On Sunday May 4th we’ll be riding the historic Baltimore to Washington, DC Ramble, the Monument to Monument ride.
Lotta smiles from M2M 2012
M2M is a 97 mile round-trip single day ride from Baltimore to Washington on lightly trafficked roads. We keep it slow and steady, enjoying the company of fellow riders and the excitement of arriving in another city by bike.
- Date/Time: Sunday, May 4th, 2014. Meet at 7:45AM. Leave PROMPTLY at 8:10AM
- Start Location: Baltimore Washington Monument
- Map/GPS: M2M2014map click Export in upper right corner
- Cue Sheets: M2Mcue print a copy for yourself. I will bring some to the start
- Cost: None. Bring $ for lunch and snacks at local businesses
- Assistance/Sag: None. (except help from fellow riders)
- Awards/Medals: None. (well, bragging rights)
- You ride this at your own risk
WHAT IS IMPORTANT
- Riding a dependable, familiar bike
- Flat resistant tires
- Using lights w/fully charged batteries
- Having ridden a 50+ mile ride in the last 6 mos.
- Riding at your own steady, even pace
- Concentrating on the road around you as you ride
- Helping out other riders in need
- Having your bike, clothing and supplies ready the night before
- Having a cue sheet and a cell phone
- Respecting drivers, pedestrians and road laws
- Assessing all intersections for yourself
- Pointing out hazards to other cyclists
- Keeping your break time (off the bike) as short as possible
- Having a way of getting home if a problem forces you to not finish
PLEASE Don’t worry about:
• The type of bike you ride • How you look • Riding fast • Finishing in a certain amount of time • Thinking you’ll get left behind • Blowing thru intersections to keep up • Pace lines
HOW TO BE READY
Ride your bike 50 miles. Then take the bike to your favorite bike shop and have them fix and adjust all the things that annoyed you during that ride. Check the weather the night before the ride and bring appropriate clothing. Be aware of the road around you as you ride. The main reasons why riders are unable to finish M2M are: crashes due to inattention, not having the fitness and experience for riding a century, and bike mechanical breakdowns.
WHAT’S THE RIDE LIKE?
M2M is a little of everything. There will be fast and slow riders, skinny and fat tire bikes, racers and bike party people. Last year there were over 75 riders. We ride a steady average pace of about 13MPH. There are some hills, but none more strenuous than a long ride through Baltimore. The roads to DC are as safe as riding in Baltimore. Most of the route is surprisingly scenic and the DC trail system is very relaxing. We’ll stop 3 times: a break at the 25 mile point, a lunch at Union Station in DC and a break at the 75 mile point. I will bring cue sheets, but mostly you will be following ride leaders.
GOT QUESTIONS? PLEASE ASK.
meanwhile, here’s an iconic picture of Bosun to inspire you:
The Rando Ramble 
I am looking for a route from DC to NYC, via Baltimore and Philadelphia. Thank you very much for sharing your route from Baltimore to DC.
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I plan to ride from my home and meet the group on 103 near Timbuktu.
I’m going to take an alternate route to DC by way of Ellicott City, Columbia, Glenmont, Silver Spring and Rock Creek Park. It will be a voyage of discovery, with sightseeing, various detours and no doubt a few false turns. I plan to return via the same route as everyone else back to Baltimore. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome, but needs to be self-sufficient – I’ll have no cue sheets, etc.
Here’s the planned route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/2014-m2m-2-dc
Looking forward to a great ride!
Audra, great info. Thanks.
I know about that construction from my check-out ride last week. It’s at the railroad bridge underpass on the NE Branch trail. It’s pretty nasty. It’s possible to move across the gravel if you slow down and pass single file, but if there’s another rider next to you, you should absolutely dismount and walk.
I will mention it at the pre-ride talk.
Just a heads up: I used last years cue sheet to get home from DC the other weekend. There’s some stream reconstruction going on next to the yellow trail (the northeast branch I think) and while the trail was still passable, there was grit and gravel on a short section of the trail that could be a little dangerous if people aren’t paying attention.
Carl, quite true. Helmets are on the important list. The BBC does require helmets on all it’s rides. While I can’t force anyone to wear a helmet if they don’t want to, any BBC member who abides by the BBC ride rules is offered some degree of legal assistance in cases of crashes. Nice to know.
Bob, I’m looking forward to M2M ver. 2014 🙂
I’d like to add that wearing a helmet is also important , & remind folks that they are required on ALL BBC rides !
Cathy, glad to have you with us. Way to go putting in two long rides in one weekend! I’ve got nothing to add to the above post, but please ask if any questions come up. BTW: If you’re not yet familiar with them, the DC Randonneurs are a great group of long distance enthusiasts.
I would love to join you on this ride from Baltimore to DC. I’m new to the area and have heard great things about your rides. I’m doing a long ride the day before but believe I’m up for the challenge! Your post was pretty informative but I wanted to touch base with you to see if I need to do anything else. Please let me know. Thanks and looking forward to the ride. Cathy Teodosio 203-305-5400
True! A strange coincidence.
It’s ironic in that last yr. Washington, DC’s monument was scaffolded for repairs and now this year Baltimore’s is scaffolded!