Category Archives: Non-Rando Event Rides

WABA’s 2013 Vasa Ride: It’s All About the Blueberry Soup

Posted on March 17, 2013 | 5 Comments

This Sunday, Felkerino and I participated in WABA’s annual Vasa Ride, a bicycling event conceptualized loosely around Sweden’s Vasaloppet cross-country ski race. The ride begins and ends at the House of Sweden and all participants receive a cup of blueberry soup (or Blåbärssoppa, if you’re fancy) at the finish.

Vasa Ride - 59-Mile Start

Vasa Ride – 59-Mile Start

Vasa riding crew

Getting ready to start the ride. Game faces.

Our early spring schedule left a hole for the Vasa Ride so we signed up to see what it was all about. According to WABA’s site, entry is capped at 500 people and it was a decent crowd (maybe 150 people or so? I’m not good at eyeballing these things) that showed up for the 59-mile start, despite the gray skies, temps in the thirties, and chances of rain in the forecast.

Gray day, but happy riders

Gray day, but happy riders

We rode with a large group for the first 18 miles from D.C. out to Potomac, Maryland. The riders set a lively pace and I enjoyed digging into the pedals as I stretched over the bike and worked up a bit of a sweat with them.

Will, en route to Potomac

Will, en route to Potomac

At Potomac, the call of coffee was too strong for Felkerino and me. We hung out drinking caffeinated treats and chatting with Megan and Katie of WABA, who were doing an excellent job providing beverages and encouragement at the Vasa Ride rest stop.

WABA's Katie and Megan

WABA’s Katie and Megan. You are awesome!

The Vasa route took us along familiar roads past Potomac, Maryland, an area where we log a lot of our winter cycling miles. We crafted a variation of the “official route”  that allowed us to get in some good riding and 50-plus miles while still making it back in time for our blueberry soup prize.

Trying to have a serious moment on the Vasa Ride

Trying to be have a serious moment on the Vasa Ride

As we talked about our riding plans, we exchanged hellos with others, checked out the bikes, and decided to continue on the route for a little while, until we didn’t. We then returned to another portion of the route, which took us back to Potomac, where we stopped to say hello to the group of BikeDC tweeps and peeps doing the 30-mile version.

Stopping to say hi to BikeDC friends

Stopping to say hi to BikeDC friends

The event was a blast. Light winds and good company made up for the cloudy skies and lack of warmth in the day. The terrain of our route was somewhat rolling, but there were no punishing sections and the grades were easily managed on the tandem.

Crystal on her Surly Cross-Check

Crystal on her Surly Cross-Check

Felkerino and I enjoyed the company of several of our friends from BikeDC’s Friday Coffee Club. It is a rare occasion when the members of the bike commute coffee club actually ride bikes together. Ironic, right?

At various points during the ride, our group discussions turned to the blueberry soup. Ryan said he ate it last year and it was ok. Felkerino said that Rootchopper told him that the soup tasted like blueberry pancakes. Kevin said that he had not had the soup before because by the time he finished the ride last year, people had eaten all of it.

Vasa Ride speculation about the Blueberry Soup

Vasa Ride speculation about the Blueberry Soup

Both Will and I shared how disappointed we would be if there was no blueberry soup for us at the end, since that was essentially what we were riding for. We all agreed that we could not make our variation of the official Vasa route too long or we could miss out on the bluberry soup.

I wondered if people would be willing to fight over the blueberry soup if there was only one cup of it remaining when we returned. Ryan said the soup was good, but not worth fisticuffs.

After all these blueberry soup musings, we finally arrived back at the House of Sweden. There were many bikes parked at WABA’s temporary bike racks. That’s a lot of soup consumers, I thought apprehensively.

I needn’t have worried. We entered the embassy and found many many cups of piping hot blueberry soup waiting for us. I eagerly sampled mine, burning my throat in the process. Oops.

Blueberry soup for everyone!

Blueberry soup for everyone!

Verdict? Blåbärssoppa is delicious, and does not taste like blueberry pancakes. Felkerino said it tasted like cider, and I agree. I love hot blueberry soup!

Yay for WABA's Vasa Ride and blueberry soup!

Yay for WABA’s Vasa Ride and blueberry soup!

I hope to do the Vasa Ride again. WABA did an excellent job of organizing it and staffing a rest stop for us, we had great riding company along the route, and the House of Sweden was so gracious to host all of us at the finish.

Vasa Ride-Co-Motion at House of Sweden

Want to see more of the Vasa Ride? Check out my set of pics here, see Felkerino’s photoset here, and Rootchopper also wrote a good post about the Vasa Ride on his blog, as did John R.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Non-Rando Event Rides, WABA Vasa Ride

Make Your Own Cue Sheet Holder

Posted on March 12, 2013 | 11 Comments

Someone recently asked me what I use for a cue sheet holder when I ride. There are a variety of ways to affix a cue sheet to your bike, but the method I’ve been quite happy with over the years is one that Felkerino taught me.

image

Felkerino makes cue sheet holders that affix to your stem by using the following items:

  • One binder clip
  • One small piece of rubber shim; and
  • One zip tie

These cue sheet holders are simple to make and the necessary ingredients are easy to find.

image

If you do not have any of these items at home, the binder clip can be purchased from an office supplies store, and a shim and zip ties can be purchased at a hardware store. You can also probably ask your local bike shop for them. I don’t know any bicyclists who don’t have a few zip ties lying around.

First, place the shim over the stem, with the binder clip on top of it.

image

Next, take the zip tie and place it over one of the edges of the binder clip.

image

Third, wrap the zip tie around the stem while holding the shim and binder clip steady, and attach it to your bike.

image

Cut off the excess zip tie and voila! You have a cue sheet holder that should last you a while.

The only down side to this method is that your cue sheet is then unprotected in case of rain.

You can fix that by either:

  1. Inserting the cue sheet into a small plastic sandwich bag; or
  2. Covering the cue sheet with a plastic sheet protector.

Felkerino loves using plastic sheet protectors, as they are designed for a regular 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper and make it easier to flip your cue sheet as you ride than something like a baggie.

image

So folks, there you have it. The Felkerino method for making your own cue sheet holder.

If you try it, let me know how it works out for you. Also, if you’ve come up with another good method of your own, do tell.

Up next: Errandonnee Finishers and Honorable Mentions!

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Gear, Non-Rando Event Rides, Randonneuring

The Cold & Blustery BikeDC Hot Chocolate Ride (aka, the Chocoride)

Posted on December 30, 2012 | 10 Comments
Pitango sipping chocolate. So good!

Pitango sipping chocolate. So good!

Having spent the bulk of the last four days in self-imposed isolation, I busted out of my hibernation state today and joined the Hot Chocolate Ride for a few miles in the saddle and hot beverages with BikeDC buddies old and new.

Lisa and Crystal, Chocoride organizers!

Lisa and Crystal, Chocoride organizers!

Organized by velocipedestriennes (my new favorite word!) Lisa and Crystal, this casual ride (or #chocoride, as it was known on the Twitterverse) toured four locales offering hot chocolate as well as other warm drinks and treats:

Today was ideal for a Chocoride ride. A sunny December day with a cold bite in the air. Blustery like nobody’s business. Chilly miles spent outside were rewarded with long stops in cozy places serving warm sweet things.

Chocoriders in the L Street Cycletrack. Tell your friends you saw us here!

Chocoriders in the L Street Cycletrack. Tell your friends you saw us here!

Roads were also quiet on this post-holiday (and pre-holiday!) Sunday in the city. Have you ever biked around D.C. during the holidays? It’s one of my favorite times to ride here. Traffic dwindles. Gridlock ceases to exist.

Cyclists move  freely through the city, and the cars that think they are king recede to the suburbs. Today, we owned this town.

Chocoride group shot (c) Ted Nigrelli

Chocoride group shot (c) Ted Nigrelli

This Sunday also offered a rare opportunity to ease up on the pedals and meander the city streets with the only destination in mind the next coffee/hot chocolate stop. Timeframe? Whenever we arrive.

So often I find myself riding around trying to get somewhere in the city. To work. To the store. To the doctor. On time. On a schedule. I navigate purposefully in the morning and again in afternoon rush hour amid other people (most of them in cars) missioning to their own destinations.

Chocoriders arrive at Union Market

Chocoriders arrive at Union Market

Not today. Our leisurely riding allowed me to soak in the rare quiet of our city. Our stops gave me time to thoroughly appreciate my beverages and engage in holiday chatter with the group. It was lovely.

Also, Lisa and Crystal did an excellent job of scoping out the hot chocolate hot spots, as each place had plenty of space for our group (about 15 or so people) to mill around, drink, and talk.

I made sure to treat myself at every stop. At Dolcezza, I indulged in a pre-ride cup of Intelligentsia coffee.

The barista at Pitango fixed me a rich, but not too sweet, cup of sipping chocolate.

Kate and John. Sipping chocolate at Pitango takes away some of the shivers

Kate and John. Sipping chocolate at Pitango takes away some of the shivers

Lot 38‘s decaf Americano and zucchini bread was just what I needed to make it the next five miles to Union Market.

Waiting for my decaf at Lot 38

Waiting for my decaf at Lot 38

Peregrine’s Union Market location did not disappoint with its double espresso.

Joe at Peregrine (Rootchopper in background)

Joe at Peregrine (Rootchopper in background)

The Chocoride crew completed its hot chocolate tour by looping back to Dolcezza where I allowed myself another cup of sipping chocolate and a churro.

Back at Dolcezza for a final cup. Well, a few of us anyway.

Back at Dolcezza for a final cup. Well, a few of us anyway.

The challenge of my ride was balancing the beverage and treat choices so as not to end up with a tummy ache or overbuzzed on caffeine. My choices worked out perfectly and I returned home 20 miles later satiated, happy, and sans stomach pain.

My other pro move ended up being the decision to bring my own steel travel mug. This allowed me to keep the hot beverages flowing throughout the ride. No worries about having to chug my beverage at any of the stops or wasting a paper cup (though most locations offered real mugs and cups).

Peregrine dble espresso in a demitasse cup

Peregrine dble espresso in a demitasse cup

It was a beautiful day on the bike. I particularly liked the sunny tailwind sections and the moments spent indoors. However, I would not have appreciated them nearly as much without the headwinds, miles on the shady side of the street, and the general wintry feel of the outdoors.

  • Rootchopper was there and wrote up a summary of his day, too. He braved the headwinds all the way from Old Town so his beverages must have tasted extra good.
  • Lisa, the co-ride leader, also has her take on the day here.

I have more Chocoride photos for you. View them on my flickr page.

Many thanks to Crystal and Lisa for organizing this special seasonal ride. BikeDC 4 evah!

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Non-Rando Event Rides

WABA’s Women & Bikes and the Hains Point 100

Posted on December 23, 2012 | 3 Comments
Megan of WABA, completes the Hains Point 100

Megan completes the Hains Point 100

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) recently launched a Women & Bikes initiative. WABA describes the intent of Women and Bikes on its website, stating:

The mission of Women and Bicycles is to get more women on two wheels through mentorship and peer-to-peer learning, between those who already ride and those who would like to ride. The program consists of dinner parties, workshops, bike rides, and celebrations.

Megan, a member of the BikeDC community, organized a century ride on Hains Point to raise money and awareness for Women & Bikes on December 23. Hains Point is a well-known 3.2-mile loop located in the Southwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., and is a popular training spot for the area’s roadies road riders.

Megan’s organizing impressed me. She encouraged people to show up and support the event, even if they did not or could not ride the full 100 miles.

I also admired her for taking on a Hains Point century. Even though Hains Point is flat, wind can blow stiffly off the water. Completing a ride as flat as Hains Point is a different kind of challenge than a rolling ride, as rolling terrain offers opportunities to use different muscle groups and easily move out of the saddle. And finally, 32 laps of Hains Point? It’s hard to fathom.

By the day of the Hains Point 100, Megan had raised more than $1,000. It appeared that a sizeable group showed up at the start and a steady stream of people came and went to support the event and complete a lap or two (or three or four) throughout the day.

Felkerino and I ventured out of the city for the majority of our Sunday ride, but stopped by Hains Point in the later afternoon to do a couple of laps and observe the event’s finale.  We had a great time, meeting and greeting several people we know from the Twitterverse, Friday Coffee Club, and even D.C. Randonneurs.

We encountered our friend Ben B., who is now one of the co-owners of Proteus Bicycles in College Park.  Ben had pedaled down to the event from College Park, Maryland, riding a recently-acquired bright yellow tall bike.

We rode together for a partial lap, and then Ben departed to get in some last-minute shopping at the Downtown Holiday Market. I wasn’t sure how that big beast locked to a rack, but Ben was carrying an Abus chain lock and seemed to have it all figured out.

Ben B. and his tall bike on the Hains Point 100

Ben B. and his tall bike on the HP100

We finally met Alex B. (straight out of Twitter and into real life!), who is a recent addition to the WABA staff. Alex was riding her sparkly new Wabi single speed.

Alex on her new Wabi

Alex on her new Wabi

Kate C., also known as Girl on a Bike, was out riding her trusty cruiser bike, Betty. Betty was all decked out for the season, including lights, tinsel, and a Christmas stocking. Both Alex and Kate completed more than 50 miles for the day. Well done, ladies.

Girl on a Bike and the seasonally decorated Betty at the HP100

Girl on a Bike and the seasonally decorated Betty at the HP100

Friday Coffee Club friends Pete B. and Aaron were there, too. Pete had decided to combine the Hains Point 100 into his fixed gear double-century ride. He’d been up since 3 a.m. Sheesh!

Pete B. and Megan

Pete B. and Megan

Aaron also rolled well into the triple digits, leaving Hains Point with over 117 miles in the bank.

Aaron heads for home at the end of the HP100

Aaron heads for home post-HP100

Kathy, an Arlington-based commuter, provided support to Megan and other riders throughout the day. She did a great job, and her positive energy and smile were completely infectious.

Kathy (complete with Santa hat) and Ben

Kathy (complete with Santa hat) and Ben

Nelle P., also on the WABA staff and an avid bicyclist, was also there, having just installed a new set of handlebars on her Raleigh the night before.

Nelle and her Raleigh

Nelle and her Raleigh

The most exciting moment of the day arrived when Megan put her foot down after meeting her self-imposed challenge of 100 miles– 102 when all was said and done.

HP100 in the bag. Time for a cupcake!

HP100 in the bag. Time for a cupcake!

She had done it! Megan rode thirty-two laps around Hains Point. She raised money and awareness for WABA’s Women & Bicycles initiative. And most important, she led by example. Thank you, Megan.

P.S. A few more photos from the day are here, and Felkerino took some photos too.

Note: I previously (mis)identified Megan as WABA staff. She is not a WABA employee, but rather a regular everyday citizen who put the ride together.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Non-Rando Event Rides

Tagged ,

The Grand Fondue: A Superbly Challenging Bike Ride

Posted on November 5, 2012 | 10 Comments

Every once in a while it seems like a good idea to test my tandem stoker climbing skills on an ultra-hilly bike ride. The opportunity to do just that came in the shape of the Grand Fondue, a combination of dirt and paved roads ride sponsored by the Bike Doctor of Frederick, Maryland.

The full route came in at 99 miles and just over 11,000 feet of cumulative climbing, the gnarliest parts of which came in the first 60 miles of the ride. I should also add that these kinds of rides often are good ideas when I find myself sitting behind my desk dreaming about a weekend adventure.

When I heard about the plan for the Grand Fondue, I immediately embraced its concept. A ride about good roads, especially some unpaved ones. A big ride for a low cost, a mere $15 entry fee. An event with fondue and wine at the end! The additional challenge of attempting the Grand Fondue on tandem held its own appeal.

I originally thought I would be unable to participate in the Grand Fondue, as it was planned for the same day as the Marine Corps Marathon. With the impending storm, however, Bike Doctor rescheduled the event to November 4 so, lucky me, I was able to have my cheese and it eat, too (or something like that).

A fairly small group gathered at the ride start, the Orchid Cellar, just outside of Middletown, Maryland. I’d guess around 20 people were there, riding all sorts of interesting bikes. The bike selection was varied: Surly, Gunnar, Trek, Waterford, two hand-built J.D. Buchanans. Lots of steel, some carbon. Our Cannondale was the only tandem.

Grand Fondue Ride Start

The morning was cool, but not freezing, winds were light, and it felt like it was going to be a good day to ride. Riding buddies Barry B. and Dave S. were there, as was riding acquaintance Dan, who was riding his Trek 330 Elance. The group rolled unceremoniously out of the parking lot a few minutes after 7 a.m., and soon thereafter the fun began.

Bike Doctor described the ride in the following manner:

The Grand Fondue Frederick is going to be a beautiful but hard ride. There will be gobs of climbing, dirt roads, and then more climbing.

They were absolutely truthful about that, and Felkerino and I both said that this ride is one of the hilliest we’ve done in a while.

Barry on one of many unpaved climbs

My legs were feeling some residual fatigue from the previous week’s marathon so, while I went into the ride hoping to complete the full 99 miles, my primary aim was to explore some new roads, enjoy the experience, maybe meet some new people, and not suffer. Or at least, not suffer too much, as a ride like this invites its share of seriously uncomfortable moments.

This route did not have many recovery sections, which we knew would be the case. Either we were climbing our way up or bombing down a descent that leveled off momentarily only to go up again. Almost all of the climbs rewarded with beautiful views, although a couple of the descents were fairly rocky and bumpy, which meant exercising restraint on the downhills. Not all of them, though. The first major downhill of the day, off of Frostown Road, offered a clear runout on smooth pavement and Felkerino and I hit 55 miles per hour going down it. That felt pretty awesome.

Barry on the Grand Fondue

I am proud to report that Felkerino and I did not walk any of the climbs, despite their ridiculous grades. Oh, and I’m also relieved to report that we did not fall over. That would have been embarrassing. I don’t know why I’m proud that we didn’t walk, exactly, as I believe there is no shame in doing so. I think it’s mostly because, as we ground away in the granny at three-and-a-half miles per hour while my quadriceps shouted mean things in my direction, the urge to stop pedaling was strong.

The ride began amid cloud cover, but as the morning wore on the clouds moved out and blue sky and sun poked through to hang out with us. The sun made a world of difference to my demeanor. In addition to making the temperatures that much more pleasant, the light it cast over the trees and landscape brought warmth to all of the lingering fall color.

Buck Lantz Road

Rides with this kind of up-and-down profile can make it difficult to ride with others, especially for a tandem. As a tandem team, we climb slower than most singles, but descents are our specialty! We rode the first half of the ride with our friend Barry until we lost him after a descent. We had decided to wait for him at the bottom of a hill to make sure he made it down ok, but then we realized that we had missed our turn and were waiting for him off course. GRR! After that, we rode on our own except for one mile where we crossed paths with Mark, another Grand Fondue rider. We also intersected briefly with a group that was doing a 35-mile version of the Grand Fondue.

Taking a break off-route to wait for Barry

The 35-mile riders of the Grand Fondue

Because the ride was basically a bunch of loops around Middletown, Maryland, it was rife with shortcut opportunities. Felkerino and I followed the route until the daylight started to wane and at mile 80, we made the decision to head back. We had no interest in riding after dark; the temperature would drop, we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the scenery, and we just didn’t feel like it. We made the most of the day and enjoyed most of the climbs (Teen Barnes Road I could really have done without) and all of the vistas. We also took breaks to eat, rest, and even take pictures as we went along.

We arrived back at the ride start just as the sun made its final exit for the day, ending up with 86 miles for our efforts and over 8,600 feet of climb for the day. I’m good with that. Dave S. completed the 68-mile version. Barry, on the other hand, completed the full 99-mile shebang. Go Barry!

The Bike Doctor put together a superbly challenging route over low-traffic roads with gorgeous vistas. I hope that Bike Doctor plans to do this event again, but perhaps in the early fall. While I loved doing it on Sunday, this ride is better suited to longer days in warmer temperatures. Hilly rides in cool weather get tricky because you usually have to carry more layers. You also sweat up on the uphills, and after getting all damp from climbing, descents can be pretty chilly.

Felkerino and I took an hour and 45 minutes off the bike throughout the day. We could certainly have been more disciplined in our ride approach. However, we wanted to have a sit-down meal given all the effort we were putting into the ride, and we also stopped more than a few times to allow our legs to recover and to take in the beauty of the day. If the ride had been earlier in the year, we would not have had to worry about the dark monster as much and could still have taken a more leisurely approach to the event.

This horse and rider were not on the Grand Fondue, but it was fun to see them.

I have more photos from the ride, and you can find them here. Felkerino took pics, too. Note that all the ones Felkerino took of me show my progressive descent into madness due to intense climbing.

I felt lucky to have been able to participate in the Grand Fondue. I experienced beautiful roads and vistas, met a few new people, and remembered what it was like to do a ride that delivers more than 1,000 feet of climb for every ten miles. While I don’t see myself attacking this course again any time soon, it’s definitely a winner. I’ll be back to ride many of these roads, just maybe not all in the same ride.

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Grand Fondue, Non-Rando Event Rides

Tagged ,

WABA 50 States Ride 2012: All About the People

Posted on September 23, 2012 | 9 Comments

This past Saturday Felkerino and I participated in another edition of the Washington Area Bicycling Association (WABA) 50 States Ride. Yeah, that ride with 500 participants that crosses over all 50 of the state streets within the District of Columbia and covers about 65 miles in the process.

Felkerino and me at the first 50 States Ride pit stop

True to our plan, we shortcut as our coffee requirements dictated and skipped a few state streets along the way. At the end of the day, Felkerino and I crossed off 34 of the 50 state streets. I don’t know if this means we have to do some Sharpie editing to our 50 States Ride t-shirts or what so if you know the protocol, please let us know.

50 States Ride, #fridaycoffeeclub peeps

Fortunately, we did manage to ride through all four D.C. quadrants so we are not completely hopeless.

The highlights of this year’s event included all the people we saw and chatted with throughout the ride. There were a few moments where we pedaled quietly along, but generally we rode in the company of other friendly riders.

Felkerino, John, and Dave

John, Felkerino, and Tony on Massachusetts SE

After doing this ride three times now, I’ve concluded that the descent on Massachusetts Avenue Southeast is one of my favorite parts. The road surface is good, it has hardly any car traffic, and it offers a beautiful view of the city.

Well-placed pit stops along the route allowed Felkerino and me to restock on water, talk with #BikeDC tweeps, and meet a few new people, too.

Mary Lauran and friends on the 50 States Ride

The post-lunch pit stop in Takoma Park was hosted by our friends Mike and Lisa, making it an extra fun pause in the ride.

Hanging out with Mike at the pit stop

We left Mike and Lisa’s to go up to Alaska Avenue Northwest, where someone took some great pictures of LOTS of riders and posted them on flickr. If you rode and made it to Alaska Avenue, check them out here.

After a day chock full of stops, twists, and turns, Felkerino and I called it a day after Alaska Avenue. When the route descended into Rock Creek Park, we remained on Beach Drive until exiting at Adams Mill Road and high-tailing it to the finish.

Despite our various shortcuts, our odometers showed 60 miles for the day. It also indicated a 10.1 mph rolling average; no speed records were set during this cue- and stop-filled excursion.

The finish locale, the Mellow Mushroom, teemed with bikes and people. We ate pizza, talked with friends, and picked up our aforementioned partially earned t-shirts.

Surly LHT at the 50 States Ride finish

I initially planned to take my Velo Orange mixte, but ultimately wound up riding my regular commuter, the Surly Long Haul Trucker. Not surprisingly, the Surly rode smoothly and had no mechanicals (though WABA offered mechanical support at all pit stops in the event it was needed).

Working on a bike at the 50 States Ride.

Oh, and I also managed to hit my home state street of Iowa. Phew! I missed it last year and was determined not to let that happen again.

Iowa Street and the Surly LHT on the 50 States Ride

This edition of the 50 States was the best yet. Through the #BikeDC hashtag on Twitter, Friday Coffee Club, and more participation in WABA’s events I’ve been able to get to know some of the BikeDC crowd. When I show up at a WABA event now, I almost always see a familiar face. That’s a great feeling.

Thanks, WABA!!

Thanks, WABA, for another successful 50 States Ride.

For another writeup of the event, please check out Port-a-John’s excellent summary. Oh, and BicycleBug has a good one, too, as does Rambling Rider.

And for more photos from the ride, take a look at our flickr sets. Mine are here, and Felkerino’s here.

See you out there next year? I hope so!

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Non-Rando Event Rides, WABA 50 States Ride

Tagged ,

WABA 50 States Ride: Pre-Ride Prep for the Ultimate Urban Excursion

Posted on September 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

This coming Saturday marks the arrival of another edition of the 50 States Ride. While this ride sort of freaked me out the first time I did it, it’s since grown on me and now it’s a much-anticipated fall event.

Felkerino and me at the end of the 2011 50 States Ride

Washington Area Bicycling Association (WABA), our local cycling advocacy group, organizes the ride. My entry fee supports WABA’s good work and in exchange I get a tour through all four quadrants and 50 state streets in the District with 500 other people.

The total 50 States route is around 65 miles. My plan is to not ride the full route. How about that for ambition? Rather, I’ll be doing the “More than 25, but fewer than 50 States Ride,” depending on where and how far I feel like riding. Last year, I pedaled over 40 of the 50 state streets and completed slightly more than 50 miles.

It feels good to accomplish the full route and all 50 state streets, but I found myself pulling out my hair at some of the more congested downtown areas. Since I ride those fairly frequently anyway, it doesn’t break my heart to skip them during the 50 States Ride.

Goals for this year’s 50 States Ride are:

  • See #BikeDC friends.
  • Stop for coffee along the way. Peregrine. Chinatown Coffee. Hmm, where else should I go?
  • Meet some new people.
  • Get some exercise.
  • Take pictures.
  • Enjoy enjoy enjoy.

Last year I chose my Rivendell Quickbeam for the ride. A single speed was ideal for me then, as there was no hill too tough for the Quickbeam, and the 32 mm tires set up well for the sometimes bumpy city streets. This year I’ve been nagged by some knee pain so I will be riding a geared bike, as a single speed seems unwise.

Velo Orange Mixte

Most likely I’ll ride my Velo Orange this time around. The Velo Orange is a mixte that, like the Quickbeam, is also set up with 32 mm tires and well-suited to urban riding. My posture on the mixte is more upright, but I have found both bikes to be comfortable. I’ll let you know for sure after the ride is over.

Over the weekend, I went to BicycleSPACE and picked out a new Crane bell for the bike. My mixte is set up with a bell, but it’s the worst bell ever. The bell ding is the equivalent of a loud whisper. Useless. Why did I buy the bell in the first place? Because it was in the shape of a coffee cup and I thought it was cute. So much for that approach.

Coffee bell on the Velo Orange. Possibly the worst bell ever.

In contrast, the brass Crane bell I purchased makes a beautiful yet stark sound that clearly announces a bicycle. It’s beautiful, but functional, too.

Shiny new (and functional!) Crane bike bell from BicycleSPACE

With that addition, the Velo Orange is ready to take on the 50 States Ride. Are you riding, too? If so, I’ll see you there!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Gear, Non-Rando Event Rides, WABA 50 States Ride

Tagged ,

BicycleSPACE and the D.C. Murals Ride

Posted on August 19, 2012 | 3 Comments

After all the heat and humidity we’ve endured over the summer, this past weekend we received a welcome reprieve. Especially Saturday.

Warm sun, light breezes, pleasant temperatures. Far too gorgeous of a day to stay inside, Felkerino, his daughter, and I joined BicycleSPACE’s mural ride to see where it would take us and to simply enjoy the day.

Jordan and the “Monkey Wagon,” issuing last-minute instructions

We weren’t the only ones with this idea. A large group of locals assembled at BicycleSPACE’s shop to take part in the ride, which toured approximately 25 murals located in various parts of the city. Who knew D.C. had so many murals? Not me!

Apparently, many of these murals are “new” (2007 and up), as a result of the efforts by Murals DC, which secured  funding and arranged space for the creation of more than 30 murals in the District.

The BicycleSPACE organizers and the Murals DC spokespeople treated us to a tour of the murals, many of which are located in nooks and crannies of the city that I would never have thought to explore. Alleys opened up to walls of artwork. Artists had drawn beautiful works on out-of-the-way side streets.

New Community Church mural in an alley off “S” Street

Other murals were more prominently positioned. Even so, without the BicycleSPACE ride, I would never have thought to go out and find them.

We paused at almost every mural, and one of the members of Murals DC would explain a little bit about the artist and/or the work. Education AND bike riding. On a Saturday, even!

DC Mural and Surly – Peace is its own Reward. Located off Columbia Road

BicycleSPACE does a great job of bringing the #BikeDC community together through its group rides. Also, a moment of bliss subtly emerges at some point on every ride I’ve done with them. Strange, but true.

On this ride, it happened as a small group of us watched an artist work quietly on his mural. The artist painted, we paused in the driveway in front of his mural, and quietly watched. Peaceful. Sunny. Perfect.

Artist at work on one of the DC Murals. Location: Driveway off 8th Street NW.

This BicycleSPACE ride would not fall into the “workout” category. My computer showed that I averaged just over 3.2 miles per hour for our 10 mile jaunt. I believe that might have been my moving average, but even so, I had many moments where I was impressed with how slow I could turn the pedals and remain upright on my bike.

This ride was obviously not about aerobic activity. It was put together for us to meander, explore the various artworks, and soak up the sun.

I loved this section of mural. So did the Surly LHT.

In case it isn’t evident from the photos, my Surly Long Haul Trucker was my mural tour steed. Around town, it’s hard to imagine riding anything narrower than 32s. With speed of no concern and the bumpy D.C. streets to contend with, the Surly was an excellent choice.

I was intent on participating in the full ride, but Felkerino’s stomach had other plans, and we peeled off from the group after 14 or so murals to grab lunch. Fortunately for me, BicycleSPACE provided riders a cue sheet, which means I can go back and complete the tour of the murals I missed some other time.

What did one wall say to the other wall? Meet me at the corner.

Felkerino’s “I met you at the corner and I need to eat now or else” look.

I ended up riding with a few new people on this ride, including Phil, one of the BicycleSPACE owners. We also talked a little bit with Erik, another one of the founders of the shop. I wish I had an opportunity to meet more riders on these rides, but with all of the maneuvering through the city (in traffic) it doesn’t always work out that way.

Erik, of BicycleSPACE

Thanks so much to BicycleSPACE for organizing the ride, and to Murals DC for putting art in public spaces. The city is more inviting bathed in splashes of color instead of drab concrete and brick. More pics of the murals and the ride can be found here.

By the way, if you have suggestions for murals in the D.C. area that you think are worth a look, would you please let me know in the comments where I can find them? I want to see more murals!

→ 3 Comments

Posted in BicycleSPACE Rides, Non-Rando Event Rides

Tagged , ,

Cupcake Ramblin’ with Sol and BicycleSPACE

Posted on July 26, 2012 | 2 Comments

The Cupcake Ramble crew

BicycleSPACE, one of D.C.’s local bike shops, has done an excellent job of building community through their group rides. Felkerino and I have attended a few of their evening social rides in the past and, while they were literally not my speed in terms of the pace with which they meandered through town, they were a fun way to meet other local bike riders and D.C. residents.

With our “big ride” of the summer complete, Felkerino and I decided that this last Saturday would be perfect to check out one of BicycleSPACE’s weekend rides. We rolled over to the shop to join the Cupcake Ramble, which is billed as a ride between 20 and 25 miles.

This past weekend was a bit on the dreary side so we made for a rather small Cupcake Ramble crew. Five people participated: Erik, Michael, Felkerino, and the ride leader, Sol. Our ride took us around through Arlington, up a fierce little hill Sol found especially for us, and back into the city– a total loop of about 20 miles.

Off on the Cupcake Ramble. Sol leads the way.

The sun never shone and the rain fell in places. Even so, it was a good day to ride. Rainy gray days always seem to quiet the roads on weekends which made for a pleasant riding once we exited D.C.’s city center.

Erik, founder of BicycleSPACE, and Felkerino

While the route was not anything epic, the Cupcake Ramble offers something very special to those who do it.

Sol, who I mentioned is the ride leader, is also a professional pastry chef and always brings a treat to share with the group. For our ride he had prepared a lovely coffee cake that he drizzled with his locally produced honey. And when I say local, I mean his back yard.

At about the midway point of our loop, our group paused to set up shop at a covered picnic table and break bread (i.e., coffee cake) together. We sat, chatted, talked bike rides, checked out each other’s bikes, listened to a few raindrops fall, and chewed on coffee cake.

Time out for coffee cake and honey on the Cupcake Ramble

How many rides have I been on where somebody made me coffee cake? One!

The Cupcake Ramble ended up being a fun way to spend a Saturday. Thanks so much to Sol for leading the ride and treating us to the delightful nosh. Also, thanks to BicycleSPACE for coordinating, and for making rides like these happen in our area.

Want to see more pics of the Cupcake Ramble? See the full set here.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in BicycleSPACE Rides, Non-Rando Event Rides, Shops

Tagged

WABA 50 States Ride, 2011 Edition!

Posted on September 25, 2011 | 7 Comments

This past weekend the Washington Area Bicycling Association (WABA) hosted its annual 50 States Ride. This urban cycling event meanders through all four quadrants of Washington, D.C., and passes over all 50 state streets.

It’s the only ride I’ve ever done that’s 65 miles and takes 193 cues to complete. That’s 10 pages of cues. And this year’s cue sheet is 19 fewer cues that last year’s! I admire the person who put that opus together.

50 States Ride cue sheet – “tricky maneuvers bolded”

I participated in this ride last year, and rode away from it thinking once might be enough. That changed, though, when my friends Rootchopper and Lane said they’d be riding. Felkerino and I decided we’d join in the fun and make the most of the adventure. In fact, we had a great time.

It was a pretty mellow crew that gathered in Kalorama Park on Saturday morning and the WABA volunteers did an excellent job of getting everyone smoothly through registration. It was fun to walk around and see all the different people participating and the diverse selection of bikes. Mixties, mountain bikes, custom tourers, vintage treasure, fixed gears, city bikes…  they were all there.

Lane rode his Bilenky, Felkerino was on his Rivendell Atlantis, and I picked the Rivendell Quickbeam as my steed of choice. I figured if it rained, the Quickbeam would be the easiest bike to clean and the single speed experience would give a different perspective on the event.

Felkerino and I also wore our D.C. Randonneurs jerseys to represent our club. Maybe it was a little overkill for a 65-mile ride, but they were comfortable and made for good conversation starters.

Lane and Felkerino with our 50 States Ride bikes of choice

After some announcements that I could not hear, we began our day. I spent a few miles examining the cue sheet, pedaling from light to light, checking out bikes, and saying hello to people (including Tweep @nikki_d!), until we reached the epicenter of the city.

The ride starts in Adams Morgan and then takes riders through the heart of downtown D.C.  The heart of downtown means lots of stoplights. LOTS! And for some reason, it seemed like most of them were turning red as I approached them. Go. Stop. Go a little more. Stop.

The ride started feeling like a bad commute and I was gritting my teeth. When Lane, Felkerino, and I reached Chinatown we took advantage of the proximity of Chinatown Coffee and decided to divert for cappuccino and croissants.

Felkerino says, “I’m having coffee. And we’re shortcutting!”

Since you only lose bragging rights for not staying on course, our little group chose to alter the route and morph it into a variation of the 50 States Ride. Our ride became the 50 States Minus a Few States Ride.

First, we decided to skip the Southwest quadrant since that is our quadrant of residence, we ride there all the time, and the road construction on Maine Avenue is giving me a headache.

We cut through the Capitol and rejoined the 50 States Ride in Capitol Hill and the Southeast quadrant. We crossed the Anacostia River via Pennsylvania Avenue and the Sousa Bridge (which seemed to have a little less debris on it this year, yes!).

A few miles later we were treated to our first official rest stop of the day. WABA and Bicycle Space did a great job with this stop. It was close to bathrooms, offered oranges and refills on water, and Bicycle Space distributed free patch kits there. Thanks, guys!

50 States Rest Stop, sponsored by Bicycle Space

At this point we were 15 miles (including our shortcut) and two rest stops into the ride. Let me just say, the 50 States Ride is not a brevet! Also, despite how it looks, we have actually ridden brevets before. But yeah, the 50 States ride is not a brevet. It is to be savored like a good glass of port. So you see, our rest stop/shortcut approach was deliberate.

We continued through Southeast and fell in with a fine group of riders. The hills started to put in an appearance, too, and the stoplights became less frequent. Yippee! I enjoyed seeing the streets and feeling the undulating terrain of Southeast below my pedals. I began to fall into a good rhythm with the ride.

Riding in the Southeast Quadrant

More Southeast Quadrant

Ten miles later, we returned to Eastern Market for lunch. Phew! I was starting to bonk after 10 miles of uninterrupted pedaling. Lane, Felkerino, and I went over to Peregrine for another cup of coffee and I grabbed sandwiches from the market.

Over lunch, we calculated our next shortcut opportunities, and decided to stay on course through Northeast and part of Northwest. We’d then divert to say hi to one of our Northwest friends.

After lunch, we fell in with another group and enjoyed chatting and passing the miles with them. I also happened to intersect with Chasing Mailboxes reader Justin. That was cool.

In this section we also missed a cue, and residents were so nice to shout out and bring it to our attention. That was kind as well as unexpected. Overall, people on the route were really good to us. I did not have any issues with aggressive drivers and we even had a few people on the course cheer us on!

Stoplight photo opp in the Northeast Quadrant

Northwest Quadrant

Due to an impending shortcut, we had to leave our post-lunch Northeast/Northwest group after 15 miles. We skipped a few more states, visited our friend Lisa, and ate lemon-lime popsicles. Delicious!

We rejoined the route just in time to descend into Rock Creek Park and climb out of it via Oregon Avenue. Eight miles later, we finally made it to the last rest stop at American University, ate bananas, admired a few bikes, and started plotting our return home. While there, we also ran into fellow D.C. Randonneur Calista, who was riding her beautiful new Waterford.

Calista and the Waterford

After chatting with Calista, we again diverged from the route and set off toward home, stopping at the official finish along the way to thank WABA and see if anyone we knew was there. We saw a couple of familiar faces and picked up a finishing t-shirt.

Did (most of) the ride. Got the T-shirt!

All told, we cut 12 miles off of the official 65-mile route and completed 40 of the 50 states. Sadly, one of the states we did not pass was my home state of Iowa. Grr. Oh well. I’ll be back to ride on you next year, Iowa!

My first time doing this ride, I refused to veer from the route. I really wanted to ride all 50 state streets. Anything less, and I would have gone home disappointed. This year, I didn’t care as much about that. I just wanted to ride my bike in some unfamiliar areas of the city. I looked at the event more as the Four Quadrants Ride (or Three Quadrants Ride, as reality would have it), as opposed to a 50 States Ride.

Since no one else in our group cared about bagging all 50 state streets, we discarded certain portions of the ride that were either: 1. areas we ride all the time and did not feel like riding; 2. congested; or 3. conspiring against us via the traffic lights. Eliminating or limiting those parts of the city made for a better overall ride experience.

The Quickbeam ended up being a perfect choice for the day. While sections of the course were fairly beat up and bumpy, that’s nothing new for the city. My 32 mm tires were perfect for the city surfaces and I just kept my eyes peeled for any uneven patches. The Quickbeam was also fun to ride on the short urban climbs. And I don’t have to clean it because, despite the forecast, we had no rain!

Quickbeam at the American University rest stop. Good job, bike!

Wearing the D.C. Randonneurs jersey turned out to be a good move. We got lots of compliments on the jersey and questions about the club. I felt like a D.C. Randonneurs ambassador although, as I said, I’m not sure we presented ourselves as very credible randonneurs with all our shortcutting and stopping.

D.C. Randonneurs jersey and Bicycle Space patch kit

I took pictures throughout the ride, and the full set is here. If you see anybody you know, please feel free to comment or tag them.

Thanks to WABA for the event, and to the organizations that supported the 50 States Ride, including: New Belgium Brewery (so glad we got t-shirts!); Bicycle Space; The Bike House; and the American University Cycling Team. You helped me get to know my city, as well as my fellow cyclists, a little better. It was fun, and I hope to be back next year!

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Non-Rando Event Rides, WABA 50 States Ride