Bike DC 2009. Rainy, windy, 46 degrees F'ing. These are the days when I prefer to ride fast. Only the anticipation of a good rip like at the Crystal Ride got me out of bed at 6:30 am Saturday morning. While Bike DC is not a race, what's wrong with a little speed? Riding at 25 mph is more fun than riding at 15 mph.
Bike DC put local bike racing legend David "Super Dave" Osborne and his Artemis teammates at the front. They apparently had instructions to keep the pace under 15 mph. Osborne could have ridden the course at 30 mph...on his full-suspension mountain bike. Everyone was also required to stop, in the cold, in the rain, at the rest stop 7 miles into the 25 mile ride. That's no fun. Why not allow riders to motor where conditions are safe for it? Even better, why not have Super Dave lead the ride at, say, 70% of his race effort? Many local cyclists would be thrilled just to try to hang with him at a reasonably challenging pace.
Overall Bike DC was very well organized. Spectators actually were out on road about 8:30 am and cheered the cyclists along. Bike DC went by the Capitol and by the White House. It had a nice climb to the National Cathedral. At that point, I decided that I did not want to stop at a rest stop and I did not want to continue riding so slowly. So I went home and back to bed. I slept from a little after 9am to 11am. Very enjoyable. Sleeping can be more fun than cycling!
