Hi {{contact.first_name}},
November in the DMV is a month of good days squeezed between cold fronts. Most of the leaves are down on the Blue Ridge, the clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, and the ride home from work is in the dark now. But clear, calm November days still come, and when the mountains go bare, the flat Chesapeake country holds its color a little longer. Pick your day, keep the run reasonable, and ride while it lasts.
Ride of the Month: St. Michaels and Tilghman Island on Route 33
Big water, old harbor towns and wide open sky on the Eastern Shore
Point it east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on US-50 and run down the Eastern Shore to Easton. From there, take MD-33 west, part of the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, out through the farm fields and tidal creeks to St. Michaels, an old harbor town with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum right on the water. Keep going on MD-33 and cross the drawbridge over Knapps Narrows onto Tilghman Island, where the road runs out among the workboats and the open bay.
It is flat, easy riding, which makes it a smart pick when the mountain roads are covered in wet leaves and cold in the shade. November is when the geese come back to the Eastern Shore, so expect big flocks in the fields along the way. Watch for farm equipment and gravel at the field entrances, fuel up in Easton, and leave time for Bay Bridge traffic on the way home.
Staying on the Virginia side? Run US-50 west from Aldie through Middleburg and Upperville, a quick horse-country cruise past stone walls and old farms. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, take a minute to thank the veterans you ride with. A lot of this community was built by them.
Late-Fall Safety: DMV Edition
November in the DMV brings bare trees, early dark and the first real cold.
- The deer are still running. The rut carries on into November on the Maryland and Virginia countryside roads, and deer move hardest at dawn and dusk, which now lands right in the commute. Scan the shoulders and tree lines, cover your brakes, and never swerve across the center line.
- You are riding home in the dark. Since the clocks went back, the Beltway, the Mixing Bowl and the DC circles are a nighttime ride for most commuters. Drivers are not looking for a single headlight after dark. Run your lights, wear something reflective, and keep a lane position with an out.
- Cold bridges and wet leaves. Bridges freeze before the roads do, and the leaf mats in shaded corners stay slick for days after a rain. On a cold morning, give your tires a few easy miles and treat every bridge and overpass like it could be icy.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving, and I-95 is packed all week. If you ride that week, ride early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your DMV Law
- One percent of blame can sink your claim. DC, Maryland and Virginia are three of the few places left that use contributory negligence. If you are found even 1 percent at fault, you can be blocked from recovering anything. That is why insurers work so hard to pin even a small share of blame on the rider. DC softened the rule for cyclists and pedestrians, but that change does not cover motorcyclists.
- Helmets are the law in all three. DC, Maryland and Virginia all require riders and passengers to wear a DOT-compliant helmet, and a helmet that does not meet the standard can be used against you.
- Know your minimums, and lean on UM/UIM. The required liability limits differ across the lines: DC 25/50/10, Maryland 30/60/15, and Virginia 50/100/25 for policies written since January 1, 2025. All three require uninsured motorist coverage, and in this traffic it is your real backstop.
- Your deadline depends on where you crashed. You generally have three years in DC and Maryland, but only two years in Virginia, and government defendants come with short notice rules. Which side of the line you were on matters, so get advice early.
Ride Nation DC Metro
The leaves are down, but DMV riders are still out on the good days. The DC Metro chapter is where riders post their weekend miles, call out deer, gravel and slick leaves from the Eastern Shore to the Blue Ridge, and share the shots worth putting your helmet on for. Post your November ride and tag us. It is your scene, run by riders who actually ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A driver who never saw your headlight in the early dark on the Beltway. A deer on a Virginia back road. A frosty bridge on the first cold morning. If you go down in the DMV, remember one percent of blame can bar your whole claim, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and fights the fault game hard.