WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE - Spokes Magazine

8 July 2009
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BRUGMAN continued from p.7
and catch a supper of crabs and then stop at the fresh
produce stand and get some fresh sweet corn and
have a supper fit for a king.
Our dream ride on the eastern seaboard is to go up to
Prince Edward Island and explore the island from the
Confederation Trail that spans the entire island. Being
on a long narrow island you are never far from the
ocean and there is so much history on the island to
see. The scenery, while not mountainous, offers a wide
variety of scenes and the small local villages promise a
hospitality that we would like to become accustomed
to. This seems to the perfect local to go tandem riding
with the family and spend time together.
KILDAY continued from p.7
While most people think of Old Town when they
hear Alexandria, the quaint section is charming, but
it is too flat in my opinion and often crowded due
to its popularity. The ‘real’ city of Alexandria has
some challenging hills and a few quiet streets as I
found out on a true single speed. As I got older, I was
allowed to bike down to the neighborhood where my
grandparents lived near the King Street Metro called
Rosemont. On more than one occasion, I telephoned
my mom to pick me and my bike up because I did
not want to climb up King Street’s gradual incline of
5% or Braddock Road’s short but steep 10% incline.
Sometimes, I still wish that I had a phone-a-friend
option when doing hill workouts off Russell Road, or
in the Park Fairfax and Shirlington areas.
I cannot leave out the popular Four Mile Run,
W&OD, and Mt. Vernon Trails of Alexandria.
Technically, the WO&D trail starts in the Shirlington
section of Arlington, but it connects to the Four Mile
Run Trail via an overpass across I-395. Short sections
of the Four Mile Run Trail and the WO&D Trail run
parallel to each other and periodically merge. The
Four Mile Run Trail is next to a creek, which drains
into the Potomac River. This section of the Four Mile
Run is not always scenic but serves as a useful shortcut
for cyclists to Miles 5-45 of the WO&D or to the Mt.
Vernon Trail near the National Airport.
As for the Mount Vernon bike trail, it is a practically
perfect bike ride except that it's relatively flat and
only has one hill near the estate. The route from Old
Town to Mt. Vernon can be a bit overcrowded and
the path is a little bumpy due to overgrown tree roots.
However, on the Mt. Vernon Trail, you may be able to
see Bald Eagles, our first president’s distillery, and Ft.
Hunt Park all from your bike, which makes a pretty
good ride.
If I could bike anywhere, I would take an epic trip
across Eastern Europe to Turkey and somehow end
up in Israel. My previous travels to Croatia and Greece
are fueling my wanderlust to follow the Simplon
Orient Express’ route through Serbia, Bulgaria,
Albania, Macedonia, and Turkey. This dream bike
route would be across two continents and focused on
the history of the medieval Crusades. The trip would
probably be about 4,000 miles and would stop at castles,
churches, mosques, vineyards, and volcanoes.
I have never had a chance to explore the Middle East
but would be willing to bike through Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, and Israel because I will bike anywhere with
stunning scenery and ancient monuments. Biking
in Eastern Europe and the Near East is not as crazy
as you think. I have been told that there are many
undiscovered areas with people who are very friendly
towards two-wheeled tourists.
The epic journey would be my own Cycling Crusade
across Eastern Europe and the Near East. As necessary,
I would take a trip on a ferry, which would provide
much needed rest from my bike trip. My reward
would be meeting the wonderful people of the varied
8 July 2009
regions, learning exotic non-Anglo and non-romantic
languages, and enjoying the delicious food of each
culture. My final destination of the epic trip would be
near the border of Israel and Jordan where I would
retire my bike and treat myself to a well-deserved float
in the extraordinary Dead Sea.
WILLARD continued from p.7
loops, out-and-backs or end-to-end across Catoctin
Mountain (if you’re feeling really froggy). Wherever
you ride, though, expect to be tested.
The mix of terrain keeps things interesting. In the
course of one loop, you can cover rocky downhill (see
aforementioned head jiggling), creek crossings, narrow
singletrack and quad-burning climbs.
The climbs are my favorite challenge. There’s something
about climbing a hill. My husband hates them
(although he conquers them with ease), but I relish
the challenge. Stating the obvious, I’m not a fan of
the rocky decent. Give me a hill to climb, and I’m all
for it. I gauge my progress on certain hills throughout
the riding season, noting how far I make it each time
before taking a short breather, or how winded I am at
the top compared to the last ride.
I mentally encourage myself while taking on these
heart-pumping ascents. I get a little thoughtful when
I ride lately, too. I think of things like, “If you can
run a business, you can handle a little hill on a bike.”
“Think about how you’ll feel when you reach the top
– keep going.” Once I get there, heaving and needing
to stretch my legs, accomplishment washes over me.
Biking a hill as a metaphor for running a business?
Sure, I take my little “victories” with me for back-up
when I’m having a rough day in the office. Instead
of compartmentalizing these things I do to “feed”
myself, they’re mixed together to make a stronger me.
Can’t argue with that.
I love mountain biking. I also love pasta. So when I
read Steve Casimiro’s travel log (www.adventurelife.
org) on his trip to the Dolomite Mountains, Italy
replaced Moab as my dream mountain bike trip. The
idea of seeing Northern Italy from the seat of my bike
(rather than the window of a tour bus) sounds like
two vacations in one to me.
The mountain sport culture is rich in the Dolomites,
and as such, the area has a well-established trail system.
Rifugi, the inns along the trails, are a chance to
eat a traditional meal and get some rest in a real bed.
Talk about a reward after a day-long workout!
Reading about the crazy amounts of climbing I’d have
to do on a west to east trip across this region is mostly
what attracts me to it. Crazy, yes, but remember that
sense of accomplishment I mentioned earlier? Couple
that with the food, scenery and good company, and
it’s a dream vacation.
From the photos I’ve seen, the landscape varies from
wildflower fields to rocky peaks, unmarked trails to
waterfalls. Moab might have to wait...
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