Grant's visit to DC area yesterday

[Joan Oppel]

 Grant visited us in the DC area yesterday afternoon and evening - and I do mean evening.  The group ride (about a dozen people) started a little after 5 pm, we went about 17 miles round trip.  After much chatting back at the shop, and the addition of another 15 people or so, Grant started his talk after 8, in the dark on a section of parking lot above College Park Bicycles.  Larry and Linda Black - owners of College Park as well as Mt Airy Cyles - were terrific hosts.  Great bike route on the Painted Branch Creek trail and then through the Ag Center (Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, division of the USDA) - nice rural riding in a very built up area.  There were some snacks and drinks for everyone when we returned to the store.

I met the Mystery Bike in person - oh, and its owner, Tom A!  He's a delightful guy, it was great to meet him.  The bike is definitely unusual and looks really comfortable.  Bikes in attendance - a couple of Romulus's, 2 Hillbornes (Greg and Paul, who drove up from Richmond) - one with single top tube, one with double.  A Quickbeam and a Simpleone, couple of All Rounders, an Atlantis (or two).  One Bleriot, of course.  I've probably missed some (I didn't take any notes!)

I'm not sure but I think Tom, Richard H (he has a new Hilsen), Ed F and I were the only people from this list who were in attendance.  If I missed someone, give a shout out.  

Grant's talk was interesting, especially hearing (as others have noted) where he was as a biker for nearly 30 years - racing for over 6 years, but, he said, for 22 years after that, he continued to view biking as requiring pre-planning for speed and split times, and recording all kinds of measurements about his rides.  He said that if he went for a casual ride with his family, he needed to go for his own "workout" ride afterwards.  I think all of that background gives enormous credibility to where he is today about biking, fun, unracing.   He and I also talked books (not Just Ride) and general stuff.  He's a neat guy just to hang out with.

I asked him if he invented "burpees", the answer is no.  But then he gave an impressive demonstration.  He can do an excellent fluid "burpee"!  I find them very hard, and can do them only awkwardly.  

Pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/30856149@N04/sets/72157631643353543/

Joan

By the way, I rode to College Park from my house in Arlington, winding my way through downtown DC and then winding through Northeast DC.  Those 15 miles took over an hour and a half - traffic, lights, a couple of stops for route discussions. I used Google maps biking directions, though Google's first choice used a busy road for part of the ride, and I went over the route piece by piece on my own before printing but still there were some busy roads and uncertainties.  It was close to 9 pm when the gathering winded down and I took the subway home.

[islaysteve]

Thanks for the great write-up and pictures, Joan!  I can understand why the talk had to be in the parking lot, CP Bicycles is just too crowded with stuff for a gathering of any size, I guess.  Lucky break with the weather, too.  Kudos to the Blacks for hosting Grant.  Steve

[franklyn]

Nice set of photos. They made me miss the summer I spent in interning at a tech firm in DC during my grad school years. I spent several weekends riding a loaner bike around those nice off-street trails. 

Best,

Franklyn

[lungimsam]

Thanks for posting pics.

I couldn't make it because I was at work.

Would have been fun to be there.

[dougP]

Noticed the "Just Ride" poster in the window of the shop in one of the
photos. How about a car window sticker sized version? Yeh, yeh, we
shouldn't drive but we do; doesn't have to stop us from promoting
bikes & riding while doing so.

dougP

[Colin Bortner]

Thank you for the writeup Joan! I'm mostly a lurker on the list, but I
made it to the talk -- I was the guy in the blue shirt, red shorts,
and front-loaded SimpleOne. It was a great event. Many thanks to Larry
for putting it together, and to everyone who made the ride out.

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[Jeff Lesperance]

On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 12:15 PM, Joan Oppel <oppe...@verizon.net> wrote:

 Grant visited us in the DC area yesterday afternoon and evening - and I do mean evening.  The group ride (about a dozen people) started a little after 5 pm, we went about 17 miles round trip.  

...

 Pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/30856149@N04/sets/72157631643353543/

Joan

Great pics Joan. I was happy to see that you labeled the picture of me as "Handsome Devil" and after the blushing faded I remembered that's the name of my bike :-)

It was nice, surreal even, to ride among the beautiful Riv's with my Handsome Devil and still be on the receiving end of a few "nice bike" compliments. What a great bunch!

Jeff

[Steve Palincsar]

I hope some of that bunch will come to the next Riv Rally East.

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

+1 re Riv Rally East -- especially you, Joan. We need some refinement among the group!

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[Montclair BobbyB]

Thanks, guys.  Speaking of Riv Rally East, starting to plan the 2013 Rally.  The Blue Ridge / Shenandoah region of Virginia is high on the list of possible locations, so hopefully we will attract a few more DC-area Rivendellians this coming year.  

BB