Let’s go watch a bike race! On Aug. 11, the Getting It In (GII) Club is holding their annual Backyard Boogie in the Melford Town Center in Bowie, a race for licensed men, women and kids of all ages. https://www.bikereg.com/byb24 We can hang out in the shade, watch the races, and visit the vendors and food trucks. This ride is also following 7 miles of the East Coast Greenway, a 3000-mile walking & biking route from Maine to Florida. https://greenway.org/

We’ll start at Waysons Corner Park & Ride on Route 4 in southern Anne Arundel County and head north on Sands Road (no dump trucks on Sundays) and Patuxent River Road. Then we will follow the East Coast Greenway along Route 214/Central Ave., up Queen Anne Bridge and Mill Branch roads, along Excalibur, Mitchellville and Collington roads to a bike path that will take us north over Route 50. Then we can follow quiet neighborhood streets to the Melford Town Center and the race tents, vendors and food trucks. We’ll rendezvous afterwards (place and time to be determined then, but estimate 1 hour) and ride the racecourse backwards to get out of there and follow the same route back to Waysons Corner.

Your ride leaders would love it if club members would donate about $5 toward a prime (pronounced preem) prize for the racers on behalf of the Oxon Hill club. During a race, sponsors and spectators can offer prizes (usually cash) to riders to encourage some sprinting attacks during one of the laps around the course.

Note 1: we don’t have any bathroom or water stops scheduled along the route because there aren’t any. There are bathroom/porta-potty possibilities near the Wayson’s Corner Park & Ride, and there should be porta-potties at the race. Bring plenty of water with you! Also bring snacks in case food options don’t meet your dietary needs.

Note 2: any time you are riding your bike in the race area, even a trip to the porta-potties, wear your helmet! This is a requirement for the GII Club’s insurance for events like this, and scouts watching won’t be able to tell us apart from real participants.

Note 3: The race has the inner (clockwise) lanes of the road blocked off for the race, but vehicles (and bikes) can use the outer (counterclockwise) lanes. Please don't ride the wrong way in the outer lanes, even if there is no oncoming traffic as it can get the GII club in trouble with the developer and the police and jeopardize future races.

Also please note that this ride is open to the members and nonmembers. However, the club insurance only allows nonmembers to attend one ride without joining. The club does offer a one month trial membership, see the "Join Us" tab. 

Ride leaders:  

B ride:  Diane Harris, 301-452-2267, mailto:canishiki@aol.com

CC ride:  Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen, 667 231-6201  mailto:rick798492@gmail.com

RWGPS Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47751085

Cue sheet: Please print your own cue sheet.

Weather forecast:  https://bit.ly/4da9K4f

Directions to Ride Start:   

 From I-95 Exit 11-A take Pennsylvania Avenue (MD-4) 10 miles past Upper Marlboro to Waysons Corner, exit Md 408. Left at the end of exit ramp to Waysons Corner. Bear right at the light and proceed to the park and ride on the right.

Wayson Corners Park and Ride, 5442 Southern Maryland Blvd, Lothian, MD 20711

Advance registration is required.  

 All riders must agree to the Release and Waiver of Liability.