2026 International Women's Day 107K Populaire Preride Notes

APrerides of the International Women's Day 107K Populaire were completed by Pat & Cecily Gaffney and Brad Layman.  The latest cue sheet is Version 12 and the RWGPS file was last modified 2026-03-1 13:25:33 EST.  The Ride With GPS file can be found here

The populaire route is a tour of Fairmount Park landmarks, with a loop out to the suburbs, including rural Evansburg State Park and the interesting town of Ambler. You will visit Laurel Hill Cemetery, Strawberry Mansion, and more.

Course Notes 

The course is in good shape with no major issues or rough patches.  Though there are a few things to watch out for:

As of Sunday 3/8/26 there was a tree down on the Wissahickon Bike Trail (approximately mile 5.4).  The tree is across the trail at the bottom of the first descent.  Hopefully it will be cleaned up by the day of the ride, but use caution.  You will need to dismount and carry your bike over if it is still there.

While the roads are finally clear of snow and ice, including the shoulders, there is plenty of debris left by the melting snow.  Please be mindful of sticks, glass, and gravel.  Potholes are also more prevalent after the harsh winter; use caution especially when cornering.

The turn at mile 57.4 is tricky. You make a right at the traffic light at Leverington then an immediate left at High St before the bridge. This is what it looks like:

 On the return to Center City and the finish control you will again pass by the Joan of Arc Statue and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  As you round the museum your GPS may tell to stay to the right and head towrads the Spring Garden Street Bridge, as you did at the start.  Don't listen to it.  To go the finish you want to head left around the traffic circle.  Please be mindful of traffic in the circle.

 EBrevet

We encourage riders to use the ebrevet app to check in at the controls. Search for "ebrevet" by Chris Nadovich in the app store. Your brevet card will have a code to check into the app at the start. Then, you need to open the app at each control, hit “GPS Update” and check in at each control. You can close the app between controls and keep your phone in airplane mode if you prefer. This is not a tracking app - it just allows you to check and upload the time when you are at a control.

Finish Control 

The finish control is the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the Philadelphia Bike Expo will be in full swing.  There will be free & secure bike valet on the ground floor if you would like to go peruse the expo or explore the many food options in the area after your ride.  The finish area is also where the raffle prizes will be drawn and handed out.  Each registered rider will receive a raffle ticket with their brevet card at the start. Prizes will be awarded at 3:45.  Additional information can be found at the event webpage here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!