Kidically Summer! Sunday, June 26 4:30pm Hayes Park

Summer in Arlington: School's out (finally), it's hot (finally), and all you want to do is get wet and eat ice cream!

Kidical Mass is here to help. We're going to revive a ride we did last year, with a slightly tweaked route, because it was just that much fun: We're going to start this ride at Hayes Park -- come early and enjoy the SPRAYGROUND (water starts at noon on Sundays). We'll roll out around 4:45pm and meander through the neighborhoods of Virginia Square, Ashton Heights and Clarendon, ending at the Larry's Homemade Ice Cream, which has moved and combined with Spice.



The route is on the short side, and much as flat as they come in Arlington. All crossings of major streets are at stop lights. This route is great for beginners. The route back from Clarendon to the park is short and well signed, but involves one hill that's on the steep-side. Last year, some families sent one rider back to the park, who then came and picked up the rest of the family in Clarendon.

When: Sunday, June 26 2016 4:30pm (roll out 4:45pm - come early to play!)

Meet: Hayes Park - North Lincoln Street between 14th Street North and I-66, Arlington

Parking: On the surrounding residential streets.

End: Larry's Homemade, (now co-located with Spice) Wilson Blvd and North Garfield Street

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14488250

All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Here comes the sun! May 2016 ride

Rain, rain, go away, come again... once a week or so, but mostly at night to keep our gardens happy.

That's right, we have LESS THAN A 50% CHANCE of rain Saturday morning (hey, we take what we can get). This month's Kidical Mass Arlington ride will take advantage of the warmer temps and (hopefully) the break in the moisture to explore the wilds of the Barcroft neighborhood.

When: Saturday, May 28, 2016. Meet at 10:00am (we'll play at the playground for a few minutes, aim to roll out a little after 10:15am)
Meet: Arlington Hall West Park playground. 290 S Taylor St, Arlington, VA 22204
End: That shopping center with the Outback at N Park St and 1st St N.

Parking is easy at the park and on the neighborhood streets. The ride back from shopping center to the park is an easy 1/2(ish) mile. All are welcome.

The Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13922983.


We'll meet at the Park's playground (south of the parking lot -- note NO bathrooms or water there). Then we'll meander through the new-to-Kidical-Mass neighborhood of Barcroft, past the Elementary School, then visit a little familiar ground in Arlington Forest. We'll end at the shopping center at N Park St and 1st St N (with the Outback you can see from Rte 50). Some of us will stay for an early lunch at one of the restaurants in the shopping center (choices are Outback, Crystal Thai, Brick's Pizza) -- if anyone wants to reach out to one of those to ask for a discount, comment below (or on Facebook or email, etc).

The ride should be moderate for Kidical Mass -- a bit over 3 miles with some hills (none steep). The route has a lot of zig zags and loops, leaving open the possibility of a shorter, gentler route for slower riders. If you would like to lead that, comment below (or on Facebook or email, etc).

Sugar, spice and everything nice: April 2016 ride

It's SPRING!  Time to enjoy the mild weather and the sweet life in Arlington.

When: Sunday, April 24. Meet at 4:30pm
Meet: Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St S, Arlington, VA 22204
End: Sugar Shack, 1014 S Glebe Rd, 22204

Parking is easy at the community center. The ride back from Sugar Shack to the community center is an easy 1/2 mile. All are welcome.

The Route:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13191873 .


We'll meet at the playground at the community center (where there are restrooms and water). Then we'll ride around some new-to-Kidical-Mass streets in Arlington's lovely Columbia Heights, then visit some familiar ground in Penrose, Arlington Heights and Douglas Park. We'll end at Sugar Shack on Glebe. Some of us may head over to one of the restaurants on the Pike to complete the backwards dinner.


The ride should be on the easy side -- 3 miles, no steep hills.

KIDICAL MASS ARLINGTON 2016 {draft} SCHEDULE

Let's get out our calendars and plan some rides!

How does 4th weekend of the month sound to everyone? We could keep the tradition of switch up between Saturday and Sunday, and the schedule could look something like this:


Sunday, April 24
Saturday, May 28
Sunday, June 26
Saturday, July 23
Sunday, August 26
Saturday, September 17: KIDICAL MASSIVE
Sunday, October 23

Programming! We welcome on thoughts/suggestions/requests for rides. Any areas of Arlington we should ride through? Favorite ice cream spots to try? Particular events we should ride to?  Other ideas?

 Post any thoughts/concerns/suggestions for the dates, ride themes, locations, etc in the comments below!

My First KidicalMass Ride

It's SPRING.  Let's shake off winter, and roll out. This month's ride is particularly slow, flat and short -- perfect for first timers (including first time kids on their own bikes!). We'll roll around Lyon Park and Ashton Heights, and end at a beer garden! All are welcome.  

When: Saturday, March 12.  Meet at 5pm
Meet: Henry Clay Park, 3011 7th St N
End: Sehkraft, 925 Garfield St N

Parking is easy on neighborhood streets around the park.

The Route:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12529292.  This ride is designed for kids to ride on their own bikes, though of course all are welcome.  After leaving Clay Park, we will go for a short ride through Ashton Heights and then end at Sehcraft to celebrate the return of warm weather riding.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS, Featuring 60+ degrees in December!!!!

Have you seen the forecast? I, for one, am loving the Holiday Spirit with a dose of 60+ degrees!!!! This calls for a HOLIDAY LIGHTS RIDE with Kidical Mass Arlington!

When: Saturday, December 12, 4:45pm (roll out at 5pm)
Meet: Key Elementary Key Blvd & N Veitch
End:  Westover Beer Garden Washington Blvd between N McKinley and N Longfellow
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11436013 (I hear there's a good house up on 24th, which we can head up to via this route if we're feeling up to it. I haven't reconned this route and it's a bit longer.)

We'll meet at the playground at Key Elementary (come early to play) and we'll roll out by 5pm. We'll wind around Lyon Village, Virginia Square, Cherrydale, Waycroft/Woodlawn to end up at Westover Beer Garden

NOTE: This is a longer and hillier than our normal rides (5 miles, 275 ft or so of climbing) but worth it. We'll be riding in the evening, so bring lights. This ride isn't recommended for beginner kids riding their own bikes.

Halloween Ride: Sunday, November 1

It's that time of year again: time to put on your costume, light up your bike, and prepare to eat copious amounts of candy! Kidical Mass Arlington loves Halloween, and loves extending it into November! We're partnering up with Kidical Mass Arlington and FreshBikes again to have a little after party that promises to be fun for all!

We'll meet at FreshBikes Arlington, in Ballston, where families can come early to stock up on everything they need for their bikes and make sure they are adequately lit for the night's festivities. Then we will bike off through the Virginia Square and Ashton Heights neighborhoods! We'll see some of the spookiest decorated houses in Arlington, and return to FreshBikes, where we'll be treated to a family-friendly party with hot beverages and candy!

When: Sunday, November 1, 2015
Meet: 4:15pm - FreshBikes Arlington - Wilson Blvd & Quincy Street North (roll out 4:30pm)
Parking: Plenty in the FreshBikes parking lot
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6224091

The route is fairly flat and easy. We will be riding during dusk and it will be dark by the time you're riding home: be sure you're adequately lit and reflective!