Maryland Saturday Rides
- This topic has 7 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
Topic
-
I plan to go for a longish ride at least one day each weekend, often with non-BAFS friends, and would welcome company from Freezers looking for some good miles. We did this last year and had a good group of semi-regulars. The basic plan is this:
1. I will post the “plan” by Thursday night each week on the Forum, including a Ride With GPS link to a route and cue sheet. The ride will be on Saturday or Sunday, depending on weather and my work commitments. I generally prefer Sunday, but may will try to pick the warmer, sunnier, and/or dryer day. I will not ride in steady rain or when the roads are snowy or icy.
2. Rides will start at the Takoma Metro, with options to join in along the way. We usually met a group at the French School on Beach Dr. near Candy Cane Park, and there were other meet-up spots based on individual circumstances.
3. Rides typically start at 9:30, but that will vary based on weather and my mood.
4. Ride distance will vary based on weather and mood. In Before Times, we would aim for one of the farm breweries north of Olney, sometimes with a stop at Passion Bakery in Sandy Spring, which got us 50-65 miles. If it is really cold (20s or below) we may just stay in Rock Creek Park to get our minimum miles in. If it is really nice, we might go longer. Also, the basic route is mostly an out-and-back, so you can always make the ride shorter by just turning around. Last year we had a few folks with time commitments who would just turn around when they needed to.
5. This year, we will figure out our destination, if any, based on the collective comfort level with going to ANY destination. Brookeville Beer Farm has outdoor seating with heaters, so that may be an acceptable destination (beer and hot pizza a definite plus), but we will just have to figure that out.
6. The pace was what I would call social club pace: brisk and steady, but not punishing. Usually I ended with an average in the 14-15 MPH range. However, we typically had a range of paces and people usually found someone to ride with comfortably. The route has lots of traffic lights and stop signs so we regroup frequently, and I will make sure that no one rides alone (unless you want to) or is totally dropped.
7. COVID-19. To keep the ride as safe as we can, wear a mask or appropriate face & nose cover while we ride and when/if we go inside. In addition to being safer, masks keep your face warm. Keep good distance from other riders. We can usually ride two abreast, but try to avoid clumps. We just can’t ride in tight groups like we used to.I hope to see you sometime this Winter, and look for posts with weekly details.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.