Little Paint Branch Trail (Burtonsville to College Park)

**Check back to see if the date or start time has changed. This ride will be postponed (possibly replaced with another ride) if the chance of rain is above 49%, or wind speed or wind gusts are above 15 mph (per Accuweather) **

TRAIN OR BUS STOPS
There is a bus stop nearby.

PARKING ADDRESS
Fairland Recreational Park
3928 Greencastle Rd, Burtonsville, MD is the online address HOWEVER, we need to drive in to the northernmost entry road, Angleton Ct, and then make a left on Wildlife Lane. Then drive all the way to the end. You can use the pin on the map to help get there.

PARKING AND MEETUP SPOT
Park near the map kiosk and bathroom building.
We’ll meet in the parking lot area. Parking is free and the abundant.
After check-in, we’ll do an icebreaker question.

TRAIN OR BUS STOPS
There is a bus stop nearby.
BIKE ROUTE SUMMARY
This route starts at the northern end of the trail in Fairland Recreational Park. The Park offers a unique blend of natural beauty, athletic facilities, and multi-use trails that span both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Its dirt trails are used by mountain bikers as well as hikers. The route trail connects to Lake Artemesia Trail, NW Branch Trail, and the Rhode Island Trolley Trail. It is a blend of mostly paved trails with some urban trail connections and some noticeable inclines — perfect for a cardio workout.
Route POIs:
· Fairland Regional Park
· Beltsville West Park
· UMD
· Lake Artemesia
· Bladensburg Waterfront Park
TYPE OF BIKE: Any kind of bike frame and tires. Ensure it is the correct frame size for your height so you can get maximum output. Participants are responsible for ensuring their bike tires, brakes, and chain are in good condition and they have a spare inner tube on hand. Organizers can try to help but aren't responsible for everyone's bike conditions.
SKILL LEVEL: Not for beginners. The first and last seven mile segment entails rolling hills of various sizes so you need to have fit legs and experience with inclines and declines and curvy segments. Your brakes need to be in excellent condition. If you haven’t been biking recently, be prepared to return earlier than the other participants due to the hills.
PACE: It’s up to you. HOWEVER: The event organizers have fit legs (avg. 10-16 mph). And some of us like to do a cardio workout at some point. We make stops at tricky points on the trail and /or to regroup every 2-4 miles. Since paved trails can sometimes be crowded, we don’t have expectations of being able to go very fast.
· If you prefer a faster pace than the lead riders, you can make stops to wait for them to catch up.
· If you’re not sure what your avg. speed is, be prepared to use a nav app to ride solo in case you don’t catch up to us at our stops.

DISTANCE OPTIONS
Participants can choose to return at any point. These are just suggestions.
OPTION A: Fairland Park to Southern entrance of Beltsville Park =5.6 miles one way, +237 ft/12 miles total.
OPTION B: Fairland Park to Cherry Hill Rd entrance gazebo = 7.8 miles one way, 380 ft/16 miles total.
OPTION C: Fairland Park to UMD campus (northern side entry) = 10 miles one way. +389 ft/20 miles total.
OPTION D: Fairland Park to Bladensburg via Lake Artemesia and NW Branch Trail and RI Trolley Trail = 16.1 miles, +422 ft/ 32.2 miles total.
BATHROOMS

1. At Fairland Recreation Center: The bathrooms at our meetup spot will likely be closed, but we will bike by the athletic center going southbound and northbound, which has indoor bathrooms. Let the organizers know if you need to make a stop there. Otherwise, there are no bathrooms until you get to Cherry Hill Rd entrance.
2. Beltsville Community Center: Closed on Sundays
3. Cherry Hill Rd: Home Depot or other retail shops on the left side.
4. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, should you bike that far.
   BIKE RENTALS
   Not found
   BIKE REPAIR
   Proteus Bikes on Rhode Island Ave, College Park (can access via a short detour).
   FOOD & DRINK INFO
   College Park retail options
   Bladensburg Waterfront Park has vending machines inside
   Riverdale Park Shopping Center (off of RI Trolley Trail)
   OPTION TO SOCIALIZE AFTERWARDS
   -------
   RECOMMENDATIONS
   Bring: Water bottles, snacks, biking gloves, bike bell, bike lock, helmet visor, sunglasses, bike tube, pump, patch, first aid kit, mobile phone with nav app installed (e.g. Google maps, we use RidewithGPS). If you get leg cramps during or after a ride, take electrolytes before and during your ride (or add salt and magnesium to your water). A change of clothes for your ride home or a car seat cover to absorb sweat.
   Clothing: Wear biking gloves and durable clothing so that if you do fall, your skin is protected. Avoid wearing all black, all grey, all dark brown, or all dark blue, which blends in with pavement, especially while riding through a shady segment. Consider wearing something lighter to help others notice you.
   REQUIREMENTS
   Participants must wear tightly secured helmets when on their bike.
   Be proactive to avoid a fall/crash and minimize injury:
   · Keep a distance between yourself and other bikers. If the biker ahead of you suddenly stops, you should be able to avoid hitting them.
   · Don’t make stops on the trail. Pull over to the side and use hand gestures to let people know you’re slowing down to make a stop.
   · Yelling out “Passing on your left” and/or ringing a bike bell as you approach people ahead of you, so they don’t inadvertently move in your line of travel.
   · Slowing down to wait, rather than speeding up when trying to pass people at the same time walkers/bikers are approaching you from the opposite direction.
   · Avoid potholes and debris and slow down when approaching bumps
   · When approaching road crossings and iffy situations, triple-check before crossing and don’t let yourself be distracted by talking, etc.
   · Ensure your helmet is tightly secured so that it won’t move if you hit the ground.

MEETUP POLICIES
Participants should understand that biking is an inherently dangerous activity, and an accident could happen at any time. Participation is at your own risk.
An RSVP of “Yes” to an event is your digital signature acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agree with Meetup’s and MD Rail Trail Biking’s policies, esp. section 6 “Release” and section 8.2 ” Limitation of Liability,” found at https://www.meetup.com/terms/