Missed connection

[scoot]

That’s 34th in the photo (east of Key Bridge), not 35th.

[Tania]

Me: rolling down the Rosslyn hill into the city, chit chatting with the SO.

You: Mark aka Gearcrusher. ‘Nuff said.

[Drewdane]

You: Cyclist all in black except for ridiculous neon yellow shoe covers riding EB on the Custis trail this morning, blowing right through the red light directly in front of oncoming traffic at Oak Street, making annoyed noises and gestures when you (deservedly) got honked at.

Good job, genius; you’re why people hate cyclists.

[Jason Seligman]

Two mornings ago, this guy goes flying by my girlfriend and I as we are riding to work descending into Roslyn on the Custis Trail. I shout out “let people know where you are,” an he throws his two hand in the air in a big ‘Whatever’ as he hits the next drop between a wall on his right and chain link fence on his left (a place pedestrians use to access the trail from their homes).

It was totally disrespectful, so I engaged and caught him at the light and blocked him with my bike. Whats up? – He claimed he rang a bell (neither of us heard it, neither of us was wearing headphones), oh okay – did not hear that, what’s up with throwing your hands up when some one asks you to be courtous. He claimed that “he’s been riding for 15 years” that he’s “a safe rider.” I said, “well a lot of us have commuting a long time, what you did was not cool and was not safe – whats up with the hands in the air on a busy descent?!” he says, “I’m a technical rider…” a “technical” rider, I repeated in disbelief.

what a massive dork. As he goes riding on he starts complaining that I addressed him. I could not help but curse him and his motorcycle as he left (and hope he’d wipe out on the wooden bridge under the weight of his 40 pound motorized “technically I’ll claim its a bicycle” thing-a-m’bob that absolutely is not a bicycle).

My girlfriend recognized him as “The gear crusher…” yeah, real safe “technical dude.”

Looks like he got some “PRs” on his motorcycle that morning. Strava is not appropriate when sharing a multi use trail during a congested commute in my opinion, but Strava on a motorcycle is totally lame, always, everywhere, period.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3532218

– that morning:
KOM on courthouse SW
2nd overall on W&OD Broad to Gallows
5th overall on Custis Trail, Rt29/Spout Run to Vermont
and where we saw him – gosh I guess he was slowing down because he clocked a “mere” 7th Custis – Lee Overpass to Glebe.

[baiskeli]

@SpaceJockey 167118 wrote:

You: 30-ish blonde with glasses and a pony-tail right by the off-ramp from George Washington Memorial Parkway to Memorial Drive.

Me: Scantily-clad tearing through the whips of wind on this cool Autumn morning emblazoned by the rising sun.

When our eyes met, I could sense the attraction immediately, you crept closer and never looked away. We made eye contact up until…….. I needed to remind you that you are sitting in a mid-sized SUV and I am clipped into a road bike at high speed with the right-of-way. I’m not interested in our crossing paths again, no hard feelings, I hope this message finds you well.

As the founder of this thread, I must say you nailed it.

[Emm]

@Jason Seligman 168159 wrote:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3532218

– that morning:
KOM on courthouse SW
2nd overall on W&OD Broad to Gallows
5th overall on Custis Trail, Rt29/Spout Run to Vermont
and where we saw him – gosh I guess he was slowing down because he clocked a “mere” 7th Custis – Lee Overpass to Glebe.

If he was on an ebike or a motorcycle like thing, flag them so he loses the KOM. That’s a perfectly valid reason to flag rides.. Ebikes have their own Strava category, and are not supposed to be categorized as bicycles.

[sjclaeys]

Me: Waiting at light on M St. in Georgetown.
You: E-bike driver passing me on the right with no warning, not slowing down and blowing through the light.
You: Later on the Custis Trail trying to pedal your e-bike with a dead battery.
Me: Passing you at my usual 12 mph commuting speed, believing in karma.

[creadinger]

I was thinking about putting this in the found connection, as in I FOUND a $^&*load of glass on Naylor Rd just up from R St SE this morning.

There’s about 2 full windshields worth of shattered glass in the road. Don’t think taking the sidewalk will help you get around it either. Somehow, even the sidewalk is covered with it. Some driver(s) had a really bad day there some time between Wednesday evening and this morning. Does DC clean this sort of thing up? Or do they just let nature turn it back into sand over years and years? If the latter, I’m going to have to re-route my commute for a little while.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8691222,-76.9715615,3a,43.9y,312.22h,78.8t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szDhtZSNJ7am1zvW_eVxWNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[SpaceJockey]

@baiskeli 168173 wrote:

As the founder of this thread, I must say you nailed it.

Well I was simply following protocol, but I am new here so I have plenty of time to lower my standards, maybe L’il Miss SUV has a chance after all.

[Brett L.]

@Emm 168176 wrote:

If he was on an ebike or a motorcycle like thing, flag them so he loses the KOM. That’s a perfectly valid reason to flag rides.. Ebikes have their own Strava category, and are not supposed to be categorized as bicycles.

That would sting him more than any accident or curse!

[SpaceJockey]

@Jason Seligman 168159 wrote:

Two mornings ago, this guy goes flying by my girlfriend and I as we are riding to work descending into Roslyn on the Custis Trail. I shout out “let people know where you are,” an he throws his two hand in the air in a big ‘Whatever’ as he hits the next drop between a wall on his right and chain link fence on his left (a place pedestrians use to access the trail from their homes).

It was totally disrespectful, so I engaged and caught him at the light and blocked him with my bike. Whats up? – He claimed he rang a bell (neither of us heard it, neither of us was wearing headphones), oh okay – did not hear that, what’s up with throwing your hands up when some one asks you to be courtous. He claimed that “he’s been riding for 15 years” that he’s “a safe rider.” I said, “well a lot of us have commuting a long time, what you did was not cool and was not safe – whats up with the hands in the air on a busy descent?!” he says, “I’m a technical rider…” a “technical” rider, I repeated in disbelief.

what a massive dork. As he goes riding on he starts complaining that I addressed him. I could not help but curse him and his motorcycle as he left (and hope he’d wipe out on the wooden bridge under the weight of his 40 pound motorized “technically I’ll claim its a bicycle” thing-a-m’bob that absolutely is not a bicycle).

My girlfriend recognized him as “The gear crusher…” yeah, real safe “technical dude.”

Looks like he got some “PRs” on his motorcycle that morning. Strava is not appropriate when sharing a multi use trail during a congested commute in my opinion, but Strava on a motorcycle is totally lame, always, everywhere, period.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3532218

– that morning:
KOM on courthouse SW
2nd overall on W&OD Broad to Gallows
5th overall on Custis Trail, Rt29/Spout Run to Vermont
and where we saw him – gosh I guess he was slowing down because he clocked a “mere” 7th Custis – Lee Overpass to Glebe.

Since I was curious about the oft-cited “Gearcrusher” with the fear that my alter-ego could in fact be the Gearcrusher (I ride a Black Cannondale CAAD 10 or a Black BMX), I took to the forums and saw someone did a speed analysis on the guy with 16-21 mph average speeds and top speeds ballpark 30-31 mph based on Strava data. I don’t see anything unreasonable about those speeds from an objective standpoint, the only caveat being that attaining those average speeds in the city is challenging to do unless you are blowing through intersections, which some of us do occasionally. Are we 100% certain that this Strava rider is the E-Gearcrusher?

[Tania]

@SpaceJockey 168276 wrote:

Are we 100% certain that this Strava rider is the E-Gearcrusher?

Yes.

[musclys]

@sjclaeys 168189 wrote:

Me: Waiting at light on M St. in Georgetown.
You: E-bike driver passing me on the right with no warning, not slowing down and blowing through the light.

Me: Delighting in your consistent use of E-bike *driver*

[creadinger]

Two from Anacostia Dr. SE

1) Me in the afternoon riding south. You cruise by in your car and honk at me, then point indicating that I should be on the side path. Do you have any idea what the speed limit is? It’s 20mph. I’m going 19. Only one of us is obeying the law, and it’s not you bud! Oh, you think since I’m on a bike I should have to navigate the group of 6 people with dogs on 10 foot leases, or the lady with a 150lb dog that actually lunged at me, or the group of Police cadets doing fitness tests, or the moms with strollers, or the…. all on the side path? Did I really inconvenience you that much? You deserve the middle finger you got in return for being so clueless.

2) Completely opposite story… The past few mornings riding north toward PA Ave., there’s a REALLY friendly jogger who from the side path actually looks over, has a big smile on her face and lifts her hand above her should to wave at me. She HAS to think I’m someone else right? I mean I appreciate the nice gesture and in return give a smile and head bob but I’m a nobody, and does she do the same for every cyclist she sees? Here’s to hoping she keeps it up when she realizes that we don’t know each other. Haha.

[Judd]

@creadinger 168884 wrote:

2) Completely opposite story… The past few mornings riding north toward PA Ave., there’s a REALLY friendly jogger who from the side path actually looks over, has a big smile on her face and lifts her hand above her should to wave at me. She HAS to think I’m someone else right? I mean I appreciate the nice gesture and in return give a smile and head bob but I’m a nobody, and does she do the same for every cyclist she sees? Here’s to hoping she keeps it up when she realizes that we don’t know each other. Haha.

Maybe she just thinks you’re handsome and is trying to make a move.

[Author]

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