Sunday March 4 ride?

It looks like the weather is going to be mid-40's and dry this weekend. Does anyone want to go for a ride? I'm up for anything--towpath, peachtree loop, or if you want to try something new, I like the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center area. We could meet at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (water and bathrooms) and do a loop from there, with very little traffic. Here's one option: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/14512 Of course, this would be a casual ride since that's all I do...:)

I'll be time trialing it up at Navy on the 4th.

I'll be in Charlottesville again next week, possibly through the weekend, if anyone wants to visit there.

Put me down for a "definite maybe".
Sister in law is doing a show somewhere in VA - out Chantilly way again, I think - so we may be hitting the craft show circuit. Or not.
DH is due to get his bike on Friday. If it passes inspection, it'll get built and we'll HAVE to do a shake-down ride or two this weekend. :cool:
Hmmm...would SO's be welcome? He's well behaved!
I couldn't get the routeslip link to load (it could just be this computer I'm using now). Here's a nice ride from the Oxon Hill Bike club. I did their Patuxent River Rural Legacy metric last June that left from the Wildlife Sanctuary. Was great - got to follow painted fish on the road, which always appeals to me as I am challenged when it comes to dealing with a cue-sheet! Nicole??? Where are you? :o :D
Here's a nice 24-miler to consider...
http://www.ohbike.org/cuesheets/merkle24.pdf

My bike is currently in pieces scattered across my living room. I got it back from the shop after it's tune-up and had every intention of giving it a thorough cleaning to get it totally ready for Spring. Then I fell into a black hole of slothfulness for a couple of weeks. This past Sunday, while watching the final stage of the Tour of Cali, I took off the wheels, took off the new chain, sat down and wiped every single link of the new chain wth a rag and q-tips, then looked at the frame sitting there upside down and decided I'd clean it another day. Needless to say, it's all still sitting there just as I left it :rolleyes:

So, most likely I will not be riding it any time soon, but I could use a few verbal nudges from you guys to encourage me to finish cleaning it this week!

Oh, and Merkle's a great place to ride. I've only ridden the Chesapeake Critical Area Driving Tour, which is part paved/part sand and pebbles (I was fish-tailing even with wide tires), and it's a really beautiful area with lots of wildlife. Good hiking trails, too. Dunno if I'd be up for a road ride around there, though. Very narrow, curvy roads. I'd be nervous of crazy drivers. And, yes, I know you've heard that from me before. So, we'll have to plan on that Merkle 24-miler sometime later this Spring/Summer, maybe with a picnic lunch at the nature center afterwards.

So Navy is not on the ball and their race is canceled. But I'll probably be out in Cville instead anyway. I'm itching to get away from the district traffic again.

Quote:

---

Hmmm...would SO's be welcome? He's well behaved!

---

As far as I'm concerned, he'd be welcome even if he weren't well behaved! But I wouldn't want to slow him down too much.

Quote:

---

So, most likely I will not be riding it any time soon, but I could use a few verbal nudges from you guys to encourage me to finish cleaning it this week!

---

Excuse me, Kali, but get off your butt and get that bike put back together! How do you expect to be ready to go for a ride at a moment's notice when the weather finally turns beautiful if it's scattered in pieces around the living room??? (Is that enough of a nudge or do I need to get some kind of weapon out?)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Regina

Nicole??? Where are you? :o :D

---

Reporting for duty! ;)

I've been aching to get outside for weeks now. I'd love to ride this Sunday. I bought new tires a few weeks ago and they haven't yet seen pavement. I just need to clear it with DP.

(I need swimming time, but I'd much rather be out riding! I need to figure out a different workout schedule that allows me my Sunday ride and gets in a second swimming session...)

PS My trail bike is also ready for duty.

PPS Kali, your bike deserves the chance to romp in the early spring weather. Make her whole, let her ride!

Nicole, which tires did you decide on?

I got some new G-blue Specialized all condition pro tiress. I looked at the Mondos in the store and felt sort of "eh" about them.

Slicks for later in the season will be some Michelin ProRace2 tires in baby blue.

Tam! Get your butt in gear!!! Get that bike together - it doesn't do you any good in pieces on the floor!

DB, I got the Routeslip route to load (yay!). Looks good - that's part of our "back road route" to Annapolis and I've always wanted to ride there. Looks interesting. I don't know your start/stop spot. There's parking (and, ahem, most importantly...porta potties!) there? I'd be up for either the 17 or the 24 mile route. I think that makes me "in". DH's frame was overnighted by Seven, so it arrived today and they'll start building it up, pronto. He may be in, too. And fear not...we both have not been riding, so we're not exactly prepared to burn up the roads.

RE: tires - Nicole - you're running those ProRace2's now, aren't you?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aicabsolut

Nicole, which tires did you decide on?

I got some new G-blue Specialized all condition pro tiress. I looked at the Mondos in the store and felt sort of "eh" about them.

Slicks for later in the season will be some Michelin ProRace2 tires in baby blue.

---

I went with the Pro2's, too. I wanted black but had to do dark grey.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Regina

I don't know your start/stop spot. There's parking (and, ahem, most importantly...porta potties!) there? I'd be up for either the 17 or the 24 mile route. I think that makes me "in".

---

The starting point is the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center. It's a nice building with exhibits etc, with real bathrooms (yay!) and a nice big parking lot. http://www.fws.gov/northeast/patuxent/vcdefault.html
They don't open till 10 am, but that's probably fine because we'll need to let the air temperature warm up some. What time shall we start?

For future reference, an alternative if you want a longer ride is to start at the Greenbelt Metro station and ride over to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. I'm thinking this early in the season we should stick with the Visitor Center starting point and do extra loops if we want more distance.

Ooooh. I love those kind of places! I can totally get lost in them. Don't know why I haven't been there yet.

10 or 11 sounds fine to me. I'm all for letting the air warm up! :)
Come July, however, I'd be for EARLY rides.

Can we tack on about 3 miles somewhere to bring the ride up to 20 miles?

I'd prefer to ride after the temp has reached 32F. Weather.com doesn't yet have hourly predictions for Sunday. 10 or 11 sounds good.

I assume this is a road ride?

DB, have you gotten your new commuter bike yet?

[QUOTE=MDHillSlug;175744]Can we tack on about 3 miles somewhere to bring the ride up to 20 miles?
QUOTE]

NO!!!! You are not allowed to ride more than me!!!! :eek:

Nicole - I have to admit - you are my "rabbit" I am chasing in the "2500 in 2007 Race" - and you are soundly pummelling me right now! :(

So, I'll do two laps, and you can do....oh, maybe a half!

[QUOTE=Regina;175749]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

Can we tack on about 3 miles somewhere to bring the ride up to 20 miles?
QUOTE]

NO!!!! You are not allowed to ride more than me!!!! :eek:

Nicole - I have to admit - you are my "rabbit" I am chasing in the "2500 in 2007 Race" - and you are soundly pummelling me right now! :(

So, I'll do two laps, and you can do....oh, maybe a half!

---

Well, that's what happens when you ski instead of riding. ;) Later in the season when you go out for your usual 40+ mile rides with DH and I'm running or swimming instead I'm sure you'll catch up.

Actually, after one 17 mile loop at DB's pace I may want to do some more at a faster pace to see how the new tires really feel.

Routeslip wouldn't let me save the route after editing it to add in the cue sheet info, so here it is instead.

Start at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center off Powder Mill Road in Laurel
Go back to Powder Mill Road
Right on Powder Mill Road (1.67 miles)
Right on Route 197 (2.4 miles)
Right on Laurel Bowie Road (4.61 miles)
Right on Lanham Severn Road (6.29 miles)
Right on Springfield Road (7.77 miles)
Cross Springfield onto Beaver Dam Road (can be bumpy, but very nice and rural) (9.33 miles)
Right on Research Road (12.73 miles)
Right on Powder Mill Road (12.98 miles)
Cross under BW Parkway
Right into Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center (16.24 miles)
Finish at parking lot (17.74 miles)

Soil Conservation Road and Springfield Road are good options also.
Turn left on Research Road (instead of right) if you want to get your heart rate up; there’s a nice hill leading up to a gate. (Past the gate is Greenbelt.)

This is a very easy area to add whatever distance you want. Just going out to Powder Mill Road and back from the Visitors Center adds 3 miles.

I'm assuming we'll do what we did last fall and go at whatever pace we want. Again, I don't want to hold anyone back, but speed is just not important to me. Kali, you've got to come along and bring up the rear with me, ok?

(It actually looks like Saturday might be the better day since the overnight low is going to be 39 and the high 52, compared to 31/42 on Sunday. Doesn't matter to me, except my dog has an acupuncture appointment at 9:30 on Saturday so I probably couldn't be there till 11 at the earliest.)

Did we pick a time? How about 10:30 to meet, and be ready to ride shortly after that?

Looking forward to it!

P.S. Nicole, the new bike won't be here till April.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by divingbiker

(It actually looks like Saturday might be the better day since the overnight low is going to be 39 and the high 52, compared to 31/42 on Sunday. Doesn't matter to me, except my dog has an acupuncture appointment at 9:30 on Saturday so I probably couldn't be there till 11 at the earliest.)

Did we pick a time? How about 10:30 to meet, and be ready to ride shortly after that?

---

I think they're still talking about some rain on Saturday. Anyway, I've got my son's hockey game to go to at 4:30 on Saturday. Sunday's really best for me. 10:30 sounds good.

So...wait?
Are we doing Sunday at 10:30, or Saturday at 11?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Regina

So...wait?
Are we doing Sunday at 10:30, or Saturday at 11?

---

I just realized that my son has a game on Sunday, too, at 2:10. That pretty much ruins Sunday as a biking day for me unless I go earlier. :(

Saturday could work if we start at 11 or so. Weather.com shows a 30% chance of rain between about 9am and 11am. Whatcha think?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

I just realized that my son has a game on Sunday, too, at 2:10. That pretty much ruins Sunday as a biking day for me unless I go earlier. :(

Saturday could work if we start at 11 or so. Weather.com shows a 30% chance of rain between about 9am and 11am. Whatcha think?

---

30% chance of rain means 70% chance of NO rain! ;)
I'm up for either day. No kids = no games = very flexible weekends.
Just point me in the right direction and off I'll go.

I'm ok with 11 on Saturday.

Regina, your husband's bike looks awfully fast.

Kali, get going on putting that bike together! Are you in?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by divingbiker

Kali, you've got to come along and bring up the rear with me, ok?

---

Uh... Janice, I gotta apologize, but it's still a little too cold out there for me :rolleyes: Until we have a good string of 50 degree + days, I'm sticking to hiking. Plus, I'm working this Saturday. I am biking vicariously through you guys, though, if that counts for anything!

And thank you for the nagging, ladies. I spent this evening lovingly wiping down and polishing my frame with some Bike Lust, then put the new chain back on and gave it a Rock'n'Roll bath, then put the wheels back on. I'm going to Florida the week after next (part business, part family visit), but after I get back I'm gonna have a Serotta fitting up at Bicycle Escape in Frederick. By then we'd better have some warm weather, cause I'll be ready to pedal!

Well, for what it's worth, the thermometer behind me now says that it's 54 out (6;40 Friday a.m), and weather.com's hourly for tomorrow at 11 says it'll be 49 - oh, so close to 50! - with 10% chance of rain.
C'mon, the more the merrier!
Of course, that shiny bike of yours may get muddy......
I'll be at the visitor's center at 11 on Saturday.
If DH comes, he'll be on the flatbar - I think he wants to give the roads one more day to dry out before venturing out there with his new Seven!

Can't. Regardless of the weather, I'm scheduled to work tomorrow. If the ride were Sunday, you might have been able to cajole me out there, but you would've had to listen to me grumble and whine if it ended up not being warm enough ;)

OK, Saturday at 11.

I've never been to the wildlife center. The satellite photos from Google maps show several parking lots. Can we narrow down a spot to meet?

Oops...something's come up with the dog at the last minute (vet visit in addition to acupuncture), and I'm not going to be able to ride tomorrow. So of course feel free to choose another place to ride, but I think with the cue sheet it's easy enough to do the loop at the wildlife refuge. The parking lot is right at the end of the mile-long entrance road, and it's wide open so it will be easy to spot each other.

Sorry for starting this and then not finishing it. Maybe next time...

I hope everything is OK with your dog! We'll plan another ride real soon, maybe when Kali gets her bike back together ;)

Regina, same time and place?

I'll be there!

DB, I saved and printed your route - named it "Janice's PWR loop" in your honor!
We'll be thinking of you on the ride. Hope all goes well with your dog.

I wanna read a ride report! How was it to get out there again???

I'll post one in bike-related.....

Regina, I looked at the map and I think you can go north on Rhode Island Avenue to Sunnyside, east on Sunnyside to Edmonston, then north to Beaver Dam or Powder Mill. I'll drive that way the next time I'm at REI or My Organic Market and see what the roads are like.

Didn't get around to calling you today about the DVDs, but will try tomorrow.

Nicole, what triathlon are you doing in July?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by divingbiker

Nicole, what triathlon are you doing in July?

---

I'm registered for the 3 Sport Triathlon in Richmond, VA, July 22. It's a 300m pool swim/12 mile ride/3.1 mile run. I'm feeling too intimidated by the Iron Girl 1000m lake swim to do it as my first tri. Now, it will be my second ;)

Did you go out on the 4th? The winds were insane. I rode in Cville on Monday. It was decent. Hard work. Then the 40mph gusts started. I was in some serious pain. Sunday around DC looked NASTY.

Regina and I went out on the 3rd. There were some strong winds but nothing like Sunday, Monday, or yesterday (I ran yesterday morning; it was hard!). Other than the wind, the weather was great for this time of year and we had a good ride. Unfortunately, we got scolded for using the parking lot for ride staging by an official of the refuge. If we ever want to do this ride again we'll need to find another meeting/starting place.

That's lame of them, especially this time of year.

I was out at Haines on Saturday trying to do a mock TT. The winds were so bad out there by the last stretch, I was struggling to go over 12mph. I wasn't sure I was going to stay upright.

Way more brutal on Monday out here with the hills. I've never had to stop for so many snack breaks.

The tailwind on Mon. on the approx 5 mile gradual descent was amazing. Usually cruise in the lower 20s. Hit the low 30s for a bit this time :) . Just about made up for the suffering in the gradual climb and 40+ gusts (mostly headwinds and a few scary crosswinds) at miles 45-47. I almost fell off the bike at the end...barely enough coordination left to dismount.


The forecast keeps changing, but the forecast out here looks decent for Saturday. Warmish but cloudy. Anyone want to come out here for a ride?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aicabsolut

The forecast keeps changing, but the forecast out here looks decent for Saturday. Warmish but cloudy. Anyone want to come out here for a ride?

---

If the weather holds on Saturday, DH and I - if it's too warm to ski - will probably be doing our French Countryside loop: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/15753
I think he's anxious to try some hills with his new Seven. I, on the other hand, am NOT anxious to see him climb on that lightweight thing. I don't care HOW out of shape he claims to be! :rolleyes:
No idea of time yet - but join us all if you can.

If the weather doesn't hold, I'll be "Sweating Buckets" on the rollers with Janice's Spinerval DVD. :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Regina

will probably be doing our French Countryside loop: http://www.routeslip.com/routes/15753

---

I've been looking at this route. It has a similar length and climbing amount to the Iron Girl bike route but it's closer to home. I might be interested in joining you. If it looks like it's coming together, you might want to start a new thread for it.

Quote:

---

If the weather doesn't hold, I'll be "Sweating Buckets" on the rollers with Janice's Spinerval DVD. :p

---

Ahh, you got them. Perhaps you'll "share the pain" and let me try the tri spinerval disk :rolleyes:

I'll see what develops over the next 24 or so.....

RE: Tri-DVD - sure. Since it's hard to hop on and off the rollers to do a full-body workout (if that's how they have it set up), I think that would be the last one I crack open. It requires a balance ball, some free weights, and a mat.