In addition to the Walking Town rides there are still more rides to be had this weekend, including
Pop by the William Penn House (515 East Capitol St. SE; 202-543-5560) this Saturday for Pedaling for Peace. The goal is to raise money for the House's service learning projects. Forty-mile rides to Great Falls start at 9 a.m. For those less comfortable with city riding, there's the 26-mile option, which takes the Capital Crescent Trail to Bethesda. Just want to bond with your brood? Try the five-mile, self-guided Family Fun Ride through Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. and learn Quaker historical tidbits along the way. ($40 adults, $20 per person for family rides)
For those with more bookish pursuits, there's the Arlington Reads and Rides: Tour des Bibliotheque (703-228-6321). The free 29-mile ride is an active way to celebrate National Library Week. Meet at Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.) at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday for a guided tour that takes riders to six branches of the Arlington Public Library. No preregistration is required and each cyclist receives a goodie bag chock-full of reading material and news on literary events. Due to the length of the ride, children 12 and under will not be permitted without a guardia
On Sunday
Don't be surprised to spy Treks and Cannondales towing grills on April 27. That's just the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's method of getting barbecue food ready for the Bike Me Out to the Ballgame tailgate ($35 WABA members, $40 non). Eat free burgers and hot dogs (and bring chips to share) for a pregame gathering at the RFK parking lot. Then ride the 2.5 miles with 99 other cyclists to Nats Stadium to watch the Nats take on the Cubs. Executive director Eric Gilliland expects to see more than spandex in the stands: "I'm hoping for helmets myself."
Farther out
Nothing wakes you up like joining 1,000 riders on a 7 a.m., 100 km ride at the 2008 U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic (May 4).The Crystal Ride — eight laps on a 12.5 km circuit along Old Jefferson Davis Highway — spins around the U.S. Air Force Memorial and the Pentagon. Stick around to watch men and women's Pro-Am races. Proceeds benefit the Raisin Hope Foundation, a charity started by pro cyclist Saul Raisin to benefit those with traumatic brain injuries ($60, $50 active duty).
Or test your mettle as the national Ride Well: Bike Tour rolls into town July 26. One hundred area riders can sign up to cycle with peeps pedaling from L.A. to D.C. to raise money for Blood: Water Mission. The nonprofit aims to build 1,000 wells in 1,000 African communities. The District is one of the few cities in which the public can ride, and the last at that. Hurrah!
"Don't be surprised to spy Treks and Cannondales towing grills"
What, nobody has a bakfiets?
Posted by: | April 24, 2008 at 06:18 AM