Philadelphia by Bike
The Philadelphia region has a surprising number of bike trails and bike lanes providing a wide variety of recreational and commuting options.
City Bike Lanes
Bike lanes are scattered throughout the city. They can be found on Lancaster Avenue, Spring Garden, and Spruce Street to name just a few. Drivers respect these lanes for the most part and the only trouble you'll face is at intersections where they tend to use the bike lanes as right turn lanes. Be alert and you'll be fine. Most of these lanes do not interconnect, but one lane is generally a short hop from another and they cover a lot of territory. The City maintains a complete map(PDF) of their bike lanes along with bike compatible streets and park paths.
Schulkyll River
The Schulkyll River runs from Center City(downtown) to the Northwestern suburbs and beyond. Fairmount Park straddles the river and multi use recreational paths line both banks. Since the river connects so much of the city and the suburbs, the paths act like bicycle freeways. The West Bank is the lesser used of the two and connects University City with the suburbs. The East Bank is much more heavily used since it connects the populated parts of the outer city with the center. Manayunk, Roxborough, East Falls and Germantown are connected directly or through a bike path to the river which connects them all to Center City and University City. Weekdays in Spring and Summer see bicycle traffic jams on the East bank.
Forbidden Drive
Forbidden Drive is one of the Fairmount Park system's hidden treasures. The drive itself lies in the bottom of the Wissahickon Valley, a steep river carved valley utterly hidden from view in heart of the city. The trail system begins just off the head of Ridge Avenue in Manayunk; Right at the intersection of Ridge and Lincoln, across the street from the Wissahickon Transit Station. There you'll see a well maintained asphalt trail disappearing into the rock wall adjacent the Wissahickon river as it empties into the Schulkyll. The trail merely provides access to Forbidden Drive and extends about half a mile into the valley. It actually continues on to where it Lincoln Drive meets Germantown, but the entrance to Forbidden Drive is clearly Marked. The Drive itself extends from the back side of Roxborough all the way to the edge of Chestnut Hill and the Northern suburbs.
Forbidden Drive is a dirt road that leads through a scenic wooded valley and connects with entire trail system of the Wissahickon Valley. All along the valley walls are trails for hiking, mountain biking and horse riding. Trails are clearly marked for their intended use. Mountain Bikes, Touring Bikes, Cyclocross Bikes and the sturdier variety of Urban Bikes will have no trouble with the drive. Forbidden Drive also has numerous picnic areas along either side. This route is ideal for both recreational riding and commuting as it connects the Northern suburbs with the Schulkyll River and its access to Center City. The Friends of the Wissahickon have a basic map of Forbidden Drive online and sell detailed maps of the entire trail system.
Manayunk Towpath
This unique bike path travels along a long disused canal and lock system which used to host the barges that carried freight along the Schulkyll River. Today, the canal system is home to a scenic path for hiking or cycling that connects lower Manayunk with the larger Valley Forge trail system. The tail is narrow and somewhat rugged. Mountain Bikes, Touring Bikes and Cyclocross Bikes are ideal here. More information and photos can be found with The Friends of the Manayunk Canal.
Valley Forge Trail System
Officially named The Schulkyll River Trail, this is a superset of interconnecting trails that starts in Center City near Locust Streets and extends all the out to Perkiomen where it connects with another trail system. This system is built and maintained by The Rails to Trails Conservancy. The system includes the East River bike path, the Manayunk Towpath and connects with the Wissahickon Trail network. The main trail picks up not far from the end of the Manayunk Towpath and continues through Conshohocken, Plymouth Meeting, and Valley Forge. The trail is smooth asphalt and very well maintained. Cyclists use it to commute to Philadelphia from as far away as Valley Forge. The trail is also a popular recreation area on the weekends and is quite heavily used. The Rails to Trail Trailink Directory has more information and photos.