Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45312277  At least, that's what it was meant to be, and I assume it was for Ron and Joan.  Me, I got around 2.5 mi and had a flat.  For the rest of my story, see "Mishaps/Mechanicals". And see below for the Ride Report addendum for the riders who completed the route.

Weather: Sunny, mid-40s -- at least, when it was sunny.  When clouds covered the sun,m as was the case on the way to the ride start, it dropped into the high 30s, with much binging and bonging and flashing of the SNOW ALERT on my dashboard.  The wind wasn't much until it was, but that was when I got back home.

AMS: unknown

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A piece of glass in the front tire, and as we turned onto Bunker Hill the bike didn't feel right.  A tenth later the reason was obvious.  I have tires and rims that in combination are very difficult to mount and dismount.  The temperature today made things worse.  Unbelievably worse.  With me, Ron and Joan working the problem together, it took us about an hour to get the tire off, replace the tube and remount the tire.  Remounting was incredibly hard work, so much so that we resorted to tools other than the Bead Jack to mount the tire.  When we finally got the tire on and started inflating the tube, it wouldn't hold air.

At that point I decided enough was enough,we weren't going through that again even though I had yet another tube.  It was time for Plan B, which consisted of Ron going 2 1/2 miles back to Starbucks and coming back with his van. 

Before I could fully articulate this plan, a Good Samaritan in the form of a woman driving a pickup truck came by.  On the way back to Starbucks, she told me she and all her family live along Berry Rd and Bunker Hill.  I for one am certainly glad of that fact.

Report addendum from the riders who completed the route -  Ron and Joan continued on Bunker Hill Road, and after the frustration of the tire debacle, it was good to be pedaling again. It soon became warm enough for clothing adjustments, with temperatures in the high 40s. We actually had a pleasant ride, even though on some busy roads. Traffic was definitely heavier on this Sunday than during the week. Following Diane's roue, there was a nice stretch of nearly 7 miles on the rail trail, where we took advantage of both a portapotty break and a scenic snack break at the big marsh near Bumpy Oak. The west 14 mph wind hit us on Hawthorne, but Chapman's Landing proved as sheltered as always. We made the decision to alter the return (eliminating the shoulder of 210 for 2+ miles) to  Manokeek by crossing 210 at Bryans Road and taking the back way on the west side of 210: Mathews, Gospel Unionor, Livingston, Pine Lane, Manning, cross 210 at Livingston, take Dusty Lane, cross Berry, to approach Manokeek from the north. That added about 2 miles. We had a good ride, were glad to get out. 

Steve's report from home continued: It was more comfortable and warmer at home, and that might have helped, because it only took me a half hour to remove the tire and replace the tube with a new one.  Patching the tube with the glass puncture wasn't too bad, either: easily found, easily patched.

But things were different when I looked at the tube we installed on the road as such a cost in labor.  The tube wouldn't hold air at all initially.  The more holes I patched, the more holes I found.  In the end, it took six patches for that tube to hold air once more.

Report: I love the idea of piggyback rides.  We had such fun with them back before the Pandemic!  I thought piggybacking with Diane's B ride would be a great place to start doing it again. 

In practice, it didn't quite work out that way.  Ron and Joan were a few seconds behind the B group getting mounted up and moving.  By the time we reached Berry Rd, the B group was out of sight.

It's been some years since I rode east on Berry Rd, and I'd forgotten what the traffic between the shopping center and Bunker Hill Rd was like.  I'd pretty much decided this would be a one-and-done before we made the turn, and then my tire went flat. And now I'm sure.

I hope Ron and Joan had a good ride for the remainder of the route.  Perhaps they can edit this and tell us what adventures befell them after we parted ways.

Leader: Diane Harris 

Members: Theresa R, Sherwood B, Linda B, Alan K

Guests: None

Route: Starbucks Express-Manokeek Village Shopping Center to the Indian Head Rail Trail by way of roads in Waldorf, then back to the start via Chapman's Landing and other roads including short sections of Indian Head Hwy and roads that parallel Indian Head Hwy. 

Weather: Sunny, cool, comfortable for a January Day. By ride start, the roads had dried from the previous day's and night's rain.

AMS: 13.6 (ride leader)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This is the same route as last week's Sunday ride and I enjoyed it, and the company, just as much as I did last week. From the shopping center we take Berry Rd to the turn onto Bunker Hill. This section can have a lot of vehicle traffic but there is a wide shoulder that takes us to our first turn. We use more roads with wide shoulders until we get to Middletown Rd, a 2 lane stretch where (for me) taking the lane is the safest way to get us to the turn onto the Indian Head Rail Trail. It's Winter and the trees are bare which allows you to see clearly what's behind the tree line. After recent heavy rains, I saw how much water there was. A lot!! I'd never seen that much water along the trail. Once off the trail, we had a short climb up Hawthorne to Indian Head Hwy, crossing to take the rollers of Chapman's Landing a prettier option to Indian Head Hwy. The rest of the ride had us alternating stretches of the Hwy with parallel roads until we returned to the shopping center. One of the best parts of this ride was the post ride fellowship with drinks and snacks at the nearby coffee shop. 

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Sherwood Byers, Sr., Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, Denny Miller, Gene Villiva

Route:  Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather:  sunshine and blue skies with high altitude thin cloud puffs, 4-5 mph SW breezes with temps starting in the upper 30s and maybe reaching 40-41 degrees

AMS:   varied by rider; your faithful correspondent swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:  start time was changed to 1 pm in hopes of some solar warming, which at least brought the temps into the upper 30s instead of near freezing.  Thankfully, all riders where in full polar bear/freezing saddles cycling attire and coupled with the sunshine, it didn't seem too terribly cold.

Only a few fellow cyclists, some runners, and a couple of young ladies on roller skates to share the trail with during our ride.  Wildlife was evidently hunkered down staying warm as there were no sightings to report. 

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Esther Steward, Robin Garnett, Janet Shipko, Patricia Sanders, Catherine Ade, Gene Villiva, Steve Palincsar, Paul Hamilton, Lisa Peterson, Rick Hagen, Norm Lisy, Chris Moriarity, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers,  Ron Altemus, Alan Kurzweil, Carol Torgan

Route - from Washington Sailing Marina, 

Weather - Cloudy, 36 at start with scattered rain drops not amounting to actual rain but reappearing periodically during the ride, 38 at end (temperature readings from my Garmin)

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Seventeen of us left the marina in a long line, met another rider at the Jefferson Memorial (who remained with us in DC) and another who joined us for the coffee shop stop. Rain drops visited us periodically during the ride but no actual precipitation.

We visited the Tidal Basin side of the Jefferson Memorial, viewed the Martin Luther King Memorial from inside (without bikes), then the Lincoln and the WWII and on to a warm stop at a coffee shop just outside the White House. By the time we left the coffee shop several riders had left us. Thirteen hardy riders continued on to the end.

Brief stop at the White House, then down 15th St cycle track to the Pennsylvania Ave cycle track-which we didn't need today because Pennsylvania Ave was closed all the way to the Capitol for a fitness walk!

Around the Peace Monument at the Capitol, up the nice long hill on Constitution, waving at the Supreme Court, into the Capitol Plaza from First St, waving to the Library of Congress and then stopping at the Botanical Gardens.

We then returned across the Mall and most of the group chose to do the Hains Point Loop (traditional NY Day gathering of cyclists from all over the DMV). Potomac Pedalers members Catherine Kitchell and Butch Counts had a hot drink and snacks station, including hot chocolate that most of us enjoyed. We were chilled but glad to get out and know that we had ridden all year. 

More pictures: Lisa Peterson (in pink jacket) and Rick Hagen had a 360 degree camera mounted on a 4 foot pole on the back of Lisa's bike, taking pictures as we rode.  

Riders were Linda Bankerd, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Denise Calloway, Andrea Clayville, Lisa Friedman, Jenny Haddon, Rick Hagen, Nicole Heckman, Sabine Hentrich, Jessica Hirschhorn, Cynthia Nuzzi, Lisa Petersen, Lynn Schoenfelder, Janet Shipko, Leslie Tierstein, Kurt VanGelder and Cameron Waggoner.   18 in total.  

ROUTE:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42647025  40 miles circumnavigating the DMV.  Trails included Capitol Crescent Trail, Rock Creek Trail, Douglass Bridge, Anacostia River Trail, Rachel Carson Greenway, Sligo Creek Trail, and Beach Drive.    Keeping this large group together was a challenge, worse after our lunch stop at the MD Meadworks (which everyone enjoyed!)  In Sligo Creek Trail, and in the transition from the trail to Beach Drive (using local streets and some admittedly confusing turns) was a challenge.  We lost a cyclist who needed to rest and got behind the sweep (me) unbeknownst.  She missed an important turn despite having RWGPS running, but used Google Maps/Bike mode to get back to start, where I was waiting for her. 

Milage 40.6

Mechanicals:  2 dropped chains, and 1 loss of DI2 battery life, necessitating spousal pickup of cyclist. 

PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96852862@N07/shares/3u34088j0p

We all enjoyed this Adventure despite its occasional challenges. 

Looking forward to leading it again with a smaller group.  

Leader - Diane Harris 

Members - Liam H, Sherwood B, Theresa R, Sam P, Lori M, Alan K

Route - From the Manokeek Shopping Center, Accokeek MD 

Weather - Sunny, temperature in the 40s, occasionally breezy

AMS - Ride leader ended with 14.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It's been a while since I've led a ride for the club and today was a perfect reintroduction for me. Nice route, nice weather, good company. Thanks to all who joined me. 

The group at Smallwood Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Mary Scala, Catherine Ade, Patricia Sanders, Joan Oppel, Donaro Gardner, Ron Altemus, Janell Saunders and Pat Walthers

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45236419

Weather: What a lovely day for December 31!  Sunny, low 40s at the start rising to the high 40s by early afternoon.

AMS: 11.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We welcomed out the old year with a ride that welcomed back Pat Walthers, who had been rehabbing from a knee replacement.  It was a fairly easy, very simple route that Pat picked out, up Hawthorne and Mighty Mount Pisgah, Ripley to Poorhouse, Poorhouse to Bicknell to Chicamuxen and a stop at Smallwood Park.  Return was Chicamuxen with the usual diversion on Marbury Run Rd back to Livingston Rd.  We all had fun, and at the end Pat felt tired but good, and happy to be with friends again.  We were equally happy to be with her again, and just in time to see the old year out.

Happy 2024, everyone!  See you next year.

Leader:  Ron Altemus

Members/Guest:  Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer,  guest Claudia Guidi, Steve palincsar


Route:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44628163 32.6 miles, 771' elevation change.  Regular Tour routing to Bryan's Road then meanderings through South Hampton and Timber Ridge subdivisions back to Marshall Hall Road.  Descent of Marshall Hall Road to an exploration on Fenwick prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing.  Return featured out and back on River Rd,  Barry Hill Road, a short excursion on Old Marshall Hall Road and return to the firehouse.

Weather:  overcast throughout with temps in a narrow range of the mid 40s and 8 mph breezes out of the SW

AMS:  swept 11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   Penultimate ride of 2023 featured views of the Bryans Road area that several participants had never seen nor ridden.  We toured as a group throughout the ride, at times side-by-side conversation was quite prevalent.  More homes continue to be built in the subdivisions off of Marshall Hall Road:  quite amazing that there are so many back there.

Guest Claudia enjoyed her introduction to this part of Southern Maryland.   Hopefully, she'll be joining the club to experience additional favorite club routes.

The out and back on Fenwick offered a couple of photo ops:

View across the Potomac to Mason Neck's Hallowing Point neighborhood:

An interesting Christmas display, photo courtesy of Steve Palincsar:

Leader:  Ron Altemus

Members:  Gene Villiva, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Darrell Meyer, Sherwood Byers, Sr.  Not pictured:  Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains for a rest stop, then return to the start.

Weather:   temp range from u mid 40s to lower 50s, SW winds 6-7 mph, mostly cloudy.  Still pleasant for this time of year.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  none

Report:   A good number of walkers/joggers using the trail but not too many other cyclists.  Given the rains of Tuesday/Wednesday, the Mattawoman Creek was swollen and overflowing its normal streambed between Pomfret and Livingston.  Numerous sections of land along the trail where underwater, which is good as this area had been extremely dry.

This was the last Friday IHRT ride of 2023.   Not to fear though, as we'll be backing riding again come the first Friday of 2024.  Hope to see you out there with us.

Leader:   Ron Altemus & Joan Oppel

Members:  Janet Shipko & Gene Villiva

Route:   meanderings through several neighborhoods of the Greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45176143  12.2 miles, 273' elevation change)

Weather:  relatively balmy for the end of December with temps in the low 50s, minimal air movement, and dark skies

AMS:  slow

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   our guest rider, Claudia Guidi, attempted to ride from her Arlington home to the ride start.  She got lost and arrived very late and when she tried to call the ride leader (your faithful correspondent), he had his phone set to not ring for unknown callers.  So she ended up missing the ride.

Report:   The weather was the big story - no one got cold on this ride.  We saw plenty of nicely decorated homes and a few that were completely over the top.  The house on Collingwood Rd, winner of a national competition several years ago but dark last year as the owner recovered from injuries and illnesses, was lit up again this year.  Not as grandiose as in year's past, but still very brilliant.