Fall has fallen, the leaves have turned, and the mercury has finally dropped below 80 degrees! Wonderful time of year. The big deal this week is, of course, the WABA Cider Ride on Saturday. As of our publication deadline, registration was still open and the weatherperson was forecasting no rain and a high of ~62F, which is, uh, perfect. Other good ways to enjoy the fall colors this weekend are the Bike Rack’s once-a-month Urban Wilderness Ride on Saturday, or BicycleSPACE’s Hills of Rock Creek Park ride on Sunday. Note also that it’s the first weekend of the month, so both the Hills of Rock Creek Park and the Hills of Anacostia rides cater to beginners. Good time to get out there and give them a shot if you’re new! Finally, there is NO Proteus ride on Saturday, on account of the WABA thing.
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One unusual bit of news is that DC has been picked as a test market for a new cycling app called LaneSpotter. Described as “Waze for cyclists,” LaneSpotter aims to help find good routes by offering maps of bike lanes and trails and by crowd-sourcing tips on the best routes through city streets. Now, I do not have an iPhone, so I can’t tell if it’s good or bad, but what would be cool is if you would download the app, use it a couple of times, and then take this quick survey to let me know how it went. I’m curious if it even has enough data yet to be useful.
A few other interesting reads from the week:
- DO NOT miss this wonderful recollection by Peter Flax on the cross-country bike ride he took with a friend half a lifetime ago. Seriously, make some time.
- Four Mile Run trail renovations have been done for awhile, and WashCycle has a nice little series of photos documenting the upgrades.
- I enjoyed this short documentary on Gearin’ Up Bikes. Check their site for classes, open shop nights, and volunteer opportunities.
- The protected bike lanes at The Wharf are FINALLY painted and ready for two-wheeled traffic.
- Here’s the tale of a lady who got lost and drove her car onto the W&OD trail. Hmmmmmmmm.
OK, onward to the list! If you like this newsletter, feel free to forward it along to friends and tell them to sign up or follow on Twitter. Stay safe, ride fast, ride on.