August 2023: Gear Up for School!

It's back to school and a great time to get back on the bike! Kids, families and the young at heart are all welcome to ride around central Arlington this Saturday.

We'll meet at Zitkala Sa Park -- come early and let the kids play -- then ride through some nice neighborhood streets, including on most of the Escuela Key Bicibus route, to end up at Mosaic Park (right beside some great lunch options). Get out your bikes, grab your helmets & water bottles and join us! The weather should be awesome!

The route is fairly gentle, crossing major streets with lights or stop signs. This is an A to B ride, and the route back is safe and easy - essentially a short jaunt up 5th St N.

Everyone is welcome on the ride, and we will go as slow as our slowest rider. The ride is best suited for elementary-aged kids, new riders (no training wheels or scooters) and those who are happy to go at a very casual pace.  It's helpful to remind competitive kids that this is not a race. 

RSVPing to our Facebook event is not necessary but helps us know who to expect.

When: Saturday, August 26, 2023

Meet: 11:00am -  Zitkala-Sa Park - North Highland Street and 7th Street North (roll out 11:15am)

Car parking: Neighborhood streets (If you want to park near Mosaic Park, do NOT in the big lot at Gold's Gym/&pizza. Seriously, don't park there).

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44165191

End: Mosaic Park - N Quincy St & 5th Road N 

July 2023: Tour de Spraygrounds! Sat 7/22 Meet 11am Mosaic Park

 What better way to beat the heat than enjoying Arlington's great SPRAYGROUNDS? We had so much fun last year, we're doing it again! 

We'll meet at Mosaic Park -- the sprayground is on the Quincy Street side of the park -- then ride through some nice neighborhood streets and a cemetery to get to Penrose Square, where there's another sprayground!  Come early to enjoy the spray -- we'll roll out around 11:15am. 

Don't forget the sunscreen and towel!

The route is fairly gentle, crossing major streets with lights or
stop signs (except Pershing, but the sightlines are good). This is an A to B ride, and the best route back is the way we get there.

After the ride, we're heading to William Jefferies Tavern on the Pike to enjoy lunch and watch the Tour de France (the penultimate, mountain stage, where the overall winner will be locked in!). Totally optional, but we'd love friends to join us!

Everyone is welcome on the ride, and we will go as slow as our slowest rider. The ride is best suited for elementary-aged kids, new riders (no training wheels or scooters) and those who are happy to go at a very casual pace.  It's helpful to remind competitive kids that this is not a race. 

RSVPing to our Facebook event is not necessary but helps us know who to expect.

When: Saturday, July 22, 2023

Meet: 11:00am - Mosaic Park - N Quincy St & 5th Road N (we'll meet near that corner)

Car parking: Neighborhood streets (NOT in the big lot at Gold's Gym/&pizza). Seriously, don't park there.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40248979

End: Penrose Square on Columbia Pike

June 2023 - PRIDE (and Polls!) - Saturday, June 17, meet 10:15am Rocky Run Park

Love is love is love and we celebrate PRIDE to show all kids are welcome!

We'll meet at Rocky Run Park (come early - it's a super fun park) and wind our way around neighborhood streets around Clarendon & the Lyon Village neighborhood, including the tiny Custis Road Trail and the Veitch Street protected bike lane. The route is just under 3 miles with no big hills. We'll cross all major streets at traffic lights.

We'll end the ride at Courthouse Plaza - where registered voters can pop in to the Bozman Center to VOTE (early voting is open for the Democratic Primary for 2 open County Board seats, the Commonwealth's attorney, Sheriff, and certain Virginia House & Senate seats that
have contested primaries. The Washington Post has this handy guide.)

Everyone is welcome on the ride, and we will go as slow as our slowest rider. The ride is best suited for elementary-aged kids, new riders (no training wheels or scooters) and those who are happy to go at a very casual pace.  It's helpful to remind competitive kids that this is not a race. 

RSVPing to our Facebook event is not necessary but helps us know who to expect.

When: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Meet: 10:15am (roll out 10:30am) Rocky Run Park - N Barton St & Fairfax Dr 

Parking: Neighborhood streets

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43169638

End: Courthouse Plaza -- registered voters can VOTE and everyone can enjoy a delicious bite at the nearby restaurants. 

We won't ride back together, but it's a very easy ride from Courthouse back to Rocky Run, via this route (we recommend sidewalks along Clarendon Blvd

March 2023: Spring in Shirlington - Baby animals & baby ice cream shops 3/26 11:00am

Happy Spring!

The cherry blossoms are in peak bloom, the days are getting longer and there's a bit of warmth in the air - spring is here!  Celebrate with a family-friendly bike ride around Shirlington!

We'll meet at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington - they are hosting a "baby wildlife & kitten shower" for 10-noon, so come early to meet some baby animals (they have a registry of gifts they're hoping for). We'll roll out around 11:15am, jumping on to Arlington Mill Drive to connect to the Lucky Run Trail. We'll make a little loop to the south then come back to Four Mile Run Drive (with a group, we'll leave the W&OD Trail to other people walking & biking). Then we'll jump on the Four Mile Run Trail to cross under 395. We'll loop around into Alexandria before returning to Shirlington via the bridge over 395.

We'll end at the brand new Jeni's ice cream, where some families may want to indulge in backwards lunch ;-). We'd be up for lunch after in Shirlington, if others are

Everyone is welcome on the ride, and we will go as slow as our slowest rider. The ride is best suited for elementary-aged kids, new riders (no training wheels or scooters) and those who are happy to go at a very casual pace.  It's helpful to remind competitive kids that this is not a race. 

RSVPing to our Facebook event is not necessary but helps us know who to expect.

When: Sunday, March 26, 2023

Meet: 11am (roll out 11:15am) Animal Welfare League of Arlington Arlington Mill Road & 29th St South

Parking: Shirlington parking garages (AWLA asks that we NOT leave cars in their lot as we ride)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42307667

End: Jeni's Shirlington 4150 Campbell Ave 22206

 

December 2022: Holiday Lights Ride! Sat 12/17 Meet Lyon Park 5pm

Happy Holidays!

Let's make the season BRIGHT with a ride around to gawk at lights, with a hearty dose of hot chocolate & cookies to bribe encourage the kiddos to brave the chill.  With any luck, our own Kidical Mass Arl Santa will make a appearance ;-)

We'll meet at Lyon Park (the park), then take the Secret Trail and neighborhood streets to wind around the neighborhoods of Lyon Park, Penrose & Ashton Heights to hit some great houses (if you know of any houses that are near the route that we're missing, please DM us on Twitter or Facebook). We'll end at the "Singing Tree" in Ballston.  Our family will then head to Quincy Hall for dinner, and invite our Kidical Mass friends to join us.  The route is all trails & neighborhood streets, crossing major streets at lights.

The ride will be at dusk/night. Remember to bring lights! The more lights the better!

It will be chilly. Remember to dress warmly! The more warmly the better! (Ok, maybe not, but for kids, more layers are better - we can stop to let people take off layers if necessary. Gloves and a hat or headband to cover ears are STRONGLY recommended.)

Everyone is welcome on the ride, and we will go as slow as our slowest rider. The ride is best suited for elementary-aged kids and those who are happy to go at a very casual pace.  It's helpful to remind competitive kids that this is not a race.

RSVPing to our Facebook event will help us know how much hot chocolate to bring!

When: Saturday, December 17, 2022

Meet: 5pm (roll out 5:15pm) Lyon Park (the park)  N Fillmore Street & 4th Street N

Parking: Neighborhood streets 

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41596631

End: Singing Tree in Ballston (Welburn Square) N Stuart Street & 9th Street N

November 2022: Ride to the Ride for Your Life - 11/19 10am LBJ Grove (Pentagon Side)

 

Too many people have been killed riding bicycles on our streets. On August 25, Sarah Langenkamp, a mother, U.S. diplomat, who loved biking, was killed in Bethesda. In her honor memory, her husband, Dan Langenkamp, is working with Trek to organize a ride to Congress to demand funding and legislation to keep us safe.

The main Trek-led ride will start in Bethesda, then join a family ride starting at Freedom Plaza.

Kidical Mass Arlington will meet near the Pentagon (in the parking lot for LBJ Park, on the Pentagon side) and bike into DC using the 14th Street Bridge and the new cycletracks connecting to Freedom Plaza.

We'll meet at 10am and roll out at 10:15am to join the main ride by 11am. Then we'll join the main ride to Congress for the rally at 11:30am. Please register for free here.

It will be cold; dress appropriately.

When: Saturday, November 19, 2022

Meet: 10:00am - LBJ Park Parking Lot (Pentagon side, NOT off the GW Parkway)

Parking: In the parking lot

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41441395

October 2022: HALLOWEEN RIDE Sunday 10/30 4pm Zitkala-Sa Park to TREK

It's baaaaack! 

It's time again for the Kidical Mass Arlington Halloween ride: time to put on your costume, ride bikes and prepare to eat copious amounts of candy!  Like last year, we're partnering up with Trek Bikes to celebrate! 

We'll meet at Zitkala-Sa Park, where families can come early to enjoy the super fun 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 30, 2022

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/41327901