7/30/11

Todays ride was 27 miles.  It was beautiful out.  The sky was overcast, with the sun peeking through the clouds.  I even was caught in a small rain shower.  I was really happy with my climb up marble front.  My speed gets better every time I take it.  I climbed it at around 15 mph.  It was such a relating ride, but I still knocked it out in 97 minutes.

7/29/11

I haven't been able to ride for awhile due to a recent accident which resulted in stitches in both hands and a concussion.  I got the stitches out today and got a great 18 mile ride in.  I was 95 degrees out and I hit some nice rolling hills on Foothill Drive.  I pumped those 18 miles out in 57 minutes.  It's hard to believe how much I've missed riding.

my map for getting around DC

My beach cruiser for the ride to Mount Vernon

Shale Pathway to the Woodroe Wilson Bridge

July 17, 2011 Bicycling in Washington DC

I'm at the National Drug Court Conference for a couple days.  Today after the conference finished up I decided to do something a little different.  I rented a beach cruiser bicylce to do some site seeing.  The beach cruiser they rented me was old, only had 1 gear, no hand breaks (its been a long time since I've had to pettle backwards to start, like little boy long time ago), and may have been a woman's bike.  But never the less, I was determined to do something different.

I left National Harbor and headed out on a white shale pathway, which eventually turned into a paved greenbelt.  I rode over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and entered Old Town Alexandria Virginia.  Old Town was very nice.  The buildings were historic and was exacted what I expected this area to look like.  Then, I decided that I would follow the greenbelt along the Potomic River towards Mount Vernon.  The Potomic River is beautiful.  I rode along through trees and through a wildlife preserve.  Wooden foot bridges weaved through marshes with lilly pads and willows.  Mount Vernon was nice.  It was neat to see where George Washington was born.

I will make a commen on beach cruisers.  Other than the seat being comfortable, I don't know why anyone would want to own one.  They are big and bulky.  The one gear thing doesn't make going up hills very enjoyable either.

But overall all it was a great excursion.

"Hell of the West"



top of Freeze Out Hill (Emmett)




Top of Horseshoe Bend Hill




Top of Horseshoe Bend Hill



7/15/11 "The Hell of the West"

I took my inspiration for the title from the movie "American Flyers."  Juan and I rode 71 miles today.  We left my house, went up Beacon Light Rd to Hwy 55.  From there we did the crazy climb up Horseshoe Bend Hill.  What a climb.  It's a 7% grade.  On the way down the hill you follow a 7% grade down for 5 miles.  I was hitting 40 mph on the desent.  I felt great on the climb.  From Horseshoe Bend we followed Hwy 52 to Emmett.  Then we had another great climb out of Emmett by going up Freeze Out Hill.

In general this was a great day and a great ride.  Surprisingly I feel very good.

7/13/11 Getting back in the saddle

I just completed a nice 29 mile ride.  I haven't ridden for a couple of weeks so I'm a little sore.  I rode out Hwy 44 to old hwy 30 and back purplesage rd.  I have to get ready for my 65 mile ride in 2 days.