Toolie's Biking and Building Blog: NOVA-CBG Zoo Review

Had a nice ride out the CCT to Bethesda but did have to get around the downed tree on the trail in upper NW DC. After that it was uneventful until Peirce Mill, when Steve had an oops at low speed and fell off the bike. He had a bit of road rash and some sore ribs but nothing broken and no obvious signs of concussion. But his helmet was toast! After I checked him out we tightened up his helmet straps to make it suffice for the rest of the journey. We set off to catch up and rendezvous at the zoo but now it was my turn to have karma shine her face upon me. There was a huge puddle blocking the paved trail so I attempted to go around it on the scraggly dirt trail but somehow my front wheel went off into the high grass at the top of a small rise and I couldn't bring it back around. After being stuck like that, not moving, seemingly forever and unable to unclip, I slowly fell off to the right, and right into that damn puddle that I was trying to avoid. I wound up sopping wet and STILL clipped in. I couldn't get unclipped due to the position of me below the bike. Steve waded into the veritable pond and lifted the bike enough for me to unclip and get up. A small bit of road rash and a dimple in the back of the helmet were the only visible signs other than the mud and dripping water all over my kit. So off we went to the zoo without further ado or incident. After a brief respite, a few hot dogs, and the requisite "group" shot, it was off to Fletcher's again to end the ride. The "ride after the ride" was back in Shirlington at Samuel Beckett's so I set off again on the bike and arrived just as everyone who drove got there. Pretty good timing, I must say. I had 43+ miles on the odometer at this point so after finishing a nice lunch and a Guinness, I set off again to make it to the half-century mark by stopping at FreshBikes to window shop and let Curtis know that the Shiv is now absolutely, unequivocally, fixed. Yea!!!!!!