Claire had this listed as an A ride.  Being more of a B and wanting to do the ride, I added the second level.  The roads were all pretty familiar with the exception of friendship Farm Park, which I had passed often, but never gone into.  Steve Palinscar and Pat Sanders joined me. We had an uneventful, leisurely ride in ideal weather conditions.

Although we were unable to add this ride to the on-line schedule due to technical problems, we still had a good turn out  of riders on this day of perfect weather.  The ride leader--Calvin Conyers-- was pleased to be joined  by Sam, Joseline, Paul, Jon, Belinda, Walter, Laquinia, Celeste, and William.  After the shared start with Holly's B Group,  our group essentually divided into 2 groups based on speeds, however the lead group made certain to wait for all riders at specified regroup spots.  Thanks all for making this an enjoyable ride, in spite of the challenging "hills on Rte 6".  Special note, Laquinia Beale, who is new to group rides of this length, successfully mae it up all climbs even while fighting leg cramps.  Way to go.

Beautiful sunshine on an 8:15 am "early bird catches the asphalt" day. Joining today's ride were members: Ruddy Elly, Joyce & Kenny Statom, Diane Gorman, and Jeannie Ann Swartz,  guests: Sara Sackville(?), Doug Gritz, and Mike Johnson, led by ride leader John Gorman. The ride left from the end of the B/A Trail (Boulters Way Rd), immediately travels onto road conditions to Sandy Pt State Park for 7miles (with views of the Bay Bridge). After leaving the park you travel along College Pkwy cossing Ritchie Hwy back to the B/A Trail for 9miles. Once back to the Trail, riders could opt for a short option back for a total of 25miles or continue north to the end and retrace the Trail back to Boulters Way for a 40mile total.  Several riders took the short option back, others grouped  together to do a longer option, some continued further north to ride on the BWI Loop and back. Rider leader stats: (hybrid bike) 37mis, 2:53 mins, 12.66 ams. No mechanical or rider problems encountered. 

Hopefully you got a chance to see our photo on facebook.  What a crowd we had on that beautiful sunny day. We were joined by Calvin and his team of C/CC riders.  There was a long train down Marshall hall road. The ride leader managed to stay in front of the pack all the way down Bumpy Oak Road and was then overtaken by the A/AA/AAAA riders.  The Ironsides Store is closed...In the future we can remember there is a store about 2 miles before Ironsides,,,so we can stop there instead.  The climbs up Rt 6 are memorable.  All in all it was a great day

Ride leader Diane Harris: This was my first time as a Thursday morning Brandywine Firehouse ride leader and I chose the Gallant Green as my inaugural ride.  Darryl Lowery, Tom Roberson, Jay Lewis, Tom Short, Linda and Paul Bankerd, Mike and Regina Saizan joined me on a sunny, cool, and windy morning.  Before starting we had a discussion on the importance of carrying not only personal identification but information on whom to notify in case of emergency.  Keep in mind that whatever you use, it has to be quickly and easily accessible to those that need it.  Then off we went, pushed by a tailwind, with very few hills until after the rest stop.  From that point the wind picked up and there was more climbing, nothing steep or long, but with the wind made for a challenging ride.  Uneventful until a wild turkey ran across our path followed by a car that decided to pass us as we were about to make a left turn.  Fortunately no mishaps.  Ride leader's ams, 14.5. 

Another beautiful sunny, breezy spring day, and a nice group of riders including Darryl Lowery, Randy Schoch, Tom Short, Sharon Miller, Mike Bivens, Richard Harrington, Jay Lewis, Joan Oppel, Dave VanAmayden (arriving late but joining us at the first rest stop), Loretta Troen and guest and fellow Burke Babes on Bikes member K.L. Morgan.

The route went on Bumpy Oak to Hawthorne to Valley, then through Port Tobacco to  St. Ignatius going up the hill at Chapel Point to a rest stop.  After the break it crossed 301 and went down Bel Alton Newtown (it really is easier in this direction even though there's more elevation gain) and Springhill Newtown to a second rest stop at Johnny Boy's BBQ, then down Locust Grove, up Rose Hill and finally Pomfret to Livingston and back to Bryans Road.

No mechanicals, no issues, a fair amount of wind (the radio said gusts up to 30 mph) and pollen but no problems because of it.  In all, a great day to be out riding and a wonderful group to be doing it with.

Ron Leak was joined by guests Ray Salvagini and Holden Hudson along with members Claire Chiamulera, Dave King, and Ken Meredith on a nice peaceful ride on the IHRT.  Claire, Dave, and Holden climbed Bumpy Oak on the way to Indian Head, and Dave, Holden and Ray took a detour through the neighborhood in Indian Head to climb Mattingley.  It was a casual ride and I really enjoyed it.

Easter Sunday, a cool start to the day although sunny.  Ride leader Diane Harris was joined by Nancy Avitabile, Richard Edelman, John Clark, Liam Healy, Ted Peters, Blake Altman, Bob Bernstein, Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Jack Gardner (who rode his bike to the start), Drayton Reese (on his newest acquisition...a Seven with all the bells and whistles!), and Gary Johnson (fresh from having worked all night).  The faster group took off not to be seen again until the rest stop, while Liam and I took the more leisurely A pace.  Jack, John, Gary, Reese, and Ted waited for us at the rest stop where we regrouped, then continued the ride at the more leisurely pace, easing up at the top of hills to let those behind catch up.  We exchanged tips on climbing, discussed the newest bike technology and whether we really needed it or just wanted it (both!!).  It stayed on the cool side with some wind but still a beautiful day for a ride.  Leader's ams 15.3.

Ride leader Ron Leader was joined on this ride with David King, Walt Roscello, and joined on the trail with Janell Saunders and Michie Sidwell.  We rode from Theodore Green to 225 on the IHRT and up Chicamuxen to Sweetman to get over to Pisgah for a rest stop.  From there we took Poorhouse to Ripley back to 225 and up to Marshall Corner.

What a beautiful sunny spring day!  Breezy (very breezy at times) with temperatures in the low 50s when I started riding down from Bryans Road to the ride start, rising to around 60 when the group left Lackey HS and up to 65 when we finished.  (See, John, there are advantages to starting at a reasonable hour besides not having to wake up before sunrise to make the ride.)

In the group were Linda and Paul Bankerd, Holly Carr, Jan Tucker, Richard Harrington, Bill Perry, Sharon Miller, Miche Sidwell, Mike Bivens, Sarah Clement, Loretta Troen and guests Laura Malnati, Rita Zeidner and Harold Datz.  Many thanks to the group for responding on such short notice.

The route was a last minute affair, put together on Thursday after Holly (wearing her B-ride coordinator hat) suggested we needed a ride for Saturday.  It was to be a longer Bryans Road ride that would include Gilroy (I've been trying to do Gilroy for months, but it's just a little too far away for a Tuesday ride) but then Sam mentioned Riverside.  I love Riverside but haven't been there since the Indian Head 100, and once mentioned, the route was definitely going to include Riverside.  And so the ride start had to move to Lackey High School to keep it to 50 (or 62 riding to Lackey from Bryans Road). 

But this wasn't going to be yet another iteration of "Around Maryland Point."  I didn't feel like doing that long stretch on Chicamuxen, and besides, if anyone's going to have a flat tire on a ride it's going to be on that long boring stretch on Chicamuxen and I didn't want any flats today.  (Ironically, I discovered this morning that the bike I planned to use today had a flat tire, necessitating a quick bike change before setting out!)  

Instead, the route would use Mason Spring and Baptist Church to get to Nanjemoy.   I realized last night that although that hill on Mason Spring just off Chicamuxen is fine if you've ridden from Bryans Road and have had a chance to warm up, it's probably not so fine if you just came from Lackey High School and have only ridden half a mile; so the revised version went up Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury to get to Mason Spring.

From the stop at the Nanjemoy store, now under new management and still as accommodating as ever, thank goodness, we took a glorious roller coaster ride down Riverside with hardly a house or car to be seen for miles -- we could have been in the George Washington National Forest -- and then up Holly Spring in the opposite direction from the Indian Head 100, back to Nanjemoy on 6, Hancock Run and Adams Willett, where the group gathered at the store once again.  The route to Pisgah was a bit unusual as well: Jacksontown to Greenleek Hill to 6, but instead of following 6 straight back to Ironside, we went right on Gilroy (at last!) and left on Bowie back to 6, then Mason Spring to the Pisgah store, and after the last rest stop, Bicknell etc. back to the school, the trailing group finishing with a 14.1 mph average.