Tour Dem Parks-- Baltimore ride, 6/12/11

[Kalidurga]

I'm doing this one for the first time this year. Sounds like all sorts of fun: Tour Dem Parks

Just a friendly reminder that Tour dem Parks 2011 is just six weeks away – June 12, 2011! If you have not yet registered, please see our Paypal-driven registration page on our redesigned website: www.tourdemparks.org (Click the “Registration” tab.)


Here are your four route options for 2011:

· The Family Ride -- a laid-back, kid-friendly 12-mile jaunt highlighting the Gwynn's Falls Trail.

· Le Petite Tour -- a 25-mile ride great for newbies or those recently returned to the joy of cycling, showing off a nice sampling of Baltimore's great parks from large to small.

· Le Grand Tour -- a 36-mile ride through the five largest parks (Gwynn's Falls/Leakin, Druid Hill, Clifton, Patterson, Carroll) and many neighborhood and street parks.

· The Metric Century – our fourth Metric Century ride (64 miles), for experienced riders only, which once again features an all-new route.


Remember -- our Early Bird rate applies only until May 31, 2011. As an Early Bird registrant, you also are assured of having this year’s Tour dem Parks T-shirt with our groovy new artwork in your designated size. Beginning this year, you specify T-shirt size as part of the registration process to make sure you get the size you want, and to eliminate the snafus of the past. (“WHAAAT??! YOU’RE OUT OF MEDIUMS??!”) This is one of the suggestions from our riders that we incorporated when we re-imagined our website and registration process this year – so y’all take a bow!

People, get ready!!! If you’ll be ridin’ with us on June 12th – and we certainly hope you will be – please take some time over the next couple of weeks to have your bike thoroughly checked out, and, if necessary, tuned up. It’s a serious bummer to have a bike tour through the bloom and bliss of parks in springtime cut short by a failure out on the road. Curses, Batman!! The fact is that MOST bike failures can be prevented by planning ahead. If your tires are dry-rotted from winter storage, they are gonna leak and be subject to pinch punctures. If your brakes are out of whack, you’re gonna go when you shoulda stayed. Shift derailleurs out of adjustment? Not fun! Some great bike mechanics are at your service here in B’more – see our Sponsors page for the ones we work with the most.

And, please, please, PLEAZZZZE… make sure you carry an extra inner tube (or, better yet, TWO extra inner tubes) on Ride Day! The whole lot us on the committee spend the Saturday before the ride sweeping every bit of road surface we can get our hands on. We get a lot of it up, but just in case that one piece of glass we miss ends up in your tire, that extra tube can be a lifesaver. If you have the right tube, our army of experienced roving mechanics can you have you back on your way before you can say, “Tour dem Parks, Hon!”

Seeya June 12th at Carroll Park!

[Cataboo]

Bah. I just committed to a bike ride for that weekend last week.

[ny biker]

I'm doing the Patuxent River Rurual Legacy ride that weekend.

[MaTadams]

I am hoping to do this ride. I've never done it before, but I am looking forward to a new adventure!

[Kalidurga]

Great ride yesterday. I was concerned about the chance of thunderstorms, but the sky was gorgeous until the very end. I did the 25 mile route-- Began at Carroll Park, headed up the Gwynns Falls Trail to the first rest stop in Leakin Park, cut over through Dickeyville to Forest Park, along Liberty Heights to Druid Hill Park and the second rest stop at the conservatory next to the zoo, onto the Jones Falls Trail, through Mount Vernon and downtown, over to Patterson Park and the third rest stop, then back over to downtown and around the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill, and finished up by hopping back onto the Gwynns to head back to Carroll Park. Got back just as a sudden bank of clouds opened up and poured forth with thunder and rain. Which, of course, stopped as soon as I rode back to the parking area, crammed my bike into the trunk of the car, and sloshed my wet self into the driver's seat

Kudos: Just as with the annual Tour du Port ride in October, the road markings were so thorough and well placed that I didn't even need the cue sheet.

Complaint: They advertised barbecue at the end of the ride, but there were only hamburgers and hot dogs. Decently tasty burgers, but a burger ain't bbq

Sorry, no photos.