My Evening Commute

[Dickie]

Was not my finest. It started OK as I stopped off at Bikenetic to see Dirt and talk new cross/commuter tires as mine are completely shot and flatting all the time. Dirt was not around but Jan was glad to help out. I left informed but without new rubber for now. Back on the WOD and being careful to elude the dreaded FCPD I slowed at the Grove St. crossing only to be passed by a dude with absolutely no regard for the stop sign. He flew through the intersection just as I was getting clipped in without even a look. He then pulled the ultimate DB move, passing (and nearly clipping) two woman with strollers as they crossed paths with a gentleman walking towards them… yep, four abreast with him at speed. The gentleman yelled and put his hands out for protection and the ladies screamed. I slowed, apologized for his behavior and chased the scum down. As I got next to him (and gestured for him to remove his headphones) I became possessed by a sudden calmness (weird). I decided to politely explain what I had just witnessed and suggested better methods for future situations… he tolerated my intrusion and then I flatted. DANG IT! Luckily it was directly in front of the “Free Air” station on the WOD so I rolled my bike to the station, leaned my steed against the air machine (you can see where this is going), started taking off my back pack when I watched my bike slowly roll forward and fall against the pole…. result:

Needless to say, wasn’t a great ride home.

Topic

[vern]

I saw the Elf this evening as it passed me on the WOD just west of Hunter Mill. It had a little sign in it’s rear window saying it was a cycling car. At least this time the pass wasn’t as reckless as I’ve seen and experienced in the past.

[Tim Kelley]

@KLizotte 146894 wrote:

This evening heading southbound on the MVT I was passed by a cyclist with this sign attached to the back of his rack. It was pretty cool! He also said something to me when he passed but I missed it because I was listening to music. Sorry!

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This guy? http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?10285-Bikes-May-Use-Full-Lane

[Zack]

@Tim Kelley 146935 wrote:

This guy? http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?10285-Bikes-May-Use-Full-Lane

Yep! Feel free to download your own. I just replaced mine with a larger 11×17 version. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0VMd9gdykZVSUlmd0ExTmdrN2M/view?usp=sharing

There is also some evidence which suggests that it actually works too.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136973

[DCAKen]

Yesterday afternoon, as I cycled down through Rock Creek on the section of trail going through the zoo, I noticed a group of police officers standing on the trail just upstream of the south gate. As I passed by, there were more EMS personnel lifting someone on a stretcher from the creek bed. I couldn’t tell if it was a pedestrian or a cyclist that had tumbled off the trail into the creek.

Also on the way home, I noticed my real derailleur was shifting rather oddly, so I figured the cable was about to break. So I continued the ride only shifting my front gears, making for a good spinning morning with the rear in the fourth ring. I stopped in at City Bikes in Adams Morgan to get the cable replaced, but the mechanic (one I hadn’t worked with before) was sure it was just in need of an adjustment. After fiddling with the rear derailleur, he starting working the shifter and almost immediately, the cable snapped. And now they had to take apart the shifter to get the broken end of the cable out…which was exactly why I brought it in before it broke. Fortunately, it only took them about 15 minutes to get that repaired, but that made me think back to the time when I broke a cable on an older bike and they weren’t able to get the end out of the shifter, requiring me to buy a new one.

[americancyclo]

Anyone know what was up with the driver pulled over just south of the Shreve WOD crossing Monday afternoon at 5pm? Saw blue flashing lights and two officers but wasn’t nosy enough to stop.

[ginacico]

Another one of those evenings, where security around the White House created rush hour chaos. I could get into Lafayette Square via H Street, but not out onto Penn Ave. 15th Street was also closed for a couple of blocks. I actually saw a Metro bus making a 6,942-point turn in the middle of 15th Street to get away from the road block. Thanks, Secret Service!

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[Crickey7]

@DCAKen 147477 wrote:

I stopped in at City Bikes in Adams Morgan to get the cable replaced, but the mechanic (one I hadn’t worked with before) was sure it was just in need of an adjustment.

Wonder if that’s the one that assured me he could just replace the cracked bearing in my rear hub, leading to my only experience with total mid-ride hub failure.

[Steve O]

@ginacico 147588 wrote:

I actually saw a Metro bus making a 6,942-point turn in the middle of 15th Street to get away from the road block.

I think that was a 6,943 point turn. Unless it ended up going backwards.

[rcannon100]

Glorious.

[huskerdont]

@ginacico 147588 wrote:

Another one of those evenings, where security around the White House created rush hour chaos. I could get into Lafayette Square via H Street, but not out onto Penn Ave. 15th Street was also closed for a couple of blocks. I actually saw a Metro bus making a 6,942-point turn in the middle of 15th Street to get away from the road block. Thanks, Secret Service!

It’s been a pain all week–I think I’ve made it through once. When it’s closed, I just turn around and go to the ellipse. If that’s closed, I fight it out on Constitution. I really hate going north of the White House. It’s either sidewalk, salmon, or a shi*t-fight on I Street, and I can’t say which of the three sucks the worst.

My route wouldn’t work for you though.

[Judd]

@huskerdont 147613 wrote:

It’s been a pain all week–I think I’ve made it through once. When it’s closed, I just turn around and go to the ellipse. If that’s closed, I fight it out on Constitution. I really hate going north of the White House. It’s either sidewalk, salmon, or a shi*t-fight on I Street, and I can’t say which of the three sucks the worst.

My route wouldn’t work for you though.

From the flags and the blocked off section on Pennsylvania it looks like someone from Italy is visiting. It seems like my evening commute is screwed every time someone visits. When Justin Trudeau was here the whole week was a pain in the ass.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Judd 147629 wrote:

When Justin Trudeau was here the whole week was a pain in the ass.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://youtu.be/bOR38552MJA

[rcannon100]

Wonderful!

[KLizotte]

Uncomfortable. I forgot to hang up my bike clothes when I got to work so they were still rather sweaty when I put them on for the ride home. Ughhhh!

[huskerdont]

Used the new Wilson Blvd. protected bike lane. I often don’t like protected bike lanes between parked cars and the sidewalk because of people crossing them, but since this one is mostly uphill and you’re not going very fast, it was very nice. Felt safe and cuddly except for where cars merge across it for a right turn just after parked cars so that their vision can’t be too good. (I think this is right before Quinn.) Cyclists will really have to watch out there.

Then proceeded the rest of the way out the Wilson and Fairfax lanes for a bit of a change. Bike shifted funny at Glebe so I should have known something was up, and then my new Sram chain broke at the beginning of the trail. Usually when chains break it’s painful, and this was no exception–left hand is quite bruised and I’m hoping unbroken at the little bone on the outside edge. Had a nice walk commute after that. I have a chain tool on my multi-tool but didn’t feel up to using it.

The chain broke well away from the quick link, so it ain’t my fault and I’m going to take it back to BicycleSpace in the hopes that they’ll send it back to Sram. I think you should be able to trust a brand new chain.

[Author]

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