Sunday, May 4, 2008

Pedal Away: The Potomac Peddlers Touring Club, one of the best cycling clubs in the region, is hosting a Free-for-All Membership Picnic Ride today at Nokesville Community Park in Nokesville. The ride is open to everyone, including those who are not members of the club but are interested and would like to get a taste of what it's like. The rides will vary in length from 10 to 51 miles, and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the club. The rides start between 8:30 and 10:15 a.m. depending on the difficulty. The picnic begins at noon.

The club is offering a couple of upcoming bike maintenance workshops. The first, which will cover fixing flat tires, is May 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The second, which will cover derailleurs and drive trains, is scheduled for June 9 from 7 to 8:30. Both will be held at Neil Conway's District Hardware and Bike Shop at 1108 24th St. NW. For more information about these events, or the club itself, visit http://www.bikepptc.org.

Bay Invaders: The Coastal Conservation Association's Southern Maryland Chapter is hosting a lecture by Paul Fofonoff, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Hughesville American Legion, located at the intersection of Routes 231 and 381. Fofonoff, who has cataloged 294 non-indigenous species in the Chesapeake Bay, will discuss invasive species in its watershed.

Get Your Tents Here: The University of Maryland's Outdoor Recreation Program is hosting a used gear sale Friday from noon to 8 p.m. On sale will be snowboards, mountain bikes, whitewater kayaks, tents and sleeping bags. For more information, visit http://www.orc.umd.edu.

Caterpillars No More: The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is holding a Butterfly Hike today from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, 5100 Deer Park Rd., Owings Mills, Md. Butterfly expert Dick Smith will present a slide show on butterflies and then lead a two-mile hike.

-- Christian Davenport

Have an item to list in the Outside Line? Send it to me at davenportc@washpost.com.