Not to stir the pot, but to help others avoid confusion, I have made three round trips through Birdsboro just this week alone.

1) I have seen NO trail signs between where the trail enters Armorcast Drive (the roughest piece of concrete pavement I can ever recall!) and the one on Schuylkill Road AFTER turning off 724 north/west of the Turkey Hill.

2)Route 82 no longer exists -- at least, not in Birdsboro. Route 345 joins 724 south of town, then splits just above the Turkey Hill with 345 traveling a bridge over the Schuylkill, and 724 turning to run parallel with the river. I believe that road over the bridge was once 82, but has been 345 since at least 2010.

For what it's worth, the shoulders on Route 724 are fairly wide and quite smoothly paved from said Turkey Hill up to at least where Schuylkill Road crosses 724 above town and becomes Old River Road. I sometimes ride that rather than Schuylkill Road -- it's a trade-off of smoother paving for more sun!

All in all, I find the trail from Pottstown up to Brentwood to be a pleasant trip. This very day I ventured up beyond the Reading Area Community College and found that section a bit disappointing in condition, although passable.

I live in the area, and often ride from Wyomissing home with my girlfriend on this trail. We ride Canonndale Quick CX2 Hybrids and the 700c skinny tires with knobby outer edges are perfect for these trail surfaces. These bikes are mostly road bikes until you get to the tires and straight handlebars. We usually ride at a pace of around 11-12mph (which would be slower if we had larger tires or heavier bikes like cruisers or mountain bikes). If you are a runner, I think you'll love this trail!

This trail extends further than what Rails to Trails shows by about three or four miles to the north through the city limits of Reading, PA to Grings Mill recreation area/park. From there, it continues seamlessly as the Union Canal Trail finally crossing Reber's Bridge Rd and heading into Blue Marsh Lake. Click the "google bike trails button" to see the extension in green. It is labeled Schuylkill River Trail - zoom in to see better. North of Reading at Grings Mill and again at the Gruber Wagon Works you can find soda machines, restrooms, and lots of leisure areas! This is a popular area for photographers, too.

This trail is almost totally crushed stone in and around Reading until Gibralter where you'll continue on roads into Birdsboro. The trail is adequately marked at the intersection of routes 724 & 82 (at the Turkey Hill) where it crosses over route 82 continuing into the old Armorcast property continuing to the right behind the baseball fields. Not sure how a previous commenter missed that? I also suggest you generally research the trail maps before you ride so you'll know what to do if a sign is missing... You'll also find a new parking area with restrooms and water fountains just completed in Birdsboro. There's a loop around the area, too, so you can ride that loop for an extra mile or two before continuing to Pottstown.

From Gibralter into Birdsboro, the riding on roads takes you on relatively quiet sections with little traffic for a few miles over some gradual inclines and declines, and you'll ride past some beautiful old farm houses along the way. Dismount to cross route 724 safely. South of Birdsboro the trail continues on crushed stone until you near Pottstown. There is one road crossing with a short steep hill on both sides, so plan on dismounting to cross safely and get up the to the level sections to continue riding. My front tire lifts when I ride up the hills, so in the future I guess I should walk up. Heading into Pottstown you'll eventually be riding on asphalt, and some areas aren't shaded by the tree canopy, but it's super nice riding!

I enjoy the scenery almost the whole way and my favorite section is a bridge crossing over the Schuylkill River outside of Pottstown... So peaceful. This trail isn't typically crowded, and there aren't road racers since it's mostly crushed stone. Unfortunately, we have to dodge manure piles on occasion (even though horses aren't allowed on the trail).

Riding right near (and in the city of) Reading, heading north to Grings Mill, you'll normally find lots of people including kids, walkers, pets, and so on as this trail leads to the river where some folks go swimming and fishing. most of these folks are oblivious that anyone is riding toward them on a bike. We shout "passing on your left" or something - anything - to let them know we're going to pass. There may be a language barrier there sometimes. The "crowded" conditions have the potential to make some riders nervous, and I was offered marijuana by a teen one day just past Reading Area Community College. We've encountered motorcycles and a few partiers in the city sections, too. All in all, I'd say don't sweat it, the city is the city so act like you own it and ride on! Everyone knows the trail is there for anyone wishing to be on it. I really like the ride, and tremendously enjoy the many miles we've shared on it.

To avoid city related headaches, a great start point is the Brentwood Trailhead off Rte. 10 not far from Alvernia University. Fom here you can go south and your ride will be great until the end in Pottstown!

Enjoy!

I rode the trail down to Turkey Hill in Birdsboro. Nice ride and pretty well kept. But, when I got to Birdsboro, there were no longer any trail signs. When we ask at Turkey Hill, no one knew where we should go to get on the trail. Therefore, I will not return to this trail again or reccommend it to my friends. First part is pretty nice though. We did this ride on 07/27/2011