Basil and Argyll, our Brompton bicycles, Dr. Diarist, and I have just returned from a fantastic weekend in Washington, D.C., participating in the USA Brompton National Championship events.
So many pictures! So much to write! All will unfold (so to speak) in due time, beginning (probably) tomorrow. I’m planning to write a series of posts about the whole weekend — after all, I’d want to know everything if I’d never been!
In the meantime, suffice to say it was an excellent event, from start to finish, and we’d do it again (and again and again!) every time we get a chance.
We loved it so much that we went out early this morning and took a 20 mile/32 km ride on our home trail, an activity which I hope our regular readers will forgive. I should have been writing posts, but we just weren’t quite ready to stop celebrating all things Brompton.
22 replies on “The BNC: We Go to Washington (DC)”
I’m thrilled that you had such a wonderful time! Can’t wait for details and photos.
It was spectacular, Cathy!
We shouldn’t should on ourselves or others. Of course, by making this comment, I am not shoulding on you.
Hope you got my picture. I, too, am so glad you guys had a jolly good time. You certainly should have.
Funny, Saul! The first should was “should we go?”; we’re not sorry that we said yes!
(Beautiful picture; far behind on email!)
Goodo! Jolly glad you had a good time (told you so?). Let the posts begin!
After extensive research of the articles, photos and videos currently available on the ‘net, I have not been able to confirm the actual presence of Mme. Diarist or Dr. D. at the 2014 Brompton US Championship; however, I have found evidence of Basil’s attendance at the event. His presence, or that of a very good impersonator, was noted in the top center of the third pic at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/video-cyclists-compete-in-dc-for-shot-at-brompton-championship-title/2014/07/14/9688cb96-0b88-11e4-8c9a-923ecc0c7d23_story.html
Impressive sleuthing, Saul! Basil and Argyll will back us up, but it’s also possible to see Dr. D on the left in the Washington Post’s first photo in the gallery stills. He’s wearing a high-vis helmet, a white dress shirt and a bow tie. (I’m there, too, to the right, also in a high-vis helmet, but buried in the crowd.)
The organizers took pity on us and didn’t require that we wear our jackets to race in the mid-90s heat. Whew.
Great! I look forward to your posts about the event.
Peace :)
Ta Saul, that’s something I hadn’t seen before. One thing I managed to see was to do with the Embassy party, the link for which is – http://goo.gl/photos/CThm9z4Nwu (hopefully my link ex-Twitter & Google+ is effective – certainly works for me). One of the pics shows Basil & Argyll with a couple that I’m not familiar with (having seen few direct pics of the Brompton owners).
Only the Bromptons count, Ian!
Excellent find, Ian. I have no comment on the couple that apparently siddled up to Basil and Argyll, a fine and respectable pair tho they appear to be. They may have just approached the Brompton bros. for a double photobomb of an otherwise beautiful pic.
Eh, people — you can see them anywhere. But a brace of Bromptons, that’s another story!
@The Brompton Diarist
yes, indeed. I must say I was looking for the bikes first and then hoping to find familiar faces.
I see you near the front of the pack running for your B’s. Being out front like that, you must have been winners or at least on the wheel of the winner.
The first of the WP photos also shows Peter of NYCeWheels at the far right, clad in red shorts and suspenders.
Oh, and there’s Peter again, named, in the 5th photo. He placed third in the race!
then that may be Peter again in the 9th pic, 2nd bike from top of the hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT8i3gWNEkE
For those of you who enjoy seeing Peter on youtube, the above is your opportunity.
Another NYCeWheels participant won the folding competition.
Well alright then! 30 min race video up on youtube for you race fans.
You guys are fast — you had these comments (and links!) up before I was even through the second post!
Peter was much in evidence, and those red shorts and suspenders made tracking him on the course easy — of course, he was travelling in a tight, fast, peleton, too, most of the way, which helped!
If you had only tucked in behind him, you might have drafted your way to fourth place in the Men’s Division, and probably Numero Uno among the women.
Maybe, Saul — if Peter had been willing to hold the other end of a tow line at the same time!