Check out the group rides page for more information on rides. On todays ride to Great Falls and back we saw at least five - six separate group rides going on in addiiton to our own.
Cheers!
Group rides this winter are in full swing as people's time off the bike has finally subsided and people are gearing up for the next season. If you are new to the area or have never been on one of the group rides before, this is a great time to begin! The paces of many of the rides are much slower than they will be in spring time as most cyclists are insistent upon accumulating "base miles." Base miles are ridden at a slower pace and most experienced cyclists will avoid taxing efforts.
Check out the group rides page for more information on rides. On todays ride to Great Falls and back we saw at least five - six separate group rides going on in addiiton to our own. Cheers!
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Every cyclist in the Washington, DC / NOVA / MD regions are subject to laws of the road when out on a group ride. Most cyclists however, do not have a clear understanding of their rights and restrictions while out riding. Therefore, we've enlisted the help and knowledge of a lawyer in the area to speak on the matter (he just so happens to be an avid and passionate cyclist as well). Check out his insight to the regulations every cyclist should know when biking in the area:
We have some friends in NYC who recently documented their journey from New York City to Montreal Canada. We stumbled across their trailer late last night and it immediately caught our attention. The full video will undoubtedly be worth the watch.
http://vimeo.com/70419411 Riders who are featured include: Vincent Malo (Québec - SRS & Team iBike) Josh Gieni (Saskatchewan - Team iBike) Gophrette Power (France) Danny G. Taillon (Québec) Romain Albertini (France) Marie-Hélène Lapierre (Québec) David Trumph (USA - Chalet Magazine) Phil Penman (England - Chalet Magazine) James Stevens (Australia - Chalet Magazine) Martin Amiot (Québec - Ombres & Lumières) Philippe Bellemare (Québec - Ombres & Lumières) Looking for some great places to ride in DC? We've put together 10 areas and paths worth exploring in and around the District. There are plenty of hidden gems throughout the city; however, we felt these are 10 areas every cyclist should explore at least once.
This is going to be the first in a semi-occurring series of "How To" ________. This article we explore the art of riding home with a flat tire. Yesterday I found myself in a rather tough situation. At 5:30pm I happily raced out of work and went to mount my single speed bike to pedal home and make my group ride at 7:00pm in Arlington (Freshbikes). Problem #1: When I arrived at my bike I had a flat front tire. Problem #2: No spare tire or anything to fix it. Problem #3: Rush hour metro, so no-can-do on the metro + bike. Problem #4: There is no way on earth I am riding the metro without my bike in this heat with that many people. Walking, not worth mentioning. SOLUTION: Ride home with a flat front tire. Now I must admit, this is something which is not advised by 99.7% of cyclists. HOWEVER, someday you may find yourself with a crappy rim which you despise it's very existence and an old tire you were looking to burn (not literally my eco-aware friends) and a group ride which you simply cannot miss for the sake of your mental sanity. If you find yourself in such a situation, I've put together some pointers to live by when riding home with a flat tire. 1. Straight lines - Remember, you have 0 psi in that front rim. Therefore any sudden movement left or right is going to cause that tire to slide off the rim and before you know it you will be laying in the pothole which needed paved for the past 3 years staring at the Metro bus running the red light while cutting through the bike lane on L street (it is a bike lane right?). 2. Turning - In the event you must turn... 5mph (8kph) or less is an appropriate speed. A good way to measure this is as you begin your turn, the number of cars behind you should increase by five times the number which existed at the beginning of the turn (ex: 1 car behind while on 13th street. 5 cars by the time you turn on H street). 3. Bike Rim - If you have a rim which is worth more than $100, or you care in any way about your rim, do not ride home. This very well could be the final voyage of your rim which so rudely decided to pick up that piece of glass in the first place. You might teach it a lesson, but you may never see it again too. 4. Tire - Its dead. 5. Riding in a group - No. While you have a flat you are banned from participating in pace lines / drafting / racing / communicating / eye contact with other cyclists. You ARE a hazard to them. Exceptions to this rule are if the cyclists notices your predicament and graciously offer you a spare tube. 6. Smile - You're now on your way home and your total trip is only going to be delayed by 5 minutes if you're commuting in DC! By following these simple steps I was able to make it safely home and off to my group ride in time (with a bike which did not have a flat tire). Happy pedaling! Read an interesting article today on Business Insider about why Americans don't understand cycling and why it's a big problem. You can read the article here. Out of the top 20 of the world's most bike-friendly cities, not one included a major American city. As one who lives in Washington, DC and commutes daily via bicycle I had to agree this article made some very valid points. The comments regarding extreme cyclists who go for long rides on the weekend might be an exaggeration. Speaking as someone who attends those rides often, I find them incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. Riding a bicycle offers so many other benefits beyond those related to your health (which alone should be reason enough). You can navigate the city faster, safer, leave less of a carbon footprint, save money and perhaps you might even notice some things you would never see in your car with your music blasting. If you don't have a bike in the city but would like to start commuting, Capitol Bike Share is a great program. For $75 a year you have unlimited access to a large population of bicycles which allows you to get from place to place with ease and enjoyment. I am almost certain you would spend at least $75 a year on your own bike between normal wear and tear. Long story short... Start biking, it's good for you. Today marks the launch of DCpaceline. A website aimed to serve as a resource for the DC community by creating one central location for all of the best group rides in Washington, DC. We hope this website can serve as a resource to locals, visitors or anyone who simply wants to ride their bike with other people! So what is "The Paceline?" We plan to use the blog as a place to provide updates and information on group rides, awesome local events, great coffee shops or really anything any person riding a bike in and around DC would enjoy. We hope you like the website and we value any opinions you have about the site! Please let us know via our feedback page! Grab a bike, grab a friend, make a friend and go enjoy some awesome riding in the nations capitol! |
The Paceline
The Paceline is our blog which is updated periodically with different news about races, events and anything else interesting and involves a bike. Archives
April 2015
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