Arlington/Alexandria Community Ride

Thu Jun 7 05:29:35 CDT 2007

I was glad to do my first community ride, having told
just about everyone who might be interested
(and probably many who weren't about it), but neither
neice, nephew nor neighborhood kids and associated
adults showed up but have the following detailed
trip report including some suggestions for improvements

having come by bike on bus from Fairfax County
and not being a morning person, to see how a
community ride works, a later start would help ;-}
it amazes me that so many people doing group rides
think everyone is a morning person, not me,
unless up all night

registration was a little confusing for me,
like Bike To Work Day, people with bikes
could do a 'bike through' (like drive through)
instead of walk up to a table and
try backing up when done

i talked to the friendly registration woman
with last years bike ride t shirt about buying
extra bells for the missing neice and nephew,
was given an extra, later deciding to
go back to ask for another extra
to reduce possible sibling rivalry...

putting my bell on my bike (requiring
the leatherman keychain tool, an old
Xmas gift from my Brother In Law?)
while waiting in line to start the county ride
inititated conversation with others including WABA
staff about combined membership form,
some young ladies about the need for helmets,
where to obtain them Bailey's CrossRoads,
contains Performance and REI, offers of
their cue sheet (which were likely to get wet)
but they might need one in case anyone
got separated, so went back for more copies
and started late between the county group
and family rides stopping at the marshalls table late
asking if they needed people, but were set.

later along the first major road saw the registration
woman and discovered riding with her husband
who's bike broke down at the four mile run trail
early in the ride, so stopped for a while,
fussed appropriately,
pulled off to the side of the trail,
while the family ride passed en mass,
but couldn't in good conscience leave them behind,
even to catchup with the county ride
nor find a biker babe for company

serendipity, a young female marshall rolled by
with the needed tools (2 crescent wrenches)
and we got the chain unstuck
by taking the wheel off

rode with the marshall to the stop, saying 'thank you
miss/mister marshall' to the crossing marshalls,
rolling by the assembled rubbernecking opportunity,
the young man having likely received enough
attention but not making a spectacle,
saying 'passing on the left',
talking various things from wilderness first aid,
homelessness issues, comparing fairfax county
and arlington's housing first to DC,
learning of bike burritto feed the homeless
advocacy and other group ride comments
to little people (with marshall and parental
supervision) trying not to distract the little riders from
the necessary attention to safe forward motion

while the young female marshall refused
to rescue me, as much as I tried to have problems ;-}
she deserves a medal for the calming effect of having
tools, being there and gentle support and was
reported to the ride captain at the next stop, amongst
talk of touring equipment, taking pictures and
more proper introductions

the family circus at the pit stop was intriguing.
the following interactions are likely out of time sequence
as most circuses have things happening in parallel ;-}:

the parent carrying the plate while the kid was carrying
something else and a cookie (iirc) deserved comment

the REI table was nice enough to provide enough (6?)
soft mini frisbees for the neighboorhood kids
(both large grandparent size and super small),
or at least enough to have a fair fight,
and as I'm finding out teaching
about sharing and little plus big people's
concept of 'mine' ;-}

other parents were brave to ride with kids, even those that
did the Bike To Work Day (with t shirt), had a full crew
to contend with, in good humor

brief snacks of bananas and picking up some
clif bars for the road...

a recumbent tandem was entertaining to see start
rolling. I wish I had made a movie clip of the start
for training purposes. as a 2 wheeled SUV,
commenting on seeing big rigs (i.e. tractor trailer)
and something odder than mine on the road, was fun.

the train didn't have a bathroom, so a little person
(with parental supervision) directed me to where it was
across the bridge on the left

the non biking crowd at the bathroom talking about
people taking bikes inside (my response similar to:
it's nice to have the bike there when you return)
they were entertained by pointing my NiteRider
light on them and referred to the ride
pit stop over the little bridge

continuing on the ride, up the four mile run to
custis trial turn,

encouraging a very little person climbing
the long hill up from the trail turn along custis,
without gears (nor toe cages, the parents added),
not to mention smaller person and wheels,
I 'raced' and lost that climb, also stopping
to pet a dog along the way, and chat with parents
as distraction as well.

stopping at the overpass turn, talking to ride
marshalls, bike police officers, bike Fire EMT's
about the lack of heat, hearing communicating
amongst the different packs of
riders and seeing a burley or equivalent
passing needing a windshield wiper
for the two in tow, later at the long light stop
talking to the mom with white shirt,
discovering the kids leave a cookie crumb
or similar trail behind by throwing things
out of the trailer!

joking at the long light with marshalls,
motorcycle police discussing missing
speed cameras and plates,
was directed to the County ride/
Family ride split along the on road
bike lane to wilson.

stopped at rosslyn, missing the turn up
the overpass at the hotel, spinning
round the hotel parking lot, not finding
another sign, turning back, found
a smoking jogger and commented
on the relative benefits of running
vs smoking, made the turn, took
fountain pictures, talked to two
people out of uniform, who went
back to packed supplies for 2 water
bottles, and saw a group with
wheelchair sitting on stairs...

down past the island, taking
the trial down hill, not over key
bridge, along the boardwalk,
by the water, pentagon inlet,
under 395 bridge

at the airport, i visited a tent thinking it was
a community ride tent, informed they were
the National Parks Service tent as they
were preparing for the july fourth event
and was told we were made waterproof
(mere mortals didn't make digital cameras,
cell phone, nor audio device waterproof,
until later discovering online an iRiver
underwater housing thing ordered on clearance).
this started a dueling riffing routine
(NPS had already hear his routine)
improved to add jumping into water
feet first with water going up your nose,
leading to 'where do you live?',
(looking like a loaded touring stealth camper,
as I had done the C&O Canal over
Memorial Day 2006 stopping at hiker biker
campsites after 5 occupied ones starting
outside the beltway on a holiday weekend)...
NPS makes some rides like this possible
by having park space...

continuing down the parkway trail turning under
tunnel to crystal city, waving at one of the previous
ride marshalls going the other way, likely
completing their time to National Airport
MetroRail

located other Flexcar rental spots at
or around Crystal City underground entrances

down past two boats sailing in the rain,
but with good wind at daingerfield island,
past the power plant, seeing some ducks,
biking slowly to avoid slipping
on boardwalk wooden planks past the park
into old town alexandria, and went
by the missing Deli on the Strand,
determine no community ride signs
posted so turning back yet again,
but finally getting back on track
having missed the Cameron street turn
before king street thinking it might have
gone further south into fairfax county...

continuing straight along cameron street
through many stops, to King Street Metro's
newer northern entrance, and under bridge
along Commonwealth Ave's
wide tree lined bike lane

at the Bike Walk Alexandria tent stop,
next to one of the meeting locations,
stopping before to take a picture of the
tent stop, then they suggested a better
posed one and getting out of the rain
into the tent, shown maps of the heritage
trail, brief discussion and finishing oranges
while talking until the truck arrived,
directed me to take down signs with
my resistance, until later finding the two guys behind
me WERE the sag wagon, and I just sagging :-)
as a first long ride after breaking a little toe
(off bike, a boring story that needs
much embelishment) back in january,
late start after breakdown,
observing family riders for future use with
my neice and nephew, neighborhood kids
and general amusement

i did end up riding alone most of the rest
of the community ride, from ballston split,
but the family ride part was heart warming
and entertaining enough to suffice until
rain on my old helmet pads leaked sweat
into my eyes effectively painfully blinding me
at the end going into shirlington

looking like a drown rat as the WABA trucks
were finishing packing up, asked for and
got paper towels from the truck to
wipe my eyes and face, hung around to see
if something was happening after,
but being a happy camper is a stretch
for a clinically depressed disabled
biker but the gift of commemorative
blue bike socks may serve as proof
of surviving the ride or for later
bragging rights :-}

this detailed report should probably
have a table of contents and pictures
added, hopefully to be edited and eventually
go up on the hosted tour site
DancesWithCars.crazyguyonabike.com

jerry aka DancesWithCars

On 6/6/07, Boyd Walker <boydwalker at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I really enjoyed the bike ride and it was great to be able to participate as
> a Marshall.  I was surprised to not hear of any accidents or other incidents
> and feel that must be a testatament to bicyclists.  No one seemed bothered
> by the rain, and it just added a element that showed how dedicated
> bicyclists are.  I was able to report at a forum last night, in response to
> another Alexandria City Council candidate assertion that there were not,
> that indeed there were safe, convenient routes to ride.  It was great for
> Arlington and Alexandria to work together, and even though Alexandria has a
> lot of catchig up to do, hopefully this cooperation becomes an annual
> tradition and spreads to other endeavors.  The highlight for me was being
> able to pass my house in Old Town and ride back from there with Jay
> Fissette, who I understand was intrumental in getting the communnity bike
> ride started.  Thank you so much for putting this together, it was a great
> turnout and I llok forward to next year.
>
> Boyd Walker
>
>
>
>
> >From: Jerry King <jjkingconsulting at yahoo.com>
> >To: BikeWalk Alexandria <bsc at bicycle.alexandria.va.us>
> >CC: Brett King <i_bking at yahoo.com>, Henry <henry at waba.org>
> >Subject: Arlington/Alexandria Community Ride
> >Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 07:14:58 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >All,  While it is fresh in everyones mind I would like
> >feedback on the ride.  We want to continue next year
> >and want to include any ideas or improvements.  We
> >found it was essential to have location marshals and
> >we thank all those who volunteered and stood in the
> >rain.  Please forward to me all your input.
> >Jerry King
> >_______________________________________________
> >BSC mailing list
> >BSC at bicycle.alexandria.va.us
> >http://bicycle.alexandria.va.us/mailman/listinfo/bsc
>
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-- 
DancesWithCars
leave the wolves behind ;-)