Missed connection

[TwoWheelsDC]

I’ll just leave this here….

[bobco85]

To the mother who saw me fixing a flat (thanks Fairfax County for having a 4 inch lip between Braddock Road and Columbia Road, another flat from riding in Fairfax for me) on Columbia Road at 11 at night, turned around (which actually scared me because you don’t know who is going to do what at night), asked me if I was okay, and then said, “My son is a cyclist. I live near here and will send him out to help you if you’re still here.”:

Thank you. That was probably the nicest thing I’ve ever had someone do to a cyclist, especially considering it was 11 pm.

Additional thanks go to her (teenage?) son, who did come by with a flashlight (I had my bike lights, but it did help to have another angle) and offered to bring a pump, spare tube, etc. if I needed them. I was prepared and was able to change the tube out, but did appreciate the concern. Also, if I were still alone at that point I’d be dropping f-bombs and such.

I was able to make it back home without any trouble afterwards, but felt it was definitely worth mentioning the acts of kindness I received last night.

[lordofthemark]

I am sorry that motorcycle slamming into the car coming southbound, in the center, pushed the left hand north bound lane drivers over into the right hand lane. That did not, I think, give y’all the right to use the bike lane to compensate. Yes, there was no one in the bike lane at the moment, but that was because I had pulled onto the sidewalk to stop and look to see if anyone was hurt (no one was, and others stopped to help, and I was too pre-occupied with my riding to be a good witness) I wanted to go on my way, but could not immediately return to the bike lane due to your appropriating it.

[dasgeh]

@aflapr 27325 wrote:

Ouch – this is why I like the iBert. Plus, it makes our daughter feel like she is on a parade float – so she waves to everyone. It’s nice to look at the faces of folks coming the other way, 95% of the time it will draw a big smile.

Ditto for the BoBike Mini (which I like to hawk because (1) you can only buy online and (2) it’s cooler and more adjustable than the iBert = lots of people tell us they wish they had heard of it before buying the iBert). It also helps that our daughter has a pink mohawk on her helmet. Tourists were taking pictures of us went we went down to the Mall on Saturday.

[pfunkallstar]

Dear dude in the fluorescent green vest en route to the W&ODizzy on Van Buren this morning who REALLY wanted a Cat 6 race,

I was waiting for the multi-ton SUV to actually indicate whether it was going to proceed in our direction, I’m sorry I had to slow down for this. However, you cutting across from behind me in front of the SUV to shave a few seconds off your trip into town was just stupid. Moreover, just as a rule, try to keep up the pace if you are going to Cat 6 – you need to do some hill work, buy some shoes, or something. You moustachio is baller.

Love,

Pfunk

[aflapr]

@dasgeh 27397 wrote:

Ditto for the BoBike Mini (which I like to hawk because (1) you can only buy online and (2) it’s cooler and more adjustable than the iBert = lots of people tell us they wish they had heard of it before buying the iBert)…

Thanks for the tip. We bought the iBert because it was the first front carrier I had come across. We were living in Key West at the time and it worked great for us down there. Now our has reached the weight limit for the iBert – the BoBike Maxi looks like a worthy next step.

[jrenaut]

@aflapr 27480 wrote:

…the BoBike Maxi…

That is a truly horrible name for a thing.

[dasgeh]

@aflapr 27480 wrote:

Thanks for the tip. We bought the iBert because it was the first front carrier I had come across. We were living in Key West at the time and it worked great for us down there. Now our has reached the weight limit for the iBert – the BoBike Maxi looks like a worthy next step.

A woman in my office has the BoBike Junior (the one that folds down – it’s for older kids). That one looks cool.

[Terpfan]

This is for your Mr. Quick Step jersey on your mountainbike. While you do need your ego checked down a few notches, I’m not going to fight you over me saying you didn’t call your pass and you saying you did. Speaking of which, who the hell stops his bike and says he wants to fight over something so stupid? I can only imagine how crappy your life must be to get flustered over something so small in the grand scheme of things.

But it does beg the point that when making a pass, if you’re not going to use a bell then you need to do it loudly, especially when we’re underneath a highway overpass where it’s naturally noisy. And your answer that I couldn’t hear it because of my earbuds (while amusing to me since they weren’t actually on for once and when they are, they’re on low volume) is sort of a poor argument anyway since the point of calling the pass isn’t for you to hear yourself.

That’s it, have a great morning .

[GuyContinental]

@Terpfan 27624 wrote:

And your answer that I couldn’t hear it because of my earbuds (while amusing to me since they weren’t actually on for once and when they are, they’re on low volume) is sort of a poor argument anyway since the point of calling the pass isn’t for you to hear yourself.

/curmudgeon on

You had me until this… on or off a bud has no business in your street-side (left) ear. Really. My numero uno with a bullet MUP irritant is folks not hearing my pass call because of buds. Would I start a fight over it? Heck no, but I *might* not bother to warn a bud-wearer of my pass since 95% of the time they don’t hear me anyway. You are right- his calling the pass is largely for your benefit but you hearing it is for yours…

/curmudgeon off

[rcannon100]

Um yeah. Having ear buds is non-verbal communication for “you dont have to bother to call your pass.”

I ring my bell anyway – but I also the 1% (there is an occupy protest taking place in my pannier)

[baiskeli]

@rcannon100 27630 wrote:

Um yeah. Having ear buds is non-verbal communication for “you dont have to bother to call your pass.”

If someone with earbuds ever complained that I didn’t call a pass, I’d say “how do you know I didn’t?”

[Terpfan]

@GuyContinental 27629 wrote:

/curmudgeon on

You had me until this… on or off a bud has no business in your street-side (left) ear. Really. My numero uno with a bullet MUP irritant is folks not hearing my pass call because of buds. Would I start a fight over it? Heck no, but I *might* not bother to warn a bud-wearer of my pass since 95% of the time they don’t hear me anyway. You are right- his calling the pass is largely for your benefit but you hearing it is for yours…

/curmudgeon off

That’s a fair point on the earbuds as is Rcannon’s post. I was expecting a call and left them in so I would know when to pull off (can’t hear the phone or feel it on MVT otherwise).

At the same time, I call my passes regardless of whether or not someone has earbuds in. Particularly with the bell as I have had runners tell me they can hear the bell even with their earbuds in. My whole goal is so the person knows i’m passing and doesn’t move left for some reason, pull a crazy ivan or otherwise. I do it because it’s required but more so so because it’s safer for me.

[sjclaeys]

As someone who also runs on the W&OD in the morning, I can still hear call outs with my earbuds in, so keep them coming. You know that I hear you when I give a little wave with my left hand.

[pfunkallstar]

Have to agree on the no earbud thing – nonetheless the guy who wears DJ headphones and rides on the MVT with no hands – that is just dangerous.

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