Start the New Year off right: Kidical Mass Arlington Holiday Lights/Resolutions Ride

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Start 2014 off right with a Kidical Mass Arlington Holiday Lights / Resolutions Ride!

**UPDATE: Courtesy of WABA's Women & Bikes, the KM-A HL/R Ride will end in a bath of HOT CHOCOLATE! **

When: Wednesday, January 1, 2014, 5:30pm
Meet: Westover Beer Garden (Plenty of parking in the lot behind the shops)
End:  Northside Social
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3787943

We'll roll out from Westover Beergarden at 5:30pm and head through some beautiful North Arlington neighborhoods to end up at Northside Social, where all will be treated to hot chocolate, courtesy of WABA's Women & Bikes.  Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3787943

NOTE: This is a bit longer and hillier than our normal rides (4 miles, 275 ft or so of climbing) but worth it. We'll be riding in the evening, so bring lights. It may be cold, so bundle up.  This ride isn't recommended for kids riding their own bikes for the first time.

FOOD! Wanna meet earlier at Westover Beergarden for some food and fun?  Make plans with us on the facebook page.


WEATHER: yes, it may be bad.  You can double check it on this site.
WE'LL POST HERE IF WEATHER CHANGES OUR PLANS.

Forecast says 66F on 12/22?!?!? Enjoy it at the Hains Point 100!

Looking for a great way to enjoy the WARM weather on Sunday? The Hains Point 100 is going to be AWESOME! Lots of fun prizes. Come ride a lap or more and support WABA's Women & Bicycles Program!

Unfortunately, there won't be an official Kidical Mass ride, but I've heard lots of people planning to come with kids to watch and/or ride. There's a great playground right at the point. Please use our Facebook page to coordinate if you want to meet up with other Kidical Massers!

 http://www.waba.org/blog/?p=13383

A very SWEET Halloween Ride

The Halloween Ride was great -- thanks to all who came out, and especially to our ride marshalls, photographers and amazing sponsor, FreshBikes.

I believe we have more pictures coming, but there are some great ones up here (thanks, Michael!):
http://www.mvjantzen.com/blog/?p=4222
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvjantz...idical2013oct/

I'll post here when I have more.

<We currently don't have any rides on the schedule, but I'll post on this blog once we plan more rides - there's been talk of a holiday lights ride, and of course, we'll be back next Spring.  If' you'd like to be part of the conversation, join us on Facebook.>

HALLOWEEN RIDE! Oct. 27 5:30pm Ballston

That's right, Kidical Mass Arlington keeps rolling on through the Fall!  Thanks to sponsorship from FreshBikes, we're having an AWESOME Halloween ride - with lots of treats.

When: Sunday, Oct. 27, 5:30pm
Meet (and finish): FreshBikes Arlington (3924 Wilson Blvd; Arlington, VA 22203)
(Plenty of parking in the lot).
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3497262

Treats will abound this Sunday as we bike through Ashton Heights to discover the Halloween tricks of N. Jackson St, the spookiest street in Arlington.  This ride is a bit shorter than normal - only 2 miles - and very, very flat.  We'll be on neighborhood streets the entire way.  It'll be a great ride for beginners - either kids on their own bikes or adults who are new to group rides.  All are welcome!  Costumes are encouraged (just make sure you can bike in them)!

The fun continues once we return to FreshBikes: we'll have candy, juice and hot chocolate (assuming we can figure out some logistics ) for our own little Kidical Mass Arlington Halloween Party.  Come in costume and enjoy some time to mingle with fellow family bikers.

Note: this is an EVENING ride -- you should have lights on your bikes, especially if you're planning to bike home after the festivities.

Special thanks to FreshBikes for the treats!  Happy Halloween!

Next Ride: 10/5 - Arlington Fun Ride!!!

Kidical Mass Arlington teams up with the Arlington Fun Ride for a super-extra special Family Ride


When: Saturday, October 5, 2013  (yes, that's THIS Saturday)
Meet: 10:00am - Crystal City - 18th Street and Crystal Drive
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3379060

Something new and different: a SATURDAY morning ride.  We'll start in Crystal City, after the intrepid souls doing the full Arlington Fun Ride leave for the (long and hilly) Arlington loop.  After a safety briefing, we'll roll out along the streets of Crystal City, then through the new and amazing Long Bridge Park.  We'll bump over the "developing" pavement of Long Bridge Drive and head into the Pentagon Reservation on Boundary Channel.  Kidical Mass Arlington devotees may recognize our jaunt over the Connector Road, through the Pentagon Parking Lot tunnel, and beside Pentagon City Mall.  After riding through Aurora Highlands, we'll join the festivities in Crystal City celebrating the Arlington Fun Ride and Pheonix Bikes.

Registration for the Fun Ride is encouraged (though not mandatory -- your fee does get you a cool t-shirt and goes to support Pheonix Bikes).

The entire ride is 3.5 miles and flat (only 102 total feet of going up).  It's a perfect ride for anyone new to group riding (with or without kids).

Hope to see y'all there!

BikeSwell: A Bike-umentary about the Development Biking in Arlington

 

Next Thursday (10/10) 7-9pm at the Arlington Drafthouse, BikeArlington is presenting a short documentary about bike advocacy in Arlington, with a panel discussion to follow (you may hear a bit about family biking over the course of the night).  You should come.  :-)

Tickets are free (suggested donation) and are running low.  More info and tickets:  http://bikeswellmovie.eventbrite.com/

__________________________________________

BikeArlington, in partnership with the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee, presents the "bike-umentary" of the year:  BikeSwell - Smart Movement in Arlington, Virginia.  This film features local bike advocacy rock stars and highlights the triumphs and tribulations of making Arlington a premiere bicycle friendly community.  The feature presentation will be followed by a panel discussion so you can learn more from some of the people involved in Arlington's "Smart Movement":

• Chris Eatough (Panel Moderator) - BikeArlington Program Manager
• Jason Berry - Director, Gripped Films
• Mark Blacknell - President of the Board, Washington Area Bicyclist Association
• Gillian Burgess - Founder, KidicalMass Arlington
• Edgar Gil Rico - League Certified Instructor, Hispanic Marketing Specialist
• Jakob Wolf-Barnett - Chair, Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee

Harvest Ride was Awesome

Apologies for the tardiness of the post but,

The Harvest Ride was Awesome!

Thanks to everyone who came out and made it a success. 

This video (shot on the ride) pretty much captures the awesomeness of riding with your kids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVctDyJI6LA

Here we have more pics from the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrogringo/sets/72157635598816973/

Here we have the route: http://www.strava.com/activities/82649083

Huge thanks to Brendan and Pete for recording for posterity.

Harvest Ride: Sunday, September 15, 2013

Playgrounds!  Farmers Markets!  Bicycles!  What better way to celebrate the coming of fall.

When: Sunday, September 15, 2013
Meet: 10:30am - Alcova Heights Park - 8th St South & South Randolph Street
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3169244

This Sunday we'll explore the leafy neighborhoods of South Arlington, biking past many treasured parks.  The most challenging hill on the route is right at the beginning (2.5% - we'll even have a way to join us at the top), then we'll enjoy mostly flat neighborhood streets.  All crossing of major streets will be at stop lights.  We'll end at the Columbia Pike Farmer's Market (probably around 11:15am), where you can pick up the best of the season from local farmers and artisans. 

After the Farmer's Market, it's an easy ride on the new Columbia Pike Bike Boulevards back to Alcova Park (here's the best route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3319068).  Your family may want to stay a while and enjoy lunch at one of the great restaurants in the area (Bangkok 54, Lost Dog and Maruko Sushi are favorites in our house).

Don't forget bags for the delicious produce, and panniers or some other way to get the goodies home!

Quick update

We had a great little August Surprise ride last weekend.  Small group of great people.  We even had a couple of surprise hills on the course, but everyone got over them beautifully. 

I got my first taste of the Westover Beer Garden's brunch, which is great and very cyclist friendly.  There were tons of bikes parked outside (not just Kidical Mass bikes).  What I did not get was pictures. :-(  So you get to conjure up your best image of our completely wonderful ride with a small group, mostly on trails, with a few hills.  Yep, that's what it was like.

Huge thanks to all who came out.

Planning is underway for the Harvest Ride on Sunday, September 15.  Details are being discussed over on  our facebook page (please join the discussion there), and should be finalized next week.  We will end at the Columbia Pike Farmer's Market!

More Cowbell!

**March 2020 Edit: this route doesn't really work - the part that loops back from 9th Road North to Bon Air Park involves a trail that isn't really rideable. **

Anyone have an itch for a surprise Kidical Mass ride? I do!

This Sunday, August 25. Meet at 10:30am
Bon Air Park, Arlington, VA
Route (including the optional ride to Westover): http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3168281

And thanks to Bike Arlington, we will have more cowbells to give out.

This ride will be especially relaxed: we'll meet at Bon Air Park (at the playground that's off of the Custis trail), ride a 3 mile loop along the W&OD and Bluemont trails, then on neighborhood streets. If people would like, we'll keep going to the Westover Market Beer Garden for brunch.

Bon Air Park can be a little confusing. We'll meet at the playground that's off of the Custis Trail. You can't see it from any street. If you're driving, you can park at the rose garden parking lot off of Lexington Street. The playground and parking lot are marked on this map: https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209482839065420738092.0004e48d7dfc56b1f9b50&msa=0&ll=38.87762,-77.134227&spn=0.005863,0.012435

Kidical Mass Arlington is now Social!

We have joined the 21st Century.  Pick your favorite way to get Kidical Mass Arlington information:

• Like us on facebook
• Follow us on twitter
• Subscribe to our emails

-- or all three!  We're going to continue to use this site to announce ride details and post ride reports.  We'll use the social media outlets to send announcements.  And we'll use the facebook page and the BikeArlington Forum to get feedback, plan rides, etc.  If you'd like to give your opinion on routes, start/finishes, times, dates, etc, please join us over there.

Splashdown Ride: That was AMAZING!

Thanks to all who came out for the SPLASHDOWN ride last Sunday.  We had a blast!

And a special thanks to our friends Megan, Mark, Dave and Becs, who met us at Gravely Point for media and moral support.  They've put together this great little video of the ride:

http://vimeo.com/71060743#

Plus, there's this great video of the entire ride:

If you have any pictures or video to share, please comment or email me.  Thanks!
I'll post a ride update with what I get sometime next week. 

July Ride: Splashdown: The Best of Arlington!

When is the last time a ride took you past: a fire station, an airport, under planes landing, along a river, through shade, beneath bridges, by boats and a marina, through pine forest, over wooden bridge, past the Pentagon, through tunnels and to a SPRAYGROUND? 

This ride is covers some of the best cycling Arlington has to offer both the young and the young at heart.

When: Sunday, July 21, 2013 9:00am (roll out 9:15am)

Meet: Virginia Highlands Park (the Southern-most playground, near 18th St. S
Parking: Off of Hayes Street, just South of 15th St S. or off of 18th St S

End: Virginia Highlands Sprayground


Note: this loop is pretty flat, but it's longer than our past rides: 5.6 miles

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2703723

Be sure to bring your swimsuits (and sunscreen)!

Bonus Ride: Tour de Kidical!

Breaking news:  in honor of the awesomeness of the Tour de France, we're adding a bonus Kidical Mass Arlington ride!

Bonus Kidical Mass Arlington Ride

Tour de Kidical

When: Saturday, July 6, 2013 9:15am (roll out 9:30am)

Meet: Quincy Park at the Playground (Towards the corner of Washington Blvd and N Nelson)
Parking: Off of Quincy, Washington or 10th Street N.

End: Ireland's Four Courts for brunch and Tour de France watching

 **All confirmed, so this is the final plan**

Father's Day Ride: That was awesome!!!

Wow! The Kidical Mass Arlington Father's Day Ride was SO AMAZINGLY AWESOME (at least for me, at the front of the ride). I had a blast seeing everyone and meeting some new faces, young and old.  There were some great kid bike set-ups (see below).

In all I counted 25 separate bikes.  I think 3 kids on their own bikes, a handful of solo adults, then lots of little ones on bikes. We had a number of bikes carrying 3 people!  Thanks so much to eveyone who came out! 

Awesome Father's Day Ride -- Let's do this again!

Yesterday's Father's Day Ride was awesome!  Thanks so much for all who came out and made it so.  I'll post a write up with pictures soon.

In the mean time, with all of this energy, on to the next ride: July 21, 2013.

Father's Day Ride: Details

Kidical Mass Arlington: Father's Day 2013 Ride
Roll to BBQ

When: Sunday, June 16, 2013 10:30am (roll out 10:45am)

Meet: Quincy Park at the Playground (Towards the corner of Washington Blvd and N Nelson)
Parking: Off of Quincy, Washington or 10th Street N.

End: Rocklands BBQ

We're Famous!

A great write up of Kidical Mass Arlington in the Patch.  Thanks, Mark!

http://clarendon.patch.com/articles/kidical-mass-arlington-getting-families-on-bikes

Also, I just saw this (ride was this weekend), but Kidical Mass is growing in the DC Region: http://bikekentlandslakelands.wordpr...-gaithersburg/

Great Inaugural Ride!

Great Ride -- Thanks for Joining Us

Thanks to everyone who came out on May 19 for Kidical Mass Arlington's inaugural ride.  Everyone had a great time, despite the grey weather.

We met up at Lubber Run, where we had a short safety briefing, and some of us enjoyed the playground.

Sunday, May 19 - Rain or Shine

It's a beautiful day for a bike ride, though there may be a few sprinkles. 

The Kidical Mass Arlington ride is ON today, so come on down to Lubber Run at 11:30am, and bring rain gear and a good attitude in case we see a few drops!

Kidical Mass Arlington -- Let's Get This Party Started

Kidical Mass Arlington -- Let's Get This Party Started

UPDATED plan for the inaugural Kidical Mass Arlington ride...

Sunday, May 19:  Meet at 11:30am, roll out 11:40am


Here's the route.

• Meet Lubber Run Community Center's playground (parking should be easy, if anyone wants to drive to the ride)
• Bike to Ballston, via W&OD and Bluemont Trail - 3.5 miles
• Eat lunch (~noon) **
• Bike back to Lubber Run (~1pm).

Mark Your Calendars!

 The tentative Kidical Mass Arlington schedule is here:  mid-morning 3rd Sunday of the Month

• May 19th - Inaugural Ride
• June 16th - Father's Day Ride
• July 21st - Cool Off Ride
• September 22nd  15th - Harvest ride 
• October whatever-it-is-this-year - KidicalMassARL joins the family ride at the Arlington Fun Ride

Suggestions are welcome!

How about:

• Father's Day Ride to the Weenie Beenie or the Westover Beer garten?
• A tour of Arlington's Spraygrounds in July? 
• September ride to a farmer's market?

Let me know what you would like to see!

To subscribe to emails from Kidical Mass Arlington (mainly ride announcements and reminders – managed through yahoo groups, so easy to unsubscribe), email kidicalmassarl-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

In the mean time...

While you're getting excited for the launch of Kidical Mass Arlington, don't miss the ABC's of Family Biking, organized by our friends across the river, Kidical Mass DC.  This event is expanded from the ABCs in years past, and promises to be very informative and generally awesome!


This year's “ABC’s of Family Biking” will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2013 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the parking lot behind Capitol Hill Montessori School at Logan (215 G Street NE). Once again, we will:

•  provide an opportunity to talk to parents who bike with children of all ages, from infants and toddlers through school-age
• feature the bicycles and equipment available at local bike shops to help parents bike safely with their children
• teach basic riding skills to children through free classes with WABA instructors
• present a special class on group riding skills for families that are interested in forming “biketrains” for children to ride to and from school together 
•  demonstrate riding skills with an easy, optional group ride to help all participants practice their new skills and meet other families that share their interest in biking

In addition, this year we're going to try something new: an opportunity for attendees to swap or sell their outgrown kids' bikes, bike seats, and other family biking equipment.

Special thanks to BicycleSPACE and the BicycleSPACE Yoga Program participants, who provided invaluable funding to make this year's ABC's of Family Biking a success!
http://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com/p/abcs-of-family-biking.html

Coming soon, to Arlington County...

Welcome to KidicalMass Arlington (Virginia, that is)!

Along the lines of other Kidical Mass rides throughout the country, Arlington County, Virginia will soon have its own family rides.  For summer 2013, we're looking at the third weekend of the month for May, June, July and September.

Check back soon for more details!

In the mean time, get to know some other kidical masses around the US:
http://www.kidicalmass.org/
http://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kidicalmassnewhaven?sk=wall
http://www.thechainlink.org/group/kidicalmass
http://ameskidicalmass.wordpress.com/
http://kidicalmasspdx.org/
http://totcycle.com/kidicalmass