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

[lordofthemark]

@ShawnoftheDread 98435 wrote:

My one hour bike ride is the same distance as my one hour car commute. Spin me out of that vortex, Mr. Actuary.

Assuming you are not so elite as to ride much faster than 20MPH (average for the whole commute), I would suggest that the health impact of the aggravation involved with a one hour car commute at an average speed of 20 MPH or less has not been properly studied.

[lordofthemark]

Ride home was windy, and slower than it should have been, especially the last leg from Shirlington to home. Though it was nice to see so many people riding west on the Lucky Run trail – cycling is more normal than I though west of the 4MRT here. Also thanks to Crystal City BID for giving me an excuse to stop on the MVT, and giving me cute little lights and a lit up band I put on my pants leg (because, no bike pants yet) that made me more resemble a christmas tree, as I should as the evenings darken.

[Greenbelt]

Last sunset commute for a while; daylight savings ends tonight…
[IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/p526x296/1378153_740015809398472_5799635592796120251_n.jpg?oh=f6d13af7e5e69f52fce7b155752b6a87&oe=54DA7440&__gda__=1425109447_9c1f55fce32d3c14b6a43dfe2f83f881[/IMG]

[vern]

That was one solitary commute home. On the WOD I saw a grand total of two bikes between Banneker Park and my home in Reston, a distance of about 13.5 miles.

[jrenaut]

What a cluster downtown. PA Ave closed in front of the White House, crazy box-blocking drivers, rain, early dark…

It’s a good thing riding a bike is awesome or I’d have had a really crappy trip home.

[Dickie]

Was not expecting rain, neither was the weather man so I hopped on my road bike and stashed my rain gear away…. aaaannnnndddd… it poured on me between miles 6 and 12….balls!

[jrenaut]

One thing about being on a bike in the dark is that it’s really easy to see when the person in the car in front of you is messing with their phone. Makes it all the more frustrating to then watch that person blow a stop light in the dark in the rain in a residential neighborhood with heavy pedestrian traffic.

[Greenbelt]

@jrenaut 98982 wrote:

What a cluster downtown. PA Ave closed in front of the White House, crazy box-blocking drivers, rain, early dark…

It’s a good thing riding a bike is awesome or I’d have had a really crappy trip home.

Agreed. All those other people should have taken the bus.

[Crickey7]

I’m watching the flag across the street absolutely whipping around, indicating what looks to be steady 15-20 mph winds coming directly from the direction I will be heading in a couple of hours.

[cyclingfool]

@Crickey7 99066 wrote:

I’m watching the flag across the street absolutely whipping around, indicating what looks to be steady 15-20 mph winds coming directly from the direction I will be heading in a couple of hours.

It’s just a slight breeze.

National Weather Service wrote:

Wind Speed: NW 22 G 33 mph

[Harry Meatmotor]

@cyclingfool 99069 wrote:

It’s just a slight breeze.

“it never gets easier, you just go faster”

[dbb]

harry meatmotor;99097 wrote:

“it occasionally gets easier and you go faster”

ftfy

[lordofthemark]

Last friday was my first commute home after the time change – IE my first commute almost entirely after dark. It takes some getting used to (despite my helmet light). Especially on the MVT, where pedestrians and runners without reflective clothing or lights seem to emerge out of nowhere. I adjusted by going more slowly, though the cold and wind contributed to that.

[cyclingfool]

@lordofthemark 99134 wrote:

Last friday was my first commute home after the time change – IE my first commute almost entirely after dark.

With proper lighting and a little getting used to, I find that riding in the dark is one of life’s simple pleasures, especially on trails where I don’t have to worry so much about cars not seeing me.

[ronwalf]

Yesterday evening’s commute: Oxon Hill Farm, New Jersey Ave

[Author]

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