Bikes, Beer, and "Bug"...

Hello, and welcome back. Let's get right down to it...

This Saturday is going to be busy for me. First, I'm putting on a SSOFTeam ride that incorporates the White's Ferry Loop (80+ miles)--in reverse--with the 4th Annual NOVA Summer Brewfest (50+ breweries), a brilliant combination that is guaranteed to press all the buttons on the pleasure/pain master panel and thus to meet with approving nods from the spectral crown of the Marquis himself.

Before I launch into what's next on the agenda for that day (see far below), here are the details for the ride:

Leesburg Loop of Lusty Libations
(Sponsored by The Bicycle Escape and Single Speed Outlaw Factory Team)
Location:
First half - C&O Canal Trail from Georgetown to White’s Ferry (near mile marker 35 on the C&O)
Second half - W&OD Trail from Leesburg (near W&OD mile marker 33) to Arlington, then Custis Trail to Georgetown
Date: Saturday, June 25, 2011, at 8 am (wheels down at 8:15 am)
Ride Level: Intermediate (due to distance)
Cost/fees: $1 per cyclist for White’s Ferry; $22.50 (in advance) per cyclist for the NOVA Summer Brewfest
Description: Get your brew on! Come on out for a day stuffed full of the best things in life—bikes, beer, food, and friends. The first half of this loop takes us along the scenic, historic C&O Canal Trail from
Georgetown to White’s Ferry, where we’ll hop aboard the ferry ($1 per cyclist) and float our way across the pristine waters of the Potomac. Once on the Virginia side of the river, we’ll pedal a couple miles along the wide shoulder of Route 15 in rural Leesburg, where we’ll arrive at a vast, open field that is the venue for the 4th Annual Northern Virginia Brewfest. This ‘fest never disappoints! After supping sudsy samples, gorging on grub, and shaking off the miles, we’ll get back on the bikes for the second half of the loop.
From Leesburg, we’ll take the W&OD Trail into Northern Arlington, and then switch to the Custis Trail for the final leg into Georgetown.
Some (other) important information:
• This loop is approximately 80 MILES long. Adding in a couple hours at the brewfest means that this is, essentially, an all-day event, even though we will be back before sunset. No promising the spouse you'll be home--sober--in plenty of time to shower and make dinner, yeah? (S)he ain't buying that shit, not again.
• The pace will be moderate, with short breaks each way as necessary. Though not a fast-paced ride, this one isn’t for people with questionable endurance. That said, no one will be left behind.
• The terrain varies from crushed limestone hard pack (C&O Canal Trail) to smooth asphalt (W&OD and Custis Trails). A ‘cross bike or similar with size 32 tires or wider is recommended, though if you have a plump ass, by all means, use it and go with skinnier treads.
• PARKING is available in the public (free!) parking lot at Teddy Roosevelt Island, just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The parking lot is located on the Virginia side of the Potomac, near Key Bridge, and is accessible only from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Northbound traffic: the entrance to the parking lot is located just north of the Roosevelt Bridge. Southbound traffic: take Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to Constitution Ave. Take a right on 23rd St. and cross Memorial Bridge. Once on the bridge, bear right to return to the GW Parkway.
• The closest METRO STATION is Rosslyn, less than a mile away. Metro permits bikes, so this is a good option if you can't bike to the start. Once off the metro, simply head toward Georgetown (Key Bridge), take the Mount Vernon Trail a very short winding distance downhill after the bridge and when the trail levels, you’re in the parking lot.
• There is a FEE to attend the brewfest. Tickets online are $22.50. If you’re not sure you can attend the ride, I suggest buying your ticket at the gate and not in advance. Also, there is a FEE of $1 to ride the ferry across the Potomac.
• Drinking and biking can be dangerous. Drink and bike responsibly! The brewfest is a sampling event, not an all-day bender. Neither I nor The Bicycle Escape (nor any employees thereof) assumes liability for anyone participating in this ride and/or in the activities surrounding it.  Participation in this ride and/or in the brewfest is entirely voluntary.
• The RAIN DATE for this event will be the very next day, Sunday, June, 26—tickets are good for either day, so if you buy a ticket in advance, no worries there. All other details remain the same.

Okay, that covers the ride and brewfest, for the most part. Now on to the second stage. Because I don't tolerate schedule conflicts very well, and because I have a predeliction for acting, then thinking, I'm tacking on another 10 to 15 miles roundtrip to attend the highly anticipated Dinosaur Jr. performance of "Bug" at the 9:30 Club in NW DC that night.

Now, the 9:30 Club has a pretty impressive line-up of beer on tap (see below). Add these to the stellar offerings I'm sure to encounter for most of the day, 4 ounces at a time, at Leesburg's version of Bacchanalia, and you can bet my liver is gonna be calling my brain all kinds of nasty names--some of which may confuse other parts of my body (think pelvic zone) who think they are being summoned--well into the early morning hours of Sunday.

DRAFT BEER:
ABITA CHRISTMAS ALE
ABITA TURBODOG
ANCHOR STEAM
ANCHOR LIBERTY
BASS ALE
BROOKLYN CHOCOLATE STOUT
BUD LIGHT
CLIPPER CITY BALTO MARZHON
CLIPPER CITY GOLD
DOGFISH HEAD 60 MINUTE
DOGFISH MIDAS TOUCH
DOGFISH RAISON D'ETRE
DOS EQUIS XX
GUINNESS STOUT
LEINENKUGEL SUNSET WHEAT
LINDEMANS FRAMBOISE
NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE
OLD RASPUTIN RUSSIAN STOUT
PILSNER URQUELL
RED HOOK E.S.B.
ROLLING ROCK
SAINT LOUIS KRIEK
SHOCK TOP WHEAT
SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE
SMITHWICK'S
STARR HILL STOUT
WOLAVER'S INDIA PALE ALE
WOODCHUCK CIDER
YUENGLING LAGER

Leesburg Loop of Lusty Libations...

Okay, in an effort to fulfill my burgeoning backlog of Single Speed Outlaw Factory Team obligations, and because I like bikes and beer and boozers, I've got a little ride all set up this Saturday for anyone out there with similar interests who doesn't mind acting on short notice.

First, allow me to bore you with a little background.

About this time last year, I did a solo ride along the C&O Canal towpath, with the idea of doing the White's Ferry Loop in reverse. From Arlington, I rode into Georgetown to pick up the towpath, then headed west. Once at White's Ferry (near mile marker 35), I crossed the Potomac to the Virginia side to make my way into Leesburg. Afer disembarking, I wended my way up the duodenum-shaped access road to get on Route 655 (White's Ferry Road).

About a mile away, at the first intersection, I noticed something a bit out of the ordinary. Southbound traffic on Route 15 was backed up for miles and moving oh so slowly. When the light changed, I took advantage of the gridlock to weave between idling behemoths and find my spot on the road’s margin.

Rolling down 15, I saw up ahead that a couple of constables had pulled their cruisers over onto the shoulder and fired up the cherries. My first thought was that an accident had occurred, but as I approached, I realized that was not the case. Cars were turning off the highway and onto a gravel road on my right that led off into a massive field. Looking in that direction, I saw in the distance the tell-tale pavilions and throngs of people and parked cars that signaled a major outdoorsy event. So I slowed and asked Eddie and Lou if a wine festival was underway. One of the two clones shook his head and simply said, "Beerfest."

Needless to say, that was all I had to hear.

I paid my way in and lost a few hours at the 2nd (2nd?) Annual Northern Virginia Brewfest sampling microbrews and downing dogs. Unlike most events like this, it seemed there were enough vendors that the lines were only two or three drunkards deep at any one time. At any rate, lots of great breweries represented that day, and I expect this year's event to be no different.

Okay, on with the ride description:

The first half of this loop will take us all along the scenic C&O Canal Trail from Georgetown to White’s Ferry. We’ll hop aboard the ferry ($1 per person) and float our way across the pristine waters of the Potomac, then pedal a mile to Route 15 in Leesburg. From there, we'll take the shoulder a quarter mile south to attend the 3rd Annual Northern Virginia Brewfest, held on the grounds of Morven Park. After supping sudsy samples and gorging ourselves with grub, we’ll jump back on the bikes for the second half of the loop. From Leesburg, we’ll take the W&OD Trail into Northern Arlington, then switch to the Custis Trail for the final leg into Georgetown.

Some important information:

• This loop is approximately 80-miles long. Adding in a couple hours at the brewfest means that this is, essentially, an all-day ride, even though we will be back before sunset.
• The pace will be moderate, with short breaks each way as necessary. Though not a fast-paced ride, this one isn’t for people with questionable endurance. That said, no one will be left behind.
• The terrain varies from crushed limestone hardpack (C&O Canal Trail) to smooth asphalt (W&OD and Custis Trails). A ‘cross bike or similar with size 32 tires or wider is recommended.
• Parking is available in the public (free) parking lot at Teddy Roosevelt Island, just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway. If you are traveling NORTH on the GW Parkway, the lot is just past the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge on your left. If you are traveling SOUTH on the GW parkway, take the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to Constitution Ave, then take a right on 23rd St. and cross Memorial Bridge. Once on the bridge, bear right to return to the parkway heading north. The closest METRO STATION is Rosslyn, less than a mile away, so this is a good option.
• There is a fee to attend the brewfest. The fee will be approximately $25. I suggest buying your ticket at the gate and not in advance, in case you can’t make the ride.
• Obligatory disclaimer: Drinking and biking can be dangerous. Drink and bike responsibly! The brewfest is a sampling event, not an all-day bender. Neither I nor The Bicycle Escape (nor any employees thereof) assumes liability for anyone participating in this ride and/or in the activities surrounding it. Participation in this ride and/or in the brewfest is entirely voluntary.
• Time permitting, we may grab dinner in Georgetown; plenty of great options.
• The rain date for this event will be the very next day, Sunday, June, 27. All other details remain the same.