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]

@cyclingfool 87034 wrote:

BUMMER!!! ((((((

I don’t get flats often, but they always seem to happen at the worst possible time, not that there’s ever really a good time to get a flat.

And then I got another one this morning in the same tire right as I pulled into work (and 31 miles after the flat last night). Could be random coincidence, but at lunchtime I will give my wheel, spokes and tire heightened scrutiny.

[cvcalhoun]

So, on my commute home on the CCT this evening, I saw one of those signs that says the speed limit, and then says how fast you, personally, are going. Speed limit on the CCT was 15, and it said I was going 17. (The sign may have been counterproductive in my case, because my primary reaction was pride that I’d actually managed to get my 64-lb. hybrid up to 17, as opposed to shame that I was exceeding the speed limit.) But it occurred to me that I have not seen (or at least not noticed) that sign before. Does anyone know whether it is new? Or only operates at night? Or only turns on if you are in fact exceeding the speed limit? (Maybe I never managed to do that before?)

[SilverSpring]

@cvcalhoun 87132 wrote:

So, on my commute home on the CCT this evening, I saw one of those signs that says the speed limit, and then says how fast you, personally, are going. Speed limit on the CCT was 15, and it said I was going 17. (The sign may have been counterproductive in my case, because my primary reaction was pride that I’d actually managed to get my 64-lb. hybrid up to 17, as opposed to shame that I was exceeding the speed limit.) But it occurred to me that I have not seen (or at least not noticed) that sign before. Does anyone know whether it is new? Or only operates at night? Or only turns on if you are in fact exceeding the speed limit? (Maybe I never managed to do that before?)

CV,

Was it just over Bradley Boulevard by Washington Episcopal School? There has been one there on and off, but I noticed it again earlier this week (and I had exactly the same thought as you…”woo hoo! Lookit me! I can go fast!”). I think it’s more of a gentle reminder than an actual enforcement tool. After all, they’d have to get your picture, identify you, track you down, and come to get you and that’s just not gonna…wait, someone’s at the door….

Please move along, there’s nothing to see here.

[cvcalhoun]

@SilverSpring 87142 wrote:

CV,

Was it just over Bradley Boulevard by Washington Episcopal School?

Yep, that’s the one.

[consularrider]

I rarely ride the CCT, but do remember one of those electronic signs the last time I was up that way. By the way, congratulations on getting the rig moving along so nicely, I assume that was uphill and into the wind.

[Subby]

I finally mounted my GoPro using a K-Edge mount recommended in the recent DCist article about bike cameras. GoPro has nice basic editing software now (GoPro Studio) and I used that to edit some video of the most harrowing part of my evening commute. Notice the crumbling cycletrack alongside Treasury about 23 seconds in.
[video=facebook;10153158512684298]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153158512684298&set=vb.509169297&typ e=2&theater&notif_t=like[/video]

[Subby]

I finally mounted my GoPro using a K-Edge mount recommended in the recent DCist article about bike cameras. GoPro has nice basic editing software now (GoPro Studio) and I used that to edit some video of the most harrowing part of my evening commute. Notice the crumbling cycletrack alongside Treasury about 23 seconds in. From last week…

[video=vimeo;97121948]https://vimeo.com/97121948[/video]

[consularrider]

Yesterday evening I decided to risk riding in the rain and heading into DC for a couple of happy hours. It sure made me appreciate the easy commute I have in Arlington.

[lordofthemark]

My evening commute on Friday wasn’t quite as nice as my morning commute (despite lack of headwinds). I got honked at on NJ avenue, by someone in a pickup truck who hardly made it to Eye and South Cap faster than me. Then someone was parked in the Eye Street bike lane just past South Capitol, which is a particularly bad spot, because the volume of traffic coming west from South Cap makes it hard/dangerous to swerve into the general travel lane. Oh, and the fish market area is as big a mess as I’ve ever seen it. I dismounted and walked the bike through that section. I think next time I will do 7th to the north side sidewalk on Maine to 9th to Banneker to Hains Point.

[cvcalhoun]

Yeah, I am consistently jealous of the Arlington riders. For me to go anywhere, I have to go uphill for about 3/4 of a mile just to get out of my subdivision. I then have a choice between downhill toward downtown Bethesda and DC, or uphill toward Rockville. Flat is just not a choice I have in my area!

@consularrider 87598 wrote:

Yesterday evening I decided to risk riding in the rain and heading into DC for a couple of happy hours. It sure made me appreciate the easy commute I have in Arlington.

[dasgeh]

@cvcalhoun 87927 wrote:

Yeah, I am consistently jealous of the Arlington riders. For me to go anywhere, I have to go uphill for about 3/4 of a mile just to get out of my subdivision. I then have a choice between downhill toward downtown Bethesda and DC, or uphill toward Rockville. Flat is just not a choice I have in my area!

I live at the top of a hill and work at the top of a hill. I hear you.

Within Arlington, there are a few flat routes. Though having looked for flat, safe routes for Kidical Mass Arlington, I can tell you it’s a finite number. I’m starting to think it’s around 20.

BTW, KIDICAL MASS ARLINGTON RIDE THIS SUNDAY. 6/15 5:45pm Hayes Park to ICE CREAM (50% off, even)

[jrenaut]

And here’s where it’s nice to have really secure bike parking at work. First day with the Xtracycle and I left it at work. When I have my regular bike and it rains, I just carry it quickly to the master bathroom and put it in the shower so it can dry without dripping (much) on the floor. But the Xtracycle is a bit too big. So while I don’t mind getting wet, I do mind the floors getting unecessarily wet. So I Metro’ed home, once again reminded how nice it is that I live close enough to work that this is not a big deal.

On the bright side, this means I get to CaBi back to work tomorrow morning to pick up the Xtracycle so I can take the kids to the older one’s last soccer game.

[Phatboing]

Involved trading with Joe, finding a “cyclocross” route from Pimmit to Idylwood, going back and forth on Idylwood looking for this little path I saw on Google maps, finding out that it was Metro employees only, being mauled by shrubbery, giving up, and taking the rt 7 sidewalk home. All said, quite cromulent.

[americancyclo]

That area is the worst! I’ve not found a better way to get from the W&OD to pimmit other than pinecastle to Barbour to idlywood to idyl lane to pimmit. If you find an unmapped connection let me know! I’ve even tried to skirt around the residences behind Marshall but no dice so far

[dkel]

I’ve been through there a bunch of times, and it’s always way around your elbow. Fortunately, I’m always up for extra miles! Heaven forbid if you’re in a hurry, though…

[Author]

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