Back in the Saddle

I don't think fierce pedaling would be enough to escape that fellow... 

With the return of Spring (which is now official, if specious) comes the return of cycling. While I have been riding to work intermittently since the end of January, this weekend marked my first ride longer than that. That ride served as a reminder of just how awesome it is to live in the DC suburbs and own a bike capable of handling varied terrain. My route took me through urban streets in Silver Spring, down Beach Drive (closed to motorists on weekends), past (and into) the National Zoo, onto the National Mall, along the C&O Canal Towpath, and back to Silver Spring on a paved bike trail. All of this was less than a 30-mile ride.

Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park is one of my favorite cycling landmarks.

 
So what does a new season of cycling mean? Well, I'm doing another century ride, or the same one over again if you prefer something that sounds more zen. The CASA River Century was a lot of fun and training for it was good for me, good for the environment, and good for traffic between Silver Spring and Rockville. Dustin and I will be joined by a third rider this year, and hopefully this time it serves as a prelude to the Sea Gull Century. Other life events might make this difficult, but I think I'll be able to make it happen.

The new season also means a new Naturalism on Speed challenge for me, which may bore the bajeezus out of my readers. Even if it does, it will at the very least hone my knowledge and skills, which in turn will make me better at this*. I'm aiming for fifty new species to add to last year's final total (which will make 153 the magic number). Sunday's ride netted me five or six to get started with. A quick recap of the rules:

1. I have to ID each species positively.
2. I can't stop for a better look, but I can count what I see when I'm already stopped.
3. I must know what I'm seeing when I see it - research can only help for next time.
4. Domesticated animals and people don't count, nor do plants in planters/gardens.
5. I can't count specimens I see all the time and thus have the chance to study thoroughly.
   
   

The sights in DC are iconic and worthwhile - and with a bike you can take in a huge number of them in just a few hours.

I'll close by reminding everyone how bike-friendly the Washington, DC area is. The Capital Bikeshare program is awesome, and there is an extensive network of trail systems. I could conceivably ride (about 90 miles) from my apartment to my parents' house just outside of Martinsbug, WV. The Metro makes it easy to close little gaps in your ride by hopping a train for a stop or two (except during weekday rush hour). The buses are theoretically all equipped to handle your bicycle.








*That's my polite way of saying "deal with it."

Naturalism on Speed

My bike's shakedown cruise took me to Water Street, the
Georgetown terminus of the Capital Crescent Trail.

A cycling post was inevitable. I'm training with a friend and coworker for a huge ride next month, and I've been bike-commuting, so it has become a significant focus of my life. It may not be "naturalism" on its own, but it is eco-friendly and it's one more way I get outside. I really do see a good bit of nature on these rides - albeit in brief, high-speed glimpses. My timing on this is working out...today's Kojo Nnamdi show on NPR had a segment about biking in the DC area. I listened at work, but was not particularly captivated because it got the "Kojo is off today" treatment, and I think the interview suffered from that. However, their guest list was solid, and the organizations listed represent a pretty good way to get started if biking in and around the District is on your agenda.

The manager of Capital Bikeshare was probably the most informative guest. He laid out how the program works, and pointed out that the system is up to 110 stations. If you're concerned about paying for a bum ride, don't be. It seems they have a team of technicians who check and maintain the bikes periodically throughout the day. There is also a system in place that allows riders to alert the maintenance folks of a damaged unit - it's as easy as pushing a button. The online station map alerts you to how many bikes are available and how many slots are empty at any given time. Unfortunately, these haven't really branched into the Maryland suburbs just yet. I've never made use of the system myself, but it seems like a well-run operation that offers a fantastic service. My fingers are crossed on behalf of my neighbors for a Silver Spring station.

If this view appeals to you, Capital Bikeshare might be the way to go.

The other organizations represented were Bike Arlington and Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). Both of these are new to me, so I'll let you discover the details for yourself at the links above. Bike shops are all over the place here; I use Silver Cycles because it's close and convenient, and because they have done good work so far and are friendly. Some bike shops seem to have a condescending attitude (although, in this area you can find someone with a condescending attitude about anything and everything). These folks seem to be all about welcoming new riders. To those prospective riders who fear traffic: bike lanes and bike paths are much more prevalent than I had thought they would be. Main bullet point: this town is bicycle-friendly.

My ride, with Pitt basketball in the background. This was the day I bought the bike...Pitt won @ Villanova.

So, to bring it all together with a naturalist bent, I'll forgo the talk about fuel and carbon emissions and instead focus on some of the nature I've observed while cycling. I haven't paused to take photos (and don't usually carry a camera while cycling anyway), so instead I'll throw out a partial list of animal species I've seen.

• Vulpes vulpes (red fox)
• Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer)
• Ardea herodia (great blue heron)
• Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel)
• Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
• Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle)
• Turdus migratorius (American robin)
• Castor canadensis (North American beaver)
• Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal)
• Mimus polyglottos (northern mockingbird)
• Phalacrocorax auritus (double-breasted cormorant)
• Anas platyrhynchos (mallard)
• Procyon lotor (raccoon)
• Branta canadensis (Canada goose)
• Marmota monax (groundhog, woodchuck) added 4/30/11
• Spinus tristis (American goldfinch, eastern goldfinch) added 4/30/11
• Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) added 4/30/11
• Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum) was deceased, so maybe it shouldn't count. added 4/30/11
• Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple)  added 4/30/11
• Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy) added 4/30/11

There have also been, of course, species that I simply haven't had the time or inclination to stop and identify... various toads and frogs, insects, and the like. My training partner claims to have seen a spider monkey in Potomac last year. I believe him, but I think I'll go ahead and assume that wasn't wildlife.