VASA RIDE – WABA and the Swedish Embassy

[crysb]

I’m down for blueberry soup and green beer! Registered yesterday.

[acc]

The Swedish Embassy flings open their doors, and elevator to the area’s great unwashed cycling community!

It is a fun event. Lot’s of unusual bikes to gawk at and lots of cyclists to gawk at too.

Blueberry goo? Ugh. But if you’re into drinking warm syrup, have at it.

[jopamora]

@acc 43015 wrote:

The Swedish Embassy flings open their doors, and elevator to the area’s great unwashed cycling community!

It is a fun event. Lot’s of unusual bikes to gawk at and lots of cyclists to gawk at too.

Blueberry goo? Ugh. But if you’re into drinking warm syrup, have at it.

Sounds worse than pickled herring.

[bobco85]

The VASA ride (I did the Halv Vasa) last year was fun, albeit a bit on the cold side (40s and windy). I definitely recommend it as it opened up new areas for me to explore including Glen Echo Park, the roads around Potomac (MD), and that nasty hill climb (read: Strava segment) at the end of MacArthur Blvd to get to Falls Rd (the highest elevation point of the ride).

I call that hill climb nasty only because you’ll be climbing steadily before getting to this, which consists of a series of short, undulating climbs while the road haphazardly curves left and right and you’ll be dealing with vehicular traffic (which has no problem going uphill, speeding past you, and leaving a trail of fresh exhaust for you to breathe). It presents a different challenge than typical hills on straight roads where you can see the top.

The blueberry soup is, um, weird, but I did like it. To me, it tasted like the blueberry equivalent to hot apple cider.

[americancyclo]

registered!

Anyone riding in from falls church want to caravan in?

[consularrider]

@americancyclo 43069 wrote:

registered!

Anyone riding in from falls church want to caravan in?

I’ll be riding in early since I’ll be a bike marshal for the full Vasa and we have to get indoctrinated.

[acc]

Hey! Thanks for volunteering!!

It’s only in the past six months or so that it finally dawned on me how many people are necessary to make these events happen. So, sincerely — thank you.

[KLizotte]

@bobco85 43068 wrote:

The VASA ride (I did the Halv Vasa) last year was fun, albeit a bit on the cold side (40s and windy). I definitely recommend it as it opened up new areas for me to explore including Glen Echo Park, the roads around Potomac (MD), and that nasty hill climb (read: Strava segment) at the end of MacArthur Blvd to get to Falls Rd (the highest elevation point of the ride).

I call that hill climb nasty only because you’ll be climbing steadily before getting to this, which consists of a series of short, undulating climbs while the road haphazardly curves left and right and you’ll be dealing with vehicular traffic (which has no problem going uphill, speeding past you, and leaving a trail of fresh exhaust for you to breathe). It presents a different challenge than typical hills on straight roads where you can see the top.

I’ve signed up for the first time this year. What you describe does not sound like fun because of the cars. Do any of the rides avoid this bit of nastiness? I also don’t like riding MacArthur Blvd in the road either because of the cars.

Thanks.

[bobco85]

@KLizotte 43077 wrote:

I’ve signed up for the first time this year. What you describe does not sound like fun because of the cars. Do any of the rides avoid this bit of nastiness? I also don’t like riding MacArthur Blvd in the road either because of the cars.

Thanks.

Mostly the nastiness is when I’m on solo rides on weekday afternoons or weekends midday. It wasn’t bad at all during the Vasa Ride last year because it was on a Sunday morning (less drivers) and there were many cyclists around (strength in numbers). For the most part, MacArthur Blvd has a separate trail, but in this particular section the road is one lane in both directions with not much of a shoulder.

I’d recommend looking at the Street View in Google Maps to give you a better idea of that section, and during the ride just stick with a couple of other people and you’ll be fine.

[consularrider]

@KLizotte 43077 wrote:

I’ve signed up for the first time this year. What you describe does not sound like fun because of the cars. Do any of the rides avoid this bit of nastiness? I also don’t like riding MacArthur Blvd in the road either because of the cars.

Thanks.

I’ve done the Full and Korte Vasas, and only know the outbound route for the Halv Vasa. Assuming the routes stay pretty much the same, the Korte Vasa (15 mile ride) actually goes east from the House of Sweden and is a mix of trails and streets in the District. Leaving at 9 am, you’ll get back before there is a lot of traffic on that Sunday. Both the Full Vasa and the Halv Vasa take MacArthur Blvd from Resevoir Rd out to Great Falls. The full Vasa then takes you on River Rd west of Falls Rd in Potomac, another busy road that gets used a lot by cylists. You turn off River Rd and head to Travilah and on the way back take Oaklyn and Bradley Rds to Bethesda, go over the Georgetown Branch Trail and down Beach Dr. There is another tough climb out of Rockcreek Park on Brandywine St NW.

The 2011 Korte Vasa Route (ignore the part in Virginia which was my ride to and from the event).

The 2012 Full Vasa Route.

[vvill]

@americancyclo 43069 wrote:

registered!

Anyone riding in from falls church want to caravan in?

Yup! I signed up for the full ride.

[DaveK]

I will probably be out there in some way, shape, or form…

[TwoWheelsDC]

I may have to sign up now since people I know are riding. If I do sign up, I’m down for convoying with the rest of the west of the river folks.

[culimerc]

The little Missus and I will be partaking of the Blueberry soup.

[makeleleroll]

This sounds like a fun event. I’m pretty new to road biking and this would be my first event. Is this event suitable for a newbie like me? Like for a level C rider? Is the path difficult in that there is a lot of car traffic passing close to riders? I’m not worried about terrain, just worried about safety. I’m accustomed to riding mostly trails like the Mt Vernon and WOD.

[Author]

Posts