anomad’s commuting adventures

[Crickey7]

A lonely commute
Bitter cold evening ride
Loved every second.

[anomad]

Nice warm weather this morning for the ride in. I was surprised in Ye Olde Towne Alexandria, there was an American Robin belting out his song before dawn. He better save his energy for the rest of winter. So funny to hear a bird singing this time of year.

On the way home by the marina there was a 2 stroke scooter on the bike path heading North. What is the best thing to do for some meathead like that? Call 911? If he was going the same direction I might have tried to politely educate him about motorized vehicles on the bike path being unacceptable, but that wasn’t to be.

[anomad]

No commuting for me this week. I was lucky enough to have telework today and training out of town tomorrow and Thursday. Perfect timing with all the inauguration closures!

While you legends are in the Freezing Saddles competition I can revert to indoor training of another variety when its not favorable outside. Good for core strength and stamina when I get back to the bike.

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[OneEighth]

@anomad 152624 wrote:

Nice warm weather this morning for the ride in. I was surprised in Ye Olde Towne Alexandria, there was an American Robin belting out his song before dawn. He better save his energy for the rest of winter. So funny to hear a bird singing this time of year.

On the way home by the marina there was a 2 stroke scooter on the bike path heading North. What is the best thing to do for some meathead like that? Call 911? If he was going the same direction I might have tried to politely educate him about motorized vehicles on the bike path being unacceptable, but that wasn’t to be.

Willing to bet I saw the same vehicle on the 4MR trail last week. Looks like a single cylinder mounted to a bicycle, right? Also, unmistakably a two-stoke.

[anomad]

@OneEighth 153055 wrote:

Willing to bet I saw the same vehicle on the 4MR trail last week. Looks like a single cylinder mounted to a bicycle, right? Also, unmistakably a two-stoke.

Maybe not. This was a full blown scooter with fairings and a headlight and all that stuff. Not a motorized bicycle.

[anomad]

What a beautiful day for commuting. Light south wind this morning and perfect sunrise was a really great way to start the day. Then having all the fair weather riders on the ride home out on the path made for lots of great entertainment!

Electric bike guy passing unsafely by the airport this morning was not cool. I totally dig electric bikes and have talked to a bunch of them. There’s one guy that rides very frequently North to South in the mornings on a large volume tire model with upright riding position. He’s very thoughtful of other path users and I like seeing riders like that pedal assist or not. Another guy I met riding downtown this summer said he bought his to avoid the metro shutdowns and ended up paying for the electric bike in the parking fees he saved. We chatted riding down Madison Avenue as he enjoyed a cigarette… Hilarious.

[anomad]

I have a couple helmets to chose from. One has a GoPro mount for my helmet light or camera (duh). This morning I opted for my other helmet thinking who needs a camera or helmet light when the sun will be up in half an hour?

As I crossed Cameron Run the sun was just illuminating the horizon and there were geese swimming and 6-8 deer swimming single file across North to South to the golf course. The Potomac in the background, snow all around, beautiful pre-dawn colors in the sky… yeah who needs a camera? Then, the sunrise colors on the Washington Monument with the snow on the ground. So many beautiful images from this morning’s ride – all just stuck in my memory. It was a great way to start the morning and a busy week at work.

[Judd]

@anomad 153963 wrote:

I have a couple helmets to chose from. One has a GoPro mount for my helmet light or camera (duh). This morning I opted for my other helmet thinking who needs a camera or helmet light when the sun will be up in half an hour?

As I crossed Cameron Run the sun was just illuminating the horizon and there were geese swimming and 6-8 deer swimming single file across North to South to the golf course. The Potomac in the background, snow all around, beautiful pre-dawn colors in the sky… yeah who needs a camera? Then, the sunrise colors on the Washington Monument with the snow on the ground. So many beautiful images from this morning’s ride – all just stuck in my memory. It was a great way to start the morning and a busy week at work.

I have an internal struggle about whether I should take pictures of beautiful or interesting things that I see on the bike or just enjoy them as a fleeting experience. I tend towards the latter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[anomad]

I’m attending training this week at “Homeland Security Acquisition Institute” over by Union Station (yawn). If anyone has the pleasure of attending classes there they have two large private bathrooms and a “wellness room”. Not as good as a real locker room, but the bathrooms work well for changing. There are a couple good bike racks in the garage and usually two attendants keeping an eye on things. They’re actually pretty nosy, so I always make a point to say good morning and let them know what I am up to and offer to show ID. The only downside is there’s nowhere to hang your clothes unless you luck out and get a classroom with one of the little closets for extra chairs and stuff.

Started the ride home with my tights on this evening and got so warm I stopped and put them in my panniers. Riding in shorts in February is awesome!

[Zack]

@anomad 154427 wrote:

I’m attending training this week at “Homeland Security Acquisition Institute” over by Union Station (yawn). If anyone has the pleasure of attending classes there they have two large private bathrooms and a “wellness room”. Not as good as a real locker room, but the bathrooms work well for changing. There are a couple good bike racks in the garage and usually two attendants keeping an eye on things. They’re actually pretty nosy, so I always make a point to say good morning and let them know what I am up to and offer to show ID. The only downside is there’s nowhere to hang your clothes unless you luck out and get a classroom with one of the little closets for extra chairs and stuff.

Started the ride home with my tights on this evening and got so warm I stopped and put them in my panniers. Riding in shorts in February is awesome!

Darn, I wish I had known that a few weeks ago. I just finished two weeks of training there!

[anomad]

This morning’s commute was very unusual. There was a multi car accident at the Airport on ramp just South of Gravelly Point and the NPS had the Northbound lanes closed, using a pilot car. I rode the MVT all the way from Alexandria to Gravelly Point without any cars going North or any other bicyclists on the trail. Only 2 or 3 joggers and some rain drops. It was surreal.

[anomad]

Following a guy tonight with a Copenhagen Wheel tonight near the marina. He blew snot rockets without warning right when we all slowed down for traffic.

I gave him a stern look. Unforgivable.

I have that guys face permanently burned into my memory and will hold a grudge.

[anomad]

I had a yellow jacket or something fly in my jersey this morning and go to town on my ribs below my right arm pit. I haven’t had that pleasure in a long time! Things didn’t end well for the insect, but it went out fighting.

If you are allergic to stings its something to think about.

[Emm]

@anomad 162058 wrote:

I had a yellow jacket or something fly in my jersey this morning and go to town on my ribs below my right arm pit. I haven’t had that pleasure in a long time! Things didn’t end well for the insect, but it went out fighting.

If you are allergic to stings its something to think about.

I have now had at least 1 bee and 1 wasp down my sports bra over the past 2-3 years (http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?3077-My-Morning-Commute/page564), so I can feel your pain. I actually haven’t gotten stung since last year’s bee down the sports bra incident, so I’m due for another soon.

A colleague of mine is allergic to bees, and for that reason avoids biking or running on parts of the W&OD and a few other places with high numbers of bees.

[Steve O]

Pro-tip: If a stinging insect flies into your jersey (or sports bra: I don’t wear one), it should sting you only once. You don’t need to take off any clothing to squish it. As soon as you feel that first sting, squish it with all your might such that you hear a satisfying crunching sound. You can empty it and its guts out afterward.

(caveat – does not work if bug is on your back)

[Author]

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