[Boomer Cycles]

Here is another great resource for choosing the best, after work or urban escape rides of every imaginable length or difficulty in the greater DC area:
http://bikewashington.org/routes/index.htm

[Boomer Cycles]

How about this for our first team ride?

Are you a bicyclist who loves beer and lives in the DMV? Be a part of Port City’s Pedals “N’ Pints January ride! Come out for a 10:45 a.m. 10-mile ride on Saturday, January 17, work up a thirst and return to plentiful brews and food from Rockland BBQ Food Truck, who will be there by Noon.
http://www.portcitybrewing.com/company/events/2015/1/port-citys-pedals-n-pints-3/

[Boomer Cycles]

@Harry Meatmotor 105119 wrote:

team name?

Dark Arts of the Black Hearts

(almost sounds like a band name)

Rollin’ Davy Jones

(nod to the pirate concept, plus, it’s cold dark and wet at the bottom of the sea. and we make appropriate the best pirate joke in the world for cheerleading purposes: What’s a a Pirates favorite letter? (everyone answers “ARRRRRGH!”) to which we answer, “NAY!!! ‘Tis the C!!!!”)

…more may come later…

In keeping with the Pirate theme, which I like for its fashion implications for our team, I suggest the following, all to be preceeded by the symbol ❤, of course:

Buccaneers
Blimeys
Cutlasses
Dungbies
Freebooters
Hornswaggles
Swashbucklers
Scallywags
Seadogs
Shark bait

[Boomer Cycles]

Hi All, I am Boomer and met many of you at the HH. Sorry for my late posting as I’m a newbie to the Forum and just discovered that our team had its own thread.
I live in West Falls Church near the WOD trail at mile 8.0 where it intersects with Virginia Lane (near Shrevewood Elementary School, which is a great staging area for weekend rides westward on the WOD, fyi) .
This is my first FS but I have been a year round bike commuter from home to downtown DC since 1990, and served as a WABA commuter mentor in years past. I regularly commute 3x/week to DC for a round-trip of 24 miles, and try to do at least one 40-60 mile range ride on the weekends.
I have done most of the WABA and bike shop sponsored rides in the NOVA area (15 to 25 mile range) and know the street bike routes pretty well. I’ve volunteered as a ride marshall for several half, metric, Gran Fondo and full centuries rides, including Paul’s Ride for Life and Bike to the Beach, as well as regularly organize/marshal ad hoc rides for my cycling friends using the Greater Washington Area Bicycle Atlas. I’m available to ride on most Saturday or Sunday afternoons to just about anywhere in the DC area, or Mon, Tues or Friday after work hours if it is near the WOD, Custis or 4 mile run trails and can be tacked onto my daily commute. I’d be happy to suggest/marshall rides for our team once I know what the range/comfort level is of the team members. In any event, I look forward to getting to know you and riding together. Ride on!

[Boomer Cycles]

❤ Black Hearts Team

[Boomer Cycles]

The Heart ♥ breakers? team

[Boomer Cycles]

@Arlingtonrider 104606 wrote:

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the happy hour last night and made it such a fun evening! It was awesome to see so many people show up and I hope everyone was able to connect with some of their teammates.

Special thanks too to Boomer4U and Lord of the Mark for leading an intrepid convoy to the event!

Congrats again to Rod Smith for winning the overall Jan 1 Gold Nugget award (just over 132 miles) and to Eric Williams for winning the newbie Gold Nugget award (120.4 miles). Great accomplishments on a cold day!

I hope people will post photos from last night and maybe Vicegrip (last year’s Gold Nugget winner) can do a little write up about the creation of his amazing legacy award for overall Gold Nugget winners.

Thanks again to all who came last night! I hope everyone had a good time and got home safely.

Thank you, Arlingtonrider, for all that you do on behalf of the BAFS community. It takes a village! [emoji1]

[Boomer Cycles]

@sethpo 104510 wrote:

Thanks! I have no route preference and will happily follow along. I rode my MTB today so don’t drop me

This will be a no drop convoy, unless we go climb the hill:-)

[Boomer Cycles]

@hozn 104417 wrote:

The W&OD — especially between EFC and just west of Vienna — seemed more treacherous (slippery) this AM, as there was a little melting in the sun to make the “dry spots” often little ice slicks. More sliding around this AM than I can remember from any other ride [and I’m riding studded tires]. Luckily no actual falls, just had to unclip a few times or I might have fallen.

Must be nice for y’all that can just ride the treated Arl Co trails and surface streets to work. And have a tailwind in the mornings. … Man, I should get a job in the city!

I ride that section regularly and took to the streets of Falls Church instead as that section of the WOD is just too treacherous until the ice sheets recede.

[Boomer Cycles]

@alrob 104425 wrote:

Arlington carefully cleared the Four Mile Run trail (Anderson Bikeway) along Glebe Rd., the 395 underpass, and the W&OD in Shirlington between its eastern terminus and Columbia Pike. These stretches are totally clear and rideable now. However, north and west of Columbia Pike the W&OD hasn’t been touched, and most of it is unrideable. I bailed out onto Carlin Springs and then used the roads to get out to Great Falls St. on my way out to Tysons. I hear it is OK west of the Custis junction, because they cleared the Custis which is shared with the W&OD at that stretch. I don’t know why they would clear the Custis but leave the W&OD untouched (except for, ironically, the part of the W&OD through Shirlington that is easily bypassed and tends to melt off much quicker than the part they didn’t touch. They DID clear the untouched stretch of the W&OD last year. It seems that they should save their resources so that they can at least plow all the trails and skip some of the brine pretreatment if they have to in order to make ends meet. By now it is hardened into ice and isn’t very plowable until we get above freezing. The part they didn’t clear is one of the last stretches to melt on its own. That is the stretch that should receive the highest priority. They did not do any brine pretreatment on this stretch either.

I rode my roadie today from Shreve Road & Virginia Lane to 20th & M in NW DC today. As noted, the WOD between Shreve Road and Rt 29 is an ice sheet, so I stuck to the streets. I took the WOD/Custis Trail from East Falls Church Metro to Roosevelt Island parking lot which was clear sailing a the way, thanks to Arlington County! The MVT was an ice sheet, blocking the ascent to the Roosevelt Bridge, so I had to double back and cross the Potomac via the Key Bridge (downstream side), which had a clear path. The WOD was and ice sheet from the Custis Junction headed down to Colombia Pike. No problems once in DC, down M and L streets. Ride safely out there!

[Boomer Cycles]

It looks like the consensus is that the Memorial Bridge (downstream, South side) is the better choice to cross the Potomac as the 14th Bridge is still “icy and yucky”. So I propose that we ride from the Cabi station at Jefferson Memorial to the Memorial bridge and cross together. We then have 3 relatively ice free options from postings #30 (go climb a hill North to go South) and #35 (flat 4.9 or 6.4 miles). I can do any of them. But please sound off on your preference if you plan to join the convoy at 5:15pm.

[Boomer Cycles]

@Mikey 104303 wrote:

I second this idea. this is how dasgeh and I convoyed last year and it should be fine. The area between the 14th street bridge – humpback – and LBJ memorial absolutely suck, but the rest isn’t bad. We could also cut over on the Pentagon South parking connector road and get on FERN then turn right on Army Navy. As a group we would be fine.

My only concern is with using the 14th Street Bridge, which I understand is still icy. The Memorial Bridge (downstream side) is reported to be ice free.

[Boomer Cycles]

@Arlingtonrider 104459 wrote:

Dasgeh, are those two parkway crossings safely doable during rush hour? I’ve only done them on weekends.

I have made those crossings at rush hour, and yes, the cars will stop.

[Boomer Cycles]

I am familiar with the proposed route across the Memorial bridge (southbound) and happy to Marshall. I will not use the 14th Street Bridge as I ride on a roadie with skinny tires and avoid ice like a plague.

[Boomer Cycles]

@sethpo 104216 wrote:

I am 95% sure I remember the route after doing it a few times last year (and I’ll download the GPX just in case)…

I know the route and happy to help marshall the convoy from Jeff Memorial

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