Ride to National Harbor (almost)

Saturday was the perfect day for biking, and  I led a group of 11 bike club members to National Harbor, a commercial destination on the Maryland side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The ride took place in two tiers. One group left from the Potterton Bridge at 9am for the full 26 mile round trip ride, via the W&OD, Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon Trails. About an hour into the ride, that group met the second group at the parking lot at the Washington Sailing Marina at around 10am. Second group participants had transported their bikes on bike racks, in a hatchback and in a pickup truck. From there, those riders who wanted a shorter ride would cover about 12 miles round trip.

Here's some of the group getting ready to depart:

Dave Snyder, Nomi Taslitt, Karen Snyder, and Susan Michels look on as John Estes pumps up Lark Lovering's tires.

Ken Kastner checks the departure time with Phil Kemelor as Ken Ackerman looks on.

We left from the Marina for the ride down the Mount Vernon Trail, along the Potomac River and into Old Town Alexandria for the ride down Union Street to the entrance to Jones Point Park. Formerly, before than entrance and trail were complete, one would have to continue on the streets of Alexandria to get to the Wilson Bridge. The opening of the Jones Point Park portion of the trail eliminated that street riding with a beautiful ride under the magnificent structure of the Wilson Bridge.

View from Jones Point Park under the Wilson Bridge

Here's the group coming under the bridge:

Lark Lovering leads the pack under the Wilson Bridge at Jones Point Park.

Lark, Pancho Kinney with Nomi Taslett in the rear.

The ride at the bridge involves an uphill climb along the south side of the bridge to North Washington Street, and taking a 180 degree turn back onto the bridge for the 2.05 mile ride across the bridge on the Wilson Bridge Bike Trail. A long slow climb takes you two scenic viewing points looking out onto the vista of Washington DC with all of its monuments, memorials and major churches.

Then an equally long but easy downhill ride wound down the bridge path towards National Harbor. The group stopped for a picnic lunch on the grass at the river's edge, just short of the Harbor itself. Because the last 1/10 mile approach to the harbor comprises a crushed oyster shell path, it was the group's consensus not to ride on that path to avoid potential flat tires. I had taken a test ride the week before and chanced riding on that path, but as luck would have it, after my warning to the others about potential flat tires, I was the one who started losing tire pressure, likely due to those sharp oyster shells.

Here we are after lunch and ready for the return ride. Pictured, back row: Ken Ackerman, Susan Michels, Veronica Angulo, John Estes, Nomi Taslitt, Lark Lovering and Karen Snyder; front row: Phil Kemelor, Dave Snyder, Ken Kastner, and Larry Golfer. Not pictured: Pancho Kinney.

Lake Barcroft Bike Club riders

Some History

The Wilson Bridge Project was a massive multi-year construction project that involved demolishing the original Wilson Bridge. The former bridge had a drawbridge to allow river traffic to pass through, but each opening of the drawbridge caused massive traffic jams. Read about the history of the bridge and the replacement project here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson_Bridge .

When the new bridge opened in 2009, it included a new bike trail across the north side of the bridge, with two viewing points looking over the vista of Washington, DC, where one could see all the national monuments and memorials, as well as excellent views of Old Town Alexandria.

On the opening day of that trail, I rode it with my granddaughter, and took these photos.

Bridge abutments and the unfinished Jones Point Park, 2009

View from the Bridge of Old Town Alexandria 

View of the Wilson Bridge Trail

Returning from the Maryland side of the bridge (Granddaughter Shayna) 

Another view of Old Town Alexandria

Ford's Landing, a residential community on the Potomac

Wilson Bridge Control Tower

More rides are coming this spring and summer, so stay tuned for announcements. 

Sign up for alerts to new posting with your email address on the top right of this blog, and feel free to leave comments in the comments box below.

Cherry Blossom Ride

After the plan to ride to see the cherry blossoms was originally thwarted by below-freezing temperatures and no blossoms to be seen, a group of five of us braved the gorgeous blue morning and mild temperatures to head downtown and see one of Washington, DC's best-known displays, the Japanese Cherry Blossoms that surround the Tidal Basin. 

The ride involved three pickup points, and in spite of a bit of disorganization on my part about timing, we finally came together as Victoria Angulo and I headed up Beachway and over to Bluemont Park to meet up with Nomi Taslett and Bill Cook, and then down the Four Mile Run trail to pick up the club's newest member and a soon-to-be neighbor, Andrea Fus, who will be moving into her lake house with her family in the fall, after major renovations are complete.

The weather was very accommodating as we headed east and stopped for photos at Gravelly Point, just north of Reagan Airport, and where the planes fly close and directly overhead as they land.

Veronica, Nomi and Andrea

Veronica, Nomi, Andrea and Bill (not pictured: me, the photographer)

We travelled up the Mount Vernon Trail north and across Memorial Bridge and gathered at the entrance to the walkway around the Tidal Basin. The blooms were at peak color and it was a photographer's paradise. Here are a few of my best images.

By 11:30am, we were ready for the return ride. Bill took off ahead of the pack in his speedy recumbent, and we others crossed over the 14th Street Bridge to the Mount Vernon Trail and back to the Four Mile Run Trail at a more leisurely pace. It was funny but at the exact time we reached the intersection of the trail and Walter Reed Drive, Bill happens to arrive. He had stopped for a bite to eat in Shirlington Village, and it was quite a surprise to meet him again at that spot.  

Andrea said her goodbyes at Mount Vernon Avenue, near her current home, and the remaining three of us continued on. Nomi split away at Columbia Pike as Veronica and I stopped at the relatively new Cafe Sazon on Columbia Pike at the bike trail for some refreshments.

The final push home was a bit daunting as the temperature was now close to the mid 80's. Veronica and I plowed ahead, slowly made our way up the hill on North Manchester, and went our separate ways at Waterway and Stoneybrae. That last climb up Stoneybrae after a 26 mile ride is a serious challenge, but all my winter training paid off as I made it home, exhausted, but pleased that it was a fun time for all.

The May 4 National Harbor Ride is soon approaching, so mark your calendars and get your bikes in shape. More info will follow.

I'll be sending out emails about ad hoc riding around the Lake if anyone would like to join. It takes about an hour to do the loop from Potterton to Beachway to Blair, then left on Columbia to left at Aqua Terrace. I then usually ride to the end of Lakeview to the right, then back over Lakeview to the Women's Garden bridge and back home.

If you'd like to get alerts of new postings, just put your email address in the box at the top right. And leave a comment if you like, below.

Happy riding!

Spring is Near for Biking

Our "Snowquester" quickly became a "noquester," according to US News and World Report and other media outlets. That's good for us bicyclists because roads are clear and spring is on its way.

Info on our first group ride will be coming soon, so now is the time to get your bikes in shape. Papillon Bikes on Columbia Pike is my go-to place for great service and gear, or try any Spokes' locations (closest in on N. Quaker Lane, just down Leesburg Pike). Performance is ok too with its large inventory of biking products. For true enthusiasts, there is Tri360, a triathlon specialty shop.

For you biking enthusiasts out there, if you are not aware of this, I urge you to look at and join the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, "WABA."  From their website:

"The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is the national capital region's nonprofit bicycle advocacy and education membership association. We have been serving the District of Columbia (DC), City of Alexandria, and the counties of Arlington (VA), Fairfax (VA), Montgomery (MD), and Prince George's (MD) since 1972 with the mission of creating a healthy, more livable region by promoting bicycling for fun, fitness, and affordable transportation; advocating for better bicycling conditions and transportation choices for a healthier environment; and educating children and adults about safe bicycling. We invite you to explore our website, we hope that you will join us as a member and most importantly that you will ride your bike!"

They sponsor a variety of bike events, including Bike to Work Day and BikeDC, both of which I've participated in many times. Their website is full of useful information and news about biking. Here's their most recent posting:

http://www.waba.org/blog/2013/03/this-week-in-bike-reads-9/?fb_source=pubv1

Looking forward to seeing you out there soon.

Add your comments and suggestions in the Comments box below or email me if you have any suggestions about rides, questions about biking, or just want to chat. Also, it would be very helpful if you'd include your email address in the box on the right so you'll automatically be informed of new posts (This will make it more efficient for me in that I wouldn't need to create email alerts every time I post something new. Nevertheless, I will still send out these alerts for the immediate future and especially announcements about rides coming up.)

And of course, anyone who wants to be in the club is welcome to join. This is an open club to residents and others who love biking and who would enjoy group rides and socializing with fellow biking enthusiasts. Just drop me an email and I'll include you on our mailing list.

Happy biking!

Larry

J. Larry Golfer Photography

3428 Stoneybrae Drive, Falls Church, VA 22044

Email: larrygol@yahoo.com
Mobile: 703-626-0801

Photo blog: jlarrygolferphotography.blogspot.com

Web: jlarrygolferphotography.com

Solo Ride to Cure the Winter Blahs

Two months since my last post and not much to say regarding biking in January and February thus far. I do have the trainer set up inside to not totally lose my biking legs, but it's never the same as riding outdoors with the wind in your hair.... in my case, on my face (for those who don't know me personally, no hair to catch the wind,).

This is my trainer setup: A Jamis Aragon hybrid I picked up for a cool $200; replaced the fat cushion seat with a tapered saddle; replaced the front suspension fork with a road bike fork for stability; replaced the back tire with a Continental Ultra Sport Hometrainer Tire, which provides much more durability and tire life than a regular road tire; all siting on a Travel Trac Century V Fluid + trainer.

My trainer setup

This week, Wednesday's prediction for mid-50's temperatures spurred me to hit the road, but that forecast proved to be a bit of a bust with the clouds and breezes. It may have barely hit the mid 50's, but I was glad I had my layers, gloves and helmet liner. Those temps standing still feel pleasant, but it gets chilly at even 12 miles an hour.

No one accepted the invitation for the lake ride,  so your intrepid blogger set out alone, my trusty but new Canon 7D DSLR with a 70-200mm lens securely stowed in my sling bag for ready access, and took off for a ride around the lake, 

Starting from Stoneybrae down to the Potterton Bridge, I stopped at Beach 4 to breathe in the cool afternoon lake air. Many of you have already seen my series of photos, "Energetic Bathing by Canada Goose," but for those who havent, here they are. I came across two geese at the water's edge, and suddenly saw this hilarious scene, which repeated several times. This was a first for me to observe, so I had to capture it on camera.

The sky was richly textured with thick grey and white clouds and the sun peeking out occasionally, so I decided to use the panorama feature of my iPhone to capture the scene. 

That thought led to the idea of taking panoramas of all the beaches and the view from the Women's Garden as well. 

Here are the results, presented in the order taken, as I rode around the lake. First, Beach 4:

Be sure to click on the image to get a larger view:

 

Lake Barcroft, Beach 4

Then up Beachway to Blair, across Columbia Pike and down and up the path to the light at Aqua Terrace. Left across Columbia Pike and down to Beach 1.

Lake Barcroft, Beach 1

Then left down and up and down and and around on Lakeview to Beach 2.

Lake Barcroft, Beach 2

Staying on Lakeview to right on Rauth to across the footbridge to the Women's Garden and a view from there over the lake.

View from the Women's Garden, Lake Barcroft

Onward from there up and down Dearborn/Waterway to Beach 3.

Lake Barcroft, Beach 3

And finally up and down and up and around Waterway, to Beach 5.

Lake Barcroft, Beach 5

Photography complete, all beaches hit, I headed up the long, slow incline of Stoneybrae to home. Normally the ride around the lake takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. With all the stops and photography, it took two hours, but it made for a very satisfying ride.

I hope you all enjoy the photos. 

Wishing for warmer weather, I'll let you know when we do our first ride of the spring.

Larry

Catching Up: Beach cruising in Florida, winter riding and commuting

Rainy day rider

I'm recently back from the warm breezes of southwest Florida (see wildlife photos here: jlarrygolferphotography.blogspot.com) only to face the cold of the DC area. Riding a balloon-tired beach cruiser for five days along the beaches, back streets and wildlife trails around Fort Myers Beach with my granddaughter made for a different kind of riding that took some effort but helped minimize the effect of all those chicken tenders, french fries and ice cream cones.

Despite the cold, some intrepid riders out there will brave all kinds of weather. For myself, I will ride on a cold day with appropriate clothing for head, hands and body warmth and moisture ventilation (see below), but I no longer go out when it's colder than 40 degrees, and never when there is a forecast for precipitation greater than 30 percent. I got caught out earlier this year in a downpour on a chilly spring day on the way back from the office in Old Town and was thoroughly drenched and shivering by the time I arrived at the Caribou Coffee in Shirlington to try to dry off and warm up with hot chocolate. I decided I shouldn't go any further so I called my emergency rescue service, Carole, to gather me up. Lesson learned: carry a rain jacket when there is even a slight chance of rain.

That's not me in the photo above, but another rider that I photographed from the warm comfort of my car a couple of years ago on a similar day on the Mount Vernon Trail near Daingerfield Island.

REI posted an article about winter riding on their website earlier this year. It is full of details and good ideas for both commuters and recreational riders:
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/winter-bicycling.html

For myself, on those crisp, sunny cold days that I do decide to ride, this is generally my clothing:
-- Close fitting base top and bottom layers of silk, polypropylene, or other moisture wicking material
-- Lined bike tights, sometimes under nylon pants (although the legs seem to suffer least from cold)
-- Fleece zip top with a high neck, sometimes with an additional jersey top under
-- Outer wind shell
-- Tight cap under the helmet, or,
-- Balaclava (I have two: one of thin material, and one with a fleece neck)
-- Glove liners with outer bike gloves or even ski gloves for more warmth
-- One pair of sock liners and one pair of wool socks
-- Neoprene booties

Of course, I adjust this list depending on the temperature and the wind.

Three other pieces of gear I don't leave home without:
-- Rear view mirror: I have been using the 3rd Eye brand of eyeglass mirror forever, and if you wear glasses I highly recommend it. Available at most bike shops. Description is here: http://www.3rd-eye.com/(05).htm  It attaches to the temple piece on your eyeglass frame, as shown below. It won't work with very thin frames, unfortunately. In that case, there are many alternatives that attach to helmets and handlebars, available at the local bike shops.

Note the "3rd eye"

-- Rear blinking light: Planet Bike Blinky Superflash Tail Light. This is the "best and brightest." Available at bike shops and online. You will defintely be seen at a distance with this bright blinker.

-- Headlamp: I don't often ride in the dark, but if I'm late and get caught after sunset, I have the NiteRider MiNewt 600 Cordless LED Headlight to guide me through the dark. This light is amazingly bright, rechargeable, and I use it as a pocket flash on night walks as well. It's really as bright as a car headlamp. This model is now harder to find. There is a 650 lumen version and a less expensive 500 lumen version. It ain't cheap ($89-$120), but if you want to be seen and to be able to see as well, this is the one to get. Many bike headlamps allow you to be seen, but barely light up the path or road in front of you, so if there is a hazard such as a stick or pothole or whatever, you won't see it unless you have a really good headlamp.

Today's Washington Post has a story on commuting via Chain Bridge that discusses the risks for bike commuters, at least in that part of town. Here's the link:
http://wapo.st/VQHogt

Too many injuries and fatalities are being reported between motor vehicles and cyclists.  One case was reported nearby in November as a female cyclist was hit and killed by a pickup truck as she was crossing Columbia Pike from the northbound side at Ashwood Place, across from Harris Teeter. It was unclear how it happened but it was an unmarked intersection. See this screenshot from the news video, with my annotations. Very unfortunate.

So to all who commute or ride for recreation in the winter, stay warm, and year-round, be careful and be wary of your surroundings.

Watch your email if you want to join me, weather permitting, for short notice rides. I'll start up the planning for larger group rides when we get a warming trend going. Spring less than three months away!

Discovering a New Trail: Ride to Del Ray

Bill Cook and I took an afternoon ride today, Wednesday,  to the funky, artsy community of Del Ray. Del Ray is just west of Old Town Alexandria. We had a great little lunch at a very cool little restaurant called the Caboose Cafe, on the corner of East Uhler  and Mount Vernon Avenues in Del Ray. Quiches, soups, sandwiches, good coffee, and surprisingly, a complete menu of Ethiopian dishes.

Caboose Cafe, Mount Vernon Avenue, Del Ray

The new route was off the well-known Four Mile Run Trail approaching Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. There is a strip mall with a Giant Food and a Gold's Gym to the left on S. Glebe Road as you travel south on the trail. Instead of staying on that trail to go south, we got off the trail at S. Lang street to the left, crossed Mount Vernon and turned right to pick up the "Four Mile Run PARK Trail" again, to the left. I had not previously heard of this trail. It runs for not quite a mile through ball fields and woods and takes you to Commonwealth Avenue, a lightly travelled tree-lined street with a clearly-marked bike lane. Left at the Library on Uhler Street leads straight to the Caboose Cafe.

Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA (photo courtesy Google Maps)

If you're interested in more details about this route, email me or give me a call.

Happy biking!

Larry

Ride to Vienna, VA: Caffee Amouri and Bikes@Vienna Demo

The Lake Barcroft Bike Club travelled the 16.6 mile round trip ride to Vienna, Virginia on a crisp, early fall Saturday morning, October 6, 2012. Six members of our group gathered at the Bluemont Park parking lot for an 830 am departure. A few of us met at the Potterton Bridge a bit earlier for the 6 mile (3 miles each way) additional round trip journey over to the meeting spot.

Here's a few folks from our  group getting ready for the ride:

 

Lucie and Ted Seward 

Marcelle Miles

The parking lot at Bluemont was jammed with cars and runners for Arlington's 1st Annual "Mind Your Health 5K Run/Walk to benefit Mental Health America" so for the first couple minutes, our group wound its way through the crowd and headed over to the W&OD Trail for the  ride to the first of our destinations, Caffe Amouri, a local independent coffee shop and bakery on Church Street in Vienna. Coincidentally, we were greeted by the street closing and lots of tents being set up on Church Street for Vienna's annual Octoberfest.

After coffee and treats, we headed over to Bikes at Vienna, where we were given an extensive demonstration of their many folding bikes, probably the most complete set of folding bikes offered in the entire metropolitan DC area. This visit was a great suggestion made by group member Bill Cook, who didn't make this ride as he was riding the Seagull 100 over on the Eastern Shore.  

Bikes of Vienna staffperson demonstrating the features of a folding bike.

We saw a number of these bikes from lightweight 12 and 16 inch wheel versions to near full size folding bikes. These bikes are very well engineered and include top quality components that belie their small size and weight and make riding them great fun. The store offers the following brands. Click on the links to see more details of each. (Information below courtesy of the store's website at www.bikesatvienna.com )

• Breezer distributes the Zig7, Ziggy, and Zag 8 aluminum folding bikes
• Dahon makes a wide range of folding bikes from entry level to higher performance.
• Brompton folding bikes are made by hand in the UK. They fold fast and small and are fun to ride.
• Bike Friday produces small collapsible including a tandem and triplet. They are best known for "travel" bikes that can be checked as regular luggage with the suitcase converting to a trailer using the optional trailer package. They accept custom orders.
• Mezzo - Developed in the UK, and distributed by Marin Bikes USA, the Mezzo achieves a new level of performance and practicality with unrivalled handling for its compact size.
• Tern - Sharp looking, well built, and fun to ride.

Several of us tested some of these bikes and were pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun they were to ride.

 

Nomi on the Tern "Link" model

Marcelle on the Tern "Link" too!

Allan on the Tern "Verge X10"

This Dahon IOS9 was my favorite and the one I tested. Sorry no photo of me on the bike!

Our Bikes@Vienna demo lady got a bit long-winded when we got to the high end Brompton line of folding bikes, so we politely thanked her at an appropriate break and headed back to our starting points at Bluemont and Potterton. 

Ted, Lucie and Nomi waiting at the light at Glen Carlin and Leesburg Pike.

It was great ride for our small group. Here's a photo of our intrepid riders:

Lucie, Ted, Allan, Marcelle, Nomi and Larry

Hopefully, we can get in a few more rides before the cold weather sets in. 

A couple of final notes: Loaner bikes

Allan Mostoff, one of our riders and a former LB resident now residing at the Crescent Apartments at Lee Highway and Washington Boulevard (right on the W&OD Trail) has informed me that his building offers loaner bikes to residents, and he offered to arrange for anyone in the LB Bike Club who doesn't have a bike to borrow one of the loaner bikes. Contact Allan directly at mostoff@aol.com or contact me to arrange this at larrygol@yahoo.com or by phone at 703-658-8658, mobile 703-626-0801.

Weekday rides

Finally, there are a number of us that would like to ride during the week, so my suggestion is that those who are interested in weekday rides send me an email, and I'll set up a informal email subgroup of the LB Bike Club for these weekday rides, similar to what I do with an informal group of kayakers. The kayakers just send out a same day email to members of that group along the lines of "Anyone who wants to join me at 6pm this evening, let's meet up at Beach 3." Whoever is interested and available just meets up at the arranged location. 

For our weekday riders, I think we need a bit more advance notice, so anyone going out would send out an email the evening or day before with a time and starting place -- something like this: "I'm going out for a ride tomorrow morning at 11 for an hour. Anyone who'd like to join me meet me at Stoneybrae and Crosswoods or let me know where you'll be. I'm riding around the lake via Beachway to Blair to Columbia Pike to Aqua Terrace to Lakeview. Here's my mobile number:  703-626-0801." We could also plan for longer rides during the week this way as well with a few more days notice. 

The weekend rides will stlll be planned in advance with at least 4-5 days advance notice if not more.

If anyone has any other suggestions, comments, etc., about the club, the rides, etc., please let me know. 

See you next time.

Larry