Fix-it Stands!

[ShawnoftheDread]

Now I can’t wait until my bike breaks!

[Harry Meatmotor]

@ShawnoftheDread 84445 wrote:

Now I can’t wait until my bike breaks!

now you’ve just jinxed it. you’re going to have two flat tires when you try to ride home tonight and your pumps gonna be broken and your spare tube will have a hole and your patch kit will have dried up glue and your CO2 cartridge head will leak out the CO2 before you get it on the valve or you’ll blow the tire off the rim inflating it.

or you’ll never have a mechanical again for the rest of your cycling career.

[n18]

Here is the company that seems to be making them:

http://www.dero.com/public-bike-repair.html

If it were me, I wouldn’t put these near metro stations or areas with heavy bus service; I could just take my bike home using Metro, then fix it later, so I don’t see the logic of having it in these locations. If I was using a bike that is not allowed on Metro, or if my home is too far from the nearest bus stop, then it could be useful, but such things are in the minority.

A more logical place perhaps is along trails, such as the intersection of W&OD and Custis trails, or near areas where thorn trees are too close to a trial. I have been only been biking for a year, so I don’t know how much further can I go on once I hit a thorn. I don’t go to Arlington often, so I am not sure where are the best places to put such stations, and what are the target bikers: commuters or tourists.

I was going to check if I could buy several floor pumps, put them every few miles on the W&OD, secure them with chains, but that would require too many pumps.

[consularrider]

@n18 84517 wrote:

… I was going to check if I could buy several floor pumps, put them every few miles on the W&OD, secure them with chains, but that would require too many pumps.

Recently there were bike pumps on the W&OD near the caboose in Bluemont (about mile 3.5) and another at the top of the climb to Virginia Lane (about mile 8.5). Those seemed to have disappeared last summer.

[Terpfan]

For purely selfish reasons, I would love one at TR Island and Gravelly Point. I also recognize those are NPS lands, this is an Arlington-run program and my selfish desires are really just dreams. I figure the other spots like the airport (metro), OT (LBSes) or even south of OT by the marina (LBS) have stuff already that allows me to get home easily or get it fixed if I don’t have the require equipment or parts on me. I suppose one between Belle View and Mount Vernon would also be nice, maybe down by Ft. Hunt at that little junction spot right by the road and one at the terminus of the trail there. Ok, enough dreaming for today.

[skins_brew]

There is one of these at the College Park Metro. In front of the fancy “bike and ride” storage area.

I really wish the stands had a spoke tensionometer on them Those things are like $60 and it would be nice to have right now.

[dasgeh]

@n18 84517 wrote:

A more logical place perhaps is along trails, such as the intersection of W&OD and Custis trails, or near areas where thorn trees are too close to a trial. I have been only been biking for a year, so I don’t know how much further can I go on once I hit a thorn. I don’t go to Arlington often, so I am not sure where are the best places to put such stations, and what are the target bikers: commuters or tourists.

I can see why you’d want them in Clarendon and Ballston, but may I also suggest at the end of N Nelson Street on the Custis (there’s a little sitting area with water fountain, I think) and/or Bon Air Park near the intersection of the Custis and W&OD?

[KLizotte]

My apartment management just installed one of them in my building’s bike room. Very handy for checking/tightening things up.

They also just installed a set of vacuum cleaners in one of the parking lots to clean out one’s car which is a pretty cool idea as well.

Now if they would only install a few U racks on the property….(yes, I’ve asked).

[cyclingfool]

@KLizotte 84574 wrote:

My apartment management just installed one of them in my building’s bike room. Very handy for checking/tightening things up.

They also just installed a set of vacuum cleaners in one of the parking lots to clean out one’s car which is a pretty cool idea as well.

Now if they would only install a few U racks on the property….(yes, I’ve asked).

That have a bike room with these kinds of amenities, yet they don’t have any u racks outside? That seems like a logical disconnect, but I guess it’s not altogether unsurprising.

[Tim Kelley]

@KLizotte 84574 wrote:

Now if they would only install a few U racks on the property….(yes, I’ve asked).

Maybe see if the County can put some in the public right of way? http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/biking-in-arlington/bike-parking/request-a-bike-rack/

[KLizotte]

@cyclingfool 84575 wrote:

That have a bike room with these kinds of amenities, yet they don’t have any u racks outside? That seems like a logical disconnect, but I guess it’s not altogether unsurprising.

Well, to be fair the bike room only opened up last month and it is pretty sweet (though I still won’t store my bike there because I’m afraid of theft). Fix-it station, pump, and work bench but no sink or drain in the floor so I still have to clean my bike in the parking garage. The racks are two tier to save space but don’t allow for easy locking up with a u-lock; they are poorly designed in that regard so most of the bikes are beaters/low end.

I just sent management another request for u-racks outside the front door for visitors and short stop overs by residents. Fingers crossed. Perhaps if I park my bike in the newly remodeled lobby they will get the msg….

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 84576 wrote:

Maybe see if the County can put some in the public right of way? http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/biking-in-arlington/bike-parking/request-a-bike-rack/

Normally a good idea but I live across the street from Pentagon Row where there are racks so probably not the best use of county resources.

Now what would be great is a bike station in the Clarendon area (like the one next to Union Station). A nice, safe place to park would be a boon to the area.

[Tim Kelley]

@KLizotte 84583 wrote:

Now what would be great is a bike station in the Clarendon area (like the one next to Union Station). A nice, safe place to park would be a boon to the area.

The reason the Union Station location works well is because Union Station is such a central hub for commuters coming into DC. Maybe the VRE station in Crystal City would have enough foot traffic to make that viable?

[Author]

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