a few questions and notes about the W&OD

[mstone]

@lordofthemark 79697 wrote:

6. It seems like runners get up earlier in the morning than cyclists (lots more runners when I set out, almost all cyclists on the way back). Cause we make our own breeze (and can take the midday heat better?) Cause runners want to run the same time every day, and cyclists don’t care? Or was this an anomaly?

The early rising cyclists are farther out by then, and haven’t yet turned around to come back.

[sjclaeys]

I enjoyed hearing the frogs yesterday too, but wonder how they will handle the snow.

[Geoff]

@lordofthemark 79697 wrote:

1. …Gallows to RTC…

4. When someone calls a pass with a number (“two bikes passing!) and a third person is right behind them (drafting?) shouldn’t he also call the pass – it can be confusing.

6. It seems like runners get up earlier in the morning than cyclists (lots more runners when I set out, almost all cyclists on the way back). Cause we make our own breeze (and can take the midday heat better?) Cause runners want to run the same time every day, and cyclists don’t care? Or was this an anomaly?

Racking my brain here… what is RTC?
(Never mind… RTC = Reston Town Center)

I never hear a pass with a number; most people passing me don’t call the pass at all! Which seems like a problem, but whatcha gonna do…

Don’t know why the runners get up earlier, but yesterday it wasn’t because of the heat. Yesterday wasn’t cold, but still a ways from being hot.

Extending the topic a bit, yesterday afternoon, coming down the hill on Virginia Lane near where the W&OD crosses Shreve, I saw a fellow with a bloody arm adjusting his handlebars. There was an SUV stopped nearby, with the driver looking around for… something. I didn’t ask what happened, nosy questions probably wouldn’t have been appreciated. Careful everybody, I see too many accidents on the W&OD.

[TrikerOne]

A friend and I do the warning about the number of bikes passing. Haven’t heard it from too many others. The hill on Buckthorn is sometimes known as “That &(*^$# Hill at Buckthorn”, especially early in the riding season. If anyone’s interested, NVRPA has a survey out on the W&OD here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XM5DJNC

Please do fill it out- the more people’s input the better.

@Geoff 79711 wrote:

Racking my brain here… what is RTC?

I never hear a pass with a number; most people passing me don’t call the pass at all! Which seems like a problem, but whatcha gonna do…

Don’t know why the runners get up earlier, but yesterday it wasn’t because of the heat. Yesterday wasn’t cold, but still a ways from being hot.

Extending the topic a bit, yesterday afternoon, coming down the hill on Virginia Lane near where the W&OD crosses Shreve, I saw a fellow with a bloody arm adjusting his handlebars. There was an SUV stopped nearby, with the driver looking around for… something. I didn’t ask what happened, nosy questions probably wouldn’t have been appreciated. Careful everybody, I see too many accidents on the W&OD.

[brendan]

The Buckthorne hill is annoying mostly because it’s the culmination of a slowly increasing incline west of Hunters Mill road, so you’re attacking it when you’ve already been working a bit harder than normal to keep your speed. The worst part comes later in the season, though, when you have to watch out for less seasoned cyclists climbing the hill, some of which are apt to fall over right in front of you because they forgot to shift low enough before being in too high a torque zone to emergency shift. Be prepared to bail!

[Vicegrip]

@brendan 79725 wrote:

The Buckthorne hill is annoying mostly because it’s the culmination of a slowly increasing incline west of Hunters Mill road, so you’re attacking it when you’ve already been working a bit harder than normal to keep your speed. The worst part comes later in the season, though, when you have to watch out for less seasoned cyclists climbing the hill, some of which are apt to fall over right in front of you because they forgot to shift low enough before being in too high a torque zone to emergency shift. Be prepared to bail!

funny thing
I watched this happen.

[culimerc]

@Vicegrip 79885 wrote:

funny thing
I watched this happen.

I think most of us have.

[lordofthemark]

So if I got up the hill without falling over does that make me a seasoned cyclist? Or an unduly cautious and lazy one who is riding in too low a gear to begin with?

[jnva]

If your on a mountain bike, the horse trail is pretty fun to ride up and down across buckthorn. Every time I go through there I keep meaning to go into the brush and see if the old railroad tracks are still down in there.

[hozn]

@lordofthemark 79898 wrote:

So if I got up the hill without falling over does that make me a seasoned cyclist? Or an unduly cautious and lazy one who is riding in too low a gear to begin with?

It means you are ready to take it to the next level: the Hunter Station detour. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4245659

[jabberwocky]

@hozn 79908 wrote:

It means you are ready to take it to the next level: the Hunter Station detour. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4245659

And add Birdfoot to the detour as well. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4245903

[Author]

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