Wednesday 3.21.12

Easy night. 

Carl stepped in nicely to help out.

Job and John Periwinkel came in and worked on back bikes.

Roopa and Kwesh came in for a tube. Kwesh for a tire, as well.

Alia, Soloman, Jennifer, Trinity and Jua stopped in on their way down old Bunkerhill Road.

One Brookland neighbor, hearing about the coop by word of mouth, stopped in for the first time to strip a beat-up mountain bike..intending to scrap the aluminum frame, and made pretty quick work.

Mt. Rainier Bike Coop seeks new volunteers!

The Mount Rainier Bike Coop will host two events on March 29 and April 1 for the purposes of new volunteer recruitment. Enthusiastic people of all ages (under-18s: please bring your adult!) and skill levels are welcome - anyone interested in using bicycles for community enrichment and fun.

Here's what we offer:

-The joy of volunteerism in an endearingly strange, purposeful environment

-A fully operational bicycle station: tools, stands, grease, bikes, and used parts galore

-A community of novice and veteran volunteers willing to teach, support, and have a good time

-Eventually, opportunities to open your own shop and work at the Coop on your own time

Here's what we ask of you:

-Some base level of appreciation for bikes and the diverse group of people who use them.

-At least one hour a month dedicated to volunteerism at the Coop.

Where:

3601 Bunker Hill Road

Mount Rainier, MD 20712

When:

March 29^th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm

April 1^st from 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Wear clothes you can get dirty! Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Best,

Mount Rainier Bike Coop

Wednesday 3.14.12

Mike Turner opened up a little early for a change, showing the place to his visiting cousin, Paul, who helped turn a few wrenches himself.

Three operations quickly commenced outside. John Stith was figuring his rear derailleur. Ebrehem, and Josh were cranking out there, too.

Roopa came in to eliminate a squeak in her pedal cranking. We removed the cranks and the bottom bracket seemed smooth enough, so we put it back together and the squeaking was still there! The petals seem fine. Looking forward to figuring it out.

Grady came in to true his wheel.

Argentina George came in to replace brake cable, replace housing, and we trued his rear wheel a little bit which produced that jolt of liberation that happens when someone learns the incredibly accessible physics of wheel truing!

Job's coworker from the pet store came through to see what beach cruisers are available.

John Periwinkel came in with two German friends and was incredibly helpful to the shop for the 2 hours.

Dave Cahill dropped in and was incredibly helpful as Union Station Jenn came in to try out and offer a nice-sized donation for the sweet relaxed old orange road bike with cruiser bars.

FullMoon!PicnicCruise! March2012

Thursday, March 8th, was a beautifully warm evening after a very warm day. There were many clouds, high on the horizon, so the full moon gathering didn't see our glowing subject at our 7:30 departure for our nighttime picnic destination of Lake Artemesia, College Park.

Just before we departed, 2 riders left, for they had waited long enough -since 7. Later, it was learned that another rider missed the ride because they expected it to leave at 8. A lesson is being presented, perhaps to be more explicit about departure time and the ever-necessarily long gathering time.

Among us were new riders Heidi, Caitlin, Emmanuel, Olga and Zoe. Josh brought Zoe, his daughter, and Heidi, a neighbor he met at the grocery store. Job brought Emmanuel and Olga, but Job couldn't make it out. There were about 10 in all.

We swept over Rhode Island at 37th, left on Perry, right on 38th, that very charged left onto Cottage Terrace and we ran into another rider setting out for us who busted a U-ey and jumped right in!

We connected to our wonderful asset, the Anacostia trail -which Maryland has announced funding for connecting with DC's River Trail. Finally! Greenbelt to Navy Yard will soon be very well connected!

We headed towards Greenbelt, making that sharp left at the steep, gravely hill. Cruising through that first spot of woods, then that roller coaster drop of a swift decline, the chirps of the frog chorus beckon from the wooded pond on the left -just after the Mulberry tree Phil Koopman likes to favor. Those frogs are starting early!

We just sweep up through Riverdale comfortably, with the wind pushing from behind on that straight and high stretch of the levee.

We made it to the unlit park of Artemesia and commenced to snack. Zoe crashed in her Dad's lap as we talked so much about food, while sharing candy, grog, hard-boiled eggs, sesame snack. This area is good for others to break away and soak in the moon away from the horde, and the moon was shining it's yellow onto the rims of our earthly clouds.

We rode back, against some wind, after hanging and eating for an hour, and made it back around 9:30. Good fun! Plenty of cruising on this one, and neighbors encountering eachother, while making space on our streets for bikes and enjoying darkened trail space together. Not bad!

Looks like the next full moon will be Friday, April 6th...

Web Site

Our Website http://www.mrbikecoop.com is currently down temporarily.

Please check out our Blog page here for current hours, posted on the right hand side.

Thxs

MRBC

Wed 7th March

Yikes ! What a busy night - around 16 people in for help, must be the weather ;)

A lot of new faces (to me) on Mike night plus some familiar ones also. Michael came in and with some help bought a hybrid bike, helmet, lights and a lock - fully equipped for riding!

Ginny also came in looking for a commuter bike for her small frame and may have picked one but will be back next week to decide for sure.

Got a great load of help from Jessie, Rosie, Job, Eliz,  Josh, Bill & Scott and they were needed, thx guys.

-Dave

Mon 5th March

A chilly night outside but warm and bustling inside. Emmanual came in to get his brakes fixed and ended up learning how to true a wheel as well, courtesy of our potential new volunteer Rosie, who's also looking to move to our awesome town soon, so if you know any group housing situations get in touch.

Job fixed up donation after working on his bike and took it for a spin in the parking lot as a test ride, found that the left pedal needed changing so diid that & added a kickstand - so ready to go.

Will and myself helped out on some other bikes and helped a new visitor change a tube on her wheel and says she'll join us Thurs for our Full Moon Ride, which looks to be a warmer night!

that's all folks
-Dave

Wednesday 2.29.12

Tonight Carl joined us again, helping out on a Wednesday. He brought in a co-worker who bought 2 bikes!

Job came in and helped out through the night. Josh R., too.

The two of them hit the road earlier in the week, going to Largo and back for fun.

Job: "it all started when Job was coming home from Home Depot after busting his butt. I ran into you guys. First I ran into Adam at Home Depot -just leaving. "

Then he ran into Josh. After talking about wild pigs in Watkins Park, Josh convinced him to go on that "heck" of a ride.

Job said yes! So the journey began!

What did the ride to Largo bring to you?
Job: I learned that 202 was the road that the British took to burn the white house 200 years ago, and all kinds of other enlightenment's.

Did you know we rode to Mitchelville?! Everything is so close! It was...crazy dude! Just talking about it makes me want to go riding!

What did you say about the metro?
Job: Did you know it takes longer to get to Mitchelville on the metro than riding?

and this ends this leap year interview..

Roll-on Wednesdays

Another busy Wednesday. Elbow room was tight with the 3 co-workers Job brought in. Their fresh looking bikes were colored in tones of Spring. We worked on assembling their rides. The Spring flowers are emerging!

Grady worked on the Nishiki, getting teh front wheel more in true. He's been coming in putting in hours for the coop -up to 8 hrs now. Job, too. He's at 10, from wednesdays at least.

Grady brought a cousin. Josh rolled in, Bill Root worked on a project, and Scot W made his appearance....we were hoppin!

Wednesday 2/1/12

Last night saw two Ledroit Park incomers with a sleek folding bmx. They wanted the wobbles/play eliminated from the headtube and air in the tires. Success!

Travis and his likewise tool-smart friend came in with their rigged fixed. They wanted to activate the gears on it. They got it from a neighbor/friend who was clearing up space in the garage -type of thing. It has an old school bubble-gum pink tire on the back wheel. They're feeling it too....summer fun bike!

Jennifer came in with her daughters bike. Sound and strong it is, but clothing was trapped in the whirl and gears of the rear wheel. Ledroit Park BMXer freed it up with her.

We talked about Jennifer's artisan soaps (respond to learn more), and the concept of "fairtrade" -of ingredients which she utilizes. People learned about "fair-trade", about the processes of being certified keeping low-income earners from being able to participate, and largely about labor-bondage/slavery, racism and empire. Hey! We're all getting freer on Wednesday nights! We'll straighten the wobbles in our roll and we'll go there!! Together!

Job showed up with a pile of jerk chicken wrapped in foil, relieving this volunteer who'd only had pecans and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich earlier in their day of spackling and painting. Job grabbed a project bike from the back and got to assembling it. Job is interested in volunteering/supporting the coop. I hope he serves well at the coop because he'd be great for the operation. He is a local Mountie, eager, working really hard, getting really into his bike, and fluent, he is -Spanish to Americans, as he says, and Salvadorian to other Spanish speakers. Job is our future.

I mentioned the fence and police keeping skaters out of the new Rhode Island Ave skatepark, which elicited a call from the other side of the coop that they rode it and it is poorly designed, saying that it's size doesn't allow the more gregarious riding that other parks allow. One person has to ride at a slow pace with others not near -a more isolating skate park. That's two remarks from skaters (who fix their own bikes at the coop that maybe should look into stocking trucks/boards/grip tape) who are basically saying parks&planning/mncppc should allow participator intelligence in the design of an operation/space/park. Not a big problem that seems to have at least this one solution: user-participation-development.

wednesday open shop

Very good night tonight as we were visited at long last by Bill Root. Hello,  and welcome back Bill!

Scott Wilson checked in again and helped the projects progress.

Two fixie riding teenagers were adjusting, slimming, tightening their rides. One, a skater sometimes, commented before how the new skate park in Hyattsville is obviously not planned and built by skaters. I wonder what other skaters think. His friend, Job, grew up in the immediate neighborhoods, works two jobs to help pay the bills and still wants very much to hang out at the coop. Hello, future volunteering Mt Rainier youth. Welcome!

OPEN SHOP - MLK Day

Sorry for short notice - but tonight's Open shop is cancelled due to unexpected circumstances. 

We will be open next Mon 23rd for sure.

-Dave

FuulMoon!PicnicCruise! 1/8/10

Don't you know, the night of the full moon, hungry riders gather at the bike coop at 7pm. We roll out by 8, venturing not too far to a place to admire the moon and meet each other, dining on our selections and usually sharing with ease....turning it into a picnic potluck. It's a wonderful way to eat dinner once a month. Tonight, we found ourselves well accommodated inside of the old caboose in Bladensburg Park. Then we rode with the running deer on the new River Trail, again. Wonderful!

Bunker Hill Road, how old our road

Elizabeth Beesley on riding in DC

Beltsville. U.S. Rte1, built not for people. There are many people in Beltsville, though.

Ode To Aaron Benko

What wisp, thine blonde stache graces the grit of wit hardened rocky top mountain oak
of such able root.

Swelling hearts who impress before the capacity of such a southern chestnut.

Lofted high up, so high one laughs to look! Too, Benko does a Benko laugh then with you!

The Benko jolly, gut quaking chuggle, alerts nervous game what's becoming
of the shaking mountain chestnut oak -their rich and rare fruit, now enchantingly littered about..

Eating of Benko chuggles, birds think less of winter's bite, and squirrels think as the deer are thinking, that they might too be birds!

When you find a queer huddle in the wilderness, of birds moving together with the deer and the squirrel, all of them forgetting their roles and all of them flying like slow birds, as fat happy chicks with a vulture gait, moving west through cold mountains but spellcast in amusement, they may have been eating of Benko chuggles.

Thank you, Aaron, for your giving presence!
Thank you for nourishing Mt Rainier Bike CoOp for 4 years!
Enjoy that air of the Rockies!

Third Thursday Volunteer Night last night was another blasting success! We cleaned the spaces, refitted the sign, organized the parts, ate the pizza. It's looking good! Thank you Scott, Joseph, Dave, Josh, Elizabeth and Mike!

Third Thursday Volunteer nights are the time for getting together and doing whatever has to be done inside the space. It's a good time to show interested volunteers who we are and how to volunteer here. Volunteer here!

State Highway Administration, Laurel Maintenance Facility Program Manager, Charlie Griffin at 301-513-7304. He's the one to call about potholes, shoulder painting, shrub and tree trimming along Rte1 or any other numbered road in our SHA district 3.

There's some work to do on U.S. Route 1.

Open shop Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 last night. We met hard working new dad, Edwin. We got pretty far on his Bmx, getting him rolling and able to brake. He left happy. We also met proficient tooler, Colin, from Takoma Park. His rear dérailleur is a tad out of line, and we couldn't move it much. It left him telling us about a hanger adjusting tool that he'd been acquainted with in New Orleans. We're very happy to see Edwin and Colin again, and any of you readers who are interested in volunteering, Thursday October 20th at 7pm. Every third Thursday, we gather any interested to volunteer at the coop and acquaint them with the operation, then we work on cleaning the space and fixing donated bikes.

We didn't see a moon, but it didn't rain on us as we rode to the river and ran with the deer before sitting down to our nighttime picnic. FullMoon!PicnicCruise! without the moon.

Theresa, Sophie, Elizabeth, with (Eye)ST and 5th NW's bike shop & social space BicycleSPACE headpedaler and route leader, Phil Koopman. 

Here, we are outside MD Parks new MD Park Bicycles, Crown/MD Park St at Central Ave..near Capitol Hieghts. A space having long-stayed in the operations of the family of local owner, John Epps. Epps is an influential cycling advocate for the immediate area. 

Natasha Pettigrew Memorial 2011 -Largo, MD
We are somebody, and this is the place to be.
 
Or spaces are going to be sane, if we stick to it. A way to get the sane place: We'll use our strengths to help the more vulnerable get to where they want to be. Build space for the presence of vulnerability. Solidarity. Bikes are vulnerable ones in the space of mobility. Peds are more vulnerable. Imagine traveling to your grocery store in a wheelchair. 

Look after your neighbors. See where they want to go.

Natasha Pettigrew Memorial 2011
Largo, MD.

America's oldest interstate, U.S. Route One. We can do better than this! State Highway Administration, this road is highly populated with people and their destinations. It needs to accommodate all travelers, not just motorists! Build space for children to walk to school, people in wheelchairs to get to the bus, neighbors to walk to their 7-11, and commuters to ride bikes on our practical choice road. Our avenues need to lend priority to the most vulnerable, not the other way around. Then maybe there will be less than 35,000 motor-vehicle-related deaths per year in this country.

We're all pedestrians. Many of us are motorists as well as cyclists. A reminder arrived today from the discussion between two cycling, motoring pedestrians and another motoring pedestrian: It works best when, at every stage of mobility or status, we all keep our eyes out for the most vulnerable. Vulnerability is appreciated, in this intimate/engaged and lively world we're working to create. We can just continue to pass each other, and race to the next red light..or we can ask the next one if we can help them get to their point B. They might say, "Build me a bike lane on Re1!"

Apex (apexbus.com) will charge you just five extra dollars to stow your bike on an inexpensive bus ride to NY, Philly, even ATL. They need to put that info on their website, though.

FullMoonBikeyPicnic

Hey, Riders! Let's do it again. 

Meet at the M.R. Bike Coop at 7pm on the next full moon. Bring some dinner with the bikes. We'll ride somewhere into the dark and hopefully catch a glimpse of the moon! We'll depart by 8pm, and we'll be back by 11pm.

Tuesday September 13
7pm
3601 Bunkerhill Road

Brian Willson writes and rides for metamorphis

Video of soldier turned anti-empire activist, Brian Willson, telling his story and riding to do it.

The mount rainier bike coop will be the cooling station tonight. Wear swimming gear, stand in our sprinkler while listening to the records play, eat the grilled goods, listen to the band strike the notes, you can dance if you want to, in the sprinkler, fall in love, we'll chill to a movie screening of Triplets of Bellville by like 10, then the person you've kept an eye on is going to want to make out with you.
Tonight starting at 6. 3601 Bunkerhill RD, Mt Rainier MD.

Wimmin and girls night!

Ladies, wimmin, girls -come out, fix up your bike and help others and have fun! This Thursday, July 14th from 7-9.

Great article in the Washington post today. Black Women Bike DC, we're going to be friends!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/black-women-take-their-place-in-dcs-bike-lanes/2011/07/08/gIQA9cPm7H_story.html

"It's good for the laws to change according to the movements of people" -a thought inspired by the bike exceptions to one-ways popping up throughout dc.

New coop member, Baton Rouge Brian of DC's Urban Forestry Administration. Welcome!! It was good adjusting brakes with you today. I hope you find some fun on your route through the city. See you again, soon!

Summer Party

We Coop volunteers generally have three things on our collective mind: bikes, community, and fun. Help us cash in big on all three July 22nd!


Rustle up your favorite barbecue/potluck comestibles and pedal down for an all-ages evening of grilling and chilling at 3601 Bunker Hill. Throw some brats on the carnivore barby or a couple portabello caps at the veggie station (or a few beanbags in the games area out front). Enjoy the eclectic spinnery of DJ Mike Turner, and live music from local accordion/brass ensemble milkmachine. Oh, you want to hear a little about our work at the Coop? We'll have an information table set up and staffed.


Come one, come all! Bring your family, your mechanic, your pet ferret, your local representative!


Find us here:
http://maps.google.com/map​s?q=Mount+Rainier+Bike+Co-​op%2C+3601+Bunker+Hill+Roa​d%2C+Mount+Rainier%2C+MD+2​0712&hl=en&ll=38.939434%2C​-76.957705&spn=0.010081%2C​0.016544&sll=38.941119%2C-​76.957684&sspn=0.080644%2C​0.132351&z=16

We hang this red "open", when we're open. Like now!

Digging the pavement improvement behind the bike coop. Now, riders, you can roll from the St James parking lot, to the rear of the space without having to hop a curb!

Young rider, father and coop volunteer Gregoire, and rider friend 6/18

DC Kidical Mass visits the coop. Riders came from Shaw, through Brookland and tougher the divide of South Dakota and Eastern Avenue. Riders and their babies in a cross generational bike gathering that ends at a pool. Great ride! Great gathering! Healthy happenings!

FullMoonBikesNpicnick assemble 7pm at MtRainierBike Coop -3601 Bunkerhill RD- tomorrow, wednsday night. The light of the day will carry well past eight, and the faint dark of a solstice full moon will be admirable. Bring your bikes in any condition, and your dinner. We'll ride to a picnic spot, eat, and be back by 11.

We've got lights and fenders and helmets!

Forage Ride, Saturday May 7th

 

Gather at 3601 Bunkerhill RD, Mt Rainier Bike CoOp this Saturday the 7th at 3:30pm.

 We'll ride north along the eastern branch anacostia trib trial to Greenbelt Park. Bring your foraging guides along and together we'll share in the age-old art of learning what there is to eat (and what not to eat) right around us in the abundant spring....foraging!

We'll bring our bounty back south to Rhode Island Red's roadside picnic table at about 6:30 and enjoy our partially foraged dinner with a little vinegar and oil....and probably some not-foraged goodies..

FullMoonRide SundayApril17th

Join us at the bike coop at 7pm with your bike this Sunday the 17th. Bike not up to speed? Definitely bring it! We'll get it better before we leave.

This Sunday there appears to be a window of clear sky and, under the full moon, we like to ride together in the park after dark. It could be as cold as 45 degrees! So act like its February and you'll probably be alright. Bring food and drink, so we can enjoy a full on night time picnic. Not that we'll necessarily need it, but bring your U-locks too, so we can put on a game of horseshoes...a game of (bike-lock) horseshooooees!

  

 

Report back! 

We gathered at 7 at the bike coop. Dave, Scott, Mario, Amy, Sonya, Matt, Mike, Elizabeth and the moon! We left a little after 8, making our way down 38th towards the Cottage Terrace entrance of the trail. There, especially when passing teh drainage pond amphian chorus near the railroad and cottage terrace, one feels how close rural avenues can actually be in our urban arena.

We made our way to Lewisdale on the Northwest Branch Trail and had our little dinner picnic of pasta, bread and cheese, popcorn and pear. Then we hammered straight handle bars on loan from the coop into the mud and tossed our u-locks for a game of bikelock horshoes. Dave Cahill tossed the only ringer, and we produced a silly title for him before packing it up and riding south to our familiar hills. The moon cast a pale yellow light that the clouds could play with.

Mario got praised from an enthused motorist as we crossed Queens Chapel, and we were all home at about 10:30pm.

We meet at the bike coop at 7 on teh night of the full moon every month. Join us!

Criminal Law-Vehicular Manslaughter HB363

Greetings,
First, while I did not have the opportunity to ride with you all I was able to stop at John's Grand Opening - you guys have done a smashing job and I am proud to know you. Further, thanks for the birthday wishes and cake.

I am writing because as you know, we will have our hearing for the Vehicular Manslaughter Bill on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. I know that many are the commitments of life and I would like to offer the following:

For those who cannot get there on Wednesday, if you send me your testimony of support for the bill (Criminal Law-Vehicular Manslaughter HB363) with the name of your group or your name and contact information, I am offering to print the required 20 copies and submit them on your behalf.

We have encountered resistance to passage of this bill by at least one or perhaps two Senators (Ramirez of PG County and Senator Frosh of Montgomery County). 

Wouldn't it be so cool if i was able to take five or ten sets of testimony with me? 

Maybe that will help the Senate side to see the light - how can we want an improved quality of life but our elected officials who determine our financial fate also determine whether we can safely ride, walk or use the same resources as cars, trucks, suvs and mini-vans?

I need your testimony by 7:00 PM Tuesday evening so that I can print and staple copies. If you need to call me - 240-271-2915.

Kenniss Henry

Marvin Gaye Day Ride, Saturday April 2nd

Hey riders! Saturday, April 2nd.. Gather at the coop 11am, departing at noon -riding to remember and honor Marvin Gaye.

We'll tour through DC and MD, visiting neighborhoods and institutions that played major parts in Marvin's young DC life such as Freedman's Hospital, Cardozo High School, and Benning Terrace.

We'll visit a bike shop opening at 101 Maryland Park Drive, a short distance from Marvin's old address of 12 60th ST NE. Maryland Park Bicycles is enthused to receive us, providing pizza and a little party for their arrival, Marvin's birthday, and the birthday of friend and neighbor Kennis Henry, who's been busy trying to make you aware that MD Senate will soon consider passing motorist accountability measure: HB 363.

This ride must be magical with the music of Marvin Gaye, so we will be accompanied by a boombox rider to provide the sounds of our absolute gem of local crooners. Ever had motown stuck in your head while cruising FL Ave?

This approximately 26 mile ride will feature a few major hills, in beautiful parts and harder to reach parts of the city on a so-far pretty nice spring day! There are several stops through out to tell a bit of Marvin's story and the Gay family story. The ride will end at approximately 7:30 pm, back at the Mount Rainier Bike CoOp.

** This weather update is brought to you by mrBikeCoOp... Saturday 4/2: high of 57 with a passing shower between noon and 4.

If it's raining at noon, the ride will alter becoming a straight shot to MD Park Bicycles' opening day at 101 MD Park Drive.

All updates will be mentioned here**

                            Hello DC!

Look at those defined lines of water ways melting into a darkened triangle of warm and busy geography. It says to me, "Get up! Get up! Get up1 Get up!, Let's make love, tonight!" It's Marvin Gaye's Birthday and I want to caress its curves on a bike. Let's make love to the city on Gaye Day!

It rained at noon thirty as we three departed the bike coop for the rain-deflecting awning of near by Kaywood Theater on Arundel Road. It rained hard on us and it was decided to ditch the boombox. Though well tethered to handle bars, it is an instrument of rocking parties, and this ride of three would be a more intimate affair.

After leaving the boombox at a near by home, we took towards WHUR on Bryant St at 5th NW. This is the building where Marvin Pentz Gay jr was born on April 2 1939. The building hosted Freedman's Hospital then.

Then we darted west to Cardozo High School at 13th and FL Ave. We considered our time and saw we 3 were traveling smartly through the land. We were mostly dry from the earlier rain and enjoying the sun and all the flower's greetings. We knew we could pace it easy to hit all the advertised stops. We aimed our ease towards Eastern Market, where colleagues of the bike coop were presenting operations like another fresh flower.

We hovered east on Q, south on 1st and swung around Union Station contrasting it's brilliant white stone against the clarity of the blue sky you see before and after summer, but smudges towards whites and greys in warmer summer months. A great day to explore the space, besides the two rushes of summer-style storms. But this next one hit while we were in Eastern Market, going for the crab soup and rolls. Mmmm, spiced nice.

We swung through Lincoln Park too meet any riders who'd decide to join us there. Nobody thought such, so we darted east on East Capitol Street, following the trail eastwardly on the west-bound side of the road. After bridging over teh Anacostia river, one can link to the grid north to Benning and cross there. Or one can be direct and continue on East Cap. That way, the sidewalk descends under the bridging over of 295/Kenilworth. Then the concrete wall separating you from the fast traffic of East Cap closes in on you! Among the deserted dust and debris of seldom visited grimey roadside, there is the trekker who attempts to cross 295, the railroad tracks and the Anacostia river. This is the infrastructural no wonder that helps to keep neighborhoods apart from knowing eachother, affecting eachother, from becoming together. We hop our bikes over when head-on traffic is nil. We cross the exit ramp, step up the curb on the other side and get on our bikes to cruise the next tight highway-hugging sidewalk, passing a cop doing the work of tracking motorists speed. He nods hello to us. We live to tell the story of riding the tight sidewalk of East Capitol tunnel. Emerge to a cloverleaf of an exit ramp and step through it's dark boggy mud and awakening bright grass. Hello Anacostia-side!

We head for Benning Terrace -south on Benning right on F. At F and 46th, we are alone again.

Here at the place of Marvin's childhood upbringing, we look through many fences and see peaks of proud hills.

Well on our way to the end spot, the grand opening of Maryland Park Bicycles, who'd ordered pizzas to share for many visitors. We drift east on F and into Marshall Heights. We see a few families and small groups of men hanging near their cars, saying "Hi" to riders visiting their streets. Marvin Gaye Day, a good day for social intimacy. Hello! Hello! Hello! What's going on? Lot's of fences..

We stop by Blaine and 60th, where Marvin lived as a teenager, and very close to Maryland Park Bicycles at 101 Maryland Park Drive. The fences have grown much over since I last visited in January of 2006. We can't even get next to where his house once stood, before whatever blind force allowed it to be razed.

                                           No intimacy here today.

We head north towards Clay and right on the eastern tip of of the Watts Branch trail, experiencing the super practical location of this new bike shop, Maryland Park Bicycles at 101 Maryland Park DR. Once a rider exits the eastern tip of Watts Branch, you join a small road that turns into Maryland Park DR and voila! Your're there when you reach the end, right before it meets the woah! of Central Avenue.

Here, we finally meet friends and family!

 Mother of, and shop owner and operator John Epps:

Not only were there two towers of Pizza, but there was a great big delicious cake. Birthday cake, not at all for Marvin Gaye, actually, but for Kenniss Henry! Our courageous neighbor has been working really hard lately to have House Bill 363, the Vehicular Manslaughter Law, pass in Annapolis. The struggle is in climax right now, and we need to make Senator Frosh of Montgomery County allow this law to go to committee.

Scott is ready to roll. Always ready to roll. Barbara and Scott are true navigators of the region. So roll we do with much ease westwardly up the Watt's Branch Trail first greeted by Marvin Gaye Park..

Look at the mosaic curb near this building that hosted the moving doo wop of the young Marvin 60-some years ago...

 

Sweet trail.

 The end of the trail features a great big Marvin mosaic.

                                            What's this?

Someone left Marvin Gaye a cookie! Marvin get's a cookie! "On your Birthday!", it said.

We crossed underneath the railroad tracks and 295 at this rare opportunity underpass, and went south on Kenilworth to Benning RD. After crossing, we meandered through Trinidad and then north on Bladensburg, to our homes in the valleys and hills of the Anacostia headwaters. Great ride. Ours is a beautiful region.