Northern Virginia Casual Bicycling Group (NoVA CBG)

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NoVA CBG Zwifters: Watopia Thursday
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1. Step One: Have your ZWIFT setup done.
   * See this link: https://www.meetup.com/novacbg/events/305184929/
2. Step Two: Join the "NoVA CBG Zwifters" club on Zwift.
   https://www.zwift.com/clubs/e4780b0c-7dc8-4a21-8954-cf34b0326103/home
3. Step Three: Find Event and mark yourself as Attending.
   * In the "NoVA CBG Zwifters" club find the event. Scroll to the bottom and find an orange square with a PLUS SIGN in it. Click that. That says you are attending.
   * This helps you find the ride at ride time in ZWIFT.
4. Step Four: OPTIONAL but Encouraged. Use the "discord" app to talk over our cell phones while riding. https://discord.gg/FbPSdbMu

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The Ride: Summary
(Must Read)
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• NAME: NoVA CBG Zwifters: Watopia Thursday
• WATOPIA ROUTE: Danger Noodle (60 minutes)
• ROUTE LINK: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/4934158
• ROUTE DETAILS: https://zwiftinsider.com/route/danger-noodle/
• CLUB DISCORD LINK: https://discord.gg/FbPSdbMu
• WATOPIA ARRIVAL: 6:15 PM
• WATOPIA ROLLING: 6:30 PM
• WATOPIA ENDING: 7:30 PM (approx)
• START LOCATION: Auto Placement in the Zwift route
• LEVEL: Introductory (ride as much or as little as you want).
• DISTANCE: Your distance will vary.
• PACE: "Keep Together" feature in Zwift. (pedal at your own pace).
• TERRAIN: Smart trainers will adjust resistance for terrain, dumb trainers will not.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

• You have to keep pedaling your bicycle for the "Keep Together" feature to keep you with everyone else.
  * You don't have to pedal fast, but you must pedal.
  * Coffee breaks are when you can stop pedaling.
• A Zwift account and a computer with the Zwift app loaded.
  * $20 a month is the fee for the Zwift account.
  * You can get a month free by using this referral code: https://www.zwift.com/invite/b7vxe9n3fg
• You need a trainer and a way to get speed or power into Zwift.
  * It depends on if you have a smart trainer, or a dumb trainer.
  * See below for more information.
• A cellphone with Zwift Companion loaded.
  * Think of this as your Watopia world game controller.
  * This is how you do things like navigate turns, message, give thumbs up to people, and more in the Watopia game.
• You need to join the "NoVA CBG Zwift Riders" club on Zwift (see link below or search for the club on your Zwift Companion App).
  https://www.zwift.com/clubs/e4780b0c-7dc8-4a21-8954-cf34b0326103/home

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The Ride: Detail
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For your cycling pleasure NoVA CBG presents the NoVA CBG Zwift Riders "Watopia Thursday" ride.

This will be approximately a one-hour ride in Zwift (unless advertised differently) and probably at the 1-2 W/KG effort level (easier).

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ZWIFT Details
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See this link: https://www.meetup.com/novacbg/events/305184929/

Put yourself on the waiting list, we will add you once we have the organizers sorted.

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The Ride Summary:
(Must Read)
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• RIDE NAME: The OTHER Cherry Blossom Ride 2024
• START LOC: Columbia Island Marina / LBJ Memorial Grove
• START GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/8t6o5ZWsQps
• START PARKING: Parking lot, ample parking.
• ARRIVAL: 11:00 a.m.
• SPEECH: 11:15 a.m.
• ROLLING: 11:30 a.m.
• LEVEL: Beginner(+) [distance considerations]
• DISTANCE: 20 miles
• PACE: 12 to 15mph
• TERRAIN: Mostly Trail, Some Street, Minor Hills.
• RIDEWITHGPS ROUTE:
  CBG_CBLOSSOM_OTHER_RIDE_2025
  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29679037

NOTES:

• Bring a camera.
• Bring a snack.

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The Ride: Detail
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For your riding pleasure NoVA CBG presents The OTHER Cherry Blossom Ride.

While the famous cherry blossoms are around the Tidal Basin and Hains Point, the crowds there are truly stunning, it just isn't practical to RIDE there. (Our Tidal Basin cherry blossom rides are ride to the site, park, and walk around). Lucky for us that there are other collections of blossoms around the area. One of the best is up in the Kenwood area of Bethesda. Kenwood hosts around 1200 trees that were planted in the 1930s and 40s.

The route is an "out and back" starting from the LBJ Grove / Columbia Island Marina, heading up Mt Vernon trail to Key Bridge, where we cross over and take Capitol Crescent Trail up to Kenwood. We’ll take in the trees, and then reverse route back to the start.

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The Meeting Spot:
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Columbia Island Marina / LBJ Memorial Grove
George Washington Memorial Pkwy,
Arlington, VA 22202
https://goo.gl/maps/8t6o5ZWsQps

IMPORTANT: Give yourself ample time to find this location. We are starting from Columbia Island Marina/LBJ Memorial Grove on the river (not Pentagon) side. The location can be difficult to find because it has no exact physical address. USE THE GPS LINKS !!

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The Ride after the Ride:
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TBD

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Ride Level Chart
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NoVA CBG tries to accommodate all levels of cyclists by offering different types of rides. We just ask that you come to the ride that suits your current riding ability the best.

• Introductory Level : If you haven't ridden a bike in a number of years (or are uncertain of your abilities on a bicycle).
• Beginner Level : You can easily ride your bike for 10 miles with some minor hills at a comfortable pace of 10+ to 12+ mph.
• Medium Level : You can do 20 miles pretty easily at a moderate pace of 13 to 15+ mph.
• Advanced Level : You can do 20++ miles easily at a 15+ pace and / or handle various challenges as rain, night riding, or other odd cycling situations.

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The Fine Print:
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An RSVP of 'YES' is your digital signature and means you have read and understood MEETUP.com's:

• "Terms of Service : Section 6. Release " found at https://www.meetup.com/terms/
• NOVA-CBG's "Assumption of Risk Agreement" found @ https://www.meetup.com/novacbg/pages/1942951/NOVA-CBG_Waiver/
• NoVA CBG's "COVID Policy" found @ http://bit.ly/2021_NoVACBG_COVID19_POLICY

Helmets are required to participate in all NOVA-CBG rides. NO exceptions. All riders ride at their own risk and with the understanding that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity. When coming to the meetup you do so voluntarily and are ready and able to participate in the ride as described under the conditions of the day.
Be on time for the "pre-ride" preparation. If you do not attend the pre-ride preparation you will not be allowed to participate on the ride. Again, no exceptions.

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The Ride Summary:
(Must Read)
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• RIDE NAME: Koffee Klatch DC Tulip Exploration
• START LOC: Columbia Island Marina / LBJ Memorial Grove
• START GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/8t6o5ZWsQps
• START PARKING: Parking lot, ample parking.
• ARRIVAL: 10:00 a.m.
• SPEECH: 10:10 a.m.
• ROLLING: 10:15 a.m.
• LEVEL: Medium
• DISTANCE: 14.2 miles
• PACE: 11 to 13mph social pace
• TERRAIN: Trail, Street
• RIDEWITHGPS ROUTE: NOTE-still under development
  CBG_KOFFEEK_TULIPS

NOTES:

• Bring a camera.

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The Ride: Detail
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For your riding pleasure NoVA CBG presents A Koffee Klatch DC Tulip Exploration Ride.

While it's not the Keukenhof in The Netherlands, there are some nice tulip beds in the area:
Navy & Marine Memorial
The Floral Library
Enid A Haupt Garden
Smithsonian gardens
United States Botanical Gardens
US Capitol
Memorial Bridge
Netherlands Carillon
Boundary Drive (Pentagon)

The route starts from the LBJ Grove / Columbia Island Marina

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The Meeting Spot:
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Columbia Island Marina / LBJ Memorial Grove
George Washington Memorial Pkwy,
Arlington, VA 22202
https://goo.gl/maps/8t6o5ZWsQps

IMPORTANT: Give yourself ample time to find this location. We are starting from Columbia Island Marina/LBJ Memorial Grove on the river (not Pentagon) side. The location can be difficult to find because it has no exact physical address. USE THE GPS LINKS !!

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The Ride after the Ride:
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Is Peregrine Espresso
660 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003

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Ride Level Chart
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NoVA CBG tries to accommodate all levels of cyclists by offering different types of rides. We just ask that you come to the ride that suits your current riding ability the best.

• Introductory Level : If you haven't ridden a bike in a number of years (or are uncertain of your abilities on a bicycle).
• Beginner Level : You can easily ride your bike for 10 miles with some minor hills at a comfortable pace of 10+ to 12+ mph.
• Medium Level : You can do 20 miles pretty easily at a moderate pace of 13 to 15+ mph.
• Advanced Level : You can do 20++ miles easily at a 15+ pace and / or handle various challenges as rain, night riding, or other odd cycling situations.

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The Fine Print:
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An RSVP of 'YES' is your digital signature and means you have read and understood MEETUP.com's:

• "Terms of Service : Section 6. Release " found at https://www.meetup.com/terms/
• NOVA-CBG's "Assumption of Risk Agreement" found @ https://www.meetup.com/novacbg/pages/1942951/NOVA-CBG_Waiver/
• NoVA CBG's "COVID Policy" found @ http://bit.ly/2021_NoVACBG_COVID19_POLICY

Helmets are required to participate in all NOVA-CBG rides. NO exceptions. All riders ride at their own risk and with the understanding that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity. When coming to the meetup you do so voluntarily and are ready and able to participate in the ride as described under the conditions of the day.
Be on time for the "pre-ride" preparation. If you do not attend the pre-ride preparation you will not be allowed to participate on the ride. Again, no exceptions.

• The WMRT has been resurfaced/repaved late in 2024 so smoooth.
• You can do the entire trail (50 miles)
• Or just the front/back half of the trail (25 miles).
• Pizza party /picnic afterwards at the Lockhouse!

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The Ride: Summary
(Must Read)
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• RIDE NAME: Western Maryland Rail Trail @ Lockhouse-49 (Pizza/Fire)

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Front Half of Ride /OR/ Full Ride
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• START LOC #1: Fort Frederick State Park
• START GPS #1: https://goo.gl/maps/KKYewqYEVwM5Mekm6
• PARKING: http://bit.ly/fort_fred_parking
• PARKING COST: $3.00 MD Resident / $5 Other (Bring Cash)
• ARRIVAL: 10:00am
• SPEECH: 10:15am
• ROLLING: NLT 10:30am
• LEVEL: Medium(+) Level
• DISTANCE: Up to 50 miles (do any mileage you want)
• PACE: 13 to 15+ mph (do any pace you want)
• TERRAIN: Paved (except for 2 miles on C&O Canal)
• RIDEWITHGPS ROUTE:
  CBG_WMRT_50_2025
  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33703323

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Back Half of Ride
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• START LOC #2:
  C&O Bicycle Shop - 9 S Pennsylvania Ave, Hancock, MD 21750
• START GPS #2: https://goo.gl/maps/NJEPSY4mVLEbhywQ7
• PARKING LOT: https://bit.ly/WMRT_HANCOCK
• ARRIVAL: 11:00am
• SPEECH: 11:15am = Whenever Gary arrives and gives the speech
• ROLLING: 11:30am = Whenever Gary is done with the speech
• LEVEL: Beginner(+) Level
• DISTANCE: 25 miles
• PACE: Own Pace (but figure 12 mph)
• TERRAIN: No Hills, Paved Trail (unless you want to ride the C&O)
• RIDEWITHGPS ROUTE:
  CBG_WMRT_25_2025
  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40985748

Parking in Hancock:

• 1 W Main St. Hancock, MD 21750
• https://gaptrail.org/amenities/co-canal-towpath-access-and-parking-hancock/
• Meters: 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday
• 10 hour time limit
• 12 min each nickel / 24 min each dime / 60 min each quarter
• Bring Coins or find Street Parking.

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The Ride : Detail
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For your cycling pleasure NoVA CBG presents: The Western Maryland Rail Trail (http://www.westernmarylandrailtrail.com/).
The Western Maryland Rail Trail is 25 miles (50 round trip) of beautiful paved rail to trail. The WMRT runs parallel to the C&O Canal the entire way. If you wanted to ride the C&O Canal instead of the WMRT (or make a loop of it) this is your opportunity as well.

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Full Ride /OR/ Front Half of Ride (50 or 25 miles)
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• CBG will be meeting you at Fort Frederick @ 10:00am (rolling @ 10:30am). Maryland residents pay $3 to park, all others $5 to park. After the ride feel free to check out the Fort Frederick grounds.

The WMRT route:

1. Leaving the Fort Frederick State Park from the south we are taking the C&O Canal trail (unpaved) 2 miles to meet up with the WMRT which is all paved.
2. The C&O Canal trail, while unpaved, can be successfully ridden with a road bike as long as you are careful.
3. I am not sure if this part of the C&O Canal trail has been resurfaced recently so we will find out when we ride it.

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Back Half of Ride: (25 miles)
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• CBG will be meeting you at the C&O Bicycle Shop @ 11:15(ish)am (rolling whenever Gary arrives there to do the speech).
• Parking lot is located at 1 W Main St. Hancock, MD 21750
• PARKING INFO: Meters: 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 10 hour time limit. 12 min each nickel / 24 min each dime / 60 min each quarter. If the lot is full, there is other meter parking available on Main St. or just find street parking.

The WMRT route:

• For those starting in Hancock at the C&O Bicycle Shop, the WMRT and the C&O trails are both right there.

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The Meeting Spot:
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* Front Half of Ride /OR/ Full Ride
Fort Frederick State Park
11100 Fort Frederick Rd,
Big Pool, MD 21711
https://www.visitmaryland.org/listing/attraction/fort-frederick-state-park
GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/KKYewqYEVwM5Mekm6
PARKING PIC: http://bit.ly/fort_fred_parking

* Back Half of Ride
C&O Bicycle Shop
9 South Pennsylvania Ave
Hancock, MD 21750
https://www.candobicycle.com/
GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/NJEPSY4mVLEbhywQ7
PARKING LOT: 1 W Main St. Hancock, MD 21750
PARKING PIC: https://bit.ly/WMRT_HANCOCK

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The Ride After The Ride:
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Lockhouse-49
11042 4 Locks Rd
Clear Spring, MD 21722
Lockhouse GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/hcqcaYyLKYhBuPYx8
Parking GPS: https://goo.gl/maps/MRRnfGKX5Asd9vDw7
Parking PIC: http://bit.ly/Lockhouse49_Parking

• Fire, Pizzas, and S'Mores @ Lockhouse-49 supplied by CBG for dinner.
• When your ride is over simply drive your car from Fort Frederick (or Hancock) to Lockhouse-49 and park in the Four Locks Parking Lot which is directly next to Lockhouse-49.
• Don't wait for a particular time, arrive at the lockhouse whenever you're finished with your ride. However, if you get there earlier than 5pm feel free to just hang & chill in and around the lockhouse and wait for others to finish their ride. You are welcome to use the lockhouse to change your clothes and freshen up (there is outside water, but bring wet wipes). Consider this our "base of operations" for the day and enjoy the grounds.
• Bring your favorite beverage in a cooler & some chairs/blanket to enjoy the RATR in the grassy area behind the lockhouse.
• Stay as long as you want into the evening. Many folks in previous years have stayed in local hotels so they can make a nice day/evening of it.

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Ride Level Chart
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NoVA CBG tries to accommodate all levels of cyclists by offering different types/levels of rides. We just ask that you come to the ride that suits your current riding ability the best.

• Introductory Level: If you haven't ridden a bike in a number of years (or are uncertain of your abilities on a bicycle).
• Beginner Level: You can ride for 10+ miles at a pace of 10+ to 12+ mph with potentially minor hills involved.
• Medium Level: You can ride for 20+ miles at a pace of 13+ to 15+ mph with potentially moderate hills involved.
• Advanced Level: You can ride for 20++ miles at a pace of 15+ mph with potentially major hills involved.

Both Medium and Advanced Levels might require handling various challenges such as reading cue sheets, using a Garmin or navigation app, night riding, out of town travel, or any other odd cycling situations.

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The Fine Print:
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An RSVP of 'YES' is your digital signature and means you have read and understood MEETUP.com's:

• "Terms of Service : Section 6. Release" found at https://www.meetup.com/terms/
• NOVA-CBG's "Assumption of Risk Agreement" found @ https://www.meetup.com/novacbg/pages/1942951/NOVA-CBG_Waiver/
• NoVA CBG's "COVID Policy" found @ http://bit.ly/2021_NoVACBG_COVID19_POLICY

Helmets are required to participate in all NOVA-CBG rides. All riders ride at their own risk and with the understanding that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity. When coming to the meetup you do so voluntarily and are ready and able to participate in the ride as described under the conditions of the day. Be on time for the "pre-ride" preparation. If you do not attend the pre-ride preparation you will not be allowed to participate on the ride. There are NO exceptions to the above.

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BONUS Photo Scavenger Hunt FUN:
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• Searching for the elusive east entrance of the Indigo Tunnel at the end of paved trail (along a grass path after the WMRT Bridge to the C&O Canal).

https://www.canaltrust.org/discoveryarea/indigo-tunnel/
https://outsidemyfrontdoor.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/the-indigo-tunnel/

• Roundtop Cement Mill and Devil's Eyebrow (C&O canal trail).

https://www.canaltrust.org/pyv/round-top-cement-mill/
https://www.nps.gov/choh/learn/kidsyouth/devil-s-eyebrow.htm