Found Connection

[consularrider]

At the start of yesterday morning’s ride I saw another cyclist about a block back as I pulled into the street. He caught up to me as I was crossing the tram tracks and was saying something to me in Russian. When I explained I didn’t speak Ukrainian or Russian, he switched to very rusty English and was pointing to his short salt and pepper beard and saying how much it was like mine. We rode together for about a half mile and he explained he was a bike messenger. He reminded me a lot of Rod Smith (without the trailer) and just as I was going to get my camera out to ask for a photo, our routes diverged.

[Drewdane]

Props to the dude on the CaBi who I was unable to overtake this morning. Can we trade legs?

[GovernorSilver]

@Drewdane 126906 wrote:

Props to the dude on the CaBi who I was unable to overtake this morning. Can we trade legs?

Was that PotomacCyclist?

I too was passed once by CaBi rider who was gunning it pretty hard – it’ll be a while before I reach that level of power and endurance.

[bobco85]

This almost made it to the “Missed connection” thread, but the turnout was positive-ish so it will go here.

Me: after crossing George Mason Dr on Park Dr, pull up behind 2 cars stopped for a crossing guard letting people across between Lubber Run and Barrett ES
(traffic is stopped for a good 20 seconds because it’s just after school lets out)
You: elderly driver of 2nd car, decides to start backing up slowly (2 mph probably) without looking behind you (I’m directly in the middle of your rear view mirror), presumably to use the Lubber Run parking lot to get around the stoppage
Me: noticing a car coming very slowly at me, backs up, moves to the side, and knocks on the right side of your trunk because you’re not stopping
You: finally stop
Me: (assertively) “Hey, you almost backed into me!”
You: (backs up further and rolls down the passenger side window) “What’s that?”
Me: “You almost backed into me. I knocked on your car so that you’d stop.”
You: “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I was backing up to go around.”
Me: “That’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was there. I was like, ‘He’s about to back into me!’ Thank you.”
You: “Thank you.”
Me: (pulling up behind the 1st car as the crossing guard starts letting traffic move)

I figured it was best to speak up, but I also kept my cool and did not yell. This was the first time I’ve ever had to physically touch a vehicle to get the driver’s attention. I left a bit concerned, though, as I seemed to be doing everything correctly to be in the driver’s line of sight (square in the middle of where his rear view mirror would look) yet still almost got bumped.

[Crickey7]

Either the jogger I just passed was using a language learning app on his smartphone, or someone was telling me again and again, in a very affected Spanish accent, that he loved me.

[Judd]

@Crickey7 127229 wrote:

Either the jogger I just passed was using a language learning app on his smartphone, or someone was telling me again and again, in a very affected Spanish accent, that he loved me.

It was me. And I do love you.

[komorebi]

Bravo to the Good Samaritan who fixed a stranger’s broken chain at the corner of 15th and Independence this evening. The person whose chain broke (not me, just to be clear) was obviously a newbie rider. You patiently explained what you were doing without sounding the least bit condescending, and you repaired the chain and got him on his way in short order. You exemplify the best of the cycling community. Well done, sir.

Later on my ride, a driver inexplicably objected to my taking the lane, even though the road was otherwise deserted and he had a nice empty lane of his very own. Writing this Found Connection post in my head helped me focus on the positive and ignore the driver’s rude behavior, per the other thread. So I hope that you’re getting double the usual amount of good karma points, Mr. Good Samaritan.

[dplasters]

To the MedSpeed driver turning right onto prosperity from hilltop. Thanks for the compliment. I was moving at a pretty good pace this afternoon.

[thucydides]

Today’s discordant set of stickers on a car: A BMW with I [bike] Rockville , LSU alum, Feel the Bern, and a 1-Star (as in one-star general).

The only thing that could improve it is a Gadsden-flag license plate and an HRC equality sticker. Oh and he knew how to drive around cyclists as well. It almost changes my opinion of BMW drivers.

Almost.

[DCLiz]

Huge thank you to the Capitol Police Officer who helped to dislodge my rear rack from my rear derailleur. The screw that attached it to my frame in the center of the wheel had come loose, and the attachment point got lodged firmly in my gears when I jostled it a bit going through the bollards.

Pro tip: check the screws on your rear rack periodically.

[breakingaway89]

Can anybody explain what exactly “found connection” is? :D:D

[ShawnoftheDread]

See the first post. It’s a spot for telling about positive interactions during your rides. A counterpoint to the missed connections thread.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[notinthe18]

@ShawnoftheDread 140397 wrote:

See the first post. It’s a spot for telling about positive interactions during your rides. A counterpoint to the missed connections thread.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And on that note, since I shared a missed one recently, let me give a shoutout to the group of cyclists with whom I crossed Memorial Bridge this morning. All polite and all working in sync on passes, etc. Delightful ride on a gorgeous morning.

[OneEighth]

Tuesday. Red fixie. Nice ride and good conversation with a bid dude who kept me honest from George Mason until Buchanan. Excellent.
Wednesday. Cheater bike. Lotsa raging at NDMFs going sub-55 in the passing lane on I-66. Bogus.
Thursday. Red Fixie. Drafted by short chica who kept me honest all the way from George Mason to the Custis/W&OD and said “thanks for the draft” when I peeled off. Excellent.
Friday…Really, really want to ride the red fixie again…anything on the path, really…

[komorebi]

Me: heading north on the MVT, mildly grumpy after two bad passes in close succession. (The first guy did a dangerous up-the-middle pass between me and an oncoming rider, and the second guy passed me on the left even though I had already signaled that I was about to pass a pedestrian.)

You: happy rider on a bright orange bike southbound on the MVT, cheerfully calling out “Good morning!” to everyone on the trail.

I responded with a “Good morning” out of sheer habit. But those two words were enough to break my grumpy mood and make me realize that it was indeed a good morning to be on the bike: blue skies, sunlight streaming through the trees, and a nice breeze coming off the river.

Thanks for sharing the happiness, Mr. Happy Rider!

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