Fort Lauderdale today, Vancouver yesterday, Nova Scotia day before yesterday, Whitehorse tomorrow

Hopefully opinions and experience from all over contributes to a better future for all.

Cheers

Screw the BBC. Well, don't screw them, but. They're not exactly IN Baltimore. There's a bunch of us in Fells Point and do a lot of group rides every weekend (most of the time). We also usually do the (Silver Spring) Bicycle Place rides, because the folks there are so nice.

I tend to do Patterson Park loops every day for about 15-20 miles, so if you'd ever like to join my lonely solo riding adventures, you're more than welcome to! If you're interested in riding with the Fells Point Cycling crew, send me a PM.

Semantics... they are not in Baltimore City. So, I guess anything past the city limits you consider not in Baltimore?

So, do you provide cue sheets for your rides? Do you have rides that accomodate the varying abilities of riders (i.e., casual, 10-13 mph, 13-15 mph,... 18 mph)? What bike advocacy work have you done? What kind of communication network do you possess to inform those riding your rides that there are last minute changes to the ride? If a rider goes on your ride, are you liable for injuries that may occur on the ride? Do you ensure that every rider on your ride rides safely, including the mandatory use of a helmet?

You can say screw the BBC, but they do more than provide someone to follow during a ride.

Can you believe this weather!! I had a nice ride this wknd before the deluge(60 folks over for my daughters 18th). I rode the Gwynn falls to Inner harbor then up to Artscape(Howard street sucks for bikes with all the light rail tracks, lane ****s and Belgium block). I stopped at the convention canter while a huge throng of costumed teens(and older) poured out. Turns out the Anime(sp?) convention was in town. 22,000 young folks attended this event!! I couldn't believe their costumes. I sat on the corner and watch for a long time. Kinda makes Halloween look pathetic.
Got a little lost coming home. I don't know the names of the streets on the Gwynns falls trail and missed the spray painted arrows. Does anyone know if there are signs pointing to Ostend(south of the little park) or Ridgley (left off of Ostend) on the return. These are the streets I missed and did not know their names? I ended up riding on Washington to Carroll Park.

Whoa, settle down. Notice how I said "well, don't screw them" immediately after? That's because I understand all the perks that come along with a legitimate club (that you have already pointed out). I've marked in bold what we do, because it's easy, and impossible NOT to do. We're not even an actual CLUB, we're just people who live in the city and like to ride. Is that a crime? Do we need to collect dues or something?

What I was implying to the kind fellow/ma'am was: you don't need to pack your bike up and drive half way to Philly to ride in a "Baltimore" club, because there are a bunch of us that live in the city itself and go on rides that start IN the city. Since the person lives in Canton, I figured if he/she was interested in an after-work ride, we'd be up for it, because we ride in the city during the week.

I'm sorry I ruffled your feathers, but please understand I wasn't bashing the BBC.

Noted and I'm sorry if I interpreted your intention incorrectly.

Though the BBC is not perfect, they are the largest club in the Baltimore metropolitan area and believe it or not they do start at least one ride that I know of within the city limits (Fells Point). Due to the volume of riders in some of the rides, it's not logistically sound to start rides from within the city. Many start from parks, shopping centers, or park & rides in the surrounding counties.

I'm sure it makes a lot more sense to have it in the metro area rather than in the city, as it's more convenient for more people. Trust me, I've heard nothing but good things about the club.

Really, the only complaint I've heard is that the BBC re-groupings aren't orchestrated well and don't work, so lots of people get dropped on the 18 mph rides. I'm not sure if the overall theme of the group rides is for social reasons, or for training, however. That's why I really like the Silver Spring Bicycle Place ride. The owner of the shop (Mike) is constantly reinforcing that it is a social ride, and gets pissed if people start to get a bit too competitive. We still roll like a bat out of hell, though!

How often does this Fells Point ride happen?

The 18 group is the strongest that the club has. It's made up of strong club riders, ex-racers, and current racers. There's a lot of testosterone flowing and it can be competitive, but that seems to be the nature of those rides.

I've been dropped on 18 mph rides when I'm just not up to form or tired from bike commuting 30 miles per day on the bike to and from work or from racing.

If you don't want to get dropped, you can always drop down to an easier group. That's what I do. If I want to socialize, I drop down to a group who's pace is easy enough that I can ride and still talk in full and comprehensible sentences. ;)

This depends on who wants to lead it. You'd have to check the schedule to see when the next one occurs, but it's done several times during the cycling season.

Yeah, I guess the point of the person who complained was: either regroup PROPERLY (i.e. wait until most, if not all the riders have made it back to the group), or don't regroup at all. Obviously if it takes 5+ minutes for a rider to catch up with the group, he/she should drop down to an easier group.

The weather has been amazingly nice lately. The spray panted arrows on the Gwynns Fall Trail are probably a remnant of Tour dem Parks which went the opposite way you were going. The trail map is here http://www.gwynnsfallstrail.org/imag...GFTMap2005.pdf the trail from the little park goes past Ostend St to Stockholm so you can avoid the bridge but get those lovely railroad tracks instead to get back up to Ostend just to go back down again on Ridgley. You can turn right on Ostend after the little park to bypass some of the zigzag. The first three times I was on the trail I missed the sign that indicated the left on Ridgley, I agree that something should make that turn more noticeable. I will also note that Hamburg (just after the light on Ostend) works well as a Ridgley replacement and avoids the tracks. The route they chose would not be my first choice but the route by the Ravens Stadium is locked up in a bizarre jumble of bureaucratic I don’t knows and it is some other unidentifiable persons job so they came up with Stockholm alt route at the last minute.

Our ride with the Mayor and city hall staff caught some people out in Anime costumes, fun stuff.

I'm interested. When/where do you meet up? Can I get on an email list?
Thanks. -Bob

I get a lot of hits on Baltimore Spokes from people looking for rides in the city. The site is intended as a public resource about bikes especially in the city so please feel free to post info about your rides on the site.

I will note that I find many BBC rides close enough to bike to so they are better then half way to Philly.

Are you going to be in Thurmont this weekend? I ride that area a lot and know it will be a great ride.

Are you going to be in Thurmont this weekend? I ride that area a lot and know it will be a great ride.

Stopping and saying hi from Albuquerque again. 21 days left until I become a resident in Waldorf, Md. I am soo out of the desert!!

I'm still sorry I left NM.

Joe

I did not make it to Thurmont this weekend for the ride, just got back from a week-long camping trip with the kids in the Adirondacks and had lots to catch up on...besides, I got my fill of hills this past week in the mountains x200 miles while the family went swimming.

Welcome The heat and humidity are starting to arrive. They seem to be a month late(not complaining). Hopefully they will be gone when you come. It's hard to handle humidity when you are use to dry air. A slow transition is best. I've been here 40 years and am still trying to get use to it. I figure another 10 years and I'll acclimatize to it:) Overall this year has been great. You will love the fall and spring around MD. BUT you will miss the desert, guaranteed. Charlie

I know you werent asking me, but...

I just had to say how great that Thurmont Tour was. Being the "FatguyRacer", going out of my way to ride up mountain sides was not something i've ever done.

The ride up Catoctin Mt. was great. I found it to be as hard or harder than going up Skyline Drive's north entrance. On the other hand, it could have been the conditions. You could drink the air yesterday. By the time i reaced the top of Wigville Rd, i felt like i just walked out of a shower fully clothed.

Speaking of Wigville, that section of the climb is the one that nearly broke me. After grinding out 7 1/2 mile on Catoctin Hollow Rd, i really didnt want to see a steeper road than what i had just went up. I recokon based on my HR data that it's an 8% grade for its 1 mile length. Does anyone know what the grade really is?

Hey NoRacer,

I did a 50 miler (5,400 ft. of climbing) a couple of weekends ago that included Coxey Brown - damn that one corner had to be a 25% grade. Do you know the grade on that monster? I thought Hamburg was tough, Coxey made it look somewhat tame. I got to get out there again - you're a beast to do the miles you did, major props.

Bob

Thanks!

If I recall correctly, there was 18-22% inclines in that area of the road.

I dont think I will miss the desert. I was raised in Seattle, I have only been in New Mexico/ Tx. the last 10 years. I am ready to get back to the water. I know Maryland is totally different than Seattle probably, but I miss the ocean and the rivers!

very strange commute this am, cool but really humid. Lots of haze everywhere. Had to be near 90%RH. Air was thick but the cool temps made it ok.

I thought I pop in here again (I think I posted in the early pages). I noticed a few new people interested in the BWI/B&A trail and around the Howard county area. I live in Ellicott City (just off the top of Illchester Road) and ride the B&A trail a lot.

I have a number of rides and some w/ que sheets. I'm generally a rec rider in the 14 mph range.

If you interested in some routes or perhaps a ride, drop me a line.

Bill

holy crap! Its been a while since I've been to this particular thread. I was contemplating whether or not to start a new thread asking about how to get from the ellicott city/elkridge area to the BWI/B&A trails... I'm glad I looked here now.

Here's what I got so far: around patapsco state park cw

I'm looking for a way to hook the above route to the BWI loop and/or the B&A trail. I've seen signs around the north-eastern part of this route (just before lawyers hill rd), which I tried to follow in my car one day a few weeks back, but couldn't actually find it.

BTW, that hill down illchester coming from montgomery road is INSANE.