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

[Geoff]

Last night, leaving my office at 8th & K NW about 4:45, headed toward G St., was blocked by cops who had several blocks blocked off. Cop cars with flashing lights all over. Helicopter hovering overhead. No sirens. Anybody have any idea what was going on? I’m used to random police activity closer to the White House, but this was different.

[Crickey7]

Playing rain roulette this evening. But it looks now like as long I leave after 6:30 and get home before 7:30, I should be both dry AND have a tailwind.

[Kolohe]

@Geoff 96284 wrote:

Last night, leaving my office at 8th & K NW about 4:45, headed toward G St., was blocked by cops who had several blocks blocked off. Cop cars with flashing lights all over. Helicopter hovering overhead. No sirens. Anybody have any idea what was going on? I’m used to random police activity closer to the White House, but this was different.

VIP event of some sort https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/519237762848157697 but who were the P’s, no idea.

[lordofthemark]

No interesting interactions with motorists, but one with a cyclist – headed south on the MVT, somewhere near the airport, I was passing a jogger – appropriately – called my pass, checked on movement in the opposite direction, went left just over the yellow line to pass. When all of a sudden a hard pedaling dude in a red jersey speeds BETWEEN me and the jogger – no call, fast and close, and on MY RIGHT (but the jogger’s left, of course). I just managed to call out “hey fred!” but I don’t think he heard, and I’m not sure it even made sense. Grrrr! I know I pass fairly slowly, but I do think that was one of the jerkiest moves I have seen on the MVT.

Also, having headed to the corner of Valley and Kenwood for sukkot services, I have now determined that 4 MRT to Glebe to Valley is not my preferred route. Somehow the hill seemed worse than the 31st Street hill to Fairlington, which I might do instead. Or just bag the hills, ride down into Potomac Yards instead and put the bike on the AT9 bus (its a new route and they probably need the ridership.) At least until I have a wicking jersey so that I arrive more suitably in shul.

I also learned more about my light on the ride home from shul. Which is that when its low on power, it does this little pulse, beam, pulse, turn off routine. Fortunately Fairlington (my route home from Valley to Park Center) is reasonably well lit. I also learned how to recharge my light.

[Dickie]

@lordofthemark 96594 wrote:

I just managed to call out “hey fred!” but I don’t think he heard, and I’m not sure it even made sense. Grrrr!

You just made my day and earned your first stripe…love it!

[baiskeli]

@lordofthemark 95958 wrote:

free burritos

Let’s hear that again:

Free burritos.

Awesome.

[baiskeli]

@Dickie 96598 wrote:

You just made my day and earned your first stripe…love it!

I don’t get how lordofthemark knew his name was Fred though.

[cyclingfool]

@baiskeli 96623 wrote:

Let’s hear that again:

Free burritos.

EPIC.

ftfy

[NicDiesel]

@lordofthemark 96594 wrote:

No interesting interactions with motorists, but one with a cyclist – headed south on the MVT, somewhere near the airport, I was passing a jogger – appropriately – called my pass, checked on movement in the opposite direction, went left just over the yellow line to pass. When all of a sudden a hard pedaling dude in a red jersey speeds BETWEEN me and the jogger – no call, fast and close, and on MY RIGHT (but the jogger’s left, of course). I just managed to call out “hey fred!” but I don’t think he heard, and I’m not sure it even made sense. Grrrr! I know I pass fairly slowly, but I do think that was one of the jerkiest moves I have seen on the MVT.

Good to see the MVT hasn’t changed any. I had a guy do that once that wound up crashing out right before the airport to Crystal City.

[jnva]

Got passed on the right for the first time ever this week on the WOD between Gallows and Maple on commute home. Wasn’t even mad at this guy ’cause he actually called his pass “on your right”. LOL, my fault for going slow and trying to get a look at the deer:)

[baiskeli]

@jnva 96755 wrote:

Got passed on the right for the first time ever this week on the WOD between Gallows and Maple on commute home. Wasn’t even mad at this guy ’cause he actually called his pass “on your right”. LOL, my fault for going slow and trying to get a look at the deer:)

But did you call your pass to the deer?

[jnva]

@baiskeli 96759 wrote:

But did you call your pass to the deer?

No, but I did say hello. She ignored me.

[ronwalf]

@jnva 96755 wrote:

LOL, my fault for going slow and trying to get a look at the deer:)

And you’d have venison on the table if only you had the proper equipment.
[img]http://www.themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/bicyclechainsaw.jpg#geekosystem[/img]
[img]http://cdn.twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Bikes-from-the-1940s-11-634×552.jpg?e5844b[/img]

[mstone]

@ronwalf 96764 wrote:

And you’d have venison on the table if only you had the proper equipment.
[img]http://cdn.twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Bikes-from-the-1940s-11-634×552.jpg?e5844b[/img]

My feeling is, if the meat is tough enough to use that tenderizer, just get something else.

[cyclingfool]

@ronwalf 96764 wrote:

[img]http://cdn.twentytwowords.com/wp-content/uploads/Creative-Bikes-from-the-1940s-11-634×552.jpg?e5844b[/img]

Are those Nokians or Schwalbes?

[Author]

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