WABA Cider Ride

[TwoWheelsDC]

Had to edit out a wrong turn or two…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzjNIYVHttU

[Judd]

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[bobco85]

The Cider Ride and pre-/post-riding was a blast on Saturday! A couple of us met up at the Pentagon City Whole Foods before heading to the starting point of the Cider Ride. We were taken along beautiful countryside roads, through amber and red colored forests, parks, and wildlife refuges, and along wonderful riverside trails. IMO WABA created a wonderful route for the Honeycrisp route, and I enjoyed myself even on the few big hills that we encountered (what’s a nice ride without a bit of climbing to make you really enjoy those hilltop views?). I saw a lot of people along the way, and it was nice to see so many people that I knew or knew me (haha, much easier to realize who someone is when they call your name first!). After the Cider Ride, myself and a small group headed to Sarah Bee’s for delicious beer, brats, and more (like seeing the bike room!) before riding back along the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, through DC, along the MVT, and home.

After Chris and I split past Shirlington, I looked down at my cycling computer and noticed that it read 96 miles. I did not believe it at first, so I had to do the math: 8 (home to Pentagon City) + 8 (PC to Cider Ride start) + 52 (Honeycrisp route) + 6 (to Sarah Bee’s) + 22 (to Alexandria) = 96. When I figured that out, I decided to add an extra couple of miles (I did a Seminary-Braddock-Van Dorn St-Sanger loop) which brought me to my imperial century.

Pics to follow, but I must say, this is one of the best ways I have ever spent an autumn day (it was awesome seeing everyone)

(top left) at the check-in and start of the Cider Ride at the cool-looking Dance Place off the MBT; (top center) getting hot cider at the first pit stop at Proteus; (top right) purple-colored grape-frosted donuts that were delicious, Leo somehow got a pic of this with everything well-arranged of which I am jealous; (bottom) long line of cyclists in our group on the Northwest Branch Trail early on in the ride
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(top left) taking a break in the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge while Dave helped with a bike fix, we were visited by birthday girl Kitty; (top right) Judd and Josephine practicing the ancient art of balancing 2 bikes by leaning them against each other at just the right angle; (bottom left) pie time at the 2nd pit stop at Buddy Attick Lake Park with Robyne; (bottom right) my “Martha Stewart would go crazy if she saw this” apple pie and hot chocolate presentation
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(top left) this is what happens when you pass through a yellow light when leading a group, sorry guys! (top right) yay for protected bike lanes on 1st Ave NE! (bottom) liking my Cider Ride mug that I picked up at the end of the ride
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(left) the wonderful bike room at Sarah Bee’s that we are all jealous of; (right) proof of my imperial century at the end of the night
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[Rootchopper]

It was pretty nice out there yesterday. WABA has a winner with this ride for sure.
https://rootchopper.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/19594/

[Judd]

The route was great for Cider Ride. There were lots of moments riding through tree lined trails and roads with lots of fall color. I especially liked biking through the Patuxent Refuge. The registration table was really backed up when my group arrived. Only three people working it and it appeared that cue sheets were still being cut and assembled at another table with two folks.

[KLizotte]

@Rootchopper 148576 wrote:

It was pretty nice out there yesterday. WABA has a winner with this ride for sure.
https://rootchopper.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/19594/

A very funny posting.Thanks.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Judd 148589 wrote:

The route was great for Cider Ride. There were lots of moments riding through tree lined trails and roads with lots of fall color. I especially liked biking through the Patuxent Refuge. The registration table was really backed up when my group arrived. Only three people working it and it appeared that cue sheets were still being cut and assembled at another table with two folks.

The line wasn’t too bad at 845-9ish, but it seemed to be growing while I was standing in it. Judging by the amount of riders I passed on the double-back portions of the route, it was probably out of control later in the morning.

My main critique was that many of the ride marshalls seemed unfamiliar with the route. There were a couple of times I saw marshalls leading groups the wrong way (yay for my Garmin). At one point, where the route turned under the railroad tracks at Lake Artemesia, a rider was coming away from the railroad underpass (so riding the wrong way) and said “trust me, don’t go that way” to the fairly large group I was in. Rather than stick to the cue sheet, the marshalls at the front of my big group followed this riders advice and led the group away from the underpass and along the lake. A few us of realized this was wrong and decided to check out the underpass we’d just been told to avoid, because cue sheets…lo and behold, that was indeed the right way and I have no idea why that rider was so insistent that we shouldn’t ride through the underpass. I’m curious how far that group got before they realized their mistake, since there aren’t a lot of places to cross the tracks.

[Judd]

I can agree on the signage. FastFriendlyGuy was my marshal and had the route loaded on his Garmin so there were only a few slight wrong turns.

Some route signage would have been great. Wonder if it’s not provided since WABA keeps the route as super secret as possible.

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[ginacico]

“WABA’s motto: ‘Getting lost is part of the fun!'” (Quote from Rootchopper’s very funny blog post.)

Agreed, the cue sheet and lack of signage were challenging. I survived because I was on the back of a tandem, and as stoker it was also my job to navigate. While Peter attempted to follow the route on his phone, I was reading the detailed cues and affirming the decisions, and I could use two hands to flip pages. Even then we missed one or two turns, and so did another tandem couple who we rode with for awhile.

That said, it was like a WABA tour of great bike infrastructure. Brand new trails, protected bike lanes, easily shareable roads, and great rest stops.

We wished for alternative food choices. By the time we got to Shortcake Bakery the second time, we couldn’t handle any more sugar (and that place makes awesome treats). We stopped at the Greenbelt co-op, should’ve bought something there for lunch.

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[TwoWheelsDC]

@ginacico 148613 wrote:

By the time we got to Shortcake Bakery the second time

Ha! I didn’t even realize it was a stop the first time through. I guess because I was behind a long line of riders, I didn’t even see it (I never ride in that area…). That also explains why I overheard someone there (when I came through on the way back) saying “you’ll come through here again” which at the time I found very confusing.

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

@ginacico 148613 wrote:

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Oh yeah for everybody’s benefit: the curry chicken (pockets? pasties? dunno what they call em here) these guys make were really really really (really!) good! Whenever I pass by here in the future I will buy five or six and eat them all immediately.

I did have some beef with the cue sheet frequently being over-complicated and unclear, at one point some marshals were waiting at an intersection giving (correct) directions that disagreed with the cue sheet entirely. There are definitely a few places where people wind up making wrong turns/getting lost both years I’ve done this now – just put some signs up, yeesh!

Despite that it was my favorite organized ride this year for sure.

[Bruno Moore]

So, last year we did put up signs. I remember standing out on the Paint Branch Trail in the dead of night the day before coming home from work, bike light in my mouth as I fumbled with duct tape and a packet of signs that stuck together.

When I came through the next morning, about half of them had blown down. I vaguely remember there being a windstorm or suchlike during the night? I had to do some chasing after the ride to track them all down. Other sections that I knew from our instructions would be signed were entirely unsigned—again, wind.

Glad to hear things otherwise went well, and sad to have to miss this one.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Brünø Moore 148678 wrote:

So, last year we did put up signs. I remember standing out on the Paint Branch Trail in the dead of night the day before coming home from work, bike light in my mouth as I fumbled with duct tape and a packet of signs that stuck together.

When I came through the next morning, about half of them had blown down. I vaguely remember there being a windstorm or suchlike during the night? I had to do some chasing after the ride to track them all down. Other sections that I knew from our instructions would be signed were entirely unsigned—again, wind.

Glad to hear things otherwise went well, and sad to have to miss this one.

For a WABA ride (where costs are kept to a minimum to increase money for actual advocacy), I don’t expect much in the way of signs. So for me at least, that critique isn’t really meant as a knock against WABA. But I think just 3 or 4 signs, or maybe even chalk on the trail (most of the problem areas seemed to be on the trails), at key intersections would’ve made a big difference.

[Judd]

Chalk is a great idea. I’d be satisfied with some nice big chalk arrows.

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[Judd]

Chalk is a great idea. I’d be satisfied with some nice big chalk arrows.

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[Author]

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