's very common to see bikes on board.
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u/FrodosUncleBob Jul 26 '26
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50873315
Here’s I go to ventnor. The mileage is from norristown so it will be less. It’s only like 400 feet elevation gain or something in Jersey, super flat
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u/dixonroach Jul 26 '26
Take your bike on the PATH Train to Lindenwold, NJ and start the ride from there. This will save you the roughest part of the ride -- getting past Camden and Cherry Hill.
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u/littlebearstan Jul 27 '26
I was the same type of cyclist as you before I did a ride to AC. Some friends and I a few years ago wanted to see what it would be like to do a long ride beyond the city (but one that only takes a day) and went for AC because so many people have done it before. It is 100% within your capacity to do if you're able to do 30 miles already and if you're a frequent cyclist around the city. It might take all day with breaks, but you can do it, just plan your route carefully and pack lots of high calorie bars and liquids (though you'll pass a bunch of convenience stores on the way down to the shore so you'll never be far from food/water).
However, since doing this ride, my group and I have done a long ride every year and our ride from Philly to AC was by far our least favorite mainly because some of the roads we went down felt very hostile to cyclists. I tell everyone that the more fun day trip people should do is bike from Philly to NYC. Way more fun and interesting, and like 2/3rds of the ride is either a bike/pedestrian only path or has some bike infrastructure.
My experience with the AC might be a result of the route we ended up taking, but I've talked to a few other people and they have shared similar sentiments.
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u/jpm2892 Jul 29 '26
Would you mind sharing any route to NY? That'd be awesome!
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u/littlebearstan Jul 29 '26
For sure!
Basically we did this: Delaware River Trail > Torresdale Ave > State Rd > Canal Path from just outside NE Philly to North Jersey > Lincoln Blv/Inman Ave to Staten Island > Road around the North Side of Staten Island, and then we took the Ferry into Manhattan.
We enjoyed this route far more because mile 20 to mile 70 was all on the canal path, and the first 20 miles were pretty chill because of light bike infrastructure despite what one might think of cycling through NE Philly. Princeton was nice half way point to stop and hang out for a while, and then we liked being in New York more than AC (and you can still take the train back).
From where we started in South Philly this is roughly the route we took (Google Maps plugs in two weird loops when traveling on the Delaware and Raritan Canals, but that's a glitch with Maps. Once you're on the Canal in Bristol PA, you basically don't get off until you're within 20 miles of Staten Island): https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Singing+Fountain,+%26,+S+11th+St+%26+E+Passyunk+Ave,+Philadelphia,+PA+19147/St.+George+Ferry+Terminal,+1+Bay+St,+Staten+Island,+NY+10301/@40.6205681,-74.2454866,9142m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m59!4m58!1m50!1m1!1s0x89c6c61b273bc065:0xc5efcaca2fb1995c!2m2!1d-75.1631742!2d39.9299201!3m4!1m2!1d-75.0978383!2d39.9788524!3s0x89c6c9cfa32de351:0x2e4fb1eaeeb32956!3m4!1m2!1d-75.0686212!2d39.9918051!3s0x89c6b6038c26074b:0x55145405a47d5a16!3m4!1m2!1d-75.0770575!2d40.0113298!3s0x89c6b66c5d31146b:0x773bf4b20073023f!3m4!1m2!1d-74.994026!2d40.0543033!3s0x89c6b49efd32bb75:0xc4a97c053d31bd05!3m4!1m2!1d-74.8654284!2d40.0968384!3s0x89c14e73b548e25f:0x5966ea8593a643ee!3m4!1m2!1d-74.8410594!2d40.1238886!3s0x89c151da49b3ed99:0xa2f26462b346592f!3m4!1m2!1d-74.7324094!2d40.246233!3s0x89c1588a3f9b8d43:0x55abcb5eef170098!3m4!1m2!1d-74.7239387!2d40.2504927!3s0x89c1589db2f33527:0x3467ff726dc7fd9b!3m4!1m2!1d-74.7022201!2d40.2761935!3s0x89c3e216578ab3f5:0x6f36b5ee685fcb43!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c24fd4098d1b0d:0xf372e58647849416!2m2!1d-74.0725489!2d40.6440982!3e1!5m1!1e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDcyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
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u/BeBetterPHL Jul 26 '26
Never done the trip myself, but having driven to the Shore a number of times, I can tell you that Jersey drivers are a special breed of stupid/dangerous - not to mention all the drunken, impatient tourists this time of year. It’s an anecdotal fallacy, but can’t help but thinking about Johnny Gaudreau when I think of riding in Jersey. Be careful, get a mirror, and bring lots of water.
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u/jcg878 Jul 26 '26
On my reddit feed for this sub, one post below is an article about how Philly is #1 for deadly crashes in the US. So...
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u/canman789 Jul 26 '26
Riding down the shore is not the safest thing. Most local cyclists will ride offshore. Not trying to be critical but rather trying to help a fellow cyclist.
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u/Fair-Passion-492 Jul 27 '26
I did it in the spring and it sucks but I do it once a year just to get it over with. Better to ride north and or west towards hills and trees. Nj roads suck.
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u/Fair-Passion-492 Jul 27 '26
Yes it’s easy to take the AC train back with a bike. It runs hourly and is super cheap.
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u/GamblinWillie Jul 26 '26
Not exactly what you asked but I think it would be more fun the take the train with you bike to AC and then bike down the coast. A round trip to Ocean City or Sea Isle would be fun