Quote Originally Posted by Whip View Post
Hi,

Sounds like fun. Here are some questions --- sorry to be so anal.

1. Is the C&O Canal paved?

2. What's the total mileage of the ride? (I know you've put some mileage, but I was unclear if the first one was driving distance to the ride start) - Can you tell I don't ride out there much.

3. Is it possible to meet at the ride start instead of Bike Doctor?

4. What approx. speed are you ladies riding?

THANKS! 11am is the perfecto start time - I have puppy duty in the morning.
Whip, it'd be great to have you along! In answer to your questions:

1) The C&O Canal towpath is dirt/crushed gravel/rock with the occassional tree root or mud puddle. If you find dingster's "Lordy Lordy" thread in the main forum, there are some links to various sites about the C&O Canal.

2 & 3) ZenC and I haven't nailed down exactly where we're starting and how far we're going to ride. Since it's a rough surface, it can get a little tiring (just ask dingster!) so I'd guess we'll do approx 20-25 miles. Zen, did you have any preference? And, once we decide where we're starting you could certainly meet us there. If you private message your phone # to one of us, we could call you when we leave Bike Dr. The reason we're meeting there is that I'm having my brakes adjusted before the ride.

4) I ride the towpath at approx 13mph when I ride alone. With others, I've done rides with an 11mph and a 9.5mph average, and they were both fun. The faster you go, the less you can chat, so that definitely influences speed. I'd guess this will be a pretty leisurely ride, since one of the main goals is ice cream

If you've got any more questions, just let us know!