Missed connection

[dkel]

@mikoglaces 86058 wrote:

Have had similar done to me. Always have to look at the cars behind the one that stops. Glad you weren’t hit.

Yeah, I knew there were two cars, but I didn’t expect the second to come around, and didn’t see it happen because I looked the other way to make sure there were no cars coming from the other direction: he must have started around when my head was turned. I don’t see a way out of this situation, except for people not to be dicks.

Thanks for your kind words, BTW.

[brendan]

@dkel 86113 wrote:

Yeah, I knew there were two cars, but I didn’t expect the second to come around, and didn’t see it happen because I looked the other way to make sure there were no cars coming from the other direction: he must have started around when my head was turned. I don’t see a way out of this situation, except for people not to be dicks.

Thanks for your kind words, BTW.

Sometimes in this type of situation I say/mouth “I can’t. Too dangerous. Thanks.”, lift up my hands and shrug.

Especially at Gallows Road. The things I’ve seen there…

B

[americancyclo]

@brendan 86030 wrote:

Yinz: Four cyclists pacelining eastward on the W&OD during rush hour, passing on the centerline

Sounds like the fair weather K St. Lawyer Cycle Train! I’ve drafted off this group a few times. and that’s all I have to say that is nice.

[dkel]

@brendan 86117 wrote:

Sometimes in this type of situation I say/mouth “I can’t. Too dangerous. Thanks.”, lift up my hands and shrug.

Especially at Gallows Road. The things I’ve seen there…

B

My friend here at work who has been a cyclist forever (commuting, but also mega-touring all over Europe–even crossed the alps in a snow storm!) will not make the W&OD crossings at Hunter Mill or Cedar because of the stuff he’s seen there: cars spinning out into each other, etc. Sometimes I wonder if using exclusively on-street routes would be safer than any MUP that includes road crossings. He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore; he rides a mile to a bus stop and locks his bike up there.

[brendan]

@dkel 86150 wrote:

My friend here at work who has been a cyclist forever (commuting, but also mega-touring all over Europe–even crossed the alps in a snow storm!) will not make the W&OD crossings at Hunter Mill or Cedar because of the stuff he’s seen there: cars spinning out into each other, etc. Sometimes I wonder if using exclusively on-street routes would be safer than any MUP that includes road crossings. He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore; he rides a mile to a bus stop and locks his bike up there.

Yeah, for whatever reason, Hunter Mill has high speeds for a single-lane in each direction road (whether legal or not) and just terrible sight lines. I always wait for both directions to completely stop before entering the roadway to cross, and keep an eye out for vehicles exiting the adjacent parking lot. This sometimes annoys the drivers, but sometimes they see why I do that when the opposing traffic doesn’t bother to slow/stop or slows a bit but rolls through anyway. There are some places I nudge into the roadway to assert a crossing right…but not there.

B

[GB]

@dkel 86150 wrote:

My friend …will not make the W&OD crossings at Hunter Mill or Cedar because of the stuff he’s seen there: cars spinning out into each other, etc. .. He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore…

#excuses

We all have them (I’m fond of “too cold & wet”) but this seems kinda weak. Show him the rules (& how to cross traffic safely) and commence chastising.

[jabberwocky]

@brendan 86151 wrote:

Yeah, for whatever reason, Hunter Mill has high speeds for a single-lane in each direction road (whether legal or not) and just terrible sight lines.

One of the ballsiest things I’ve ever seen a human being do was commuting home several years ago, I approached two older women walkers right at the Hunters Mill intersection at rush hour. I slowed, figuring I’d let them cross, and follow them. They got to Hunters Mill road, and without even glancing left or right, held up their hands like a traffic cop and walked right into rush hour traffic.

There was some tire squealing, but they didn’t get hit, and seemed utterly unconcerned on the other side.

I told them that was pretty ballsy when I passed them, and they laughed and said thanks. To this day I’m not sure if it was really a compliment.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@dkel 86150 wrote:

My friend here at work who has been a cyclist forever (commuting, but also mega-touring all over Europe–even crossed the alps in a snow storm!) will not make the W&OD crossings at Hunter Mill or Cedar because of the stuff he’s seen there: cars spinning out into each other, etc. Sometimes I wonder if using exclusively on-street routes would be safer than any MUP that includes road crossings. He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore; he rides a mile to a bus stop and locks his bike up there.

That seems….excessive.

[dkel]

@TwoWheelsDC 86158 wrote:

That seems….excessive.

I agree. He does tell some pretty harrowing stories, though. Nevertheless, he’s been *extremely* encouraging to me as I’ve become addicted to cycling these last few months. In the midst of people at work telling me how concerned that bike commuting is dangerous (despite the fact they haven’t tried it), or insisting that they drive me home in bad weather (I don’t let them; I’m prepared and experienced, so it seems rather insulting to me), the same guy that has dramatically curtailed his own riding seems to understand what I’m doing and why I love it, and gives me lots of great advice and encouragement. Go figure.

[lordofthemark]

@dkel 86150 wrote:

He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore; he rides a mile to a bus stop and locks his bike up there.

A multimodal bike commute is a bike commute is a bike commute

[consularrider]

dkel, how do you think your friend would react to having to go through the Intersection of Doom or the Crosswalk of Doom twice a day? I guess since I only hit the Hunter Mill crossing a few times a month I don’t see it as bad enough to foce me to from resort to riding a bus instead of riding. Again, we all have our own tolerance of what we consider risks.

[dkel]

@consularrider 86179 wrote:

dkel, how do you think your friend would react to having to go through the Intersection of Doom or the Crosswalk of Doom twice a day? I guess since I only hit the Hunter Mill crossing a few times a month I don’t see it as bad enough to foce me to from resort to riding a bus instead of riding. Again, we all have our own tolerance of what we consider risks.

He commuted from Reston into DC every day for years, though I don’t know his specific route (I can ask him tonight). I do think it’s a little sad that he’s cut down his distance so much, but he does ride to the bus stop every day, all year, all weather, and he rides errands around Vienna all the time. So it’s not like he’s given up altogether!

[n18]

@dkel 86150 wrote:

My friend here at work who has been a cyclist forever (commuting, but also mega-touring all over Europe–even crossed the alps in a snow storm!) will not make the W&OD crossings at Hunter Mill or Cedar because of the stuff he’s seen there: cars spinning out into each other, etc. Sometimes I wonder if using exclusively on-street routes would be safer than any MUP that includes road crossings. He’s decided not to ride his commute from Reston into the District anymore; he rides a mile to a bus stop and locks his bike up there.

I avoid these two intersections by either crossing them before 5:00 PM, or do something else for an hour and try again after 6:00 PM.

[n18]

@consularrider 86179 wrote:

dkel, how do you think your friend would react to having to go through the Intersection of Doom or the Crosswalk of Doom twice a day? I guess since I only hit the Hunter Mill crossing a few times a month I don’t see it as bad enough to foce me to from resort to riding a bus instead of riding. Again, we all have our own tolerance of what we consider risks.

Easy! I just use this alternative(in red instead of green):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5689[/ATTACH]

At Hunter Mill RD intersection there is no alternative. The nearest traffic light is 0.9 miles in either direction of Hunter Mill RD, and it has many blind curves and hilly areas, and no clearance at the edge of the road. At Cerdar LN intersection, it’s easier since there is a bike path or sidewalk along it to go to alternate routes. The nearest traffic light is about 0.5 Miles away in either directions, but I generally use alternate routes.

[VikingMariner]

@dkel 86184 wrote:

He commuted from Reston into DC every day for years, though I don’t know his specific route (I can ask him tonight). I do think it’s a little sad that he’s cut down his distance so much, but he does ride to the bus stop every day, all year, all weather, and he rides errands around Vienna all the time. So it’s not like he’s given up altogether!

I get it. Heck I’ve done some off-the-chart dangerous stuff in Afghanistan but I’ll be damned if I’m looking for danger on the bike path. Your friend sounds like a smart guy to me. Minimizing and mitigating risk is a smart approach.

[Author]

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