Saturday morning rides in July.

For July (and June 30), we're going to try a new ride schedule -- Saturdays from 8am to 10am. We'll do rides of approximately 20 miles in the early morning to beat the summer heat. All rides will be at a social/relaxed pace and no one will be dropped or left behind.

We'll meet at Proteus and decide the routes each week based on the weather and what people want to ride. Typical routes will be in the Beltsville farms, the Anacostia Tributary trails, or Greenbelt National Park. We may go out for breakfast some weeks if the mood strikes.

Here is a typical route we've used in the past (nice and shady, at least for some sections): http://ridewithgps.com/routes/896301. Here is a video that shows a typical ride tempo and scenery: https://vimeo.com/41262724

June Ride schedule

We've tentatively settled on a shop ride schedule for June:


Sunday June 3, 3pm: regular casual shop ride in the Beltsville farms and Patuxent wildlife refuge (22miles, moderate/relaxed pace, no drop, newer cyclists welcome, route:  http://ridewithgps.com/routes/896301, video of the last time we did this ride:  http://vimeo.com/41262724)


Thursday June 7, gentle afternoon beginner/relaxed ride before potluck. 6pm-7pm. Paint Branch trail to U of MD; Lake Artemesia, NE Branch trail (10 miles or so)


Saturday, June 9, 10am: ride to Arlington for the Air Force Cycling Classic (40 miles round trip, moderate pace/no drop, but bring your Metro farecard if you're not sure about the return ride or if the weather changes)


Thursday June 14th, gentle trail ride before potluck. 6pm-7pm (10 miles or so)


Saturday, June 16, 8am: ride to Tour de Fat (35 miles round trip not including the bike parade, moderate pace/no drop, bring farecard, especially if you plan to drink!)


Sunday, June 17, 10am: ride to Baltimore for the Tall Ships/Blue Angels (65 miles round trip, faster pace, experienced cyclists best for this one)


Here's a video from last Sunday's impromptu shop ride:  https://vimeo.com/42839881

Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all our Moms!

Don't forget to call yours!

Reminder for Bike DC

Register for Bike DC Today (May 7) to receive a free Bike DC Vintage T-shirt*
To get your free shirt, simply sign up online between now and 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 7th. This offer is good if you register for the Full Ride or the Family Ride, as an adult, youth or child.

Our meetup time/place is going to be at the Newseum at 7:30-7:45am

Sunday May 13 - -- WABA Bike DC (25 miles -- they close the roads and highways to traffic!) Start: 7:30 a.m. NW 3rd Street and Madison (in front of the U.S. Capitol).For those riding to the ride, we're going to leave Greenbelt (New Deal Cafe) at 6:20 a.m. sharp, and College Park (Wells Ice Rink) at 6:45 a.m. Route to the ride here. Additional meetup at ride start will be at 7:30 a.m. in front of the Newseum (6th and Penn Ave. NW). Register under the team named "Proteus Herd" to get discount DCTEAMQ95 REGISTRATION FEE, HELMETS REQUIRED

April - May Ride Schedule

Upcoming rides:

• Saturday April 21@ 11am: Proteus to National Arboretum (25-ish miles) 

• Sunday April 29 @ 2:30pm: BARC and Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Loop (22 mile loop)Start: 2:30 p.m. at Proteus Bicycles (2 p.m. at New Deal Cafe for Greenbelt riders if you want to ride with us over to the start). This is a moderately paced fun ride with a rest stop at the Refuge Visitors Center. Cookies at the start/finish. FREE 

• Saturday May 5 -- Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race Start: 9:30 a.m. American Visionary Art Museum Baltimore, MD. Please bring your bikes to ride along with the magnificent moving sculptures, and cheer for the Proteus entry: "The 1 Percent". If you only go to B'more once a year -- kinetic sculpture race day should be the once! FREE 

• Sunday May 13 - -- WABA Bike DC (25 miles -- they close the roads and highways to traffic!) Start: 7:30 a.m. NW 3rd Street and Madison (in front of the U.S. Capitol).For those riding to the ride, we're going to leave Greenbelt (New Deal Cafe) at 6:20 a.m. sharp, and College Park (Wells Ice Rink) at 6:45 a.m. Route to the ride here. Additional meetup at ride start will be at 7:30 a.m. in front of the Newseum (6th and Penn Ave. NW).  Register under the team named "Proteus Herd" to get discount DCTEAMQ95           REGISTRATION FEE, HELMETS REQUIRED 

• Friday May 18 -- WABA Bike to Work Day. Start: The official Greenbelt convoy to DC will leave at 6:30 a.m. from the Greenbelt pool. An unofficial alternative convoy (no stop in College Park) will leave the Greenbelt pool at 7:30 a.m. and arrive in DC at the U.S. Capitol and PA Ave. cycletrack (near the Newseum) at about 8:45 a.m. - 9 a.m. depending on our pace -- we'll guide first timers on the route -- 16.5 miles) Route here (same as getting to BikeDC route) 

           FREE, BUT PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE GREENBELT PIT STOP!


         Proteus will also be making smoothies on the blender bike at the NIH Pitstop. Stop by to say "hi" and                    pick up some bike blended refreshment!

• Saturday May 19 -- -- WABA and Anacostia Trails -- Rivers to Rockets Ride. Start: 8:30 a.m. Bladensburg Marina Park. Meet us at 8 a.m. to ride from Greenbelt down to the ride start (which then comes back to Greenbelt!) via the beautiful Anacostia Tributary trails. REGISTRATION FEE (INCLUDES LUNCH we THINK)

Bike Tour de Greenbelt Sunday, 15 April @ 1PM

All are welcome to join the tour!  We will start and finish at Proteus Bicycles  in North College Park.

We will visit all parts of town and nearby recreation attractions, including the Greenbelt Metro area, Capitol Office Park, Greenbelt Lake, Roosevelt Center (more than once), Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt East and Schrom Hills Park, Golden Triangle area and Greenbelt National Park, Greenbelt Homes Inc. (GHI), Greenbelt Elementary School, the Beltsville Ag Research Center, Greenbelt West, Lake Artemesia.

Pre-ride meet up at the New Deal Cafe at 12:30pm to head over to the start.

Famous double dark chocolate oatmeal walnut raisin cookies at the finish

The total ride route <http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1041958> is about 26 miles; the pace will be moderate, and riders are welcome to join in or drop out at any point.

Click here for direction to Proteus.

Ride to Kite Festival, Saturday March 31

All are invited to join in a community group bike ride to the national kite festival on the mall, departing from Proteus Bicycles in North College Park at 10 a.m. and returning to the shop at about 2 or 3 p.m. Greenbelt riders are welcome to meet us at the New Deal Café at 9:30 a.m. to head over to the start.  The route is about 35 miles, and we'll take a lunch stop at Eastern Market.  The group will ride at a moderate pace - you needn't be fast, but should be prepared for a
long ride.  Please bring your Metro farecard in case of changing weather or if you wish to take the train back to Greenbelt.  


For more information call the shop at 301-441-2928.

Pedal for Pooches, Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10:00 am

Friends of the shop rave about this ride. Lovely setting and a chance to visit with pets looking for homes after. Benefits the Briggs Animal Adoption Center in Charles Town WV. Hope to see you there!


http://www.baacs.org/sections/view/338
http://www.baacs.org/app/webroot/files/file/Pedal%20For%20Pooches/2012%20Pedal%20Brochure.pdf


Routes range from 9 miles to 35 miles with a 10 am start time. Still only $25 to pre-register before April 20th. 
($30 day of the ride starting at 8:30am.)


Travel time from College Park is only 1 and 1/2 hours.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3731+Berryville+Pike+25414

March ride schedule

Here's the tentative ride schedule for the rest of March:



-Saturday March 24, 10am-3pm:  DC casual ride Cherry Blossoms first, then lunch at the market.
                                                   --- RIDE CANCELLED ---

This is another pretty long ride -- about 38 miles.  So riders needn’t be fast, but should be in shape for a longer day’s ride.   We’ll stop for lunch at Eastern Market after riding over to see the cherry blossoms on the tidal basin/Hains point area.  Please bring your Metro farecard in case of rain or if you just want to ride to DC and take the train back to Greenbelt/College Park.

This is an approximation of the route, except we’ll do the DC section in reverse loop:  http://ridewithgps.com/routes/987085

-Saturday March 31, DC Mall -- ride time TBA -- Kite festival




Please keep checking back here for updates on these rides.

Next Proteus ride : Sunday March 4th at 1pm

Join us for a 22-mile loop from Proteus bicycles around the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge visitors center and back. We'll take a moderate pace, and may split into groups of different paces. Last time we did this ride, we split into two groups, with the "fast women" going at a little more of a workout pace and the rest of us in social ride mode. No one will be dropped.


Here is the ride route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/896301


This is roughly the route from DC to the shop: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/784592
And roughly the route from the shop back to DC: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/797417


From DC, here are my directions:


From downtown DC, I take the MBT to Monroe Street Bridge (bike lane)
Left at 12th (sharrows) and right at Newton (bike route)
Left at 18th, and right at Varnum (bike routes)
Cross Eastern Ave and the road becomes Arundel Road (bike route, bumpy road -- beware unmarked speedbumps)
Jog one block to the right at 34th street (otherwise you'd be on a one-way Allison Street going the wrong way)
Left at 38th Street, over the bridge, and right on the NW branch trail
Cross Rhode Island at the crosswalk/trail alongside Armentrout Road (beware the construction/cyclocross challenge)
Down the ramp and up the NE Branch Trail to Lake Artemesia
Pick up the Paint Branch Trail at Lake Artemesia and go under the CSX track.
Take the College Park Trolley Trail/Rhode Island Ave (bike lane, sort of) across University Blvd (not a pleasant intersection)
Cross left to the outer road alongside Rhode Island
Left on Erie Street up the hill to the bike shop (Route 1 at Erie)


And here are directions from U of Md: Take the Paint Branch trail north from the campus (near the Comcast center). The trail goes under University Blvd and around the Paint Branch golf course. After the golf course, there's a spur off to the right that goes up to Route 1 near the bike shop, and there's a new traffic light to cross over at Hollywood Road.


Here are video directions to the shop from the Greenbelt Metro:
http://vimeo.com/21279584