Events: 2025 Racing Race Calendar

It’s been numerous years since we pinned a race number on. Having retired pre-pandemic, racing slipped off the radar. Lately, though, racing has rekindled our focus. Bike racing has always held a special role in the community. Its sole purpose is to bring the locals together and showcase the area’s offerings, not just bike racing. 

Philadelphia Riverfront Criterium p/b VeloJawn - April 6

Bike racing returns to Philadelphia! Located amongst the Philadelphia Naval Yard, Philadelphia Riverfront Criterium restores bike racing to the City of Brotherly Love. We could not be more excited to see bike racing return to Philadelphia, especially when it’s fronted by Philly bike shop VeloJawn. 

A race course situated along the Delaware River is bound to be lightning fast. That is, this course is for the track racers and less so for the climbers. Eliminating the chance for climbs such as Levering Street or Lemon Hill, the Philadelphia Riverfront Criterium is definitely the playground for those looking to feel fast going into the summer race season. Located at Broad Street and Flagship Drive, locals know this will be one to add to the race calendar.

37th Annual Daniel Harwi Great Valley Criterium - May 4

We’ve raced the Daniel Harwi Memorial Criterium. We’ve taken part in the Great Valley practice crit, but we’ve never combined the two. The 37th Annual Daniel Harwi Memorial Crit moves to Great Valley, combining two great experiences into a singular event. 

One of my biggest racing regrets came in my final racing season. On the last lap of the Daniel Harwi Criterium, the entire field slowed down after the first corner. I’ve always wondered what could have happened if I rode around the blockage and sprinted the final three downhill corners. The conservative approach has haunted me for years, but now the event moves to Great Valley. 

Also an industrial park, the Great Valley course has wide boulevards and a tricky amount of climbing. The first two turns are uphill while the rest of the course descends to the start/ finish line. Stay in with the group and the elevation is negated. The final two turns are a guaranteed hammer fest with frightening speed. Don’t be surprised if the spacing on lap one hardly resembles the last lap.

Easton Criterium p/b LVHN - May 25

In the last few years, Easton, PA, has had an explosion in popularity, but what has been there throughout the rise in popularity is the Easton Criterium. Typically hosted into the evening, the Easton Criterium presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network is a festival bringing the community of Easton, PA, together. 

The course is remarkably criterium: It involves four left turn and one right. It’s not everyday a race navigates a center circle. Either way, this barely 3/4-mile course is bound to thrill neighbors and visitors alike. The racing starts at 10am and carries on through until nearly 7pm. Race the event or hang out in the vibrant Easton restaurant scene (or both), the Easton Criterium p/b LVHN is a great excuse for avoiding the shore for the long weekend.

Tour of Somerville - May 26

And then we race the next day in New Jersey. Started in 1940, the Tour of Somerville has changed with the times. Today the race circles downtown Somerville, New Jersey, and provides a community backdrop for those staying local for the holiday weekend. Furthermore, it’s a bike racer’s event to finish a 1-2 racing weekend with the Easton Criterium the night before. 

Another event we’ve lined up for, the Tour of Somerville has Indy 500 vibes. A long-standing event with strong local support, expect to see residents setting up on their front lawn cooking on the grill while the race flashes down the backstretch. What goes downhill must come up and that is precisely the sneaky nature of the Somerville course - each lap only gains 23 feet, but it feels like so much more when unhitched from the lead group. 

To race in the Tour of Somerville is to roll in the treads of history. For nearly 85 years, racers have hammered around Somerville, NJ, in some way or other. With spring on the outs and summer ushered in, it’s no surprise people choose to watch the Tour of the Somerville than to join the mass of humanity at the Jersey Shore. Either way, once the Tour of Somerville is over, summer (cycling season) unofficially starts in the United States.