Checking for speed on Custis 11/9

[OneEighth]

Saw a guy with a radar gun trying to clock bike traffice on the Custis just West of the S-curve of Meh. (It only blossoms into the S-curve of Death when there is a carpet of wet leaves or frozen precip.)
Could someone be making the case for banked corners, gravel pits, and piles of tires on the outside of corners? Or are they going for speed bumps?

Topic

[Dirt]

He was above it yesterday morning.

With a bunch of us on cargo bikes going down that, I’m guessing they’re contemplating a runaway truck ramp.

[Mark Blacknell]

Not a cop? If not, then most likely a VDOT worker who is part of a study about commuting speeds along the I-66 corridor. It’s my understanding that some VDOT people are surprised that you can move along it on a bike quicker than you can by car, in rush hour. So my guess is that they’re trying to wrap their heads around the facts.

[americancyclo]

Saw this same dude yesterday at the intersection of the W&OD and the bridge that goes to N. Potomac St by Madison Manor Park. He was pointing the device at folks heading eastbound.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=22046&hl=en&ll=38.883517,-77.150534&spn=0.004426,0.006899&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.863178,56.513672&vpsrc=6&hnear=Falls+Church,+Virginia+22046&t=m&z=17

[Dirt]

@Mark Blacknell 10405 wrote:

So my guess is that they’re trying to wrap their heads around the facts.

I wrapped my head around a fact once. I guess that explains my complete inability to use large words in intelligent conversation… and my strange fascination with plastic toys from the 1970s.

What were we talking about?

[mrkenny83]

Can someone elaborate on the S-curve of death (I’m still new here)? I’m assuming that’s the windy hill that takes you up to the little bridge (if I’m going west-bound towards Vienna)?

[Mark Blacknell]

Yes, Kenny, that’s it. That curve has collected a surprising amount of cyclist skin and bike paint over the years. Even experienced cyclists aren’t immune to its charms. Theories on why this is the case could probably fill a thread.

[americancyclo]

@Mark Blacknell 10405 wrote:

Not a cop?

The guy I saw on Tuesday morning had a jacket that said ‘POLICE’ on the back. I thought it was a really long walk of shame from halloween.

[OneEighth]

It’s the hill behind the Italian Store in Arlington where the Custis crosses 29.

Well, shoot, if they were looking for comparative speeds I would have gone along at the usual clip instead of behaving myself.
And then I would have stopped and asked how fast I was going.
And, if I didn’t like the answer, I’d ask for a do-over.

[jrenaut]

@OneEighth 10415 wrote:

It’s the hill behind the Italian Store in Arlington where the Custis crosses 29.

Well, shoot, if they were looking for comparative speeds I would have gone along at the usual clip instead of behaving myself.
And then I would have stopped and asked how fast I was going.
And, if I didn’t like the answer, I’d ask for a do-over.

I registered on the “Your Speed Is” sign on Hains Point this morning for the first time. At first it said 27mph, but that was just the asshole in a car behind me who passed too close despite no one else on the road in either direction. After he passed, the speed dropped down to 16, which means I need to work on my conditioning. I was tired this morning.

[OneEighth]

I absolutely love that thing. And have been know to go back for multiple do-overs if a car passes while I’m approaching or if I just don’t like the results.
Mirror, mirror on the wall…

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 10416 wrote:

I registered on the “Your Speed Is” sign on Hains Point this morning for the first time.

I got it up to 23mph on the cargo bike on Monday afternoon.

[OneEighth]

23mph on The Thing…niiiiiiiice.

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 10419 wrote:

I got it up to 23mph on the cargo bike on Monday afternoon.

Thanks for sharing, I appreciate having goals.

[MCL1981]

If it was a police officer… is there a speed limit on the trail? The CCT (only one I’m familiar with that has a limit) is 15mph. Perhaps he was either looking to give out some bike tickets or just reminding people not to be stupid.

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 10422 wrote:

Thanks for sharing, I appreciate having goals.

I had to rest for a while after that and the hills hurt on the way home. It wasn’t exactly smart, but I’ll likely try it again on Monday. Someday I’ll do something useful.

[Author]

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