OK, so I tried out the Race Pace in Columbia and yeah, it was pretty big! They had a pretty decent women's selection, though they didn't have any padded tights. They had some nice Nike tights w/o padding though. So I was relatively impressed with the women's section compared to other places around, but when I asked one of the guys working there if they had any bibs he replied that they don't make bibs for women. So not true!!! I asked the guy at the Chevy Chase City Bikes and he said they did carry them, but had a big sale 3 weeks ago and they got cleaned out. So I just ordred some Giordana bibs that are on sale at www.bikesomewhere.com we'll see how well I like them...

Gotta agree about the layers. i went out early on Saturday and by the end whenever I stopped I was pretty warm. But the windchill while riding was significant enough that I was fine while riding. One nice way to layer is with a jacket that has zip-off sleeves so it converts to a vest. I love my Cannondale Morphis!!

Aicabsolut, have you tried Hane's Point? It's not long, only a 3 mile loop, but it's a nice flat smooth ride with minimal to no stopping/traffic. I like it because I can ride there easily from my apartment in Capitol Hill and do a few laps, depending on how much time (or rather lack thereof) I have. I wouldn't recommend it for a longer ride though, it would get pretty repetative. As Velobambina pointed out, the Arboretum is nice for more a more diverse terrain.