CAPE MAY DYNO 2025 - September 26th

[Woody Felice]

Hey friends! I'm doing the obligatory copy/paste from previous years for the info on Cape May Dyno. If you're riding, this is the ultimate guide so please read through!!

Cape May Dyno 2025: Friday, September 26, 2025. Depart 7PM Liberty Bell.

It will take place this year and every year following on the final Friday of September, departing at 7pm from the Liberty Bell. Go ahead and mark your calendars for the next few years: Sept 25th 2026, and Sept 24th 2027. Show up, or don't - it will continue happening until folks don't want to do it anymore. 

A reminder that this is an unorganized, unled, and unsanctioned ride. I am simply copying and pasting the contents from the previous email below. It includes routes & lots of other good info and I HIGHLY suggest you read it in its entirety.

At the very least you should know:

1. You MUST have dynamo lights or equivalently bright lights and enough battery for 12hrs of riding (+ hi-vis/reflective gear!). Please be safe out there - night riding is fun, but safety is no joke! 
2. That you MUST be self sufficient. This is unsupported and there is no organized group/ride leader. Have the route available to you while riding, have a bailout plan, etc.
3. It will be a blast! The company is great, the ride is fun, you'll stop at 10000 Wawas, and at the end, you're at the beach. What more could you want?

If you are new to this thread/group: welcome! I'm sure you'll have a great time and meet some fun new folks! Keep reading to get all the details. If you have questions, reply to this thread. There are plenty of alums with tons of knowledge and tips to share. We'll see y'all in a few weeks.

Cheers,

Woody

FROM PREVIOUS EMAILS:

OVERVIEW:

• Cape May Dyno is an unsanctioned, unsupported, ride-at-your-own-risk overnight bicycle adventure from Philadelphia, to Cape May, NJ. The route is very flat and there are plenty of rest stops. Most riders tend to clump together in a group, but you should ride the pace that suits you. The general idea is that we arrive in Cape May in time to watch the sunrise at 6:51AM on Saturday morning. After arriving in Cape May, riders can choose to stay in Cape May to enjoy the beach or press on to Atlantic City where a train will whisk you back to Philadelphia in 90 minutes.

START: LIBERTY BELL. MEET 6:30PM, DEPART 7PM on Friday, September 26th, 2025.

• For future reference, CAPE MAY DYNO will occur every year on the last Friday in September, rain or shine, departing at 7PM from the Liberty Bell from now until no one shows up.

FINISH: CAPE MAY, NJ (slash, Atlantic City, NJ)

TRAVEL LOGISTICS:

After arriving in Cape May, riders can choose from a variety of options:

• Want to hang? Check out Airbnbs in the area. Many have 2 or 3 night minimum bookings, so you might have to book Saturday evening and Friday evening to be able to check in at any time on Saturday morning, and to depart on Sunday. 
• Train: The Atlantic City Rail Line will get you from AC back to 30th St. Station in 90 minutes. You just need to uh, ride your bike 45 miles to get to Atlantic City. The train costs $10.75. Schedule can be found here.
• Bus: NJ Bus 552 runs between Cape May and AC. Bus 551 runs between AC and PHL. There are also local buses that run from Cape May to Philadelphia, but these generally take MUCH longer. Please research your own options for timing, fares, bike accessibility, etc.
•  Ferry: Don’t want to go home? The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is ready to take you away on a 90 minute ride to the magical state of Delaware, where you can check out Cape Henlopen State Park, splish splash at Rehoboth Beach, and buy anything your heart desires with 0% sales tax.

ROUTES (subject to change, but 99% final):

•  Outbound to Cape May (99 mi, 1,600 ft elevation). The route to Cape May features 24 hour Wawas every 20-30 miles (and sometimes even less). Most, if not all, of these Wawas have bathrooms.
• Inbound to AC (46 mi, 200 ft elevation). The route to AC also features Wawas, but these are generally in small shore towns and most open at 6AM. Some have bathrooms and some do not.

RIDER EXPECTATIONS:

• This is an UNSANCTIONED and UNSUPPORTED overnight ride.
• DYNAMO LIGHTING (or VERY strong battery lighting, with backups / spare batteries / chargers / etc. that will last 12 hours) is REQUIRED for this ride. Front and rear lights should be operated on STEADY mode, not blinking, at all times. Reflective vests, ankle bands, and any other kind of reflective or high-visibility gear is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

Every rider is responsible for themselves. This means that:

• Each rider is expected to have the routes downloaded onto their phone via the RWGPS app or a dedicated cycling GPS unit and be able to NAVIGATE the routes on their own.
• Each rider is expected to carry spare tubes, tools, etc. to deal with any MECHANICAL issues they may experience during the ride.
• If a rider is unable to complete the ride to Cape May, it is the sole responsibility of that rider to figure out how to get themselves back to Philadelphia or wherever. It's never a bad idea to have a bail out plan. For example, you could have a friend on call who will have their phone on loud overnight and would be willing to drive to Jersey to pick you up at 3AM.
  

TIPS, TRICKS, HELPFUL HINTS:

If you have not yet tackled longer rides and/or overnight rides, the Randonneurs USA handbook is an excellent resource on a variety of relevant topics, such as training, bike fit, nutrition, and mental fitness. Here are some chapters that may interest you as you prep and pack for CMD: 

• Night riding
• What to pack:  If you are planning on hanging at the beach or staying at an Airbnb, you will want to pack swim stuff, regular clothes and shoes, towel, toiletries, phone charger, etc. You will also want to pack one more layer than you think you need. It is surprising how cold it can be overnight, or when you are laying on the beach at 4AM on October 1st!

Once you get all of your stuff together and your bike packed and set up, go for a shakedown ride! Are your bags strapped on tight? Is your headlight beam pointed at a good angle when it is pitch black outside? Can you access items you might need while riding quickly and easily? Can you do this while riding in the dark? Is your cue sheet readable at night? Will your phone or GPS last 12+ hours?

Hopefully you know how your body will react to an all-nighter. Please come to the ride well-rested. If not, there is plenty of caffeine and camaraderie available to get you through the night. I recommend brushing up on your cheesy jokes and tall tales for entertainment during the wee hours.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

For those who have never joined us for a previous Cape May Dyno, YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME. The company is good, the route is flat, and there are Wawas every few hours to keep you chugging along.

[Yolanda Gomez Galvez]

Hi!

I won't be riding this year (doing an ultra hike in the Adirondacks instead), but I hope y'all have a blast of a night. I will miss it for sure, so please make sure to take plenty of pictures. One of the best rides in Philly for sure!!! 

Take care and have fun (rain or shine)! 

Yoli

Yolanda Gómez Gálvez (she/her)

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