The route was meant to be a surprise -- this is only the 3rd time we've ever gone to Fort Washington on a Tuesday ride -- but the real surprise today was the weather.  The forecast was for a high in the low 50s and a strong wind, but as I was going out the door to load the car I noticed the thermometer on my front porch (probably the warmest place in the entire Metro DC SMSA) read 70 degrees, and the clothes that should have been comfortable at 54 degrees felt awfully warm.  Time for a quick trip back into the house for some lighter clothes!

And time for a quick change in the parking lot at Bryans Road, for although it was a long way from 70 down there, it was clearly a lot warmer than 54.   And as we rode, it grew steadily sunnier and warmer still, until it must have reach the 60s.

In the group today were Larry Peed, Richard Harrington (back from 3 weeks in Florida), Randy and Jackie Schoch (who left on their own route), Mike Bivens, Vicki Garlock, Darryl Lowery, Tom Roberson, Sam Perry, Paul and Linda Bankerd, Joan Oppel and leader Steve Palincsar.

The route went up Barry's Hill to Accokeek, then down Farmington, up Livingston to Washington Lane, across 210 on  Old Fort and left to Fort Washington.  It was absolutely beautiful at the Fort: clear skies without a hint of haze, bright sun, visibility for miles.  I hope someone brought a camera and captured the scene. 

After the break we went down Ft. Washington Rd., a swooping downhill once you get past the initial rollers and speed humps -- so engaging, in fact, that several riders missed the turn on Asbury through the neighborhoods and just kept on going down hill.  They noticed after a while, and took an alternate route to catch up with us at Swan Creek/210/Livingston Rd.  We climbed up Livingston, went left on Old Fort and then went down Gallahan (so much better this way than the reverse) to Piscataway.  I'd offered an alternative shorter route back taking Livingston to Accokeek Academy, then left on Berry to Accokeek Rd., and Tom and Paul took the alternative route, while the rest of us went up Floral Park to South Springfield. 

If it wasn't for Burch Branch, there'd be nothing at all remarkable about South Springfield.  You're at 164' elevation when you turn off Floral Park, and you get up to 207' feet -- hardly remarkable for 0.3 mi.  Except for Burch Branch.  In one tenth of a mile you drop 100' and then immediately climb back up to 207', first at 4-5%, then for almost 13%, for the next two tenths of a mile.  As you scream down those 100' you even think for a few seconds you can roll right up the other side, until all at once your momentum is all gone and you realize you're in the wrong wrong wrong gear and if you've really left it too late you may not even be able to make the chain ring shift, and then it hits 13.5%.  Just a  big erosion ditch, really; but one that leaves a lasting impression.

Once we all made it up South Springfield we turned right on Accokeek Road, right into what had by now become a brisk wind, and where'd those dark clouds come from?  We briefly regrouped at the park, then continued on to Accokeek and then the Tour d' Accokeek route back to the shopping center, where we realized we'd lost Larry somewhere along the way.  As we called him, the skies darkened further, and we even felt a few wind-borne rain drops.  It was 54, as predicted, too.

Final stats:  37 mi, 13.3 AMS (and believe me, nobody was holding back) and 1700' of climbing.  What a great day!

The trails are almost complete at Cosca, we meet up with Allen, Allen's wife, Brian, and Matt to ride on the opening day. The trails were wet from the light rain the night before, but started at the new trail head by the tennis court. The new trail seems to be up hill both ways, but was a change. After riding the new section, we followed the newly cut trail connector to the old trails by the lake. Followed the old trails and took a break at the hill climb at the beginning of the lake.Barry

A cool, dreary December day, with the constant threat of rain, detered many from coming out for this 33 mile B ride, which started from and returned to the Starbucks in the Manokeek Shopping Center.  However, Ken Meredith and Chuck Coe joined me for a "winter training" ride where we all stayed together at a meandering, as opposed to hammering pace.  This route, which reverses the Manokeek to Accokeet - the Long Way, (has the same long straights) crosses 228 at the start; passes the Accokeek Fire Station; and then goes down Barrys Hill.  Therefore it has to go up Marshall Hall.  While there may be some debate, I personally prefer going up Barrys Hill rather than Marshall Hall.  We turned right at 210; down Chapmans Landing and then left on Hawthorne.  The rest stop was at Halfway Liquors and then we returned east on Hawthorne to Marshall Corner.  A left there to Middletown; left on 228 and then a return to the start. It did not rain, or even mist, and the roads kept getting drier as the ride progressed.  Only incident was before the start when the valve broke on the front tire of my road bike. Switched to the hybrid and forgot how heavy it was, but it does have fenders.  AMS of 15.0.    

Leader:  Darin King
Riders:  Blake Altman, Claire Chiamulera, Scott Walker
Metrics:  http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1055803
Picture:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.574852182530782.146969.147336598615678&type=1&l=ed9d5392fa

Well...it didn't rain, but we did have to endure a moderate amount of road spray.  No problem for these riders!  The actual riding part was fairly normal:  everyone took good turns out front and communicated well. 

Claire mentioned how she had never been on Mechanicsville Road without someone flatting.  Self-fulfilling words.  She suffered a flat...her first in over a year (I need to know her secret).  We all chipped in to get her rolling.  At mile 43, Scott incurred a pretty comprehensive shredding.  A boot barely contained it.  As we were debriefing at the end, Claire noticed she was flat again.  She threw up her hands and accepted a ride home (she normally bikes to/from the Charles County rides).

While cleaning up my bike, I extracted about 6 or 7 possibly-puncture-producing shards of rock/glass.  Glad that I switched to "winter" tires 2 days earlier!

It was a slightly depressing ride, but everyone seemed to be glad they toughed it out.

We joined the C/CC group at the Firehouse at 10:30 on what started as a gray, overcast day.  For some reason, folks were reluctant to leave, a pattern that repeated itself at every rest stop throughout the day.  But eventually we did get going, followed shortly by the C/CC group.  The group consisted of Holly Carr, Jan Tucker, Linda Bankerd, Jim and Jane Hudnall, Mike Bivens, Joan Oppel, Rita Zeidner and Rodeine West and leader Steve Palincsar.  At least, that's who signed up. 

We came down Barry's Hill Rd. "the back way" to Bryans Road, where we encountered some of Calvin's group coming down from Livingston.   Things got a little confused when Holly and I stopped just across 210 to wait for Joan and Rita, who were riding together off the back: the B/CC group followed by some of the C/CC group went off down the road while we waited, and possibly one or more of them followed the 46 mile group left on Pomfret, because when Holly and I arrived at Mattingly Park in Indian Head we found at least one rider who wasn't on the sign-up sheet waiting with the group.  By now, the sky had cleared, the sun had come out, and it had warmed up to the low 50s, turning into a spectacularly beautiful winter day: bright golden light, long slanting shadows, blue skies, just a perfect cycling day.

After a lengthy break, during which a couple of folks I didn't recognize realized they were running late decided to shortcut the route, we followed a straightforward route to Smallwood: Mattingly to 210, Strauss to Chicamuxen, Hawthorne to Smallwood -- probably the only truly straightforward, obvious route of the day -- where we found Reggie & Belinda's group posing for photos at the road leading to the Art Center.  They'd come, had a break, followed my suggestion for a tour of Smallwood (discovering parts of the park they never knew were there, along with some terrain irregularities Calvin insisted were "hills") and then paused for a photo op.  We joined them for a couple of photos, then went down to the marina for a break.

After another lengthy break we set about a very unobvious return: Sweetman to Bicknell to Pisgah Marbury, then left on Mason Spring back to Hawthorne and 210.  Some of us -- at least, of those of us still left (Mike, Jan and Rodeine having gone on ahead somewhere along the way) -- stopped at the McDonalds at Bryans Road for the "fifty cent senior coffee special."  It must have been very special, because they had to brew the coffee up special just for us.  And so, another long break.

Fully fueled, layers off, we flew down Marshall Hall and up Barry's Hill and back to the Firehouse just before 3, last to arrive but happy we'd taken the tour.  AMS somewhere in the high 13s, overall average including stops around 10.  According to ridewithgps, 1887 feet of climbing.  The route is here.  Photos from the ride are here

[Edit: Calvin sent the email announcing the ride, so I assumed he was leading C/CC group, but Reggie and Belina actually led.  Sorry about that; corrections have been made.]

Rider Leader: John Gorman

Riders: Charles Hill, John Arrington w/ their Guests Kevin Williams, Sharon Banks, and Owen Duncan ( I think they all ride more out of the Davidsonville and other AA County locations) 

 9:30am temps were below 40 w/ no wind, so yes it was chilly, but that's winter riding. The sun didn't come out until near the end of the ride.

The Route is one used by week day training rides out of the DAV lot, in Anne Arundel Cty.  L onto Rossback/becomes Paxtuent River Rd into Harwood Rd w/ a rest stop (bath rms) @ the Citigo RT 2/ (Solomon's Isl Rd).  Following southbound thru the traffic cir onto R -Md-422/Bayard R up S. Polling House Rd, L onto Polling House thru it's rural countryside rollers, R back on Bayard, R Sands up to L Paxt River looping back thru the initial roads taken southbound back up to Md-424. Options here are to turn R & back to the lot. Or as I extended, crossed back over MD-424 to Rossback/Rutland, L up Bell Branch, U-turn back L onto Rutland (circling in back of the Lot), R onto MD-424 and back to the parking lot.  1800 ft elvation.  (Initial downward is flat rollers, then some inclines, more climbing from mile 18 back to the start.)

We matched each others paces and/or waited for each other after hills/turns.

Unfortunately about mile 22 on one one rider had 3 flats within  several miles of each, we all pulled over and waited each time for the needed repair. After the 3rd one, myself and two others were advised to continue on, and one rider would get his truck to pick up the rider w/ the flat issues. After arriving back to MD-424,  1/2 mile from the start, the other riders went back to the start. I continued on solo to complete the 40miler. Upon my  arrival at the lot, all riders were accounted for.

Stats: 40.20 miles, 14.20ams (w/ turn coverage and lots of repair stops & recircling back ), riding time 2:50

This was the best day of the weekend and 13 people joined me for this ride (Darin King, Blake Altman, Ken Meredith, Keith Blackmon, Cathy Wilson, John Kady, Claire Chiamulera, Nancy Avitabile, Richard Edelman, John Giglio, Danzie Seaward, John Clark, and Jack Gardner who rode to the ride start from home in Upper Marlboro!).  The first split in the group occurred when Blake had a minor mechanical and the two of us were held back by a red light.  We had to chase (or at least Blake chased, pulling me along) to catch up to part of the group.  John C, Jack, Darin, Danzie, and John G were riding at a faster pace and we did not see them until the rest stop.  After the rest stop Nancy, Richard, Cathy and John K cut the ride short to ~39 miles.  Because there's no food and drink at the cue sheet rest stop we always take a break at the High's which cuts off about 2 miles from the ride.  Blake and I made this distance up at the end by doing an alternate loop back to the parking lot which added ~ 3 miles.  I thought this was a better way back to the start as we avoided having to make the left turn from Davidsonville Rd into the parking lot and crossing 4 lanes of traffic.  Ride leader finished with an ams of 17.1

Ride Leader: Jon Agazzi

Leaders: Jim and Jane Hudnall