President's Day weekend ride?

[HillSlugger]

I may not be "allowed" to do a Monday ride. We'll have to watch the weather and I may have to manage the home front, too.

[aicabsolut]

Turns out I DO have President's day off from school. Keep your fingers crossed for the weather!

[7rider]

Looks like my warming trend won't hit until Tuesday (temps approaching 50 next week).
Anyone still up for this on Monday?

I don't know if it'll warm up enough to actually melt this stuff - and if it does, what off-road conditions would be like (thinking C&O canal here).
Perhaps the Peach Tree Loop from Riley's Lock? http://www.bikewashington.org/routes...tree/index.htm
Conditions look to favor cyclocross and hybrid bikes.....

An option, of course, is to do this on the 24th, but I'm not sure if I myself am going to be around next weekend...

[Kalidurga]

If you do the Peach Tree Loop on Monday, you may want to make sure the roads aren't still icy. Unless you're feeling particularly daredevil-ish

I was thinking about hiking the Seneca Greenway Trail this weekend. If I do, I'll try to drive around that area and post a road condition report for you guys before Monday morning.

[HillSlugger]

Yeah, this weekend is looking too cold and I think that Monday is out for me. I would be up for next weekend, weather permitting.

[Velobambina]

I checked the W&OD Trail Conditions blog and a guy who ventured out yesterday reported awful conditions. Luckily, he had studded tires. The crust is extremely thick from the sleet and he ended up riding off to the shoulder, where there were no footprints, etc. He said that he left no tracks--and he's a 200lber--so that shows just how frozen solid this junk has become.

I did a quick visual check of the Custis Trail on my way home from work yesterday. Same thing--covered with that ice/sleet coating.

These are both rather heavily traveled trails, as the Custis is a major commuter bike route into DC.

Not sure about the C&O. I'd venture a guess that conditions there are the same.

Because of all the salt/chemicals on the road, I'm loathe to ride even where it's been cleared. In Arlington and vicinity, most roads--even the major ones-- lack a shoulder due to the plowing so it's rough going--jersey-barrier like walls of grey ice/sludge. There is no room to move over if you encounter a car, and in the 'hoods, they cleared only enough area for one car to pass. So a two lane road is essentially a one lane road. Then you have to worry about the ice chunks that flew off of cars whose drivers forgot to clear them off.

As much as I hate saying this, I'm going to keep inside with my buddy Coach Troy and my trainer until we get a solid melt. Let's hope for the expected warm up into the 40s and the rain. Nothing will clear this junk out like a good soaking rain (clean up our cars, too).

If you ladies end up riding, please post a report.

[7rider]

Okay.
Looks like riding this weekend is a non-starter. I hope everyone can at least get outside and enjoy the snow and fresh air.
Next weekend calls for rain, but let's keep an eye on it and see if we can hook up then for a ride.
Just tryin' to keep our monthly TE rides alive!

Meanwhile, I did rollers this a.m., and DH introduced me to his "Cyclrobx" video to keep my workout interesting. The video is from 1995, features a very YOUNG Tyler Hamilton (!) and a lot of the guys have BIG hair. It's kind of funny. But...the bike fell off the rollers 3 times - twice while stopped and once while trying to ride while wearing his slippers instead of shoes (NOT a good idea!) - and I didn't kill myself. So....a major hurdle crossed. Yay.