Why fight traffic shopping for gifts this season? Please join us for our next shopping ride, this time from Greenbelt/College Park to Washington DC's holiday craft and gift markets.

We're going to leave from Proteus Bike Shop in College Park at 10 a.m., arrive at DC's Eastern Market at about 11:30 a.m., shop and get lunch. Then we'll head through the U.S. Capitol grounds to the Pennsylvania Ave. median cycletrack toward the Downtown Holiday Market near Gallery Place. We'll head back to the shop around 2 p.m. and arrive probably about 3:30 p.m.

Although this is not a supported ride, we'll ride in a group (or groups). Our plan is to take a relaxed, social pace — and no one will be dropped. If you want a shorter ride, we'll use Metro as a bail out (the Green and Red line stops are all along the route). The round trip will be about 30-35 miles. The route is mostly flat — we will take back road and trails and will stay off of heavy traffic roads. (This is a great commuting route to DC, by the way, if you're interested!)

Here is a map that shows the basics of the route (might not be exact).

Here is a preview video of the route, to give you an idea of the type of riding to expect.

Here are some pictures and video from the last group ride we did — a trip around the Greenbelt and North College Park shopping areas.

The weather on Saturday is supposed to be sunny and cool (mid-40s?). You will want warm shoes or boots, gloves and sunglasses. I always bring an extra jersey in my backpack, just in case I get chilled, and I wear a thin hat under my helmet to keep my ears warm.

It's pretty easy to get to Proteus by bike. From Greenbelt, we'll be leaving from the New Deal Cafe at 9:30 a.m. to head over to the shop if you'd like to join us. We go through the tunnel at the Greenbelt Metro station as a short cut.

It's also very easy to get to the shop from the University of Maryland campus — just take the Paint Branch trail north from the campus (near the Comcast Center). The trail goes under University Boulevard and around the Paint Branch Golf Course. After the golf course, there's a spur off to the right that goes up to Route 1 near the bike shop, and there's a new traffic light to cross over.

Here is a look at a bike route to the shop from College Park Metro.
And here is a look at the bike route from the Greenbelt Metro.

Saturday, December 10 10am
Proteus Bicycles

Who needs a car … a bag full of presents would look awesome on the back of a bicycle! Come join us for a car-free ride to holiday craft markets in Washington, DC. Find perfect gifts for everyone on your list. We'll leave the shop at 10 a.m., get to Eastern Market around 11:30 a.m., shop, head over to the Downtown Holiday Market after lunch and return around 2 p.m., arriving at Proteus around 3:30 p.m. The ride will be on trails and side-streets out of heavy traffic, and the pace will be moderate — no one will be dropped. Distance is 35 miles. Metro stops are all along the way: bring your fare card if you want a shorter ride.

Check out these websites for information on the markets we'll visit

****** Helmets required. *******