Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.donheff
06-15-08, 10:27 AM
DW and I have been getting out most mornings for the past week for a quick 15-20 miler before the heat gets too much. This morning we decided to ride from home on Capitol Hill in DC to Bethesda, MD ~ 13 miles each way. We usually ride that trail on weekdays when it isn't crowded so it was an interesting experience to ride it on a summer Sunday. It is quite a scene, walkers, runners, fathers pushing kids in carts, roadies (a few), first time cruisers, tandems, bents; you name it. Still, despite the crowds, it was a nice ride. Heading out through the Mall and Foggy Bottom there were next to no cars so we flew through much faster than we would on a mid-day weekday. The trail was crowded but not so bad that we couldn't maintain a decent pace. In Bethesda we dropped in at the landmark Tastee Diner for breakfast - waffles for her, sausage and eggs for me. The return trip was an obstacle course. The crowds were out in force on the trail. I can see why serious riders would avoid that scene like the plague but if you just want a pleasant ride for some exercise it wasn't too bad -- you just have to be prepared to slow down when you approach a pack. I didn't see any really bad behavior although there were a few riders pushing the edge of the safety envelope while passing and quite a few non-thinkers stopping in the middle of the path to do whatever. All-in-all a very pleasant Fathers Day morning ride. It is up around 90 now so I am glad we made it early.