[Fast Friendly Guy]

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[Fast Friendly Guy]

What does this make you think of?…..Big floppy ears in Friendship Heights, cute button nose in Dalecarlia, front paws in the Palisades, hind legs thumping in Georgetown, and an adorable cotton tail that rings the VP’s mansion! A guaranteed adventure with a few happy surprises along the route.

Total drawing is a mere 19 miles (1311′ gain) i.e., no 70 mile Godzilla this! Start and finish in Georgetown; ride begins at 10:30 and ends between 12 and 1 with snack or pizza lunch (in Georgetown?) for anyone feeling hungry.

C’mon free that inner artist!
Speak up early if interested (PM me through the forum) on this ride there’s room for four besides me.

A few who might be interested (not limited to these)
Liz?
Kathy?
Will?
Steve?
Monica?
Alex?
Sarah
Karen Smith?

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@Phatboing 81756 wrote:

I’ve christened it Future Space Sex Machine.

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It ate up the Buckthorn hill, and I barely broke a sweat.

It’s sweet and I got to test RIDE IT! (When I met Phatboing by chance at the W&OD & 123 crossing in Vienna) I was drawing/riding my horse’s head and he was loving his new titanium steed!

[Fast Friendly Guy]

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Left to Right
Back row: DKel Jr. & DKel, Dismal Scientist, Fast Friendly Guy, DCAKen
Front: CaptJohnC, Mikey (and Mikeites)

[Fast Friendly Guy]

1. On a bike you’re IN the world. There’re no tightly rolled windows, so you can talk to people! Riders, walkers, runners, doggers, even drivers (if they have windows down) Say hello to anyone! And if your heading the same direction, you can talk about e.g., (the weather, the day, BA forum, ninjas/crazy ivans, bikes, GPS art, Freezing Saddles….)

2. Turning my office into a clothes-drying-hanging challenge for jersey, shorts/pants, socks, gloves, base layers–“Now let me see…Where can I stick THIS so it doesn’t show (too much)?”

3. Smelling the flowers in the spring, shaving minutes off my time in the summer, marveling at the foliage in the fall, and catching snowflakes on my tongue in the winter

4. I like the people who also do it

[Fast Friendly Guy]

[h=2]BAFS Poem in Honor of The Winning Team (and all who rode this winter)[/h]
Freezing Saddles

Deep inside a winter’s night
An alarm clock screams with all its might
The sun’s not up and the wind is howling
Like a grizzly’s roar or a tiger growling

You want to roll over and stay in bed
But a voice says, “Go!” inside your head
Snow is falling and the window rattles
Yes, another day of Freezing Saddles!

You slowly pull the curtain aside
It may be freezing, but it’s time to ride
Outside is many a wintry mile
Across your face spreads a thin wry smile

On with the base layers; on with the Gortex;
Gloves and booties for the Polar Vortex
Blinkies are lit and the headlight’s aglow
It’s time to head out in to the snow!

Black ice or powder, it matters not
Because you’ll give it all you’ve got
Knobbies or studs on front and back
On wooden bridges you find your track

Peddling o’er Brandymore; o’er ruts of death
Clouds of steam with every breath
Up the shivering Sisters you climb
Ahead is the horror of icy Trollheim

So you take to the streets and leave the trail
But here it’s just another tale.
Speeding cars all in a rush
Are splashing salt and slinging slush!

Just when you think you’re going berserk
You finally make it into work
Querulous coworkers cast a jaundiced eye
As their kitted office mate walks by

Backed up work’s on your desk in piles
‘Cause at lunch you rode those extra miles
Turn off the computer; lay down the pen
‘Cause now it’s time to head out again.

It’s still as cold as a witch’s ……nose
Soon you’ll have those frozen toes
The winter sun is a low red arc
And now you’re riding in the dark

“Why do you do it?” friends want to know
It’s cold, it’s dark; and there’s so much snow!
“Why don’t you drive or take a bus?”
“Why aren’t you like the rest of us?”

Sometimes you ask yourself the same
Who is it here that is to blame?
Is it the challenge; or the thrill of a quest?
Or teammates for whom you do your best?

What is the answer? You search your heart,
What is it exactly that sets you apart?
Words can’t do justice; why even try?
How will others ever understand why?

It’s making the first tracks on new fallen snow
It’s the thrill of going where few choose to go
It’s excitement and danger that fills a need
It’s your beating heart when you pick up speed

It’s the rhythm of your pedals, thighs and knees
It’s the full day ride and the lunchtime sleaze
It’s the joy in your lungs of cold crisp air
It’s the awesome silence that feels like a prayer

It’s the beauty of the sunlit snow
It’s the thrilling challenge that makes you go
It’s a pledge that goes on and on for weeks
It’s the permanent glow upon your cheeks

It’s beating your best on every ride
It’s the roaring fire that burns inside
It’s the frozen night where bright stars soar
How can you tell them all this and more?

Now, everyone’s leaning forward to hear
Why do you do this every year?
So you tell them the answer from deep inside,
Saying simply, “I’m a rider and I like to ride.”

So, when winter serves up its icy dish
And warm fingers and toes are but a wish
You forget the pain and open your eyes
All around you is the ultimate prize!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Happy
Hour so much fun!

Dave P

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@baiskeli 81328 wrote:

News Release
For Immediate Release

Hey, news crew shooting that perfect shot of the Capitol from the bike lane on Pennsylvania Avenue: I’m headed toward you.

Just ride on up and get in the picture! You coulda been on TV!

[Fast Friendly Guy]

lifeguard whistle…

[Fast Friendly Guy]

I’m feeling better now. Whew! Anyone coming tomorrow? I hope the fair weather will get our attendance up!

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@sjclaeys 81245 wrote:

It was like a zombie apocalypse on the trails this evening. Everyone was weaving randomly and displaying no higher brain functions.

Yeah, me, too. I even found myself slolloming the paving lines on the way home on the W&OD

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@consularrider 80991 wrote:

So far it’s been horrible, had to drive to get some work done on our car. Hanging around the shop and then will drive home before switching to the bike and riding to work! I took time this morning to relub the chain after Saturday’s ride in the rain.

I wondered where you were! I looked for you. See you tomorrow on the trail (if not later today)

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@Steve O 80724 wrote:

Since I stupidly compiled the list of pointless prizes, and no one else has stepped forward to be the prize coordinator, I’ll do it.

I will compile a new, updated list tonight and post it here. Those of you offering PPs can double-check it for accuracy. Then I’ll figure out next steps.

• As coordinator, I’ll decide the order of awards.
• Award givers – you will announce your own awards and bring whatever knick-knack or certificate or cooler of drinks you are awarding.
• I am soliciting interest in a volunteer to be emcee; I’m happy to coordinate, but I don’t need to hold the mike, too. If no one volunteers, then you will all be subject to my groan-inducing humor (and rugged good looks–perhaps an even trade-off?). Don’t claim I didn’t warn you.

Steve, Great job coordinating and enumerating PP list. What I think you’re describing sounds great. Do I have it right?
Emcee introduces award giver, who says a few words about the challenge/award, identifying the winner(s), and then awards (gives) the PP(s) to the recipient(s)….and so forth.

[Fast Friendly Guy]

@eminva 80666 wrote:

I rode the W&OD from Citizens Bridge to Vienna (Tapawingo Road exit ramp). Most of the trail was fine, but icy in the usual shady spots. There were only a couple of stretches without a clear path, but you could walk those easily if you didn’t want to ride. I rode through okay on MTB tires.

Liz

Where is Citizens Bridge?

[Fast Friendly Guy]

I’ve come down with a cold that prevented me from coming to HDCC this morning, and from riding in general for a few days

[Fast Friendly Guy]

Ditto

[Author]

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