Leader:  Lou Dall'Orso

Members:  none

Guests:  none

Route:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather:  Overcast high 60s low 70s, no humidity to speak of,  just about a perfect day for a longish ride. 

AMS: I dunno

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Yeah, see below. 

Report:  "Of mice and cyclists".  Had planned on doing the Nanjemoy loop again today, and looking at the CC ride starting at the same time and place, I noticed that the first 7 miles or so, consisting of Hawthorne, and Ripley were the same at which point I'd go right on Poorhouse for a left on Mason Springs and the CCs would go left on Poorhouse for the remainder of their ride, so I decided an easy spin along with them would be a good way to get the ride started, so I just spun around in a really tiny gear, planning on a quick stop and a wave goodbye before setting on a tempo pace for the remaining 40 miles or so. Well, that didn't happen, after a bit on Ripley there was a work crew, and as I approached, and slowed while nearing the stop signal person, I sat down after a quick stretch, and heard a pop and felt my saddle fold under me. At first I thought the seat post mast had cracked, but no, the clamp binder bolt sheered. A big thank you to Joan, Ron, and the rest of the CCs, who helped collect the pieces and offered assistance. I ended up making the right on Poorhouse, then a right on Mason Springs for a nearly straight shot back to the start while standing on the pedals. 

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Anonymous, Robin Garnett, Sue Gunter, Beth Handler, Sonya Newman,Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41975840  Looping around the Pisgah and Ironsides area - 35 miles

Report:  A lovely ride on a very cloudy day (no one complained) in mid-70's temperatures for the entire time. It was an enjoyable day out, with a nice rest stop at the picnic tables in Pisgah Park. And I forgot to take a picture.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Well, Lou D was riding his own posted ride, but started with us for the first 5 or 6 miles. We went up Mt Pisgah/Hawthorne, turned on Ripley and about half way along Ripley, we started to hear metal bits hitting the tarmac. Lou's seat clamp bolt broke and scattered his saddle and parts. We all stopped to pick up pieces. The second time on an Oxon Hill ride I have seen this happen. Lou rode back to the start, standing all the way. (The first time it happened we manage to affix the saddle well enough with zip ties and duct tape that the rider could sit to ride back to the start. Lou decined the offer of zip ties and duct tape.)

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User, Bob Thompson, Suzanne Brown, Joan Oppel, Chantal Briere, Linda Bankerd, Patricia Walthers, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51963635  41.8 mi, 1523' elevation gain.

Weather: 71 and sunny at the start, eventually rising to a surprisingly warm 83 (oh, how quickly they forget!) with 6-8 mph winds.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Suzanne's DI2 battery was low, and went into power-conservation mode at the Chaptico Market.  She thought she could make it the whole way by carefully managing her shifts, conserving the little charge she had left, and she was right.

Report: It was a lovely sunny morning, and quite comfortable in the 70s as we rode through the Amish landscape on Dixie Lyon Rd and then Thompson Corner Rd, carefully steering around the copious piles of fresh horse droppings (I sure hope it was more than one horse that left all that) on the side of the road.  In the recent past there have still been a few farms growing tobacco in the old traditional area on Dixie Lyon, but this year there was none to be seen.

It was a busy day on the pier at Wicomico Shores Landing.  Usually when we've ridden there we've been by ourselves, but today there were many people out on the dock fishing, and someone was preparing to cook lunch at the pavilion.

A couple of the riders were new to Wicomico Shores Landing.  Getting there on Aviation Yacht Club Rd you go down a long, steep hill by the golf course, and there was some fearful anticipation of the return climb -- quite justified, if indeed you retrace the route, as Pat Walthers and I can attest, having misread the cue sheet once; but fortunately that's not how the route goes: the return passes the turn onto Aviation Yacht Club and takes the easy way up Army Navy Drive, turning onto Aviation Yacht Club only after you've reached the summit.

Passing the Chaptico store we went up the long, slight climb on Maddox and then up the first of the big stairsteps and then turned onto Manor.  It's been a while since I've been here, too; sadly, no sunflowers this year. 

We took a nice break at the Chaptico store, where Bob was finally able to satisfy his desire for hot dogs with some kind of sausage dish.  We'd been discussing the famous Chaptico fried chicken earlier in the ride, and when we arrived at the benches around the corner from the ice cream window there was a family that had come down from DC just to enjoy the Chaptico fried chicken.

It's funny how different your experiences can be on the same stretch of road.  After we'd taken the Three Notch Trail to Clearview Ct, crossed MD-5 onto Flora Corner and then headed west on MD-6, Suzanne and I stopped at the turn onto All Faith Church to regroup.  As we were waiting, a driver stopped and inquired if we were all right, offering to help if anyone was having trouble.  At more or less the same time perhaps a mile behind us, Patricia and Anonymous were being harassed by drivers who were leaning on their horns while passing and screaming the usual abuse as they passed.

One other observation: there are a few stretches on the Three Notch Trail, one between Oaks Rd and MD-6, and the other at the opposite end near Baptist Church Rd, where the trail has gotten some sharp and nasty root heaves.  If you're riding there, pay attention: if you're lollygagging and daydreaming when you hit them, those root heaves could really spoil your ride.

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:  Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, Sue Gunter, Connie Quickstad, Mark Garrison, Susan Altemus, Pat Colvin



Route:   Outbound via Ironside, Baptist Church, GIlroy/Chickamuxen, RIverside, and Liverpool Point to a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store.  Return took us back to Riverside, then Smith Point, Maryland Point and MD-6 to a second rest stop at King James Church.  Final leg was MD-6 and Ironside to Friendship Landing and the park.

Weather:   delightful - sunny, temp range of 70-77,  some air out of the SW, and NO humidity!

AMS:   mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   nothing notable

Report:  more like an early September ride than one in August, especially coming after a couple of weeks of oppressive heat and humidity.  For two riders, their first time enjoying the quiet roads and rural splendor of Nanjemoy. 

At the corner of Baptist Church and Bowie, unfortunately there were no longhorn cattle to view but that provides a reason to come back and ride again in this area.  As we got to our turn onto Gilroy, we had a quick glimpse of the 50 miles A/B riders going past in the other direction.   Gilroy itself was almost completely sans traffic.  Crossing MD-6 onto Chickamuxen, a few cars passed us but once on Riverside, we rode for long stretches without any vehicular traffic.  Riverside's rollers looked daunting to some but were successfully ridden by all members of our group.

The Nanjemoy store parking lot was empty when we arrived and we enjoyed a relaxing break under the roofed picnic area.  As we were leaving, the parking lot quickly filled.   Maybe word had gotten out that bicyclists were in the area.  Back on Riverside, the rest of the rollers were met with the same results as those before - everyone kept rolling down and up.  Smith Point provided a bit of excitement with a couple of loose smallish dogs but fortunately they seemed to only want to run alongside us and bark.

At the King James Church rest stop (pictured below), we found water, Fritos and potato chips delivered earlier by Steve Palinscar.  A nice setting in the shade, of course, affording another chance to socialize before the last 4 miles back to the ride start.  Our C/CC rides tend to be a bit leisurely, social with lots of conversation.  Today's was no exception making if a very fun ride.

OMG, what a wonderful day to ride!  

On this great weather day, 14 Oxon Hill Bike & Trail Club (OHBTC) members joined in the All Class Ride of 50 miles around the shaded and quiet roads of Nanjemoy, Maryland.  The pace was fast as advertised.  I observed AMS's from 16 to 18 mph and some  at about "MACH".  No incidents were reported unless a missed turn by the ride leader counts. LMAO!

Leader:  Jackie Schoch

Members:  Don and Nancy Kay, Lynda and Ron Honberg, Harry Kid, Susan and Ray Luckenbach, Denny Miller, Marian Robinson, Janel Saunders, and Mary Scala.

Route:   We started at Friendship Landing Rd in Nanjemoy.

Weather:  Cloudy, 72 degrees and feel like 72 degrees. Humidity 81%, wind 4.2 miles/h from NE.  Just a perfect day for a ride.

AMS:   varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  The only mishap was Janel dropped her ear pod but it was found in the middle of the road and a car went over it without touching it.  Blessing indeed. 

Report:  This was a B/CC ride and riding on River Road (when I was a kid we called it the roller coaster road) made it nice going up and down fast. We stopped at St. James Church for a potty stop and snacks.  It was good to see that the church now has air conditioning.  On Hancock/Adam Willet Rd. I marked pot holes with yellow paint.  Hopefully it will be filled.  Only time will tell.  I now carry yellow paint on every ride.

Everyone had a wonderful time riding in Nanjemoy. Hopefully they will return for more rides.

Leader:  Jackie Schoch

Riders:  Ron and Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, and Linda Bankerd.

Route:   Friday's fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trail head for a rest stop.  Return retraced the IHRT back to the start.

Weather:   Cloudy, 68 degrees Feels like 68 degrees, Humidity 91%, wind 3.1 mi/h from NNE.

AMS:   varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  none

Report:  Friday ride is one of the favorite rides for our club.  Since it has been going on since 2009. Since it was cloudy and cool jackets were worn by some.  It was a very nice change from being in the 90s.  We saw a deer, crane and of course squirrels.

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palincsar

More details on this (exciting) photo below!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49813739 Actual mileage recorded- 32.8 with 1860 feet of elevation

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid, 82 at the start, 90 at the end (until the leader left her bike in the sun and it registered 94)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Steve and I had a great ride, enough breeze to keep relatively cool while riding and then drip with perspiration while stopped. We kept our two stops short. Water obtained at Patuxent River Park Pavilion.

Notable Road Finding! Oxon Hill Bike Club donates services to Prince George's County Roads Department -- For the Rural Legacy event, Steve and Lou Dall'Orso drove the routes before the event and marked the significant potholes for rider safety. We were particularly worried about the significant and multiple potholes on Fenno Road as riders descend the steep hill from Merkle to St Thomas Church Rd. So Steve and Lou used a lot of yellow paint there. And - evidently the road repair crews filled every one of the yellow marked potholes some time in the past few weeks!! We are a public service club!

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Linda Bankerd, Sonja Newman, Chantal Briere and Bob Thompson

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51927886  33 mi, 1190' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid (it's still July); 80 at the start rising to 90 by noon. 6 mph breeze, humidity between 60-50%.

AMS: 13.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: As stated in the description, this route was an old route to La Plata with some major new twists: the IHRT to Bumpy Oak, left on Hawthorne (I haven't been that way in quite some time, and after remarking to Bob and Chantal about the shoulder restriction with the safety barrels and the Jersey barrier that had been there for a quarter century I was almost shocked to discover that while I wasn't looking, they've restored the shoulder, no more restriction and no more Jersey barriers! ) and down Valley to Rt 6. 

We'd had plenty of shade on the IHRT, Bumpy Oak and Valley, but I was expecting 6 to be wide open to the sun and a hot climb towards La Plata.  It was definitely a hot and sweaty climb, but surprisingly there were welcome shade patches that made it tolerable.  Once we turned onto Quailwood it became shady again, both there and on the new neighborhood jaunt Walt showed us a couple of weeks ago.

We crossed 301 on Hawthorne then turned on Washington and then on Kent Ave and left on Charles St (where a motorist stopped traffic to let us turn!) past the bakery and the ice cream store (I put it out there, but no one was interested) to the Dash-in.

After a break we took Oak to Glen Albin to Springhill-Newtown, past what once was Johnny Boy's BBQ and across 301 and screamed down Locust Grove to Chapel Point.  So far, steady shade since we left La Plata, but once we turned onto 6 things changed.  Out in the sun, which by now had become quite intense, we climbed up past Shirley Blvd and stopped at the Charles County Government building, where we enjoyed the air-conditioned break, the rest rooms (push hard on those doors!) and the ice cold water.

We were back in the shade once we turned on Burch and remained in the shade on Poorhouse and Ripley.  Even Hawthorne had large patches of deep shade, especially on the descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah: cool, dark, exciting, and when I came at 28 mph to discover the large branch down across the shoulder as the large truck passed on my with only inches to spare, just a little bit too exciting.  Moments later we were through the Chicamuxen intersection, turning on the IHRT and back to the parking lot.

Leader:  Lou Dall'Orso

Members:  none

Guests:  none

Route:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather:  Bearable at the start, maybe high 70s, closing in on oppressive towards the end in the low 90s. Overall not too bad.

AMS: 15.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none 

Report:  Got on the pedals shortly before 0800, and headed off down Hawthorne to Ripley, wrapped around to Mason Hills, Ironsides, Route 6, and Riverside, made a quick stop just passed Mallow's Bay, and another one once I reached the shaded portion of Chickamuxen. Back at the car around quarter pass 11.  While it was certainly hot, the early start, and shady roads, made for a fun ride.