Moutain biking one day next week after work?

[Sailor Ripley]

Now that I've completely derailed your thread, I'll try to get it back on track:
 I lead a ride every Wed. night at Patapsco.  Intermediate pace.  If interested in details PM me.  Multi-gears allowed but no motors.

[jkeisenh]

From the Mid-Atlantic SS list...
 
 Mark your calendars:
 
 On Saturday May 8th drag out your Fixie, singlespeed, or whatever you have
 that rolls on pavement and get ready for the Spring Tour...
 
 ..."Tour de Swill"...that is!
 
 the W.U.S.S. Winter "Tour de Swill" was a BLAST!... with minimal carnage
 (mostly from the icy conditions)  I'm pretty sure we won't have any ice on the
 Spring ride! but i can't gaurantee that no one will be riding home in the
 dark..sans lights!
 
 If you don't know what the W.U.S.S Tour de Swill is all about go to
 www.pedalshop.com and look for W.U.S.S. under the events section in the
 forums. there are descriptions of the Winter Swillride along with photos.
 
 Alright.  On with the Spring Tour de Swill!
 
 Since Friday May 7th is National Bike to Work day, We have decided to have
 the Spring Tour de Swill on Saturday May 8th...unofficially Nation Bike to
 Brew Day!
 
 This time Steve-o and I have picked a more central Venue so that MD riders
 won't have so far to drive. We will meet Saturday at 10:30am at the
 Georgetown Waterfront where we will grab some breakfast before we head
 out.  We will meet at the toepath right in front of the courtyard next to Tony&
 Joe's Restaurant .
 
 From Georgetown we will take a meandering route  towards Bethesda
 (avoiding the heavily traveled roads) stopping off at some choice
 establishments along the way.  Lynden has assured me that he knows the
 area and can map out a spanking-good route for us....he is very hairy and
 smiles all of the time...i see no reason to doubt him....we will end up at a pub
 in Bethesda not far from the Capitol Crescent Trail. it's a nice gentle down
 hill
 roll back to the G-town waterfront where we can sit back on the patio, sip
 some tall n' frothy's and enjoy the rest of the day!
 
 P.S. Someone should bring an extra 700c presta tube for DmofoT....

[ggw]

Did everyone see that Chimbly Sweep was in the Post last Sunday?

[markie]

So, I am going to try and join Sailor Ripley for his ride tomorrow, anyone else wanna come?
 
 GGW?
 
 And what about the weekend, Bungle? Saturday?GGW, you should come along too.

[ggw]

Can't make it tomorrow.  
 
 I'll get back to you on this weekend.

[markie]

Alright.....
 
 Shame you cannot make it. The trails and weather sound like they might be great. Hopefully you can make the weekend.
 
 Sailor Ripley, you still going tomorrow?

[Sir HC]

Damn, birthday party this wednesday, but which Patapsco park area do you ride, Avalon, McKeldin or some of the less known areas.  That is all in my backyard (well 5 minutes from it).  
 
 Up for Gambrills this weekend.  Funny story there, was biking with a friend there once, and going up a hill I heard a swarm of flies ahead.  Huffing, puffing up the hill I come across a dead fawn.  Well the back half of one.  We wondered what had eaten the front half, and hopefully it was sated.
 
 If anyone needs to borrow a bike for a ride, I have a spare 18" one, not the greatest, but it does still work last time I rode it.

[markie]

I have never been to Patapsco, so I have no idea about the ride. I just know they leave from the Park and Ride at 6pm.

[Sailor Ripley]

Yes, I'm still going (unless we get significant rain).  MORE has asked me to lead this as one of their regular weekly rides, so I said "what the hell".  Here are the details I forwarded to them for their ride calendar.
 
 ----------------------
 
 Pace: moderate â?? steady ride with stops primarily to allow riders to regroup at trail intersections (catch up ride)
 
 Terrain: intermediate to advanced, trail selection will be determined by conditions.
 
 Time: Meet by 6:00, on the trail by 6:15pm sharp.  Ride until dusk.
 
 Location: Rolling Rd. Park and Ride Parking lot.
 
 ---------------
 
 FYI - I personally consider Avalon to be "intermediate" terrain and places like Frederick Watershed and Eliz. Furnace to be "advanced", but that doesn't seem to be the general consensus.  Take it for what it's worth and use your own judgement.

[Sir HC]

That is the problem, saying Patapsco to me is covering about a 20 mile range (by car) from the commuter lot by UMBC to McKeldin area off Marriottsville Road (I probably have misspelled half those names).  As a local that has been riding these trails for 12 years, there are a lot of cool places to ride, some really tricky spots too.

[Sir HC]

Parts of Patapsco are advanced, some that is sort of hike only like the Pigs Run trail (part of the Sawmill stuff on the b-more county side) and the furthest west part of Avalon in Ho Co down the hill to the road.  Most of the rest I agree is pretty straight forward, and they keep making a lot of it easier to ride by putting up bridges over the water, and giant log formations over the downed logs.

[Sailor Ripley]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  That is the problem, saying Patapsco to me is covering about a 20 mile range (by car) from the commuter lot by UMBC to McKeldin area off Marriottsville Road (I probably have misspelled half those names).  As a local that has been riding these trails for 12 years, there are a lot of cool places to ride, some really tricky spots too.

Realistically, there are some "advanced spots", but overall the difficulty of terrain never approaches the other areas I've mentioned.
 
 The Wed. ride takes place in the Avalon area, both sides of the river.
 
 However, if you want a true Patapsco advanced ride, I have a 50 mile round-trip route from Avalon to Marriotesville and back, at least 85% off-road.

[Sir HC]

Including the otherwise ignored area by the Mulch Factory?  We used to ride that all the time, wade across the Patapsco and ride the little used Daniels area.  Cool train tunnel you have to go through.  The hardest trail I ever rode was Whitetail down hill through a rock garden where falling off meant that you couldn't get back on for quite a while as the trail was too technical to stop.  Gambrills is just more vertical than Avalon, not harder in my opinion.

[Sailor Ripley]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  Including the otherwise ignored area by the Mulch Factory?  

Yes, some fun stuff on the Balto. Co. side of that in the Woodstock area, above the train tunnel.
 
 

Originally posted by Sir HC:
   Gambrills is just more vertical than Avalon, not harder in my opinion.

True.  More rocks in the Watershed though.  Eliz. Furnace is so rocky it makes the Watershed look like Schaffer.

[jkeisenh]

Originally posted by Sailor Ripley:
  FYI - I personally consider Avalon to be "intermediate" terrain and places like Frederick Watershed and Eliz. Furnace to be "advanced", but that doesn't seem to be the general consensus.  Take it for what it's worth and use your own judgement.

I have to agree there.  Try telling my surgeried, three-year-old-but-permanent-scar, rock-stuck-in-leg gash on my shin that Elizabeth's Furnace isn't advanced and it will kick your ass.