T’is the Season!!!!

[Dirt]

No. You don’t have to start Christmas shopping yet. Wait till December 24th for that… The 23rd if you have to ship stuff.

This is the perfect time to think about how you’re going to transition to winter.

1. Plan your winter riding gear…. Clothes, shoes, tires, embrocations, post-ride beverage recipes, etc.
2. Alternative activities to get you off the bike, but still active… XC skiing, roller blading, running (Satan made me say that), weight lifting or my personal fave, long board skating.
3. Watch some Cyclocross races. If you’ve never seen one, go! You won’t be sorry. It is a fun way to spend a day and there are plenty around to watch. Better yet, join a clinic, learn your way over a barrier or two and then join in a race.
4. Take a bike maintenance class and spend some time this winter getting your bike(s) ready for spring all on your own.

Keep the fires burning all year. We’ll do some snow riding this winter. If you’re interested in playing, let’s get a group together and do so!

Rock and roll.

Dirt.

Topic

[consularrider]

@sjclaeys 31325 wrote:

Welcome to Westover! Other important facts to learn are the beer list at the Westover Beer Garden and the menu at Lost Dog.

How many of us are in that general area? I don’t have enough little gray cells left to learn the beer list at Westover.

[DSalovesh]

I’m working on convincing my family and knee that these need to come home with me:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1713[/ATTACH]

Check at Fort Dupont about ice speed skating options. I know they do some, but it may be targeted at kids. The speed coach is an Olympian who would know if there are other venues – runs an inline kid’s camp all summer and an after-school one the rest of the year.

[sjclaeys]

@consularrider 31359 wrote:

How many of us are in that general area? I don’t have enough little gray cells left to learn the beer list at Westover.

Maybe we should have a Bike Forum meet up at the beer garden to find out.

[DismalScientist]

@sjclaeys 31367 wrote:

Maybe we should have a Bike Forum meet up at the beer garden to find out.

Are we ELITE?

There is always Forties in the parking lot at 7-11 or, dare I say, the Forest Inn.:rolleyes:

[JorgeGortex]

@Dirt 31322 wrote:

I use embrocation for cold, rainy rides. I suggest it for longer rides and make sure you’ve got what it takes to remove it. Mad Alchemy is a great company and a great web site. They do really good stuff. I love their chamois cream too. Just be very careful not to mix it up with the embro.

I think a new set of speed skates is in my future.

Anyone know if any of the local ice arenas have time set aside for short course speed skating? I know that kinda shreds the ice, so many hockey venues don’t allow them. Dang is that a lot of fun though.

Nice skates. A buddy of mine used to do short track skating… if I remember right he had to go into MD somewhere to do it. Part of the reason he had to give it up was the travel time with everything else was too much.

[JorgeGortex]

@TwoWheelsDC 31297 wrote:

Speaking of off-bike activities…my wife and I just bought a house in Westover, so we’ll be newly minted ArlCo residents next month. I’ve noticed that the rec facilities at ArlCo schools are much superior to DC’s, meaning they actually exist…are these facilities (running tracks and outdoor bball courts, in particular) open for public use? Growing up, this was the case, but I don’t know if there are restrictions nowadays and I can’t find any websites with that kind of info.

Welcome to the neighborhood… I’m in that area too. To answer your question: yes, you can use any school track and outdoor courts or fields, when they are not in use by students or a league with a permit. TJ middle school and community center near Rt. 50 and Glebe road has an indoor track and weight facility available to county residents. I believe there might be a small fee.

Enjoy!

[JorgeGortex]

@DismalScientist 31382 wrote:

Are we ELITE?

There is always Forties in the parking lot at 7-11 or, dare I say, the Forest Inn.:rolleyes:

Wow, you just went there. If people were to go to the Forrest Inn, we better we better be ready for some scrapping. Bring your flannel, painter’s pants, and let a Marlboro dangle from the corner of your lip. Budweiser for everyone!

Bleah.

[Dirt]

@JorgeGortex 31384 wrote:

Nice skates. A buddy of mine used to do short track skating… if I remember right he had to go into MD somewhere to do it. Part of the reason he had to give it up was the travel time with everything else was too much.

Kinda figured as much. I’m okay with rolling on wheels for my skating. It is easier to do endurance-type workouts rather than sprint stuff.

[JorgeGortex]

@Dirt 31395 wrote:

Kinda figured as much. I’m okay with rolling on wheels for my skating. It is easier to do endurance-type workouts rather than sprint stuff.

If you want me to try to get info for you I can give my buddy a jingle. I have couple of friends who were big skaters… you probably saw them on Haines Point at some point, but now they are mostly riding. Skating and cycling seem to go hand in hand.

[mstone]

Has anyone tried the shimano SH-MW81? It looks just right for staying warm & keeping stuff from dripping inside the shoe, but it looks like one of those “have to buy it blindly off the internet” items.

[Author]

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