[arlcxrider]

@serdar Anywhere on the park property is fine. Some of these dots are very arbitrary.

[arlcxrider]

Must be unique to you.

[arlcxrider]

Scoring is all via Strava, and there’s no limit on daily points. If you hit multiple parks, stop and save your ride. Then include the hashtag #parks on each ride posted to Strava.

[arlcxrider]

Just do your best. The yellow dots on the POTA map can be a little non-specific, and some of them are non-bikeable (TR Memorial). President’s Park covers all of Lafayette Square and the Ellipse area.

[arlcxrider]

The map shows a big cluster of eligible parks around Lake Monroe, Ind.

[arlcxrider]

Three more:

1. Dress for the end of the ride, not the beginning. Chances are you will feel cold for the first few miles. It’ll (usually) get better.
2. Use the calendar and clock strategically. Bracket midnight with two rides and you get credit for two days in one effort. Just remember to stop and save your ride just before midnight and start the second ride just after. A good strategy if the weather is going to be not-so-good later in the day.
3. Have fun. I do this to ward off the winter blahs.

[arlcxrider]

If you ride out to Mason Neck, you can bag four right there. “Parks” include Wildlife Refuges and so forth. Similarly, a trip to Fort Washington there are three (Harmony Hall, Ft. Washington, and Piscataway.)

[arlcxrider]

I don’t think you can use the search bar to search by location on the “parklist” page. On the left hand side you can expand the US listing to see each state (and DC.) Or use the map function.

[arlcxrider]

Nice. And at 270′ (!) there should be no settlement, meaning the bridge surface should remain level for the life of the bridge. And relatively smooth, if the board surface is renewed periodically.

[arlcxrider]

While it’s not “officially” open, the new Talbot Ave Bridge over the future Purple Line and CSX tracks is bikeable. Barriers are easily avoided. The streets on the west side are completely open to provide access to homes.

[arlcxrider]

First round of useless statistics:

Number of Goldenspike entries: 185

 

Number of unique carriers: 16

Angel’s Flight

Amtrak (NRPC)

BART

Baltimore Light Rail

Baltimore Subway

Caltrain

DC Streetcar

MARC

LA Metro

Seattle Monorail

Seattle Streetcar

SF Muni

SNCB/NMBS (Belgium)

VRE

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

WMATA

 

More to follow…

[arlcxrider]

Howdy, Goldenspikers. Please post any late entries ASAP.

 

I’m going to tabulate results in the next day or two. A nice rainy day activity, and certainly more fun than doing taxes.

 

See you all at the Closing Ceremonies on April 10, when the lucky winner will be revealed. I’ll also announce some truly useless statistics.

[arlcxrider]

It may be time to retire the “bollard busters” trope. It’s getting a little out of hand.

[arlcxrider]

My advice is “don’t arrive hungry.” The on-site food offerings were pretty meager last year.

[arlcxrider]

April 10 and 11 has been bandied about on the Strava group, but there’s nothing definite yet.

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