Nov 2021: Tour de National Landing 11/14 12:30pm

National Landing is the vibrant, exciting part of Arlington located at the bend in the Potomac River.  Join us on a ride to enjoy Arlington's newest trail segment, around the newly opened Long Bridge Aquatic Center, through the Pentagon Reservation and through Pentagon City on Eads Street, ending in Crystal City. Kids will particularly enjoy the trail, from which they can see trains, planes & boats!

After the ride, the National Landing BID is hosting a round of warm drinks at The Freshman. Families may want to come early and enjoy brunch/lunch at the Freshman or another of Crystal City's great restaurants.  

We'll meet up at the southern entrance to Long Bridge Park (no bathrooms at the park, so plan accordingly). We will roll out around 12:45pm along the Esplanade.  The route will include a trail and streets around the Pentagon and National Landing, ending on a service road. All crossings of major streets are at lights. The route is mostly flat, with one hill near the Pentagon, and clocks in around 3 miles.  

We'll end at The Freshman (about 1:15pm), where folks are invited to enjoy a warm drink courtesy of National Landing BID (thanks, BID! Also,, we've confirmed they have hot chocolate).  Bring a lock if you're planning to leave your bike as you eat or shop.

Everyone is welcome on our rides (as long as kids come with an adult), which are appropriate for all types of bikes (not scooters or training wheels). We often have kids on their adults' bikes or younger kids who are newer to riding on their own. Older kids may find the ride to be slow & not very exciting, but are welcome to join the party as long as they're willing to enjoy the pace.

Yes, it will be chilly on Sunday.  For tips on riding in the cold, see this great blog post by BikeArlington.  

Masks: We recognize that data shows outdoor transmission is very rare, bikes naturally keep people appropriately distanced, and masks can be hard for some to deal with while they're biking. We also recognize kids aren't yet vaccinated. Therefore, we ask that everyone bring a mask and wear it when you're off the bike and in close contact to others.

When: Sunday, November 14
Meet: 12:30pm - southern entrance to Long Bridge Park (12th St S & Crystal Drive) - roll out 12:45pm
Parking: Neighborhood streets, Long Bridge Park or Crystal City parking garages
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37865871

RSVP here to help us know how many folks are coming & so there's enough hot chocolate ready.

October 2021: Halloween Ride Returns! 10/24 4pm Zitkala'Sa Park Sponsored by Trek Clarendon

It's baaaaack! 

The Kidical Mass Arlington Halloween ride returns: time to put on your costume, ride bikes and prepare to eat copious amounts of candy!  This year we're partnering up with the Trek Bikes to celebrate! 

We'll meet at Zitkala-Sa Park, where families can come early to enjoy the brand new, super fun playground playground. Then we will bike off through the spooky parts of Ashton Heights, Lyon Park, and Lyon Village, enjoying some of Arlington's finest Halloween decorations! Finally, we'll roll to Trek's Clarendon store on Wilson Boulevard, where we've been invited over for a pizza party! This family-friendly bike shop has invited us in to enjoy some pizza and drinks, and of course to visit their great shop! Thanks Trek, we can't wait! 

If you could respond to the Facebook event so we know numbers, that'd be great! 

When: Sunday, October 24, 2021

Meet: 4:00pm - Zitkala-Sa Park - North Highland Street and 7th Street North (roll out 4:15pm)

Parking: Neighborhood streets

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37817132

10/2/21: Ride for Black Lives Family Ride Meet 3:30pm TJ Community Center

Black Lives Matter.

We still have so much work to do, even in Arlington, to address racial and social justice.  In support of those efforts, Kidical Mass Arlington will join Arlington for Justice's Ride for Black Lives on Saturday, October 2, 2021, for a special family ride.  

The family ride will meet at TJ Community Center (3501 2nd St S, Arlington, VA 22204) along 2nd Street South at 3:30pm, and will join the main ride when they come through.  We will ride to Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School (3500 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22206).  The route is 2 miles and mostly downhill.  We will have a police escort with the main ride.

Everyone is welcome on our rides (as long as kids come with an adult), but we ask that you register with the Ride for Justice (it's pay what you can, with a free option). Given the group and the police escort, riders will need to be able to ride 5-6mph (it's mostly downhill), so training wheels aren't a good choice for this ride.

Masks: We ask that everyone bring a mask and wear it when, especially when you're off the bike and in close contact to others.

When: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Meet: 3:30pm - TJ Community Center (2nd St S and ) - roll out approximately 3:45pm
Parking: TJ Community Center & Neighborhood streets

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37641731

For those who would like to ride back to the start, we recommend the following route.  Note that it involves a big hill and crossing of Walter Reed Drive without a traffic light, but it is the most kidical-friendly route.

July 2021: The Farmers on the Pike

Celebrate the best of summer: parks & farmers markets! We ride again, live & in person, this Sunday, July 18. 

We'll meet up at the super fun Penrose Park at 10am. (There are no bathrooms at the park, so plan accordingly). We will roll out around 10:15am - meeting near S Wayne Street. Our route will stick to neighborhood streets, clocking in around 3.1 miles. We'll cross the major streets at lights.

We'll end at the Columbia Pike Farmers Market at Walter Reed & Columbia Pike (about 10:45-11am), where folks are welcome to enjoy the local produce & products.  Many vendors allow for and encourage advanced ordering - click above for more information. Bring a lock if you're planning to leave your bike as you shop or if you want to enjoy a nearby restaurant (which is also strongly encouraged).  

Everyone is welcome on our rides (as long as kids come with an adult), which are appropriate for all types of bikes. We often have kids on their adults' bikes or younger kids who are newer to riding on their own.  Older kids may find the ride to be slow & not very exciting, but are welcome to join the party as long as they're willing to enjoy the pace.

Masks: We recognize that data shows outdoor transmission is very rare, bikes naturally keep people appropriately distanced, and masks can be hard for some to deal with while they're biking. We also recognize kids aren't yet vaccinated. Therefore, we ask that everyone bring a mask and wear it when you're off the bike and in close contact to others.

When: Sunday, July 18
Meet: 10am - Penrose Park (6th St S & S Wayne) - roll out 10:15am
Parking: Neighborhood streets
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36792539

To get back to the start, families can ride on Walter Reed or its sidewalk up to 9th, then take neighborhood streets, for a total ride of 2/3 mile. 

June 2021: Dads get donuts 6/20 10:30am Mosaic Park

It's June, which means it's hot & it's Father's Day.  We'll celebrate Dads & Dudes & Father figures of all stripes with a ride to DONUTS (donuts not included - we're not a real organization and we have no budget).  

We'll meet up at the super cool Mosaic Park in Ballston at 10:30am. In fact, this park is so cool, you may want to come early to play & enjoy the interactive water feature (but there are no bathrooms at the park, so plan accordingly). We will roll out around 10:45am - meeting at the bike racks off of N Pollard St. Our route will stick to neighborhood streets, clocking in around 2.5 miles. We'll cross the major streets at lights.


We'll end at Ballston Quarter (about 11:15-30am), where folks are welcome to grab a donut at District Donut or any other of the yummy goodies in the food court or the other great restaurants.  Bring a lock if you're planning to head into Ballston Quarter.  

Everyone is welcome on our rides (as long as kids come with an adult), which are appropriate for all types of bikes. We often have kids on their adults' bikes or younger kids who are newer to riding on their own.  Older kids may find the ride to be slow & not very exciting, but are welcome to join the party as long as they're willing to enjoy the pace.

Masks: We recognize that data shows outdoor transmission is very rare, bikes naturally keep people appropriately distanced, and masks can be hard for some to deal with while they're biking. We also recognize kids aren't yet vaccinated. Therefore, we ask that everyone bring a mask and wear it when you're off the bike and in close contact to others.

When: Sunday, June 20
Meet: 10:30am - Mosaic Park (5th St N & N Pollard St) - roll out 10:45am
Parking: Neighborhood streets
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36437685 

To get back to the start, it's an easy 1/2 mile on neighborhood streets. (Go back to 9th Street, then take it east to Pollard St, turn right and you'll be at the park in a blocks).

We're back! May 2021 Live, In-person Ride!

What a long strange trip it's been!  We've missed in-person rides with other families during the pandemic, but with vaccinations progressing, data showing safety outdoors, and new cases decreasing, we're comfortable coming back together for an in person bike ride!

To celebrate Bike Month, we will meet at Lacey Woods Park in Arlington and make our way to the brand new TRAFFIC GARDEN at Arlington Traditional School. Our route will use Arlington's trails and neighborhood streets, and will have only small, not steep hills, crossing major streets at lights. The planned route is about 3.25 miles, but we can cut out that little loop and get it under 3 miles if folks are getting antsy.

We'll meet at 4:30pm, but will let the kids play a bit (and leave time for people who might be a bit delayed) and will roll out no earlier than 4:45pm.  The route will take us 30-45 minutes, putting us at ATS around 5:30pm. We encourage people to stay and enjoy the traffic garden at ATS.  There are also many great restaurants just a block from the school (Pupatella, Panda Cafe, something with arches), for those who want to grab food and enjoy a picnic at ATS. 

Everyone is welcome on our rides (as long as kids come with an adult), which are appropriate for all types of bikes. We often have kids on their adults' bikes or younger kids who are newer to riding on their own.  Older kids may find the ride to be slow & not very exciting, but are welcome to join the party as long as they're willing to enjoy the pace.

Masks: We want everyone to feel welcome and we recognize that all children and even many adults are not yet fully vaccinated. We also recognize that data shows outdoor transmission is very rare, bikes naturally keep people appropriately distanced, and masks can be hard for some to deal with while they're biking. Therefore, we ask that everyone wear masks while we're off the bike, but it's up to you whether you wear a mask while we're riding.

When: Sunday, May 23
Meet: 4:30pm - Lacy Woods Park (12th St N & N Frederick St) - roll out 4:45pm
Parking: Neighborhood streets
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35859671

To get back to the start, you can use either George Mason (1/2 mile) or Harrison Street (3/4 mile) to connect back to Lacey Woods Park.