Ride Start: Manokeek Village  Center(Starbucks) w/ Janell’s B-group and Joan’s C/CC group.

Rider Leader : John Gorman,  joined by (Mbr) Jerry Finan

Temps: high 40s (no wind), sunny - enjoyable winter conditions!

Stats: 27miles/AMS 14.3/Riding time 1:53(1-stop on the IHRT porta-potty).

No mishaps or mechanicals.

I used the standard route from the start, and then used a more smoother direct approach by turning R off Middletown @ mile 7.3 onto the IHRT to MD-225N(Hawthorne) up to Ind Hd Hwy.  After Xing @ the TL - Bryans Rd McDs, we turned R onto Matthews/Carroll/Gospel Union back to Livingston, bypassing the  standard route of  Marshall Hall/Barry’s Hill loop back to Livingston.  (we discussed going to the end of the IHRT and returning Strauss to Ind Hd Hwy (would be 31), but we decided to keep it to a simple quick 27). 

Nice enjoyable, stress free ride, coming out of several below 40 days,  and knowing this winter season’s forecast doesn’t show biker friendly conditions.  

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Riders: Regina and Mike Saizan, Jan and Ron Tucker, Samson Samson, Joan Oppel, Ken Meredith, Sarah Clement, Steve Palinscar, Pano Gianniotis, Pat Walthers, Linda Bankerd, Terre Simpson, Holly Carr

Planned Route: 32.5 miles. This is a nice big loop with long stretches of rolling roads and a couple easy climbs.

Weather: Mid 40s at the start, close to 50 at the end. Sunny and much warmer than yesteray, so the balaclava was overkill.

Mechanicals: one flat.

A big group considering the low turnout on earlier rides this holiday weekend but a great mix of different paces. One flat on Middletown Road. Linda got a bit of wire in her tire, but it gave us all a chance for a wardrobe adjustment, if necessary, or a cool down. So early in the ride, myself and a couple others realized we may have overdressed a tad. The sun kept things warm and comfortable. A short break at our rest stop then on to McDs for a needed restroom. On to the last loop and heading back to the start on Manning Road and... Eureka! Manning Road has been paved! Oh Joy of Joys! A smooth ride to end a great ride. As I headed home on my bike, I go back up 210 to go left at the Livingston Road intersection, where BJs is, and find the road blocked and many police present. A major collision in the intersection which must have happened not 5-10 minutes after we passed through it. Karma on our side and being on my bike, I was able to ride up the shoulder and walk across the intersection to continue home. Hope the rest of the group heading north didn't have to sit to long in the mess.

Leader:  Darin King
Riders:  Blake Altman, Bill Babisch (sp?), Karen Fitzgerald, Diane Harris, Teresa Martin, Ryan Steadman
Route: Oak Ridge-Aquasco 41.  41.1 miles @ 17.5 AMS
Weather:  Low 40's with SW wind @ 5mph
Mishaps:  None
Photos: Oak Ridge-Aquasco 41 Album 

We had a nice turnout this morning for a borderline polar bear ride.  Lack of wind and plenty of sun, coupled with an upper-"A" pace, kept everyone comfortable. 

The route was designed to use some infrequently-ridden roads (Cracklingtown, Young, Carrico Mill) and touch three counties (Charles, PG, St. Mary's).  Many positive comments were made regarding the route, so maybe we'll add it to the rotation.

Thanks for coming out!

This was evidently a popular posting: 3 - !!! - riders showed up to join me.  Karen McMillan, Janell Saunders and Holly Carr - uh oh, Holly: not.  She forgot her shoes.  I offered to share my bike shoes with her so we could each clip in with one foot and wear a casual shoe on the other foot, but Holly drove home.  It was colder than expected by several degrees, but we eventually warmed up around mile 12 or so.  We had hot chocolate at the 7-11 in Deale at mile 26 - perfect cold weather bike treat.  It was a lovely 35 mile ride with a fair amount of sun.  

"They also serve who only stand and wait." John Milton, 1608-1674. Well, I guess the day after Thanksgiving is not good for attracting a crowd because this was a ride of one: me! Still, weather wasn't bad because the sun was out. Will try again on another weekend.

Ride Leader:  Holly Carr

Ride Leader: Dan Donahue

Members: None

Guests: None

Class: All

Advertised Distance: 26 mi.

Ave. Speed: 10 mph

Balaclava: None

Mechanicals/flats: none

Temps/weather: 51 degrees; wind speed: gusting to low 20’s, making it feel very cold. Skies were sunny.

Although no one showed up for the pre-volunteer dinner ride, I did some experimenting with unusual ways to keep head and ears warm when balaclavas are left behind. Fingerless gloves fitted over ears do not keep ears warm. Full finger gloves are better, but I still prefer a balaclava, since the back of my neck and the top of my head were extremely cold. These experiments lasted about a mile, and then the ride was over. Lesson learned: make sure you check for all of your cold weather riding gear before you depart for a ride.

Leader:  Darin King
Riders:  Blake Altman, Lou Dall'Orso, Karen Fitzgerald, John Giglio, Robert Smith, Scott Walker
Route: Bensville-Nanjemoy 42.  41.7 miles @ 18.1 AMS
Weather:  Low 40's climbing to 50 with NW winds @ 10-15mph
Mishaps:  John's RD cable slipped pre-ride.  Remedied by Scott & John.  His FD high limit needed some tweaking at the first rest stop. 
Photos:  Bensville-Nanjemoy 42 Album

We got a nice taste of pre-winter weather today.  Thankfully, the first 18 miles or so were generally downwind, allowing for a some warm-up before turning to face mother nature.  Big kudos to Robert for testing the "A" water...his first full-on "A" ride.  He commented that it was his fastest average speed for such a distance.  The climbs on Durham Church Rd gave him a good sense of what can differentiate "A" from "B".  Keep working at it, Robert, you're strength is starting to show itself! 

Karen is becoming a core participant on the "A" rides, which always needs some new blood.  Great job!

And John, who we haven't seen in many weeks, drove down from Alexandria to demonstrate his fitness.  Doesn't look like he's lost a beat.

Thanks one and all for coming out.  Looks like we might be hiding indoors tomorrow.

 

 

Thanks to Darin who posted the A ride and had the cue sheets prepped. A little cool to start, but the sun was out and we knew that this was the last day before a patch of frigid weather.  We moved along briskly, didn't rest too long, and made it back by 1:30.  No mishaps.  Our average speed ranged from 16.3 to 16.7 even though we pretty much rode all together.

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Riders: Pat Walthers
Weather: low 40s at start, high 40s in the early afternoon, cloudy bright.
Route: 27 mi, Cherry Tree Xing to 301 and Old Indian Head, down Van Brady to Croom and Nottingham to Merkle.  After the break we went around Tanyard, across Croom on Brooks Church, left on Baden Naylor, then right on Molly Berry to Nottingham.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 11.7