Pittsburgh to DC Bike Tour 2009: The Complete GAP and C&O Canal

A year ago, Dan and I took our first long distance bike tour, traveling on the full Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, heading Northbound.  While there were some initial challenges, we had a great time on the trip, and we both wanted to do the full C&O and GAP trail, making the trip from Pittsburgh to Washington (and then onto my house in Virginia).  Once we got the scheduling figured out, we set the date and were joined by Dan's girlfriend Trish.  We budgeted 9 days to make the journey, ensuring we could have a relatively leisurely pace of no more than 40 miles a day.  As it turned out we made the complete trip in 8 days and had a great time.  Here is the story of our journey through 4 states and the District of Columbia.

Day 1 - 40 miles

My wife and I celebrated our first year of marriage by visiting Pittsburgh and staying at the Omni hotel.  We celebrated the day in style having a great dinner at the Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto on top of Mount Washington and watching some fireworks from high above the city. The next day was to be the first day of the tour and my wife graciously agreed to take us to the trail head in McKeesport, a few miles out of the city center. There is no real bike friendly way to get there, only 55 mph highways with no shoulders.

We left out early in the morning and picked up Dan and Trish, making our way to the trail head.  After loading down our bikes and saying our goodbyes, we started our journey Southward.  The first few miles of the trail were not particularly well marked and were surrounded by unattractive industrial areas.  Once we finally got out of the area of industry we got a little more tree cover and faded into a mostly sylvan, if unremarkable setting.

The summer heat was in full force as we made our trip and we were glad to reach the River's Edge campground 40 miles into our journey.  The high quality surface of the GAP made those miles go particularly quickly, so we had time to hop into their refreshingly cool pool and cool ourselves off.  We set up our tents and got ready for the evening.  In the adjacent site, a bike touring father and his daughter arrived on a tandem and chatting with them we found that the father had done several cross country bike tours in his youth.  He now teaches biology and raises some crops at his farm. This was his first tour in many years, but they were having a great time.

We broke out my MSR Dragonfly camp stove and cooked our dinners and made it to our tents in time to get shelter from a rather intense downpour. There were a few instances of thunder and lightning to keep things interesting, but my tent performed admirably, keeping the rain out and my gear dry.

Day 2 - 50 miles

We woke up in the morning to a very damp camp, with the soaking rains making sure everything got washed off the night before.  The forecast was for more rain, and the meteorologists would not be proven wrong.  After making breakfast (oatmeal and trail mix for me), taking down our tents, and loading down our trusty steeds we continued our journey South, happy for the dry conditions and hoping they would last.  Our legs were feeling good after the nights rest and we made some good distance during the day.  As afternoon approached the sun's rays started to bake us and we were happy to see a swimming hole at Ohiopyle where the cool waters of the Youghioheney River. We had lunch and a refreshing dip.  A little excitement was had when Dan saw someone messing with my bike, but he was able to scare the guy off and we continued on our way.

Unlike the C&O Canal with its free hiker/biker sites every 5-10 miles, the GAP does not have a lot of camping options and free-camping is prohibited.  This meant we absolutely had to make certain mileage targets, no matter what was tossed into our path.  Our goal was Rockwood, and about 20 miles from the campsite there the skies opened up and rained upon us.  Normally a little rain is not an issue, but on the crushed stone surface of the GAP, it meant our bikes and legs were getting coated with concrete-like slurry of rock and wetness.  Riding became decidedly unpleasant, but with no other options we pressed on until we made Rockwood at milepost 43. 

We did not look forward to setting up our still soaked tents in the downpour, so we looked at the signboard on the edge of town and decided to stay at a hostel in town.  Interestingly enough, the town didn't have cell service, but they had a cell repeater by the signboard that worked within a 25 foot radius -- definitely helpful for calling up the various places regarding accommodations. The staff at the Hostel on Main in Rockwood was friendly and accommodating, and the nearby restaurant had some tasty pizza and calzones to warm us up.  We availed ourselves of the dryer to make some of our gear a bit less soggy and enjoyed some nice hot showers and warm beds.  This would be our only night not camping, but it was definitely a nice change of pace due to the weather.  As fortune would have it, the only other occupants of the hostel were the father and daughter tandem tourists we had met at the last campsite.  We had a great evening of conversation and exchanged many stories before calling it a night.  The only downside to the place was its proximity to the railroad (literally in the back yard) which woke us up every hour or so. Even still we had a good night's stay.

Day 3 - 50 miles

After our soggy travels the day before it was not easy rousing us from our comfortable beds, so we hurried to make the 9AM closing time of the hostel, cutting it quite close.  Breakfast was to be a rare departure from my usual oatmeal and trail mix -- leftover pizza was the order of the day, and it was almost as delicious the morning after as it was the night before.  After loading our bikes we headed back to the now less soggy GAP and continued our Southward journey.

We continued on the 100 mile climb to the top of the Continental Divide, and while the grade was not overly difficult, we definitely knew we were going uphill.  Once we finally reached the Continental Divide we took some celebratory photos and prepared for the best downhill ride we would get during the entire trip.  We descended about 1,700 feet in 20 miles and with my heavy load I was definitely out in front descending on the trail about 18-20 miles an hour.  I got a good lead on Dan and Trish on the descent and with about ten miles to go the skies started to threaten with thunder and rain, so I took a chance to take shelter at a covered picnic table.  Dan and Trish were not to lucky and got pretty wet, rejoining me about an hour later.  While I waited out the rain I was joined by an older couple who were doing biking day trips on a vacation.  We had a great conversation and parted ways when the rain went from a deluge to a mere trickle.  As they were departing I was joined by Dan and Trish and I broke out the stove to make some warm food to warm them up.

After lunch we made the final 10 mile descent into Cumberland and celebrated our completion of the GAP at Ed's Canal Pub where we had $2.50 drafts of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Anchor Steam.  The place remains awesome.  While we celebrated with our inexpensive pints, we were joined once again by the father daughter tandem touring team and we had a great conversation once again.  After we had our fill of refreshment we set off down toward the C&O Canal to set up camp at one of the hiker/biker campsites.

The rains had made the towpath quite muddy in some sections making for a challenging ride at times.  We decided to set up camp at Irons Mountain hiker/biker campsite, and as we did so the darkness of night fell upon us making the use of our headlights required to see what we were doing.  Filled with beer and popcorn from Ed's Canal Pub we decided to skip dinner for the night and head straight to bed.  After a 50 mile day our sleeping bags were quite inviting.

Day 4 - 40 miles (20 net miles)

Although the weather had kept things interesting, we had been relatively lucky on the equipment side of things thus far on the trip.  After making breakfast, breaking camp, and loading our bikes it was clear that this streak of good luck had come to an untimely close.  Dan had fallen on his front wheel the previous night on the hilly terrain of the campsite and had thought nothing of it, but in the morning it was clear that his wheel had a broken spoke and was significantly out of true.  I took out my spoke wrench and got his bike rolling again, but with no bike shop South on the trail for many miles, we made the decision to reverse course and go back the 10 miles into Cumberland to fix his wheel.

As it turned out his rim had been bent beyond repair, so the incredibly helpful mechanic at the bike shop at the end of the C&O named Hutch sold Dan a new wheel at a very favorable price.  While I was there I thought it would be a good idea to get some grease in my speedplay frog pedals, and much to my surprise grease leaked out of the pedal body on one of the pedals.  The pedal was very close to complete failure.  Luckily Hutch was a certified speedplay dealer, and he used a pedal body he had in stock to do a free warranty repair for me.  He also flushed out my kickstand with grease, making it move smoothly once again after being jammed with grit from the GAP.  He definitely saved the day, and I'd recommend that shop to anyone in the area in a heartbeat.

While repairs were being made on our bikes we had lunch at the nearby Crabby Pig restaurant and then we continued Southward.  As we continued on the C&O the muddy conditions made for some hard travelling.  The mud was packing between my front fender and tire, making for a very hard ride that is akin to riding with the brakes on constantly.  Even still we made our daily mileage target of 40 (even if it was only an effective 20 miles South).

We stopped at Purslane Run hiker/biker campground at mile 156, sharing the campsite with a couple guys from Lancaster county.  All of us went for a swim in the Potomac and after the riding it was very refreshing.  After our swim we made dinner and shared the campfire until dark when we got some much needed rest.

Day 5 - 45 miles

Our campsite was very close to Paw Paw Tunnel so after making our breakfast and loading our bikes we headed to the nearly mile long structure.  Inside the tunnel the space was definitely optimized for the canal traffic and not the mule -- the towpath here was very narrow and with no internal lighting only a wooden guardrail protects you from a rather steep fall down into the canal.  It gets incredibly dark in that tunnel, but thankfully my HID light was up for the task lighting the way.

After we got out of the tunnel it was a relatively short ride down to the legendary Bill's place for lunch.  I had a hamburger and some delicious birch beer for lunch and we all enjoyed the colorful restaurant in its quirky glory.  From there we continued South to Hancock to get some provisions at the grocery store there.  To make good time and give ourselves a break from the incessant bumps of the C&O we took thje 22 mile Western Maryland Rail Trail with its glorious silken pavement.  After getting our supplies we continued on the WMRT until we rejoined the C&O Canal eventually making our way to the North Mountain hiker/biker campsite near milepost 110.  We made dinner and set up our tents and were surprised at the noise at the site.  While train traffic had become a constant companion along the route, the mosquito drone of marine engines kept us up for a while as people on jet skis, boats, and other craft made their way past our site.  Finally the noise subsided and we got a good night's rest.

Day 6 - 35 miles

As we made breakfast and broke camp we were eagerly awaiting our destination for the day -- Killiansburg Cave hiker/biker site.  We deliberately made today's mileage shorter than usual so we could spend some quality time at this site.  Last year Dan and I had a blast camping down by the water and swimming, and we hoped to do the same this year.

About 10 miles from our campsite was the town of Williamsport, home to one of our favorite little cafes on last year's trip, the Desert Rose.  Just like last year we had service with a smile and great tasting food.  We also picked up some other supplies in town before continuing back down the hill to the canal.

The bumpy terrain of the C&O Canal puts a lot of strain on equipment, and in a flashback from last year, my saddle broke while riding toward the detour off trail that gives a big climb to get around the section that has been unable to be ridden on for years.   As was the case last year, the metal rail sheared off near the mounting bracket on the seatpost.  Channeling my inner MacGuyver, I was able to put both sides of the break into the bracket by sliding the seat forward, but this movement caused the saddle to pinch upward, making for an extremely unpleasant ride.  I suffered through the ride and we made it to Killiansburg Cave where I was glad to give a rest to my disgruntled undercarriage.

Upon arriving at the campsite we realized that the campsite we loved so much was already occupied.  We set up camp at the vastly inferior campsite near the trail and then consoled ourselves with a nice long swim in the water.  It was absolutely wonderful in the water and we spent a good long time soaking and swimming.

After our swim we made dinner and retired for the evening, hoping to make an early trip to Harpers Ferry to buy a new saddle to replace the one that was a replacement from last year's tour.

Day 7 - 50 miles

After making breakfast and breaking camp at Killiansburg Cave, we continued South to Harpers Ferry with all due haste.  It had become clear that I was going to need to replace the saddle, so when we reached the railroad and pedestrian bridge at Harpers Ferry we crossed in search of a replacement.  In the past there was a general store that also was a bike shop, but when we got there we were informed that they had moved their bike operations 2 miles away.  They had a very limited set of equipment for sale under a table, mostly tubes.  After an in-depth search I finally found one remaining bike saddle in the back of the collection.  I happily forked over the $26 for it and we made our way back to the C&O.  The heat of the sun was intense, so I decided to continue on the broken saddle for the remaining five miles to Brunswick where I would be able to make the repairs in air conditioned comfort.

When we arrived in Brunswick we made a direct line to Beans in the Belfry and started locking up our bikes when I was surprised to hear a familiar voice.  My father, having read my status report the night before that I sent on my smartphone, had made the trip out to Brunswick to join us for a bite to eat.  I was definitely pleasantly surprised.  Beans in the Belfry was having their Sunday brunch with live jazz, and the food and drink were, as always, quite delicious.  While waiting for my sandwich I made the necessary repairs to the seatpost, swapping saddles and getting the angles just right.  After enjoying our repast and a bit of respite from the sweltering August sun we made our way back to the trail eager to make some good distance with my newly fixed saddle.

We made the distance from Brunswick to White's Ferry in a very short time, cranking on all eight cylinders with our bellies full of energy and my backside reveling in the comfort of a new saddle.  Once at White's Ferry we got some cold drinks and took a brief break before heading back onto the trail with our goal of making the last Hiker/Biker campsite on the C&O, Horsepen Branch at mile 26.

We made it with sunlight to spare, however, there was no handle on the pump (the only site we noted without one on the entire trail).  This meant we had to make do with the water we had on our bikes, and unfortunately, that wasn't a whole lot.  Luckily the following morning we would reach a source of tap water in about 10 miles, and we had just enough to reach that point.  After making dinner and a fire we retired for the evening taking refuge in our tents from a particularly mosquito infested site for our last night of the trip.

Day 8 - 45 miles

On the last day of the journey we woke up and did the morning ritual for the last time, fueling our bodies, and preparing our bikes for the last 45 mile leg of our journey.  Our first stop was  ten miles down the road at the Great Falls Visitor center where we used their bathrooms to fill up our nearly empty water containers.  Here Dan saw some people he had spoken with earlier in the trip from Switzerland, conversing with them in their native tongue, French.

Just a short trip down the road was Great Falls itself, and the three of us went on the catwalks over the falls and saw the torrents of water making their way over the rocky structure.  After taking the requisite photographs and admiring nature's handiwork, we continued on our journey to the South, biking through what may be my favorite part of the entire canal towpath, the widewater section.  The scenery in this area makes you think that you're somewhere out west with a rugged rock face abuting a serene lake, but in reality you're less than 14 miles from Georgetown.

Continuing down the towpath we made our way to Fletcher's Cove, where we had a cold drink and I indulged in a hot dog.  Then it was time for the final 3 miles on the towpath (we decided to stay on it instead of taking the Capital Crescent).  Finally, within 300 feet of milepost zero we were stopped by security.  As it turned out the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in the building adjacent to the trail, so they would not let us take the last little bit of the journey.  Thankfully I was familiar with the area, so we simply took a couple block detour and made it to the photo opportunity by the sign.

Now it was time to brave the 95 degree heat and head home.  Our first stop was at Gravelly Point where we watched some planes take off and land, and then we made our way to Old Town Alexandria where we treated ourselves to some Ben and Jerry's ice cream down on Union Street.  After continuing on the trail and making a stop at Belle Haven Marina to top off our water bottles we finally made our way to my house after many a difficult climb (due to the heavy load we were carrying).  Once home we unloaded our bikes and headed straight for the showers to get clean and cool off.  Once clean we cracked open some of my first batch of home brew and enjoyed the comfort of the couch after over a week in the outdoors. Including side trips into towns we travelled over 360 miles in 8 days and had a wonderful time.

The 2008 50 States Tour

On October 11, 2008, I set out to ride all 50 States in the union over the course of 100 kilometers, including Alaska and Hawaii.  Obviously this was not a coast-to-coast affair with water crossings, instead I joined the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and several friends to bike on each and every state named avenue in the District of Columbia.  It started out cool in the morning and I was eager to start the ride.  The starting point had plenty of sports drinks, powerbars, and bananas.  After signing in and waiting for a while I saw some of my friends arrive and shortly thereafter we headed out on our ride.

Aaron brought his home-made tall bike along for the ride and easily conquered the route.  We went at a comfortable pace over the initially reasonable terrain downtown, making a detour for the IMF meeting that was going on that day, but still hitting all the streets on our manifest.  As the route progressed we eventually crossed over the Anacostia river and started to make our rather large ascent up Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue looping around until we got back to Fort Dupont Park where we had a glorious descent that sent us screaming down to the side of the Anacostia river. We got some water at Anacostia Park and then made our way back to the other side of the river toward Capitol Hill where lunch was being provided for us by WABA and California Tortilla Kitchen.  From there we went north past Gallaudet University crossing New York Avenue, where I had my first mechanical issue.  My chain jumped off the front chainring and stuck between the chainring and the chainstay.  It was really stuck in there, but after some assistance from my friend Nathan I was on my way.
Unfortunately, that way was up, up, and more up.  Once past Catholic University the climb up Hawaii Avenue was certainly memorable.  Then it was North, almost to Maryland and up around Walter Reed where Alaska Avenue (an amazingly short avenue) can be found.  Then it was off  down into Rock Creek Park ... and back up again for a tour of Barnaby Woods, Chevy Chase (DC), and Friendship Heights.  From there we went through American University's campus to do a incredibly fast descent half way down Arizona Avenue, only to be followed by an immediate climb up the same height to University Terrace -- all in the last 5 miles -- pretty brutal.

Finally we made our way down hill with a few modest climbs back to the starting point where we then set off for Bourbon in Adams Morgan to celebrate the ride, refuel with some good food, and drink to our success.  The ride was definitely a challenge, but also a lot of fun.

The Complete C&O Canal

Shortly after my wife and I got back from our honeymoon in the Caribbean, my best man Dan and I set out on a journey up the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.  I had excess of leave from work that I needed to use and he was off from school for that week, so we decided to bike tour our way up the Potomac River.  The weather could not have been better, and despite early injuries and equipment failures we were able to make it all the way to the trail's terminus at mile 184.5.

Day 1 (9/18/2008): Home to Marble Quarry H/B
50 miles

We started out early in the morning to get a jump on our journey, but not as early as we would have liked.  Our bikes were loaded to the gills with way more camping gear and clothing than we actually needed.  We headed into Washington and made our way to the Canal along the Potomac and continued on until we reached Great Falls.  We got some hot dogs and Gatorade and took in the falls afterward before heading back on our way. 

My knee started to hurt shortly thereafter from all the weight being towed by my bike, so Dan took some of the load off for me and we continued onward.  Right before White's Ferry our first equipment failure happened -- my saddle, which had been with me for around 8,000 miles, finally broke one of its rails.  Thankfully it was servicable enough to ride, but by no means comfortable.

We took a lengthy rest stop at White's Ferry and ended up talking to a gentleman who was sitting on the bench outside of the convenience store there.  He ran in and got us some bottles of water, and later identified himself as the captain of the ferry.  We told him about our trip plans and about my equipment failure and one of his co-workers took out his bike and pulled the seat post off, giving me his saddle.  I asked him how much he wanted for it, but he would not take money -- instead he asked that I "pay it forward".  If the guys at White's Ferry read this, I once again extend my heartfelt thanks.  I purchased some Advil -- which slowly started to help my aching knee.

Refueled and re-saddled, we headed out into the quickly darkening evening and set up our camp at Marble Quarry H/B.  There were two other tents set up there, and they graciously allowed us to set up there.  Night fell quickly, and the heat of the evening made it one of the more unpleasant evenings for sleeping.  We had my tent's fly installed, which wasn't a great idea with the heat -- a mistake we would not make again.  The mosquitos were out in force but eventually we were able to kill them enough to get a reasonable night's sleep.

Day 2 (9/19/2008): Marble Quarry H/B to Killiansburg Cave H/B
40 Miles

After we got our start the following morning we made our way toward Brunswick, MD where I had been to a wonderful coffee shop called Beans in the Belfry on a previous trip up the canal.  My knee started acting up again, so it was fairly slow going.  I had another ibuprofen on me, but I made the mistake of not taking it then, which only added to the discomfort.  Around the Monocacy Aqueduct we met some members of the Bike Patrol who provided us with a map and some helpful information.  We rode with them for a while until just before Brunswick.  Eventually we made it to Beans in the Belfry where Dan and I pigged out on a lot of carb and protein heavy delights.  We took the opportunity to relax for a bit, reading and enjoying the atmosphere of the shop.  Eventually we departed after a couple hours, making our way down to Harpers Ferry, WV. 

We locked up our bikes on the Maryland side of Harper's Ferry and did a bit of exploring around town.  Eventually we grabbed a burger from a restaurant there and made our way back to the trail.  We decided to make our stop at Killiansburg Cave H/B -- the best decision of the entire trip.  The camp site was absolutely beautiful.  There is a site by the trail, but there is a path that leads to an area down by the riverfront that is incredible.  It is protected from the trail and had a nice beach like area on which we set-up our tent.  Someone had lovingly created seats out of tree stumps and made a fire pit encircled by stones.  We had some daylight left, so we took a swim in the still waters by our campsite and cooled off in tranquil Potomac.  Another delight we encountered here:  someone left their firewood down by the camp so building a fire was quick and simple.  After sitting out by the fire for a while we retired in our tent with the fly removed, staring at the stars through the canopy of trees.

Day 3 (9/20/2008): Killiansburg Cave H/B to White Rock H/B
57 Miles

After breaking camp at our beautiful site we continued on our way to Cumberland, and I started using Advil in a preventative manner.  About ten miles into our day we came upon the detour on some country roads that constituted the only required break from the towpath.  The initial hill was no joke, but once we got to the top it was more or less smooth sailing until we took the hill to go back down.  Along the way we met up with Danielle, one of Dan's friends.  She had been traveling the other direction and had come all the way from Pittsburgh.  She was travelling with a friend but she had been leading her, so we didn't get a chance to say hi.  After chatting by the side of the road for a while we parted ways and continued on the detour.

Once we got back on the trail it was about another 15 miles to Williamsport, the next town along the trail.  Along the way I had a flat tire that I was able to repair quickly with a spare tube I had in my panniers. There was a visitor's center in Williamsport and we got some maps and information and made our way into town for some lunch.  The town itself was very run down and seemed dead, until we found a gem in the rough.  We ended up going to a coffee shop called the Desert Rose Cafe that had a very kind owner who made us some tasty food and took care of us while we were there.  If you take the trip there, I highly recommend stopping there, she was incredibly cyclist friendly and just all-around good people.  We re-filled our water bottles and went across the street to a bike shop (River City Cycles), where I got another tire tube, just in case.

We continued on toward our next stop, Hancock, MD.  While taking a break at Dam 5, I picked up my bike by the saddle and the weight of the panniers caused the support rail to come out of its housing.  Once again, I had a broken saddle.  It was still rideable, but not terribly comfortable.  About 15 miles out of Williamsport we took another detour, this time on the Western Maryland Rail Trail.  The WMRT parallels the C&O and has the distinct advantage of being smoothly paved, unlike its remarkably bumpy neighbor.  On smooth pavement Dan and I flew like the wind and enjoyed the speed.  Once in Hancock, we went to Weaver's Restaurant and had a bite to eat -- the food was alright and the pie was pretty good.  After dinner we went to C&O Bicycle and picked up a brand new saddle for me.  It is a very nice saddle that is serving me well to this day.  From there we went to the nearby supermarket and picked up some oatmeal and nuts for breakfast the next day and continued on the trail.

It was starting to get dark, so we made a quick stop at White Rock H/B for the night -- a place that we would soon find out was infested with spiders of every variety and was otherwise uninteresting.

Day 4 (9/21/2008): White Rock H/B to Pigman's Ferry H/B
50 Miles

When we woke up we went out and started making breakfast.  When I went to pick up my bib shorts, I realized a spider had woven a cocoon onto the lycra overnight.  Also, after using the facilities, I noticed that inches from where I had been sitting, a brown recluse spider darted out from behind the seat.  I'm very glad he didn't bite me.  After cleaning up the gear a bit (and swiching to my other set of shorts) we set out for day four.

We went about 10 miles until we reached Cacapon Junction where we stopped to view the scenery and met a person travelling from the other direction.  We chatted with him for a while and found out that he was largely just trying to check out of the system for a while.  He didn't know when he would stop, and didn't have much in the way of money, taking his guitar, a small sack of belongings, and a tent on his way down from up North.  He thought he might try to make it down to Florida.  After talking for a while we parted ways and continued on to Little Orleans, home of Bill's Place.

  Bill's Place is famous along the trail as one of the places you have to go -- and it is the last hint of civilization until Paw Paw Tunnel.  We grabbed a bite to eat, and I had copious quantities of a locally brewed birch beer from PA that was simply delicious.  As is the custom, Dan and I wrote our names on a dollar bill to be posted on the ceiling there. 

Next up we made our way to Paw Paw Tunnel.  The tunnel is incredibly long, at nearly a mile.  Unfortunately, my light failed on me, so I ended up making the walk in the dark.  Once on the other side, we made our way to Paw Paw, WV where we stopped by a gas station to get some Gatorade and then to the Dollar General to get some food for the evening.  Since we were so close to camp time, we decided to splurge and got some smoked sausage and jambalaya mix proper dinner at camp. We put up camp at Pigman's Ferry after passing up several campsites with lackluster scenery.  It turns out that Pigman's Ferry was also lacking in scenery, but was the last one not directly adjacent to the rail lines, so we settled for spending the night there.

Dinner was delicious, and we attracted the attention of the cows that were pastured directly next to the camp site.  The water was incredibly metalic in its taste (iron mostly) and while safe, was so filled with metal content that it was reddish in color, and stained our containers. The night was beautiful, and our location in an adjacent area to a pasture meant we had unobstructed views of the night sky.

Day 5 (8/22/2008): Pigman's Ferry H/B to Cumberland, MD
25 Miles

Our night's sleep was particularly peaceful -- after the 4 previous nights of camping, my body was finally getting used to sleeping in the tent.  Today was to be our last day on the trail, and we quickly made our way down to Cumberland, excited to see success in our sights.  We made it to Cumberland in good time and took our victory photos at the trail head.

We went to a BBQ place called "When Pigs Fly" to grab a bite to eat for lunch and had some reasonably good BBQ to sate our hunger.  The day was particularly hot, so we thought we would head over to the YMCA to take a swim.  Unfortunately, that day it was closed for maintenance, so no swimming for us.  So we headed back to town and went into a coffee shop to kill time until the evening when my beautiful wife was to pick us up. 

Once night fell, we went to a great little bar called Ed's Canal Pub.  They had a surprisingly good and inexpensive selection of beers.  Dan and I drank quite a few of their Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard ales and generally enjoyed the feeling of success that came with the completion of our journey.  Ann-Marie arrived not too long afterward and we made our way to Baltimore Street Grill for dinner.  After our appetites had been sated we took our bikes to my lovely wife's car for the journey home.

Me, Featured in the Washington Post

I was featured in an article by David Montgomery in the Style section of today's Washington Post.  The article "Cycling Back Around" can be found here.  A friend of mine had send me David's contact information saying he was looking for someone who was a "very serious" bike commuter and I had come to mind.  I met up with David one afternoon after work and we ended up talking for about an hour and a half, after which he rode with me on my evening commute up to around Gravelly Point.  I enjoyed chatting and riding with him, and he seems like a nice guy who also likes to ride himself. 

Obviously I'm biased, but I like the article.  It is definitely great to see bike commuting getting some positive press these days -- I've included the passage he wrote about me below.

Excerpted From The Washington Post Found and lost, lost and found. What Bicycle Washington affords this summer is redemption, for both rider and bike. It all began for Ed Cabic with a Mt. Shasta Capella that he got about 17 years ago when he was 11, growing up in Columbia. It was a nice hybrid, large for the boy, and he rode it a lot. Then he got his driver's license. Nothing beats driving, until Cabic realized he was arriving at work every morning mad and stressed. A couple of years ago, he hauled out the dependable, upright Mt. Shasta. He started riding from Petworth to his job as a computer applications developer for a law firm at 10th and K. The first day, he had to stop five times on the hills going home. Within two weeks, he didn't have to stop anymore. "I went from hating my commute to having the commute be what I was looking forward to all day," says Cabic, now 28. "I come into work happy." So happy that: "I found my commute was not long enough." So he moved to Alexandria. That commute is about 15 miles round trip, 30 minutes each way. He got studded tires to ride in the snow. He does 2,500 to 3,000 miles a year. While shedding 40 pounds, he calculated he also was saving about $4,500 a year -- before the recent jump in gas prices. He has invested about $1,500 of the savings to upgrade the Mt. Shasta. Old bike, new accessories: He's got two panniers -- one doubles as a backpack, the other holds a full-size grocery bag -- plus a utility bag on the rack. The panniers carry his work shoes and a change of clothes. He rides in faded spandex and showers at the office. He packs a lunch, a breakdown kit, lights, a CO2 tire inflator, latex gloves in case he has to handle his chain. On the handlebars is a bell, an air horn for really obnoxious or dangerous motorists, and a GPS device that he mainly uses as a speedometer. He kept the Mt. Shasta's friction-shifters because he considers the old system more durable and lower-maintenance than the new index gears. He wears a helmet, and also goggles, to which he has attached a tiny rearview mirror: "Probably the best $15 I ever spent." "I love D.C.," he says. "A big part of being in love with the city is biking it." His favorite part of the morning commute is cresting the hill on the Mount Vernon Trail bike path near Reagan National Airport. That's the moment the monuments suddenly come into view. Now it's the end of the day. Heading home, he cruises the Mall on Madison Drive. As he pedals over the 14th Street bridge, planes swoop toward National while boats ply the Potomac River. "You get quite the vista," he says. "At night you can see the Nationals' stadium." He turns onto the Mount Vernon Trail and follows the river toward Alexandria. Bikers are coming and going. They have left the cars behind, and it is quiet along the river.

Reston Tour de Cure 2008

It has been a while since I have written here, and many things have happened in the interim. 

On Sunday, June 8, I successfully completed the 100 km metric century of the 2008 Reston Tour de Cure.  It was a particularly hot day, with the heat index reaching around 104°F.  The path of the trail mostly followed the Washington and Old Dominion trail, with a few detours up some fairly significant climbs.

Along the way I had two flat tires, including one flat which had a nail go into my tire backwards!  Thankfully, everything was able to be fixed and I completed the ride well within the prescribed time.

The ride would have been a lot easier if it had not been so oppressively hot.  The heat definitely forced a harder effort than I was expecting.  Aside from the two flats, the ride was a lot of fun.  I rode with our team for the first two legs of the ride, and catching a draft in a paceline was definitely exhilirating.  However, after almost 20 miles of the 20-25mph pace, the heat made me drop off the back and take a slower pace for the rest of the ride.  The scenery on that section of the Washington and Old Dominion trail was quite beautiful and I'm sure I'll make my way back up there for more riding in the future.

The ride was definitely a fun time, and between firm, friends, and family I was able to raise $255 for the American Diabetes Association.  Hopefully next time will be a bit cooler.

Hitting the 1,000 Mile Mark for 2008 on Bike to Work Day

While riding home from Bike To Work Day 2008 (May 16, 2008) I logged mile 1,000 for the year.  For some perspective, I hit the landmark 3 days shy of a month earlier than I did last year.  I'm definitely pleased with reaching the milestone earlier this year.

Bike to Work Day was a lot of fun, as usual.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take any photos, but many members of the DC Government showed up (not the Mayor this year though) and the free food, t-shirts, and water bottles are always welcome.  The turnout wasn't nearly as large as last year due to the rain, but a solid core was out for the event. 

Life has been busy of late, so I haven't had much of a chance to get in extra miles, but that is going to be one of my goals -- especially since I'm "in training" for the Tour de Cure coming up in just a few weeks.  I've heard some rumors that the route is a bit hilly, so I'll be trying to log a few more miles beyond my normal commute in preparation.

Potholes in DC: A Success Story

DC has somewhat of a reputation for having poorly maintained roads.  This has actually been getting significantly better in the last few years, but there are still some areas that leave something to be desired.

Everyday on my morning commute, I bike up toward my office, and along the way for the last few months has been a huge pothole in my path.  I knew it was there, and was fortunate enough to never fall victim to its presence, but I had a few close calls and decided on Wednesday that I would call the Mayor's call center to report the pothole.  The DC Government had been advertising their war on potholes recently, so with my report of this rather large hole in the pavement I got to see first hand how they have been handling the situation. 

On Wednesday around 11 AM, I made my call to the call center and within a minute or so was on the phone with an operator who took my report and gave me a tracking number.  The operator was courteous and polite and didn't even ask for my name.  All in all, it was a painless process.

As I rode into work this morning (less than 48 hours later) the pavement was repaired.  Now that's what I call responsive government.  So, if you see a pothole in DC, call 202-727-1000 or 311.  They listen, and they fix it.

Upcoming Ride: 2008 Tour de Cure in Reston, VA

Hello once again.  It has definitely been a while since I last put finger to key here.  As is to be expected, I continued to commute during the winter and I'm very happy to have Spring upon us.  As of this writing I'm about 920 miles into my riding since the start of the year and I'm excited about the opportunities to ride the warming weather brings.

On June 8th I'll be participating in the Tour de Cure out in Reston, VA.  The tour benefits the American Diabetes Association, and I'll be part of a team. This time I'll be doing the metric century -- that's 100 kilometers, or about 63 miles.  It will be a good indicator of how the winter season of riding primarily for commuting (about 15 miles a day) has impacted my ability to do longer rides -- and also a good test of my knees, which gave me trouble in last year's Seagull Century.   Since then I have been injury free -- but I haven't done a lot of really long rides, so this will be very informative.  I'm very much looking forward to it.

Of course, the Tour de Cure is a charity ride -- and the American Diabetes Association is a worthy cause.  I'm not someone who enjoys pumping people for money, and since my team is picking up the cost of all the minimum contributions, I don't need to do so.  In fact, that's why I have only done the Seagull Century in the past -- it doesn't require fund raising -- they charge you a fee and it goes to charity, but you don't have to bother others.  I prefer doing things that way -- I'm happy to donate, but I don't like to tell others what to do.  That being said, if you are feeling charitable and want to contribute a few bucks to a worthy cause, you can check out my page on the Tour de Cure site where you can see another snazzy photo of me, read some boilerplate text, and sponsor me as I ride.  No pressure, no worries -- I'll still love you either way.

Of course, I'll be posting a full write-up afterward, so keep an eye out for that.  I'll also be enjoying this fabulous weather we have been having.  I hope you're enjoying it too.  Now get off your computer and go for a ride.

2,500 Miles in 2007

As the year 2007 started, I decided to keep a log of how many miles I biked on each day of the year.  At first it was just a curiousity, but as time went by it was pretty incredible how many miles were starting to add up.  In total, I biked 2,500 miles last year -- which, for me, is a record.  I'm continuing to log my mileage, although starting this year I've decided to do it on this site.  In the (hopefully) not too distant future you'll be able to see some live statistics on my mileage using the Mileage Tracker link above. 

Until then, here are some interesting facts about my 2007:

Month Number of Miles January 195 February 45 March 265 April 140 May 265 June 250 July 420 August 170 September 285 October 315 November 150 December 100

Day of Week Number of Days Biked Monday 27 Tuesday 25 Wednesday 33 Thursday 25 Friday 21 Saturday 13 Sunday 6

In all 58% of all weekdays were biked when accounting for an average holiday load.  Part of the reason for this low number is that I frequently had air-travel on Mondays and Fridays.  All in all it was a productive year, mileage wise and so far this year I'm on pace to beat it.

One thing to leave you with -- at the end of last year I decided to dress up my bike in the spirit of the season with some battery operated lights.  The quality isn't the best (this was taken with a cell phone camera) but you'll get the point.

A Dogfish Head Brew Pub Ride

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of good beer.  One of the more interesting breweries out there is Dogfish Head. They make beers that are more on the extreme side of things -- hoppy beers, fruity beers, strong beers, and surprising beers.  They also have their own set of brew pubs where they team good beer with good food. 

I had been to the one in Gaithersburg a few times in the past, but the word was they were opening one a few miles from where I live.  Naturally this was great news for me, and I thought it would be a great excuse for a bike ride.  My friend Brooks is a huge fan of Dogfish Head, and he agreed to join me on my two wheeled quest for delicious brew and grub.

We met up by my place and headed down the Mount Vernon Trail and connected on to the Four Mile Run Trail.  From there we made the detour over the bridge over I-395 into Shirlington and met up with the WO&D trail.  From there we connected by street over to the new Dogfish Head location.

Man did we have a good time.  We went there in the afternoon and stayed until dinnertime.  Along the way we befriended many of the wait staff, and even had one of them join us after his shift was over for a couple beers.  After we had tried our fill of deliciousness, we headed back home with full stomachs and happy palates.

If you like beer and good food, it is highly recommended.

The Seagull Century 2007

A lot of you have been after me to update the site after a bit of dormancy, so here's the first of a couple posts to get things going again.

On October 6, 2007 I headed out before dawn to Maryland's Eastern Shore for the annual Seagull Century that is held by Salisbury University.  Up until that time the highest mileage I had done in a single day was about 70 miles (twice, on two consecutive days) from Alexandria to Harper's Ferry.  So, I thought I should be able to make the 100 miles the century had to offer.  After a quick registration I put my racing numbers on my bike and shirt and made my way off to the start.

The day was unseasonably pleasant. I had heard horror stories about cold temperatures, strong rains, and fierce headwinds from people who did it the previous year.  As I started there was a rather dense fog that made some of the initial navigation a bit tricky, but after the first SAG stop at Millburn Landing State park the fog started to burn off and blue skies prevailed for the rest of the day. 

For the first leg of about 23 miles I was feeling strong and was averaging somewhere around 16 miles per hour.  I was carrying a lot of gear (probably too much) but at this point, it didn't seem so bad, and I was passing a lot of people.  After getting some food and drink at the first SAG stop I continued on, this time a little bit slower, but still fairly energetic.  With the fog clearing I was able to see the huge expanses of farmland around me.  The Eastern Shore is mostly flat, and that day I was blessed with reasonably calm winds.  I made it to the second SAG stop in reasonable time, and this time took a bit more time to rest and chug down some gatorade.  At this point I was just shy of the half-way point at 42.1 miles in (a little longer actually, since I had overshot a turn in the fog shortly after the start).  And my knee was starting to be a little sore.  I was still fairly energetic, and confident that I would have more than enough energy to finish -- but the knee was starting to worry me.

I decided to continue on and made my way to the next SAG stop.  As I got closer and closer to Assateague Island (the next stop) my knee was getting progressively worse and my speed was starting to slow. I was looking forward to the impending break, and when I got to the island I took some time to relax and stretch out a bit.  I also had some food and drink.  As I continued to take the break I noticed the crowd thinning a bit, so I decided to press onward.

Immediately my knee made its displeasure known, and I felt like I was going quite slow.  I missed a turn and ended going several miles out of my way, further adding insult to my injury.  Once I got back on track my knee really started to hurt and I was starting to pedal with one foot locked in the clipless bindings allowing my injured knee to dangle free.  Slowly and painfully I made my way to the last SAG stop at Adkins Mill Pond.

I was one of the last people to get to this stop and they were in the process of closing things down.  I was informed that the last SAG Wagon was leaving in a few minutes and I had a decision to make.  My cycling GPS indicated I had gone 88 miles, and I had 16 to go (remember, I overshot a bit there when I missed the turn).  I was in a lot of pain, and while I had plenty of energy to complete the course and my muscles weren't very tired at all, my knee was hurting more than ever.  So with a heavy heart, I threw in the towel and got a ride for the last 16 miles.

I healed completely within a couple days -- my doctor tells me it was likely an issue with a tendon rubbing against the bones of the knee. With some modifications to my shoes and pedals I should be able to minimize it in the future.

I definitely plan on conquering the century the next time.

140 Miles ... from Alexandria to Harpers Ferry ... and back

On July 21st and July 22nd I took the longest bike ride I have ever taken.  I decided to make the ride from Alexandria, Virginia down the Mount Vernon Trail, across the Potomac into DC to the C&O Canal, through Maryland, and back across the Potomac to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  All told the trip was around 140 miles round-trip.  The trip was through some of the most beautiful terrain the the DC area has to offer and was both challenging and rewarding.

The first part of this journey was over routes that I have traveled countless times.  I entered the C&O Canal National Historic Park by the start of the Capital Crescent trail.  This trail parallels the canal for the first couple miles until you reach Fletcher's Cove. After that point, it splits off from the canal, making its way to Bethesda.  Instead I made my way over to the towpath of the canal, in all of its bumpy glory.  The surface of the towpath is, at best, dirt covered in small stones, and at worst, a rutted, bumpy, boulder covered mess that challenges your skeletal fortitude.  The further you get away from "civilization" the more it becomes the latter.  Thankfully, there had not been a lot of rain, so the bumpiness was not accompanied by muddy sections.  After Fletcher's cove I passed by some of the earlier locks along the canal and the lock-keeper's residences beside them. In the past I had traveled the first twelve miles of the canal into Washington -- just outside the beltway.  This time I would keep travelling past Old Angler's Inn and make my way quite a bit further down the canal.

My first new sight was the Widewater section of the trail.  When I first biked on the C&O, that section was closed to bike traffic due to a wash-out that had happened many years ago.  Now it was open, and the view from the towpath was absolutely beautiful.  Along the path were several benches where you can sit and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.  After snapping some photographs, I continued onward toward Great Falls. 

I had seen Great Falls from the Virginia side years ago, but the view from the Maryland side is definitely more engaging.  There is a walkway that takes you over the boulders and rapids right into the heart of the falls.  I locked up my bike and took the walk along with a lot of other people to see the swift moving waters of the Potomac.  It seemed amazing just how far the walkway continued over the rocks.  Finally it ended up at an observation area where we could see the largest part of the falls -- and a lone kayaker who was making his way through the rapids.

After Great Falls the number of people on the trail started to drop dramatically.  The level of upkeep on the trail also declined, with much less in the way of gravel, and much more grass down the center of the towpath.  Thankfully, the conditions were dry, so it wasn't the mudbath that it is sometimes known to be.  With fewer pedestrians to dodge, my I got into a comfortable cadence and watched my sylvan surroundings pass me by.  Along the way I passed several hiker/biker campsites with chemical toilets, picnic tables, and water pumps. Around mile 35 on I passed by White's Ferry, the only remaining ferry across the Potomac river.  I took a break, buying some gatorade and snacks and watching the cars go across the river on the ferry.

Nicely rested, I continued on my journey and passed by the Dickerson power plant, with its industrial hum, and large smokestacks seeming to float behind the trees along the canal.  Not too long thereafter I came upon the Monocacy Aqueduct which used to carry the canal over the Monocacy river before the Monocacy empties into the Potomac.  After sustaining some damage a while back it had to have a scaffolding around it to support the structure, but recently it has been restored to its prior glory and it is a sight to behold. 

Once past the Monocacy aqueduct I was on the last leg of my trip, so my pace quickened and I made my way past Point of Rocks, where the train tracks start to parallel the canal quite closely.  The next town I passed was Brunswick, which would be the last town before I reached Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  My destination was in my sights.

Finally, after about 70 miles of riding, I was able to see the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers and the mighty train tracks coming right out of the mountain heading across them.  I had arrived in Harpers Ferry.  After carrying my bike up the stairs and onto the bridge, I crossed the river and entered West Virginia. After a quick spin around the historic town, I made my way to the Secret Six Tavern, and after a brief wait, sat down and hungrily devoured my dinner.  From my  table I watched the sun set over the valley and reflected on my long journey.

After dinner I had to pull out the HID lamp and make my way back a couple miles to the Harpers Ferry Hostel, where I was to spend the night.  It was amazing how dark it was out there.  My bright light also seemed to attract every insect within a ten mile radius of me.  Thankfully I was wearing my biking goggles.  The ride up to the hostel from the towpath added one last insult to the injury with a rather sizeable hill.  After having a little trouble finding the place, I checked in, took a much needed shower, talked briefly with some of the other guests, and then went right to sleep.  The hostel was quite nice with comfortable accomodations, a friendly staff, ammenities like shampoo, linens, and towels, and a very pleasant atmosphere -- all for $20 a night.

The following morning, I woke up, took another shower, and then packed my things for my ride back home.  The hill that I took the night before made for a very fast ride back down to the canal and I was on my way.  This time, I stopped in Brunswick, Maryland for some breakfast at Beans in the Belfry, a cozy little coffee shop in a converted old church.  The food was good, the coffee wasn't bad either, and it has to be the first coffee shop I've been in with stained glass windows.

After finishing my coffee and pastry I headed back to the trail for the long ride home.  This time I made far fewer stops along the way, doing my best to keep going at a good clip.  I stopped again at White's Ferry and grabbed a drink and took a break.  Then it was back onto the trail for the remaining 45 miles.  I took a break at Widewater with about 25 miles to go and took in the beautiful scenery.  Then it was down to the last stretch. 

Finally, I saw one of the sweetest sights of the trip.  The Capital Crescent overpass.  Not only did this mean I only had about twelve more miles to go until I got home -- it meant I was only a few hundred feed from blessed pavement.  Once I got to Fletcher's Cove I transitioned over to the paved portion, and almost instantly I was going almost 4 miles an hour faster than I was on the towpath.

Invigorated with the end of my journey in sight I turned up the gas and flew down the end of the Capital Crescent trail and into the city, making my way down to the Mount Vernon trail.  Even though I had 135 miles behind me (and 65 that day) I managed to drop a lot of cyclists and finish my journey with sunlight to spare.  When I got home, I hopped in the pool to cool off and enjoyed some celebratory relaxation.  Surprisingly, by the end of my journey, I only had mild saddle soreness, and my muscles, while tired, were not hurting.  I even biked into work the following day.

And I would bike 1,000 miles ...

Ever since the beginning of this year, I have been tracking my daily mileage for every ride I do.  Since I am a regular bicycle commuter, this starts to add up pretty quickly.  Yesterday, I hit a milestone for the year 2007 -- I have biked over 1,000 miles since the beginning of the year.  That figure might be slightly higher in reality because I integer round the distance of my daily commute down by around 0.4 miles, but it should be close enough.

I started bicycle commuting in earnest last summer, and for most of that I've kept a GPS unit on my handlebars -- this afternoon, I'll hit another milestone on that of 1,500 miles, however, that should be dramatically lower than reality since when the batteries on the unit die it isn't counting distance, and if I'm in dense cover, I don't always get a good GPS reading.  Reality is probably in the 1,750-2,000 mile range.  I can't be as sure as I am for 2007, since I didn't keep such detailed logs before the start of the year.

Since I'm a statistics junkie, here are some breakdowns for you.  The most mileage heavy week was the week of May 6th when I did 80 miles in a week.  There have only been 3 weeks this year when I did not ride at all -- due to snow before I got my studded tires and an injury (87.5% of the weeks in the year so far). The weekday I bike the most is Wednesday (15 times this year), followed by Monday and Tuesday (11 times each), followed by Thursday (10 times -- tomorrow would make 11) and Friday (9 times -- if I bike this week 10).  If I end up riding tomorrow and Friday (quite likely) I've averaged 43.75 miles a week.  If I drove each of those days I would have paid $130.20 in gas (assuming $3.10 a gallon), paid $928 in parking fees -- or $348 in Metro fees for a grand total (car and parking) of $1,276 -- not to mention wear and tear on the car.  The reduced mileage on my car made my car insurance drop by $27 a month since it is now used for "pleasure" which adds another $162  ($324 a year)! If we go on the assumption that I will continue on at the same rate, that is $2,876 projected to be saved this year.  If we assume I'd just metro, I'm still saving $1,020 for the year. And using the estimate that every mile biked stops 1 pound of carbon from entering the atmosphere, I will have spared the air 1,050 lbs of carbon (2,100 lbs for the projected year).  Not too shabby.  A final note ... since I started last summer, I've shed 35 pounds off my own weight and gotten into the best shape I've been in for a long time.  I look forward to every single mile.

Kinda makes me want to go for a ride ...

The Arlington and Alexandria Community Bike Ride 2007

June 3, 2007 brought the very first Arlington and Alexandria Community Bike Ride (up until this year, it was an Arlington-only affair).  The weather forecast was pretty miserable -- overcast skies and rainy conditions for the whole day -- but since lightning was absent from that forecast, I decided to put on my quick-drying shirt and shorts and head on over to the Shirlington start point.

Upon registration I was issued a commemorative bike bell along with the cue sheet and a number to wear.  I got there around 7 in the morning, and there were only a handful of people there.  I started to get the impression that I would be one of the few people to actually show up.  I was mistaken.  I heard an estimate of over people 500 people ended up joining in the 23 mile ride around Arlington and Alexandria.

The pace was as leisurely as you wanted it to be -- I stayed near the front of the pack and got to meet a lot of interesting folks.  The ride started out with a police escort down to the Washington and Old Dominion trail which we took down to the Custis Trail and then through Rosslyn to the Mount Vernon Trail to Crystal City and the Four Mile Run trail back to the Mount Vernon trail then through Alexandria and back across to Shirlington.  Along the way there were stops for food, drinks, and the occasional giveaway.  As the ride progressed the rain got harder and harder, and shortly after arriving in Shirlington for the conclusion the skies erupted in a downpour.

I celebrated the completion of the ride with lunch at the Capital City Brewery with my bike safely under watch at the valet bike parking  WABA had set up and then made my way back home to dry off.  The picture of me above is from right after the completion of the ride, in all my rain-drenched glory.  All in all it was a great time, and I'd like to do it again next year.

Midnight Memorial Ride

The day after Bike to Work Day there was a ride scheduled called the "Midnight Memorial Ride".  While not actually scheduled for midnight, it was a ride that to be done by the moonlight with a route that passes many of the most popular monuments in DC.

Due to a bit of miscommunication from the WABA web site, I got to the rendezvous point for this particular ride an hour before the scheduled departure time.  Luckily there were a lot of other folks in the same boat, so we stood around getting to know each other a bit better.  The ride was organized by the folks at College Park/Mount Airy Cycles and they had some food and drink for us to munch on as we waited for the beginning of the ride.

A little after 9 PM we departed from the hostel at 11th and K Streets NW and headed down 11th to Pennsylvania Avenue and then over past Union Station to the Capitol Building.  After a bumpy descent down Capitol Hill on Independence Avenue we went past the National Botanic Garden and down the National Mall to the Washington Monument.

Next up we headed down 15th Street toward the White House, and then looped back around to the World War II Memorial.  From there we went along the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial, continuing onto Ohio Drive down to Hains Point.  We did a complete circuit around Hains Point and then proceeded to the Jefferson Memorlal.

Finally, we went back by way of the mall up 7th Street and on back to the hostel where snacks and drinks were waiting for us.  All in all, it was a fun ride.  When the ride started and all of us were riding together, it was amazing how we completely dominated he traffic.  There was something really fun about being in control of the road like that.  However, in time the lights took their toll and the group got thinned out.  Even still, it was a lot of fun.

Bike To Work Day

Even though the morning of Friday, May 18, 2007 was a damp and dreary one, it couldn't keep back over 6,600 bicyclists from participating in Bike to Work Day.  Of course, I commute to work via bike almost every day, so this day wasn't unlike most others -- but the festivities were definitely a lot of fun. 

I stopped by two of the pit stop areas.  The first one was in Alexandria where there was a small crowd assembled with lots of food and drink.  The second was the main stop at Freedom Plaza in downtown DC.  The entire plaza was filled with thousands of bikers, lots of free food, drink, t-shirts, and water bottles.

I was joined there by a few of my co-workers, and we enjoyed food, drink, and plenty of speeches from government officials.

Eleanor Holmes Norton gave what would be the most enthusiastic speech of the day.  She talked about how we have to beat the "car culture" and said something along the lines of "The cars and trucks rule the road today ... we're going to take the roads back".  She also mentioned how she had won several million dollars in funding for many of the trails in the region, and chastised the DC government for their sluggishness in building the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Mayor Adrian Fenty also spoke, bedecked in a spandex racing jersey (with the motto "Taxation Without Representation" on it).  He was a bit softer spoken than Delegate Norton, but had a lot of good things to say about cycling in the District.  It looks like we'll have bike parking at the new stadium, and it seems like the government will maintain its current commitment to cycling.

All in all it was a great time -- I hope that some of the people who made their first bicycle commutes on this day will bike in more in the future.

Bike-In Movie 2007

On Saturday, May 12, 2007 I biked up to Marie Reed field in Adams Morgan for a Bike-In Movie sponsored by WABA and the Washington City Paper.  WABA quite generously provided free "bike valet" service in the tennis courts behind the field.

I brought a picnic dinner from Ben's Chili Bowl consisting of a couple of their famous chili-cheese half-smokes.  I also brought along some of my home-made soda and a blanket to enjoy the show.

The gates opened up at 8:00, and the movie was to start around 9:00.  I definitely had enough time to enjoy my dinner and relax and enjoy the evening outside.  However, mother nature had some other plans regarding the movie.  About 10 minutes before the show was set to begin, the heavens opened up and a torrential downpour brought a swift end to the show.

It was definitely a shame, a lot of people came out for the movie (Breaking Away), and the vibe was definitely a fun one.  I'll do my best to make it out again next year.  The ride home was a soggy one, but I made it without getting struck by lightning (always a plus).  It was a warm evening, so being wet wasn't a big deal, and all my panniers had waterproof covers, so all was well.  Hopefully more events like this will be planned.