Found Connection

[Terpfan]

To the woman at IOD (coming from GWMP onto Key Bridge northbound), thank you for stopping. You even looked. I felt like if I wasn’t on my hybrid due to yet another spoke break on other bike, I would have filmed this and held you up as the pillar of decency. I have to say that too given how rare it is for people to actually look hard left to check for pedestrians.

Also, BTWD registration is open y’all.

[scorchedearth]

To the courteous drivers on Braddock Road in Alexandria in rush hour: thanks for exhibiting patience and yielding to me as I changed lanes to prepare for a left turn onto Howard Street. It is encouraging to see some humanity out there on the roads. I hope to run into you again!

[Sunyata]

@scorchedearth 112122 wrote:

To the courteous drivers on Braddock Road in Alexandria in rush hour: thanks for exhibiting patience and yielding to me as I changed lanes to prepare for a left turn onto Howard Street. It is encouraging to see some humanity out there on the roads. I hope to run into you again!

Today was apparently the day of the polite “people driving cars”! All of my experiences with vehicles this morning were pleasant, which is so odd for an overcast, dark, Tuesday morning. But hey… I will take it!

[Harry Meatmotor]

Me: 30 mph Cat5 guy, meatmotoring away

you: pavement speeding underneath me at 30 mph, 700m from the finish of the 4/5 at carl dolan

not only did i get a couple bike rides in yesterday, i also got to take my first ride in an ambulance! been wanting to ride in a vehicle with lights and sirens since i was a little kid, though perhaps not under these circumstances…

hozn – i was told to reach out to you as we now have an opening for a cat5 on the team (at least for 6 weeks or so…)

[bobco85]

I had a found connection (and found bicycle part) on Saturday.

Long story short (that’s a lie), I went to see the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin and noticed that my left crank was REALLY loose. Then, at one point when I decided to go home ASAP, it actually fell off! Not wanting to grumble since it was so nice outside, I decided to walk home from the 14th St Bridge (I go on long walks, so it’s no problem), coasting on the downhills while trying not to turn the cranks.

At the top of the Air Force Memorial hill, I decided to coast again until suddenly I heard 3 sounds: 1) CLANK!, 2) the sound of my crank bolt bouncing on the concrete sidewalk, and 3) a couple of curse words uttered from my mouth. The problem is, when I looked down to try and find it, there was already a lot of debris, sand, pebbles, etc. with bits of shiny stuff. I looked for a bit and started getting worried that I had lost the dang piece (more cursing), until I was saved by…

…two kids (high school?) riding up the Air Force Memorial hill. They stopped, asked what was wrong, helped me find the piece, and even tried to use their set of allen wrenches (they were prepared) to try to get the bolt and crank back on! Sadly, the bolt requires a much larger allen wrench size (I had one at home), so they were unable to get the part back on, but even then they told me about the location of a nearby bike shop near Penrose Square. I ended up walking my bike home (it was only about 2 miles away at that point), but to those kids I must say:

Thank you very much! You both are pretty awesome, not only going on a bike ride and making it up the Air Force Memorial hill with no trouble, but stopping to help a fellow cyclist out!

P.S. – my left crank (square-tapered spindle) will be getting replaced as the square part has become somewhat rounded

[hozn]

@Harry Meatmotor 113569 wrote:

Me: 30 mph Cat5 guy, meatmotoring away

you: pavement speeding underneath me at 30 mph, 700m from the finish of the 4/5 at carl dolan

not only did i get a couple bike rides in yesterday, i also got to take my first ride in an ambulance! been wanting to ride in a vehicle with lights and sirens since i was a little kid, though perhaps not under these circumstances…

hozn – i was told to reach out to you as we now have an opening for a cat5 on the team (at least for 6 weeks or so…)

Man, I am so sorry to hear this news. Sean mentioned that one of the riders that took a spill was a Veloworks/spokes rider; I was hoping it wasn’t you (or Pete!). Of course, I’d hope it wasn’t anyone, but this is really tragic right at the beginning of the season. I’m sure you’re really disappointed, so I won’t dwell on it. Speedy recovery to you and look forward to seeing you at the races later in the summer. The fun ones like Coppi and Page Valley are later in the summary anyway, don’t worry.

(Someday, I’d love to join a real time, but I don’t have the (weekend) training time to give to that now; my weekend “training” is a quick hills ride during naps or pulling a trailer.)

[Harry Meatmotor]

@hozn 113582 wrote:

Man, I am so sorry to hear this news. Sean mentioned that one of the riders that took a spill was a Veloworks/spokes rider; I was hoping it wasn’t you (or Pete!). Of course, I’d hope it wasn’t anyone, but this is really tragic right at the beginning of the season. I’m sure you’re really disappointed, so I won’t dwell on it. Speedy recovery to you and look forward to seeing you at the races later in the summer. The fun ones like Coppi and Page Valley are later in the summary anyway, don’t worry.

(Someday, I’d love to join a real time, but I don’t have the (weekend) training time to give to that now; my weekend “training” is a quick hills ride during naps or pulling a trailer.)

I’ll have a better idea of what I’m looking at later today, hopefully 6 weeks recovery max, but it’s looking like surgery, so that might actually speed up recovery. check my twitter (@andampersands) for the gruesome xray! one of our other teammates went down and popped his collar bone in the 3/4 race, so bittersweet day for the team. podiums and ambulances – such is racing!

pm me about the team stuff if you’d like, seriously!

[jrenaut]

You: 6 year old biking from our house to the passport place to get a new photo
Me: Your proud father following as you stopped at all the alleys and yielded to pedestrians

This was our first ride together, and it went well enough that there will certainly be more. 1.4 miles there and 1.7 back because she insisted we do a lap around our block before we went inside. We stuck to the sidewalks, which worked out well. A few blocks after I tried to explain to her about getting a wheel caught in the edge of the sidewalk, she got a wheel caught in the edge of the sidewalk and went down. No injuries, though I think she was a little annoyed.

[PeteD]

@Harry Meatmotor 113569 wrote:

Me: 30 mph Cat5 guy, meatmotoring away

you: pavement speeding underneath me at 30 mph, 700m from the finish of the 4/5 at carl dolan

not only did i get a couple bike rides in yesterday, i also got to take my first ride in an ambulance! been wanting to ride in a vehicle with lights and sirens since i was a little kid, though perhaps not under these circumstances…

hozn – i was told to reach out to you as we now have an opening for a cat5 on the team (at least for 6 weeks or so…)

Lets just say that the adrenaline rush of having the sea of crashers part right in front of me allowing me to skate through skidding my rear wheel was quickly deflated when I looked over and saw you on the ground.

Heal up fast buddy!

–Pete

[Harry Meatmotor]

@PeteD 113604 wrote:

Lets just say that the adrenaline rush of having the sea of crashers part right in front of me allowing me to skate through skidding my rear wheel was quickly deflated when I looked over and saw you on the ground.

Heal up fast buddy!

–Pete

Thanks Pete!!! surgery went fine – I should be able to make it out for the opening TT @ ToPC. But I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get enough miles in on the trainer this week…

in all seriousness, I think it’ll be a quick 6 weeks of recovery, and i can’t wait to get back out on the bike. I may need to rethink riding with a backpack, thanks to my newly installed titanium upgrades being right under the skin. guess I should start a “recommend me a pannier bag” thread in the commuter forum, right?

anyhow, pete, whatever your next race is, you can count on me cheering from the curb!!!!

[komorebi]

Me: cyclist on Beach Road in Rock Creek Park, changing her first flat tire.
You: the many, many cyclists who whizzed by without stopping or asking whether things were OK. I interpreted your decision not to stop as a vote of confidence that I knew what I was doing. I’m glad that I at least looked competent, because I surely didn’t feel competent.

Me: see above.
You: friendly cyclist who did stop, after I’d finally fixed the flat and was about to remount the wheel. I ended up not needing your help, but I’m grateful that you stopped anyway. We chatted about minipumps, and now I’m thinking about upgrading mine.

Me: see above.
You: Mother Nature. I fully expected that my first flat would happen in the dark, in the rain, in the cold, or in all three. Seventy-five and mostly sunny was about as good as it gets.

[Terpfan]

Me: Cycling coming down Beacon Hill Rd
You: Woman who backed into the middle turn lane from your house and then proceeded to cut me off.
Me: Wondering, gosh maybe she’s stupid and just missed my annoying front light on blinky mode, neon green shirt, when she decided to move into the lane in front of me knowing full well I was going as fast as a car (it’s a nice descent).
You: 5 seconds later intentionally start shifting the lane to cut me off again.
Me: Okay, maybe she’s just trying to move to the right lane real quick as if there wans’t a 1/4 mile stretch to do so.
You: Starts using your windshield wipers on your car.
Me Finding Your Windshield Wiper Fluid: Ok, now I’m questioning you.
You: 50 feet later, windshield washing again.
Me Wet Again: Now agitated mumbling inappropriate words.
You: Again with the windshield wiper fluid right after the light for the next descent.

What a b—h. I can’t fathom why people do that? I mean, where do I begin? She could have simply waited for me to pass the same way she did for the cars in front of me. It’s not like I’m going slow on a downhill stretch. She could have then stuck to the lane she was in to safely pass me rather than cut me off forcing me to slam my brakes. But the repeated windshield washing fluid thing was enough for me to debate sending a quick clip to the local cops I met at one of the civic association nights. Oh yah, she got no further ahead by her shenanigans and I passed her at the bottom of the next hill where it becomes Belle View Blvd.
(https://youtu.be/6EzGFsNQdcA)

[Tania]

Thanks to Barry, a nice gentleman in a yellow windbreaker, for escorting me out of the city and along the MVT so I could pick up the 4MR into Shirlington. Without you, I would have gotten lost repeatedly. I’m glad I asked you which way you were headed at the light by the Washington Monument!

It was a pleasure riding with you sir.

[Geoff]

Me: riding westbound on Custis, near the top of the first of the Sister Hills at maybe 9 mph.
You: Heavy panting coming up behind me, getting closer.
Me: turning to see who was overtaking me and finding… a runner!

I did the only thing I could, which was to call out “Well done!”
I think the bearded young fellow was doing hills for training and had set catching me as a challenge, because as soon as he pulled even he grinned at me and turned around. I was impressed.

[mstone]

Me: one of the middle aged cyclists who is typically among the first to arrive (unfashionably early) in the morning at our building

You: the last clean towel on the rack

MY PRECIOUS!

[Author]

Posts