Leader:  Tom Short

Members:  Anonymous User

Route:  Beautiful route designed by Ron Altemus. Likely to become a club favorite.

Weather:  Perfect

AMS:  The goal was a 14.0 AMS.  We chose a comfortable pace for the both of us (Anonymous User is a stronger rider than me) and finished close to the AMS goal.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report:  We stopped at King James Church to shed some unneeded bicycle clothing due to the welcome heat.  We also took a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store but bypassed the Smallwood Park stop as it was located relatively close to ride's end at Pisgah Park.  Bypassing that stop resulted in our mileage being 34 miles rather than the 36 miles route mileage.

Leaders:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Tom Short (B - RL), Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Linda Bankerd, Norm Lisy, Pat Walthers, Patricia Sanders.  Not pictured:  Anon User



Route:   Scenic tour of the back roads in Nanjemoy.  From Pisgah Park, Mason Springs to Rt 6, then Bowie, Poseytown (with wisteria in full bloom!) and MD-6 to a bio break at King James Church..  After the break,  Hancock Run to Adams Willet and a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store.  Continuing via Jacksontown, Sandy Point, Riverside, and Chicamuxen to Smallwood Park for a another bio break.  Final return via Chicamuxen, Marbury Run, Bicknell, Pisgah Marbury, and Mason Springs back to the park.  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44716810  35.7 miles, 1457' elevation gain.

Weather:   excellent.  Temp range of 58 > 72 under blue skies w/plenty of sunshine; winds of 7-9 mph out of the southern quadrant, occasional gusts up to 14 mph

AMS:  CC/C leader swept in the upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   your friendly neighborhood ride leader (aka your faithful correspondent) left his phone and car keys on a picnic table at the Nanjemoy store while affecting a clothing update.  Fortunately, after returning to the store from a mile or so outbound on Jacksontown, both were retrieved as Ms. Debby Ruiz had seen them and were holding them at the front counter.

Report:  thanks to Tom Short for leading a B class add-on to this ride.  It was nice to be able to offer the option of faster cycling to those so inclined.  (See Tom's report for full details.)

For the CC/C version, we cycled in continually rotating groups, the only constant being the ride leader sweeping.  Only routing was to take advantage of an encounter from Thursday, on the ride Joan led from Accokeek.  When the group pulled in to the Pisgah store for a snack, a woman came out of the store and walked directly over to Joan and said, "Do you ever ride in Nanjemoy?" After receiving a "yes" response, she proceeded to say that the wisteria was in full bloom, especially on Poseytown.   Indeed, that was the case as Joan's wisteria wishes were fulfilled.

Bowie Road also provided a nice view of a number of cows, Outstanding in Their Field.  Thanks to Janell for capturing this scenic.

For those in the rear, the ride from King James' Church to the Nanjemoy store, and then onwards via Jacksontown/Sandy Point was ridden without any vehicular traffic in either direction.  One of the great reasons for riding in the Nanjemoy area.

Roadside Memorial on Riverside Rd  Photo credit:  Steve Palincsar

Our rest stops at the store and Smallwood Park were unhurried as all enjoyed both conversating and the great weather.  A very good ride!

6 hearty riders started out under cloudy skies.  We had a delightful C ride and stayed together. The clouds lifted and the temp rose as we rode.  The azaleas and wisteria were in full bloom.  We passed Steve & Co. fixing a flat with Catherine and Harry, but there appeared to be too many cooks at that point so we wished them luck and moved on.  We had a short stop at the Pisgah Store. 

Riders:  Jessica Hirschhorn, Joan Oppel, Esther Steward, Norm LIsy, Leslie Tierstein, Linda Blackman

Distance 25.8. 584' climbing

Average speed 11.5

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Riders:   Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Ken Notis (guest), Randy Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Gene Villiva


Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Village Green trailhead east to White Plains and return.  27 miles, 377' elevation change

Weather:  cloudy throughout as the sun struggled to break through as we finished; temp range of 57 - 63 degrees, 6-7 mph breezes out of the western quadrant.  Much much better than our Friday IHRT ride!

AMS:   Swept at 11.6 mph; others would have been a bit faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  none

Report:   We picked up a couple of extra riders at the start:  Robin opting for the friendly, social ride of the trail, while guest Ken had never ridden the IHRT and wanted the full experience that the trail offers.  Until we reached Bumpy Oak Road, we were interspersed with the CC groups but once they turned, we had the trail to ourselves until approaching Bensville.  There, we encountered a large group of JROTC students hiking the trail.  We saw them both coming and going as they had options for up to 7+ miles of walking on the trail.  Otherwise, the usual assortment of runners, walkers, and other cyclists.

A bald eagle was spotted at the nest just east of the Livingston Rd parking lot, both outbound and on our return.  That was the only wildlife sighting today.  Our Friday rides only total 20 miles so it was nice to do the entire trail today.  No one complained that it was too long a ride, probably because a nice break at White Plains provided ample recovery time.

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: See Steve's overview post; there was some shuffling among classes as people checked in

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46095854

Weather: High 50s at the start with overcast.  The clouds started to thin halfway through the ride and by the post-ride, it was almost 70 and partly sunny.

AMS: around 13.0 at the back

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Right away on leaving the start, Pat S's chain was skipping.  She couldn't see what was causing it so elected to not head further away from her car.

Report: We had an uneventful, pleasant 42 mile ride.  Leaving at the back, I got interspersed with the trail ride, and various stops to check on other class riders meant that I stayed there.  The B 42 riders proved that it doesn't matter if you're riding faster if you make more stops, so we got combined somewhat at the portolet exiting the trail at Bumpy Oak, and up the hill.  After the stop to check on Steve's flat, I was with the last few CC riders on Poorhouse and to the rest stop.

The Goose Bay Marina was pleasant as always, and now that I've found they sell their sodas for $1, that is a typical treat that will be more appreciated later in the summer.  Our last four riders waited longer to see if Steve, Catherine, and Harry would roll in, then headed out well after the main group.  We had a nice relaxed ride with some conversation and warmer temps for the rest of the way back.

It is becoming more common to see non-club riders out on the road when we ride; there were at least three that crossed our paths or passed us in the second half of the ride.  I also noticed a number of Virginia and DC plates on cars with bike racks at the IH Green, after all our riders were accounted for, so it appears our trail has become a destination for a wider geographic range of riders.

After high winds forced a postponement last week, today the weather cooperated spectacularly. The Post’s Capital Weather Gang said “Sunshine dominates the day. The main downside will be an increasingly gusty breeze. But with highs mainly reaching the mid-60s to around 70, it shouldn’t be much problem. Winds are out of the northwest around 15 mph and gusting to 30 mph during the afternoon.” We definitely got the sunshine, and it did hit 70, but those gusty winds didn’t materialize. What we had instead was a cool, cloudy morning that turned into a lovely day at noon, with only the gentlest of breezes.

47 riders were checked in: 4 in the A group, 16 in the B group, 17 in the CC group, 3 in the C group and 6 IHRT Trail Riders.

We never did find an A ride leader. Co-leading the B group were Catherine Ade and Diane Harris, who’d stepped in to replace Sherwood; Walt Roscello lead the CC group, while Jessica Hirschhorn led the C group and Ron Altemus led the Trail Riders.

Riders (and Leaders*)

A Group
Alex Batkhan
Barb Haley
Liam Healy
Larry Malone

B Group
Catherine Ade*
John Arrington
Linda Bankerd
Chantal Briere
Sherwood Byers
Luis Dall’Orso
Diane Harris*
Peter Klosky
Rob Marston
Karen Marston
Eric Nielsen
Ken Notis
Mario Salazar
Tom Short
Bob Thompson

C Group
Linda Blackman
Robin Garnett
Jessica Hirschhorn*
Leslie Tierstein

CC Group
Harold Datz
GloJean Gladden
Ellen Goodwin
Jenny Haddon
Harry Kidd
Lois Lightfoot
Norm Lisy
David Mahl
Clare Neal
Cynthia Nuzzi
Joan Oppel
Steve Palincsar
Walt Roscello*
Patricia Sanders
Esther Steward
Patricia Walthers
Rita Zeidner

IHRT Trail Riders
Susan Altemus
Ron Altemus*
Fran Jezisek
Leesha Saunders
Randy Schoch
Gene Villiva

Mishaps & Mechanicals (as far as I know, the only one)

I was riding with the B group when I flatted on Ripley Rd. B Ride leader CatherineAde and Harry Kidd stopped with me.

My back tire was covered with mud and I wasn’t sure the little piece of glass I did find was actually the cause of the flat, but after all the excitement of my cassette falling off the hub onto the road along with some spacers and end caps (surprise, I didn’t know it could do that) and being sure that further examination of the tire wasn’t going to do anything but waste time, I replaced the tube and hoped for the best.

Harry rode back to Indian Head to get his car, while Catherine stayed with me. I was very glad of the company. While we waited by the side of Port Tobacco Road, we had interesting conversations with a couple of riders out training on their own, one a fitness trainer who lived just down the road from where we’d stopped, and the other a member of the Marine Band from Oregon.

When I got home, sitting out in the brilliant sunshine with a tire that had finally dried off, I still couldn’t see what had caused the flat. It had to be a sharp embedded in the tread because both tubes had identical punctures in the identical location. I even knew approximately where it had to be in the tire, because I always line up the valve stem with the label on the tire. But I just couldn’t find it.

I finally had to turn the tire inside out and fold it across the width of the tire. Slowly moving down the tire, eventually I spotted the point of a glass shard sticking up. Folding the tire in half also loosened the glass in the tire, and it easily came out of the tread.

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan Altemus, Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, and Donaro Gardner


Route:   Indian Head rail trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Brrr!  Not what one expects nor wants in mid-April:  cloudy, overcast skies; temp range 52-55; 6-8 mph air out of the Northeast.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:  a good 20 degrees cooler than Thursday and a few of us didn't make the correct clothing choices.  It felt cold, even though the temperatures were in the 50s.

Not too many other trail users either walking or biking but evidently most stayed home warming themselves around the fireplace.  An eagle was visible on the nest just east of the parking lot; lots of birds singing and flitting about but otherwise no memorable wildlife sightings.

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders and Steve Palincsar

Route: 35 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46262241

Weather: 70 and sunny at start, ending in high 70's. More sun than predicted, breezy.

Mechanicals Mishaps: none

Report: My first ride lead in over six weeks since I was forced off the bike with a (non-serious) injury in a car-to-car accident. And, only my third ride since starting riding again.

It was a lovely day, lots and lots of wisteria growing along the roads, providing lovely color and smell. Chantal and Bob had a time commitment and took off on their own after several miles. Patricia, Don, Steve and I rode together, chatting along the way. It was a slow ride day for me, but a delightful one with a strong sense of "happy to be back on the bike". A big thank you for being a part of my recovery.

We stopped on Marbury Run to look at the spot where we've seen locals pull up in their cars to fill jugs of water. There's supposed to be a pipe down there with "pure" water (not something I personally would trust).

The wooden steps down to the little stream that runs into Marbury Run are now blocked by a huge fallen tree.

Pig Point

Lunch at South County Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Ron Altemus, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen and (not shown) Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46226304

Weather: The Capital Weather Gang gave today 10 out of 10, and they didn't make a mistake.  66 or 67 degrees when we started, 79 when we finished.  Sunny skies, not a cloud to be seen, and breezy.  An absolutely gorgeous Spring day.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A terrific but quite unusual ride today.  Rick and Lisa, who live near Huntingtown, rode to the ride start and rode with us for most of the way back before turning off on MD-2 to ride home.  Chantal and Bob planned to ride with us until we reached South County, but at the last minute decided to stay for lunch before riding off to return on their own.

We were six when we left the Park & Ride and six when we ride down to Pig Point at the end of Wrighton Rd, but were seven when Ron, who was running late,  joined us on the way back. 

It was billed as a ride to South County Cafe for lunch, and although we took the long way to get there (Pindell, Upper Pindell, So MD Blvd, Greenock, Brooks Woods, Nutwell, Franklin Gibson up the hill, Deale Rd swooping down the hill) everyone stayed for a very enjoyable lunch.

Rick and Lisa joined us for a apres-lunch meandering tour of Masons Beach (surprisingly, not wowed, same old what they're used to living down there) then headed south on MD-2 while Ron, Anonymous User and I rode the rest of the way on Bay Front and So MD Blvd.

What a great way to spend a day!  Great riding in the company of friends, and a nice lunch at a friendly place the welcomes cyclists.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Randy Schoch

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31192765 as planned, but after we got to the Leonardtown Wharf I proposed a shortened version that all of us save for Walt took, that eliminated the southernmost loop, backtracking on Hollywood Rd to Bradford's Market, bringing the total down to 35.7.  Walt did the southern loop but skipped the stretch on Sotterley and Vista Roads and got back a little before the main group.

Weather: Sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  Around 67 (instead of the predicted 62) at the start, rising to 80 by early afternoon, well exceeding the predictions.  And windy.  Not quite as windy as yesterday, but not a slacker either, with winds from the south of around 22 mph with gusts up to 36 mph.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:

We fought the wind all the way down to Leonardtown.  Once we left the Wharf we had the wind at our backs, so much so that we were cruising along Hollywood and Sotterley Roads over 25 mph without having to pedal more than the occasional stroke once in a while.  That changed when we made the turn onto Vista, riding directly into the wind. 

The crosswinds on Three Notch Rd weren't bad and we flew along there, then made the turn onto South Sandgates, downhill with the wind at our backs.  This stretch is always a bit of a roller coaster, with twists and turns and a steady descent down to the Patuxent, but today it was made much more thrilling by the occasional unruly gust of cross-wind off the Patuxent that would push you from the shoulder into the center of the road.

We stopped at Sea Breeze, briefly sharing the parking lot with a large group of motorcyclists, but were disappointed to find the portolets padlocked.  Sandgates Restaurant came to the rescue.

Even though we were riding into the wind, the climb back up North Sandgates didn't seem as windy as it had been earlier in the route, and once we made the turn onto 236 the remaining distance flew by.

It was a beautiful day, but a challenging ride, not nearly as hard as the last time we were on these roads on a windy day last year, and not nearly as hard as riding yesterday would have been, any lingering doubt about having postponed the Start the Season ride having been blown clean away.

Update: I forgot to mention, our search for miniature donkeys on Old Hollywood Rd was unsuccessful.  I'm afraid they don't live at Wit & Folly Farm anymore.  A disappointment: they were incredibly cute.