TE-DC ride in December?

[Kalidurga]

Are we going to try to get one in? I know it's hard to plan, what with temperatures due to get colder and Christmas and all, but I'd certainly be up for a casual (yes, I said casual) ride on road or towpath if we have a Sunday in December that's at least 40 degrees.

Anyone else interested?

Tam

[Blueberry]

Me Me!!! I'm in NC (obviously), but will be in DC the weekend of the 16th and 17th. I'd love to meet some DC TE'ers!!!

We're staying in Manassas, but will travel. BTW - does anyone know of any good rides near Manassas? We're staying with a non-cyclist and I would like to get a few rides in

[Kalidurga]

We're staying in Manassas, but will travel. BTW - does anyone know of any good rides near Manassas? We're staying with a non-cyclist and I would like to get a few rides in

Y'know, I was wondering the same thing just yesterday. I love riding the Civil War battlefields at Antietam and Gettysburg and was thinking about whether there'd be good riding down at Manassas. Considering that the battlefied straddles two very busy thoroughfares, a battlefield ride could be kinda hairy. Manassas is right at the edge of the suburbs, though, so I'm sure there are roads around the area that could be good for pedaling. This is the only thing I found at Routeslip.com, but other people might have some routes.

[HillSlugger]

I'm always up for a ride Let me know what's being planned and I'll try to be there.

[7rider]

Careful! Don't blink - December will be GONE before you know it! (and it hasn't even started yet! Yikes)
Here's a good link for various routes in the DC area - including info for visitors. http://www.bikewashington.org/routes/
I'm a bit of a Virginia neophyte. I know Tyson's and Alexandria and that's about it! I guess my world lately stops at the DC border, yet heads well north!
I'd be up for a ride. I was thinking just yesterday about maybe suggesting that we hook up at the top of Beach Drive in Garrett Park for a (relative) hammer ride (cruising at 17-20 mph) down Beach into Rock Creek Park some weekend day, when parts of the park are closed to cars. That route has the added bene of no hills (except the loop by the ranger's station)! I think it's about 25 miles or so as an out-and-back.
Of course, I'd also be up for a casual meander thru VA, if I had time. This weekend is out, but otherwise I think I'm good until the 23rd.

[aicabsolut]

I think the only weekend I'll be around and free will be 16th-17th in Dec. But of course feel free to schedule without me. I'd be up for doing Rock Creek again. The more of us who go, the more we can stay off the awful multiuse trail. Y'all are free to start near my house at the southern end of the parkway as well.

I kind of like that one hill there on the loop. Usually no traffic up there and it feeds nicely into the blocked off area where you can build up a good pace. I've only done that once. Lots of fun despite the hill. The hassle was getting up there via the trail or hitting the parkway / Beach with only 2 of us there by the tunnel. (We got lost a couple times).

North of there, I don't know where I'm going. But it would be fun to try it out. (and get the route mapped in my Garmin--I love my new toy!)

[HillSlugger]

I was thinking just yesterday about maybe suggesting that we hook up at the top of Beach Drive in Garrett Park for a (relative) hammer ride (cruising at 17-20 mph) down Beach into Rock Creek Park some weekend day, when parts of the park are closed to cars. That route has the added bene of no hills (except the loop by the ranger's station)! I think it's about 25 miles or so as an out-and-back.

I'd be up for something like this, but I don't know if that's a pace I can maintain. Of course, I've never really ridden in a pace line so perhaps it would be doable. I'd definitely like to give it a try.

I feel the need for a (relative) hammer ride this Sunday. I was planning on doing something up on my usual routes but if you wanted to try this one then I'm game.

Please keep me in mind for a more casual ride, too.

[aicabsolut]

Me Me!!! I'm in NC (obviously), but will be in DC the weekend of the 16th and 17th. I'd love to meet some DC TE'ers!!!

We're staying in Manassas, but will travel. BTW - does anyone know of any good rides near Manassas? We're staying with a non-cyclist and I would like to get a few rides in

I've got a friend who lives south of Chapel Hill--you know any good routes down there? I'll probably be passing through in early January. She's looking for good places to ride. Maybe I could drag her out one morning. Maybe if I'm the one who knows the route, chances are good she won't leave me in the dust (she used to do Ironmans) I thought of some in Hillsborough just off 70, but it's been a few years since I lived in the Triangle.


I may have a team ride on the 16th (not sure). How does the 17th look for y'all?

[Beth H.]

Hi ladies,

I'd like to join in. I'd be up for a ride on Dec. 17th in Rock Creek if it's not too terribly cold, like much below 38 degrees. I'm running the Baltimore Winter Solstice 5 miler on the 16th for the very cool shirt!

By the way, any triathletes in this group? I'm starting to train and always looking for a training buddy.

[7rider]

Hi Beth. Welcome.

Sure...Sunday the 17th sounds like it's shaping up as a plan.
Does an out-and-back from Garrett Park like I routed sound okay? Simple, and one road primarily, with moderate traffic (occasionally none where the road is blocked to cars).

Should we meet in the District? Or - we could meet in the middle behind the Bicycle Place on Grubb Road in Silver Spring, which has easy access to RCPark.

Tomorrow, DH and I will be at the C&0 on the mtb's, leaving from Riley's Lock. Not sure of the time - late morning likely - and DH wants to head into town from there, not out. So, look for us if you're on the trail and say Hi! We'll be on a black (me) and an orange (him) dualies.

p.s. I've been playing with routeslip.com to challenge mdhillslug's dominance on the site ( !) - just kiddin' - and if you are up for a hill challenge, mapped DH and my favorite summer route through Howard County - a route we call the "Triathalon Loop" - don't know where the name comes from but I think some triathalon uses much of it for their race. I mapped it leaving from the Cloverly Safeway at New Hampshire Ave (route 650) and Briggs Chaney Rd. It's nice and (thus far) rural.
http://www.routeslip.com/map.php?map=15679

[aicabsolut]

I'd obviously prefer to meet in the District or as close as possible, but I know that makes a parking problem for the rest of you. And if it's far enough I wouldn't bike to the start anyway, then I'd need to park too

I haven't tried the north end of RCPark, so your route sounds fine. Only I'd love to do the "loop" backwards (as I posted before), not only because I need more hill practice but once you get to Beach from there you can really hammer as it's flat to downhill in that direction. Also, when you get to the end of the loop that way, the stop sign there in the blocked off area is a good place to stop and regroup. (You'd be on-road the other direction and facing left turns potentially with traffic). I'd also prefer to do the loop at least a couple of times for practice on climbing and descending. From the north, that'd mean doing the flat part before the hill, the hill being the way home. So if after a couple repeats no one wants to do the hill that way, we could regroup at the stop, turn around, and go home as mapped via Beach. Slightly less climbing that way.

Did that make sense?

Hope everyone is having fun this weekend and next. I'm studying for exams

[7rider]

I haven't tried the north end of RCPark, so your route sounds fine. Only I'd love to do the "loop" backwards (as I posted before), not only because I need more hill practice but once you get to Beach from there you can really hammer as it's flat to downhill in that direction. Also, when you get to the end of the loop that way, the stop sign there in the blocked off area is a good place to stop and regroup. (You'd be on-road the other direction and facing left turns potentially with traffic). I'd also prefer to do the loop at least a couple of times for practice on climbing and descending. From the north, that'd mean doing the flat part before the hill, the hill being the way home. So if after a couple repeats no one wants to do the hill that way, we could regroup at the stop, turn around, and go home as mapped via Beach. Slightly less climbing that way.

I usually think of the hill loop as "clockwise" vs. "counterclockwise". I think you're saying you do it clockwise, yes? I prefer the counterclockwise route because it's easier <<cough, cough>> and if I get a good start off Joyce, I can do the entire thing in the big ring. At the bottom of Ridge, after the switchback, we usually hop onto the sidewalk and not deal with the street to cut back over to Beach. Yeah, you got the long slog back uphill (gradual) to the ranger station. I'd be up for either way. I just spent an hour and a half mapping out a route from The Bicycle Place as a center start point, and Routeslip.com crapped out (again) and wouldn't save the file! Grrrrr... I even had the ranger station as a regroup spot if folks wanted to do hill repeats. Sigh.

Oh...good luck with finals. Will you be done by the 17th?

[aicabsolut]

Yeah, I'm thinking clockwise.

I was just thinking that with several of us, it might be easier to deal with stopping w/in the blocked off area of Beach. Ranger station would work though too.

Routeslip sucks sometimes. A friend of mine was playing around with a loop he thinks I could do at home, and that day it wasn't calculating elevation at all. Not that there are hills in Savannah, but a bridge or two might be involved.

A start place w/ a bathroom would be nice, so don't worry about it if the Bicycle Place start isn't as good. Though if anyone wants to start way down at the bottom of the parkway, they can run into my house which even post-exams is much cleaner than the porta-potty.

I'll be done with exams after the 12th but still working on a paper probably. But the 16th-17th is the last weekend I'll be in town till about the 2nd week of January, and I'll be busy, but itching to get out on the bike.