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If there is one thing Pax Velo members love to do, it is get out and ride. There are several rides throughout the week that our members participate in.

Tuesday Night Ride (TNR)
Thursday Night Ride (THNR)
Alternate Thursday Night Ride (ATHNR)
Saturday Morning Ride
Sunday Rides

Also be sure to check out the Calendar page for updates on rides.

Tuesday Night Ride (TNR)

If there is one thing Pax Velo members love to do, it is get out and ride. There are several rides throughout the week that our members participate in. The TNR is of course the most popular and is the only ride supported and insured by the club. This ride takes place every Tuesday at 5:30pm from April - October. Most often this ride leaves from the Pax River Naval Air Station outdoor pool parking lot. On occasion there are different rides for the TNR just to spice things up a bit.

Often times, the TNR is called the Tuesday Night Races because well, some people treat this ride as a race even though it is not a real race. Don’t worry though; there are different categories so you don't have to "race" if you don't want to. Comprised of 4 groups, A, B, C, and COWS riders, there is something for everyone with this ride.

The A group is the fastest of the bunch and they also ride the longest distance. Most of the time, they will do 4 laps around the base and can average over 20 mph on a fast night.

The B's are next, usually doing 3 laps and averaging between 18-20mph.

Then come the C's and COWS who also usually do 3 laps but at a little more relaxed pace and a slightly lower average speed.

At the beginning of every season, there is a Time Trial to help you gauge which group you will fit in best with. If you happen to join Pax Velo mid-year you can ride a 10 mile time trial and see what your average speed and time is upon completion. Then share that info with some of the club riders and they'll be able to tell you which group you will probably fit in best with.

Other rides that Pax Velo members like...

Thursday Night Ride (THNR)

Thursdays in Southern Maryland offer riders a variety to choose from when it comes to getting out and getting on the big. During the cycling season, the traditional THNR is a ride that leaves at 5:30pm from just outside of Gate 2 of Pax River Naval Air Station and goes down to Point Lookout before turning around and heading back. This ride is also know as the Thursday Aero Ride as it was originally started as a ride to come out and bring your tri or aero bike for some good paceline, fast tempo work. Not for beginners, this ride is anywhere from 40-44 miles long depending on what the usual riders decide to do that night. The course is always basically the same but they might throw in a little extra loop just for fun. If you come to the ride and hear that they are doing "Snow Hill" that night, get ready for an all out attack on Snow Hill Road (they'll hang a right off of Rt. 5) as most of the riders will treat that as a long interval for that entire loop until it connects back up with Rt. 5. The pace for the entire ride averages right around 20mph.

Alternate Thursday Night Ride (ATHNR)

In addition to the THNR, a few riders have decided to get some miles in by riding around Pax River Naval Air Station again on Thursdays in what is quickly becoming the ATHNR or Alternate Thursday Night Ride. This ride that starts at 5:30pm at the base Post Office/Cedar Point Federal Credit Union and is year round (lights are required in the winter). The riders will do anywhere from 2-4 laps around the base and the pace is usually a little more relaxed than the THNR but still averages 18 or 19 mph.

Saturday Morning Ride

Serving as the longest ride of the week, a lot of riders will show up for this one in the warmer months. Old Uncle Jimbob sends out a reminder/announcement near the end of each week via the emailing list as this ride alternates between Calvert and St. Mary's County every other weekend. Again, this is a year round ride but as you might imagine, the attendance is much greater in the warmer months. In the winter months it will start at 9:00am but as soon as it gets a little warmer, the ride will start at 8:00am. When it is St. Mary's turn, we all meet in the parking lot of Belk/Cheeseburger In Paradise/Outback in Wildewood Shopping Center. When it is Calvert's turn, we all meet in the parking lot of the Patuxent Adventure Center in Solomon's just over the bridge that connects St. Mary's to Calvert county. This ride always goes for 3 hours (not including a stop for refreshments) so the overall time is anywhere from 3.5-4 hours. In the warmer months it is not uncommon to hit 60 miles or more on this ride. Don't forget to bring some money for the stop along the way to get more fluids and a snack.

Sunday Rides

Depending on the time of year, there are a couple of different rides on Sundays. In the winter, there is the Sunday afternoon ride that leaves at 2:00pm from the Callaway Food Lion parking lot. This ride is a good recovery ride and is usually the slowest pace of the week. In the summer, the afternoon ride gets replaced by a morning ride that leaves from the Arby's in Leonardtown. Again, this ride is one that serves as a recovery ride.

You will always get the most current info on all of the rides by joining the mailing list. Members are always sending out reminders for rides and also any important information or changes that you might need to know concerning an upcoming ride.