The Tuesday Wheel Nuts Shop Ride

Our weekly shop ride is 11 years and spinning for 2018. The longest continuous shop ride in the DC/Baltimore region!  We began our ride 11 years ago with one goal, to foster the development of any fitness and skill level rider. Since that first year we have refined and improved our ride experience and have added new routes, including a winter ride version.  The first “rule” we established is NO CLIQUES and we mean it. We have 4 to 5 pace groups riding at a speed that is appropriate for your ability. It is a workout, but focused on a sustainable pace to get you stronger and have fun. We encourage riders to challenge themselves and feel comfortable to ride with a higher pace group. Don’t worry, all groups cross paths many times on our course and it’s easy to jump up or down in the middle of a ride. We are a NO DROP ride in all pace groups.

The Wheel Nuts ride is all about being social and having fun!  There is a lot of laughing at our ride.  We keep the mood happy and the “ride culture” vibrant and upbeat. Our riders come in many sizes, ages and backgrounds and it’s not uncommon to develop real bonds and find riding buddies outside of our shop ride.

All pace groups are led by our wonderful ride leaders. It is their job to maintain the correct pace, ensure safety, monitor road and weather conditions and take action if need be. It’s important to respect them. They are volunteers and are only out there to get a good workout and have fun also, but, to make sure we all get back safely.  Wheel Nuts has never had a single accident involving a bike to bike or bike to car accident in 11 years. That is a safety record we are proud of and want to keep.

FAT TIRE TUESDAY – One Tuesday a month is Fat Tire Tuesday.  The owners bring Fat Tire Beer (it is their fav) and yummy munchies and have a post ride happy hour. But, it is unannounced, as it is meant to be a reward for riding with Wheel Nuts rather than an incentive! It’s always lively, and we let our hair down to chat and enjoy an evening after a hard spin.

Details – We invite all road and tri-bikes cyclists to our ride (no hybrids or mountain bikes).  We meet Spring thru Fall at Belle Haven Marina parking lot, just one mile south of Old Town Alexandria on the George Washington Memorial Parkway .  Be dressed to ride and your bike ready to spin by 5:45pm. A safety briefing details any road issues and weather precautions, pace groups are established and wheels spin at 6:00pm.

The ride begins on the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail and then over to a circuit we established in the neighborhoods overlooking the Potomac River. There are long flats, hills, curves, dipsy doodle rollers and pace line sections on our course. The ride is approximately 75 minutes long covering 15 to 18 miles depending on the pace group you ride.  It begins and ends at Belle Haven Marina and again NO DROP. In the event of a mechanical breakdown or non-serious injury (such as cramps) that can’t be resolved on course a ride leader is happy to return to the lot and pick you up by car.  Flats are the most common thing that occurs, we will always stop and lend you a tube and air if you need and help change the flat. We hope you will come out for one of our Tuesday Wheel Nuts Shop rides!

Winter and Holiday Rides- Wheel Nuts rides from the shop in the winter. It’s a different course and lots of fun and requires full lighting since it gets dark early.  The distance and time out is about the same but instead of 4 to 5 pace groups, it is an all pace ride to be safe.  Be sure to check out our Annual Halloween and Christmas Ride! We get all dressed up and give prizes for best decked out bike and costumed rider. It’s a lot of fun as we cruise the streets of Old Town spooking townies or spreading holiday cheer.