Wasn't sure if I would  have riders this morning as other B rides (or combination rides with the B class) were put on the schedule, giving club members and guests other options.  I was happy to be joined by Stuart and Karen Morgan, Cathy Wilson, and Kirk Saunders on this cold but clear morning.  The temperature at ride start was 38 degrees but we used the climb up Berry Rd to get us warmed up.  This was Kirk's first time back on Accokeek Rd since club member, Lou Dallorso, was hit by a car on this road.  There was traffic but fortunately no mishaps.  This was a good group, staying together throughout the ride, with regrouping at the top of any hills encountered, specifically, Dr. Mudd Rd.  Uneventful ride with the exception of me having my first Moon Pie ever!  300 totally empty calories.  Thank goodness I was midway through the ride with time to work it off!

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Pat Walthers, Lisa Oken, Holly Carr, Joan Oppel, Walter Measday

Guests: Jill Thompson Riese, Jenn Weiss, Robin Frei, Alicia Shephers (the last 3 from Arlington Babes on Bikes)

Weather: A cool, brisk, sunny, windy, absolutely beautiful autumn day, with temperatures in the 40s at the start rising to no more than 52 by early afternoon.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16208021  A new take on a Harwood-to-Deale ride including 18 miles of absolutely flat touring through riverside and bayside neighborhoods at Chalk Point, Franklin Manor and Deale Beach - the last never before visited by any bike ride I've ever been on in over 30 years of riding in the area.  The final 20 miles after the flat touring and the last break includes around 900 feet of the 1300 feet of total elevation gain and includes Nutwell Sudley, Nutwell, South Polling House, Polling House and Harwood Roads, all in the uphill direction.

AMS: 13.0 -- pretty amazing, when you consider that for the flat 18 mile section in the neighborhoods we were typically going no more than 10 mph.

Mishaps & mechanicals: none during the ride. 

This was my second attempt to lead this new route; the first had to be canceled due to storm warnings along the Chesapeake Bay.  It turned out to be a thoroughly perfect ride, autumn glory in the form of brilliantly colored leaf displays and brisk temperatures that made for absolutely delightful riding.  The section in Deale Beach was charming and made for excellent riding.  I'll definitely go there again!

We were joined by a contingent from the Arlington Babes on Bikes, and I look forward to seeing more of them on Oxon Hill rides.  We were also joined by Walter, riding at a C pace, who might have taken the alternate route that inluded more in the flatlands and skipped the hilliest parts of the return.

It's as well it was one of the best rides of the year, because it turned out to be my final ride of 2016, the result of a fall at home just before dinner leading to a broken collar bone that will keep me off the bike for the rest of the year. 

Ride Leader:  Blake Altman

Date: November 12, 2016

Ride Name:  Casey Jones to Cobb Island

Ride Distance: 51 Miles

Average Speed of the Ride:  18.7

Ride Class:  AA/3 Sport

Mechanical Issues: None

Mishaps: None

Weather:  Upper 30’s to 50’s, sunny, windy

Guest Riders:  None

Member Riders:  Scott Walker

Ride Report:

Well I thought I might be riding by myself but about 10 minutes from the ride start time Scott rolled up.  We waited until a few minutes after 9:00 but no one else showed up so off we went.

We had the wind mostly behind us for a quick trip down to the island.  They are getting ready to pave Rock Point Road and there is about 3 miles of milled pavement.  Fortunately, the shoulder wasn’t milled yet but there was a lot of dust and gravel on it.  At one point we had to leave the shoulder to get around a stopped pickup.  We had to be very careful about getting back over with the lip to the un-milled pavement; fortunately there were no issues.

After a quick break at the store on Cobb Island we headed back into the wind.  It was definitely a harder for the return with the wind in our faces all the way back up Rock Point Road.  We saw another group of cyclists heading the other way as we approached 301; one of them looked like Bruce Wright.  Could it be another OHBTC ride?  There wasn’t another ride in the area on the schedule.

Once we turned on to 301, the wind was unexpectedly and magically at our backs!  Scott said it must be temporary.  He was right; 2 minutes later the wind was in our faces and we worked against it the whole way back.  Still, it was a good ride.  Thanks for joining me and keeping me from riding alone Scott!

When I got home my wife said I looked like a chimney sweep from all of the dust stuck on my face from the milled pavement.

Ride Leader: Randy Schoch 

Members: Jim Hudnall, Steve Palincsar, Carl Hattery, Judy Mutty, Bev White, and Bob Howell.

Guests: Belinda Acre.

Weather: Clear, very windy, raw and low 50's!

Route: IHRT 

Mishaps & Mechanicals: None

AMS: 12 mph (leaders)

Few riders and very few trail users on this morning's ride. Jim, Steve, and Bob were part of John Gorman's ride and met up with us at the Village Green. Bob Moye was NOT on the trail today? The first leg of the ride to White Planes wasn't too bad but on the way back the wind picked up and gave us a challenging "head wind" to overcome. After the ride, I went to George's to pick up and take home lunch for Jackie (she is having serious medical problems and won't be riding in the near future). When Jackie is able to ride again, we are going to start the IHRT ride at the parking lot on the trail at Rt. 224 for a 20 mile ride distance.

Ride Name: White Plains (IHRT)-Ironsides-Welcome  B low (14-15) 48miles

Leader: John Gorman
Members: Bob Howell (at the start), joined during the route: Jim Hudnall and Steve Palincsar
Weather:  9:00am start.  Bright sunny near 50, some breeze (but not real chilly) . For me ideal conditions for November.  (Come Jan, this will seem like a late spring day)

Stats:   Rider Leader swept @ a 14.2 AMS/Elv- 10601ft/ 3:32hrs riding time/4:10 total elapsed time

Miles- ride leader did a few extra for an even 50.   Mechanicals/Mishaps:  Perfect NONE!    

Report:  Today’s ride was a Federal Holiday for Veteran’s Day. I salute all who have and currently serve so that we can enjoy the multiple freedoms and peace we have in the USA!

Today’s route started from the White Plains (IHRT) end Bob and I set out together. Jim Hudnall joined us 7-9 miles on the IHRT.. We completed the 1^st 15miles at the IHRT-Village Green. There, Randy S., was setting up his weekly Friday ride. We gathered awhile talking and then Steve P., who cycled down from Bryan’s Rd joined. Bob, advised he was going to simply travel back on the IHRT to the start, vs the planned 48 trek. Jim and Steve joined me. We reversed south on the IHRT/Chichamuxen/Smallwood Church/ MD-425/Durham Church/RT-6/Welcome. Break at the Scott’s Store, Steve provided rich conversation explaining to me the various shifting gear setups on bikes.  He’s a fountain (human GOOGLE) of cycling mechanical information.

 After an extended break we traveled on /Fire Tower/Annap Woods/Ripley/Hawthorne.  Jim & Steve decided to grab a sandwich on Hawthorne, (before each were to head back to their own starting points).  John then continued the planned route taking Marshall Corner (I took a few out/back community streets to get my extra miles)/Bensiville/IHRT finish for a 50 mile total. Might be that last 50ish of the season.   

For me, riding with OHBC Legends like Jim and Steve, is a real treasure. We stayed together the entire route which group rides should be, matching speeds as needed. If I can be riding like Jim & Steve in another 15+ years I will consider myself a lucky man. Thanks for joining me today!

Leader: SAM PERRY

Members: Barbara Haney, Bob Howell, Joan Oppel, Jan Tucker, Holly Carr, Linda Bankerd, Tom Short,(had to leave early for an appointment) Jim Hudnall, Brian Duprey,Alan Kurzweil, Tom Roberts.

Route: SAM'S GALLANT GREEN VARIATION

Weather: Route Temps were breezy today mid Fifties at start, barely hit Sixty later in the ride.

AMS: Ride Leader swept the rear with a 15.1 AVS

Mechanicals/Mishaps: NONE

Report: There were about a dozen riders in our group this morning. We kept together for the majority of the route. The route can be described as flat and rolling, my version of an Eastern Shore ride. We had two rest stops, and people were enjoying each other so much.

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel (and joining us for the finale after the crossing of Rt 5, Barry Winkleman and Jim Hudnall)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17542690  37 miles, 789' of elevation gain.  Sam describes it as his version of an Eastern Shore ride, and especially with today's wind that wasn't a far-fetched comparison, although there are a couple of major differences: for one thing, the distinctive and characteristic smell of chicken farms was missing; and for another, you generally don't find hills with 100' of elevation gain (as we had on Celestial and Young) on the Eastern Shore. 

Weather: a very chilly-feeling 50 with wind in the North Keys Community Park, well known to be the coldiest, windiest place in all of Brandywine, but once we got on the road and warmed up (which for me happened at the church parking lot on Horsehead I generally think of as "Ken's Crossing") the sun made for a very pleasant "crisp and chilly on the outside, with a nice warm center" kind of feeling that is one of my favorite things things about this time of year.  According to my car, it was around 62 by the time we all got back.

Mishaps & mechanicals: none

AMS: 13.7

Leader: Barbara Haney

Members: Ron Haney, Mike Bivens, Jan Tucker, Tom Short, Diane Harris, Jim Hudnall, Holly Carr, Chris Fairhall, Tom Roberts, Sam Perry, Pete Czapiewski, Ken Meredith

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17543031 "Descent to the Underworld" designed by Steve P, taking us through some lesser-used Tuesday territory: Accokeek, Waldorf, St. Charles; and on some seldom-ridden roads north of Bryans Road

Weather: A perfect early-fall day, low 50s to start, warming up to mid-60s, sunny and only a slight breeze

AMS: 15.9 for leader

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One misplaced rider

Report: What a wonderful day for riding! 13 of us gathered to enjoy a few hours of relief and escape from the tension of this stressful Election Day. Many of us had overestimated our need for winter gear early this morning, and there was a bit of rethinking and shedding of garments before we set out; sure enough, we didn't regret it by the time we were climbing up Barry's Hill at mile 3. After resolving a bit of cue-sheet inattentiveness in the further reaches of Accokeek, we practiced our "take your lane" strategy while contending with a few somewhat-impatient drivers wishing to pass us unwisely on Accokeek and Gardner Rds, and were relieved to reach the Wawa rest stop without incident. In the meantime, Holly had lost the group at a red light; when she didn't show up at Wawa with Steve P as we would have expected, Ken called her and found out that she'd decided that instead of continuing the route with the CCs, she'd ride into Waldorf, stop in at the guitar store, and call Walter to come get her there. Ken convinced her to change her mind, and in a few minutes she rejoined us. The second half of the ride, after leaving the St. Charles area, was much more tranquil, with 8 or so quiet miles on the IHRT and Chapmans Landing to take us back to "serenity" and reality.

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17543031  36 nearly flat miles (with one or two notable exceptions, including Barry's Hill) that heads north to Accokeek, then takes Accokeek Rd to Gardner, crosses the Bridge of Sighs over the River Styx onto Acton Lane, turns onto Hamilton at the top of the hill and quickly descends into the Suburban Hell of Western Parkway.  After a stop at the WaWa the route continues its tour of Hades along St Patricks Drive and Smallwood Drive, then turns onto Middletown, and as the road narrows the tree cover grows denser and as the route turns onto the Indian Head Rail Trail serenity surrounds you.  It's a route filled with contrasts, and for me that's the most interesting feature.

Weather: 50s when I left Accokeek just after 9, rising to almost 70 by early afternoon.

Mishaps & mechanicals: none

AMS: 13.3

It was Election Day, and oddly enough the talk turned to the election - to candidates, to campaigns and to vote counting machines that didn't work because nobody turned on the power strip. 

Leader: Jean Wright

Members: Diane Harris, Ken Meredith, Tom Short

Route: http://www.ohbike.org/cuesheets/laurel_springs45gilbert_run.pdf

Weather:  Sunny, gorgeous Fall day. Started out at 55 degrees with gentle breeze and ended at 64 degrees with gusts up to 17 mph.  

AMS: 15.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  None

Report: We started and ended our ride with gratitude.  Grateful for the beautiful weather, the fact that we came out and rode together, and Ken's superior wind-blocking ability (a true super power).  We layered on the clothes as we started out in the chilly morning air and adjusted our layering during our rest stop.  The ride to Gilbert Run Park offered us the last show of autumn color, as we rode through showers of gentle falling leaves that crunched under our tires.  At Gilbert Run Park, we found a sunny picnic table where we enjoyed the pond and trees and chatted about cycling and other happenings.  The conversation and company was so good, we probably stayed a bit longer than usual.  Finally, we began the second half of the route, but during that short rest time something had changed, the wind.  It was now gusting.  We took turns leading the pace line, but Ken graciously led most of the way back to Laurel Springs Park.  Despite the wind gusts, it was a very enjoyable ride.