News / Articles

March '23

Published on 3/2/2023

March, 2023

New and Casual Riders

If you ask anyone who GII is, there is a big chance you may hear “that group of fast cyclists”. Although we certainly have our fair share of fast cyclists, we also have a big mixture of cyclists of all levels. Since the pandemic, we have gotten away from some of the things that are part of the foundation of the club, which is bringing in new riders and helping them to become cyclists to achieve whatever their goals may be. Be sure to attend and invite your friends looking for a cycling home to these rides and events coming up that are geared for new or casual riders.

N.E.O. Road stands for Novice Educated On the Road. This series kicks off April 9th and occurs every 2nd Sunday of the month. Each month the rides will take off from a different location to be easily accessible for guests coming from anywhere. The rides will be approximately 10 miles long. During the session there will be a different topic offered that will help new and casual riders. Please go to Meetup.com for ride details and to RSVP.

Trailblazers is an existing group of rides within the club, but everyone may not know what they are about. Trailblazers are rides on the trails. Sometimes these rides have a mix of riding on the trail and riding on the road. Since these rides are mainly on the trails, you can always turn back when you’ve had enough or you can push to the next level. Trailblazer rides are not only for new riders, but experienced riders like to take these rides as well because the trails are beautiful and some people just don’t like to ride on the road - and that’s okay too. These rides are not fast rides, but a chance to take in the scenery while getting your exercise and enjoying the comradery.

On Wednesdays, we have beginner rides starting from Manna Nutrition in Accokeek, MD. Our fearless first lady, Kim Mason, has been leading these rides for years. They include a road route that is about 14-19 miles long. During this ride, the focus is on road safety, riding with groups, and understanding how to use your gears.

Community Outreach
GII’s Community Outreach is bustling in 2023. As a prominent club in the DMV area, we are focusing on making a bigger imprint in the communities in which we ride.

Adopt- A Road. As you know, GII adopted a portion of Duley Station Rd. Our first clean-up date will be Sunday, April 23 from 10am-12pm. We want to show up in full force so that the local residents can see how the cycling community is really more than just riding. Additional information will be on Meet-up for members and guests to volunteer as more details unfold.

Capital Area Food Bank. Friday, April 7 1-4pm. GII will be volunteering at the National Food Bank located in Washington, DC to help with sorting donated food products. There are 10 slots available for participants. More information on the club’s Meetup page.

GII Club Kits

We have new club kits on sale now and guess what - we got pockets! If you select the Ascent Vector Range Bibs, it comes with a pocket where you can stick your phone, snack, or money. We also added to the store matching base layers. Now let’s get into these kits. New kits are part of our Street Sweeper Collection. These kits are just a little edgier than our classic line.

The first two kits in the Street Sweeper Collection are the Cherry Blossom and the Ride Long Kits. The Cherry Blossom kit is for the flower that represents our local area. It’s a perfect way to welcome Spring and kick off the riding season. The Ride Long kit has our GII slogan printed on it “Ride Long, Live Long”. We like to follow those 4 little words to aim towards a healthier productive lifestyle. More kits will be introduced throughout the year to make sure you’re properly dressed for our premier ride, the Backyard Boogie, and other rides around the country like One Love. The store will continue to carry a few pieces from our classic line as well. Happy shopping. The store closes on March 4th and won’t open again for several weeks. Don’t miss the deadline and be left out in the elements. Members must log in to their GII club account for a discount. Everyone can go to the GII webpage for store access. Click HERE for a direct link.

Race Team News
Iron sharpens iron. After working hard all winter, the GII Race Team kicked off the official start of its 2023 race season with the 17th Annual Tidewater Cycling Classic (Feb. 18) and Todd Stadium Criterium (Feb. 19). Almost all of the team’s new Cat. 5 members (Alex Morales, Chris Lewis, Dan Nakamura, David Beach, Ike Morrison, Tonya Williams, Trashaad Thomas, and Trent Langley) raced, and right out of the gate, they made us proud! Tonya lapped her competition twice to snag a first place finish in her first race! Later, Chris and Trent would represent for the men with 2nd and 3rd place finishes. (Jamaal Torrance is also one of the team’s new Cat. 5 racers.)

And the GII podium streak didn’t stop there! Another new member, Mike Richardson took second in the Todd Stadium Cat. 4 race, while Cat. 4 Isaiah Morrison won third in the Junior 15-18 and Cat. 3 Anthony Carter closed out the weekend with a dramatic field sprint to secure a fifth place finish in the Masters.

On Mar. 4, the team will again travel to southern Virginia to race the annual Langley Speedway Criterium and return to the area for the Mar. 26 Bryan Park Criterium in Richmond. Between those races, GII will have its annual Team Camp, also in Richmond. At camp, racers will immerse themselves in all things cycling to further sharpen skills and push themselves in anticipation of the competition to come.

Upcoming Events

Races

March 4 - Langley Speedway Crit, Hampton, VA
March 4, 11, and 18 - Trade Zone, Upper Marlboro, MD
March 26 - Bryan Park Crit, Richmond, VA

Rides

March 4 - Winter Training Ride- 25 and 41 mile ride options. Bowie, MD
April 9 - N.E.O. Road Series - Topic “Basic Gear changing, riding etiquette, safety, and road rules”, Kettering, MD

Events

April 7 - Volunteer Day: Capital Area Food Bank, Washington, DC
April 22 - GII Season Opener, Patuxent River Park, Upper Marlboro, MD
April 23 - Adopt -A-Road Cleanup Day, Upper Marlboro, MD

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March '23