Weekly Group Solo Ride Challenge
June 20, 2020: We have decided to put the Solo Ride Challenge on hold for a while. We’re looking forward to starting it back up in a reimagined form.
Week 3 route creator Chris Tank
Hey there DCW Community! We miss you! We cannot wait to see you all together again. Alas… we don’t know when that will be. So, for “the duration” we will be facilitating a weekly route challenge with opportunities for you to give back to our community and win amazing prizes. So, until we get back to Wednesday DTB rides, weekend centuries and post ride social hours we hope to see you on Strava, Instagram or even on a chance fly by.
Instructions:
Join the DCW Club on Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/62018
1. Each Sunday night, we’ll post a new route for the week. You have until the following Sunday night to complete the route.
2. Complete the route of the week to earn a raffle entry for that week’s prize.
Be sure your effort is visible to “everyone” on Strava and/ or
Post your route on Instagram and tag us!
3. Complete a bonus challenge for an additional entry
Bonuses will be posted with the route and announced throughout the week on Instagram, the DCW Strava Club page and our website.
4. We’ll announce each week’s winner on the Monday following the challenge - good luck!
Important Considerations:
This is not a group ride. Please do not meet up with anyone for this activity unless you live with or are quarantining with them (Strava tells no lies!).
As part of this activity, we encourage you to follow CDC guidelines.
This is not a race. No additional points, credit or recognition will be given for finishing a route or segment the fastest. (Imaginary bonus points for having the most fun, however.)
If you approach an area with a group of other cyclists or pedestrians, please slow down and try your best to remain at least 6 feet away from anyone else. There are a lot of families and new cyclists on the road - let’s do our best to ensure that everyone can enjoy being outside.
If you are not feeling well, take it easy. No need to risk anything. We’ll “see” you out there, next week.
Be prepared. Make sure you are completely self supported. We discourage you from making stops along the route (unless absolutely necessary).
Before heading out be sure you have all of the following:
Helmet
Lights
Bike Computer or mounted smart phone ( and external battery) with the route loaded
At least 2 water bottles with your favorite brand of tap water
Food/Snacks/Nutrition/Oreos
Flat kit (spare tube, inflation device, patches, tire levers, chain quick link)
Face mask or other face covering
If you need any of the items above, please contact us to order a personalized self-sufficiency kit.
Questions about the Solo Ride Challenge? E-mail lindsay@districtcycleworks.com
Week 3 | June 1-7
Southern Loop featuring Alexandria Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery Memorial
Route Maker: Chris Tank
Route (24-mile): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32813696
Route (38-mile): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32787844
This week’s route is one that some of our friends will recognize. It takes you south of the District through Arlington and Alexandria until you find yourself outside the Beltway on quiet neighborhood streets, passing through colonial Belle Haven and mid-century modern Hollin Hills along the way. The route avoids busy trails and includes a mix of urban and suburban riding, has some hills south of the Beltway, and passes by the Custard Shack on Belle Haven Rd.
Week 3 Bonus
The continued instances of police brutality and violence against people of color is heartbreaking and enraging. We hope that this week’s Bonus Challenge will inspire self- reflection, action and change.
The Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery was a burial place for 1,800 African Americans who fled to Alexandria during the Civil War. By the late 1800s the cemetery had fallen into disrepair. The land was sold and the city of Alexandria rezoned the property, which led to the construction of a gas station and office building over the remaining graves in the 1950s.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, city historians, archeologists and the newly formed “ Friends of the Freedmen’s Cemetery” worked to restore and memorialize the grave site. The Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial opened in 2014 to honor the memory of the Freedmen, the hardships they faced, and their contributions to the city of Alexandria.
Stop and visit the Alexandria Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial:
Pause and take some time to reflect on the memorial.
On your Strava post, include a thought or something you learned at the memorial.
Suggested Reflections for White Cyclists:
How can we amplify the black voices around us?
How can we make our cycling community more inclusive and accessible?
Week 3 Prize
This week, we’re excited to feature a local product collaboration for our prize. One lucky rider will win an Unmarked Gear x Bottles and Bar Tape sling bag.
Week 2 | May 25-31, 2020
Route Maker: Rudi Riet
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32717606
This week’s route is in honor of Bike Month! This is a great route for cyclists of all abilities and experience, taking you through some of DC’s best cycling infrastructure and across beautiful multi-use trails that showcase all that our city has to offer.
Week 2 Bonus (Five Additional Raffle Entries)
Bike Match DC is a non-profit program in the DMV that connects bikes with people in need of bikes. They have recently partnered with Bikes for the World to provide logistical and mechanical support. This week, you can earn five additional raffle entries by doing one of the following:
Make a donation of $5 or more to Bikes for the World. Simply forward your donation confirmation to lindsay@districtcycleworks.com.
Donate a bicycle lock or bicycle lights to Bike Match DC. Donations can be dropped off at the Design Studio.
Week 1 | May 18-24, 2020
Route Maker: Adam Gould
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32528940
41.5 Miles | ~2700’ Elevation
Week 1 Prize: $50 District Cycle Works gift card
Week 1 Bonus (One Additional Raffle Entry)
One additional raffle entry if you can find the Golden Rooster along the route. If you find him, stop and take a picture and add it to your Strava ride. If it’s there, we’ll give you a bonus raffle entry.