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Reading 275th Citizens’ Bicycle Race Registration Open

Jun 01, 2023

Registration for Reading 275th Citizens’ Bicycle Roadrace has officially opened! The event will be held in honor of the City of Reading’s 275th Anniversary and its profound history of bicycle racing and manufacturing, presented by the Penn Wheelmen, 9am to 1pm, Sunday, August 27, 2023.

This event will also raise funds for the Mount Penn Preservation Partnership, the Penn Wheelmen and the Mountain Folk Music Scholarship Fund administered by the Reading Musical Foundation.

Rules

This is a citizens’ bicycle race, meaning that it is open to all.  We will not require licenses nor will we be checking for licenses. We are not an enforcement agency for any cycling entity, agency, alliance or federation, including USA Cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale, etc., and as such, we will not be checking for licenses or CAT status, nor is there a license requirement.

We’ll be racing for commemorative medals and memories, not cash. Everyone who enters the race will be allowed to finish.

If a rider is about to be lapped, the rider should safely pull over and ride on the side of the road, allowing faster riders to safely pass by.  All participants must wear a cycling helmet and gloves.  It is strongly suggested that each rider inspect his or her bicycle to be certain that tires are properly inflated; brakes are working properly and the bicycle in mechanically sound.

The race course will be managed and marshaled by Central Penn and Reading police with additional volunteers and will be considered an open course, meaning that local traffic has the potential to get onto the course even though intersection will be watched and guarded.

All riders agree to race in the normal traffic lane and obey the so-called “Yellow Line Rule”, (whether there’s an actual middle dividing yellow or white line or not), in the direction of the race; do not cross traffic lanes or lines and also agree to be aware of oncoming or approaching traffic and hazards, bumps, ruts and/or debris on the road surface.

By entering this race and completing the entry form, all participating riders agree to accept all risks inherent to bicycle racing and agree to hold the promoter, event organizer, race officials, their families and their assigns and/or heirs, the City of Reading, Lower Alsace Township, any worker or volunteer, as well as any sponsor, beneficiary or affiliate of the race, harmless in the event of accident, injury or death, and as such will not sue or engage in any legal action whatsoever against the aforementioned individuals and organizations.

Male and female riders will race at the same time.  Drafting is allowed.  All riders entered in team competition must be wearing identical team jerseys, t-shirts, upper torso garment, for the individual to be scored as a part of the team.  Team riders will also be riding as individuals for overall finish standings.  In order to enter as a team, the team must include a minimum of three male riders and three female riders; a minimum total of six team riders.  Any additional number of riders may ride for a team but only the top three men and the top three women of the team will be scored to create the overall team race results.  A team rider’s overall finishing position will determine the number of points she or he is scores for the team, (i.e., if a rider finishes 3rd overall, that rider is scores 3 points.  If a rider finishes 300th overall, that rider is scored 300 points.  The points for each qualifying team rider, (first three women & first three men overall for a team), are then added up and the team with the lowest number of points wins.  Top five finishing teams will be honored with award placement slots being set the same, from lowest points to highest.  Team riders will still qualify for placement in their respective age and gender divisions.

Racing for girls, boys, women and men will happen in the following age divisions with top five girls, boys, women and men earning commemorative gold, silver and bronze medal awards:

  • 10am: Youth 8 to 11:  8/10ths of a mile from start line near List Road intersection with Skyline Drive to finish line at the William Penn Firetower.  Slightly uphill.
  • 10:15am: Youth 12 to 14:  1.69 miles from start line on Skyline Drive at William Penn Firetower, downhill to List Road intersection and back to start/finish line at Firetower on Skyline Drive.
  • 10:30am: Youth 15 to 17:  3.60 miles; one complete lap of course from start/finish line at William Penn Firetower on Mount Penn, counterclockwise on Skyline Drive, past Reading’s iconic Pagoda and overlooks, to Duryea Drive, to Angora Road, to List Road, back to Skyline Drive to start/finish line at William Penn Firetower.
  • 11 am: All others in segmented age categories of:
    • 18 to 29
    • 30 to 39
    • 40 to 49
    • 50 to 59
    • 60 to 69
    • 70 to 79
    • 80+

Top three finishers in each age division receive a commemorative medal. On race day there will also be a fun Clydesdale division for any rider 200+ pounds who finishes the race.

Total of 6 laps, (Appx. 21.6 miles, from start/finish line at William Penn Firetower on Mount Penn, counterclockwise on Skyline Drive, past Reading’s iconic Pagoda and overlooks, to Duryea Drive, to Angora Road, to List Road, back to Skyline Drive to start/finish line at William Penn Firetower.

PLEASE NOTE: Currently the section of road from Duryea on to Angora is very rough.  The City of Reading will be fixing that section of road before the race but if you go out there to ride/train on the course, beware of potholes that are currently in the road.

Race entry fees are as follows:

  • Youth 8 to 17: $5.00
  • Adults 18 +: $25.00

Teams: No additional fee for team participants; every team rider must be registered as an individual rider as well.

Deadline for Registration: 8/21/23

Souvenir T-shirts:  With the vintage logo may be purchased for $25 each, with all preregistration prior to the shirt manufacturing deadline of July 15, 2023.

With their assigned race number, all race participants will be eligible to win random prizes after the race concludes.

Race registration will occur at or near the start/finish line at the William Penn Memorial Firetower.

Race goes rain or shine.  No refunds under any circumstances.  Race official judgements are official and cannot be contested.  Race numbers are to be worn on the rider’s right hand side mid-torso.  Race numbers will be collected by officials at the finish line.  In field sprint situations, the honor system will go into effect; race to the finish line, then back off and roll through the finish chute to the official collecting your number.  No passing in the finish chute please!

Residual net profits from the race, if any, will be divided equally and donated to the Mount Penn Preservation Partnership, the Mountain Folk Scholarship Fund of the Reading Musical Foundation and the Penn Wheelmen to support charitable endeavors in Reading and Berks County.

The William Penn Memorial Firetower will be open to the public and interested visitors are encouraged to climb up the tower’s stairs to the observation deck to look out over the Reading and Oley valleys, not to mention get a glimpse of Philadelphia on the far horizon on a clear day.  Some historic characters will be portrayed by local actors and we expect to have some live musical entertainment as well.

Registration and information at:  https://www.bikereg.com/reading-275th-citizens-road-race

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