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

[Terpfan]

@vern 106347 wrote:

I stupidly didn’t bring my raingear this morning, so I’m hoping for snow, though I don’t know what difference that would really make…if it’s snow it will be wet and gloppy (a real meteorological term!)

Ditto, but it’ll be my motivation to make it home in near-record time. It’s usually 1:10-1:15 door-to-door. If I leave exactly on the dot at 5 when I get off, I may just be able to win this one or at worst have 10 minutes of riding in rain.

Realistically, something will happen and I’ll leave 45 minutes late and end up riding home in 35 and rainy weather.

C’mon mother nature, just hold off until 7pmish.

[KayakCyndi]

@vern 106347 wrote:

I stupidly didn’t bring my raingear this morning, so I’m hoping for snow, though I don’t know what difference that would really make…if it’s snow it will be wet and gloppy (a real meteorological term!)

Use that as an excuse to leave at 3pm. That is my plan.

[vern]

@KayakCyndi 106361 wrote:

Use that as an excuse to leave at 3pm. That is my plan.

Rule #9! I’m here til 4:30. Just looked at radar and rain/snow has already moved north of Lynchburg, so it will probably be here late afternoon. I do have the jacket which will keep my torso fairly dry if it isn’t raining hard…I’ll figure something else out for my head.

[rcannon100]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7650[/ATTACH]

[vern]

Well, if that’s the case, I really don’t need the rain suit.

[Terpfan]

Must be slow moving. Both my weather apps and weather.com show the precipitation chances have decreased for 6pm to 40% and then it goes up. Trend lines on the up and up.

[dasgeh]

Precipitation is coming down, very lightly. At 4pm, I couldn’t feel it, but could see dots on the pavement. By 4:30, it was slightly stinging my face, but luckily I was basically home. No effect on traction.

Good luck and stay safe out there.

[dplasters]

@dplasters 106341 wrote:

Rain or Snow? Which will you bring us this evening…….

Ah, yes. How could I forget – Option C ice pellets the whole way home out in Falls Church/Fairfax/Vienna.

Everything is melting when it hits. Except your face. It bounces off of that.

[wheelswings]

Yeeow! Is that what acupuncture feels like? Those ice shards were intense on the face and in the eyes! On the bright side, this 90 minute “facial” treatment has left me with rosy red cheeks, no makeup needed. Yay. What a bargain. :+)

[Harry Meatmotor]

@dplasters 106393 wrote:

Ah, yes. How could I forget – Option C ice pellets the whole way home out in Falls Church/Fairfax/Vienna.

Everything is melting when it hits. Except your face. It bounces off of that.

yeah – wow, that was kind of a sh*tty ride home. Boffo! HTFU.

[dkel]

@Harry Meatmotor 106399 wrote:

yeah – wow, that was kind of a sh*tty ride home. Boffo! HTFU.

Ha! I had a great time: rain gear kept me dry, and my neck gaiter protected my face from ice daggers. I even put in a couple extra miles. I don’t know what the rest of you are complaining about.

[Boomer Cycles]

I’m with Dkel. Nights like these ensure that you don’t overheat and let you go all out for PRs since only other die-hards are out there on the trails, LOL 😂

[vern]

@wheels&wings 106397 wrote:

Yeeow! Is that what acupuncture feels like? Those ice shards were intense on the face and in the eyes! On the bright side, this 90 minute “facial” treatment has left me with rosy red cheeks, no makeup needed. Yay. What a bargain. :+)

About halfway into my commute home, as the sleet became more intense, i put on a baseball cap under my helmet to deflect the sleet away. That, and I put the clear lens into my sunglasses (thanks, Dickie!). Problem solved.

[Geoff]

I try to avoid riding when cold, wet, and dark. I’m allergic to freezing rain; it can make me break out in road rash and painful purple skin splotches. But tonight was actually OK. My normal kit for this time of year was enough to keep me warm and dry, there was no ice on the pavement, and it didn’t get dark till I was almost home.

[sethpo]

First rain and light sleet in D.C. which was starting to accumulate on the CCT enough to see tracks of other riders but didn’t really feel too slick.
Then the sleet mixed with snow near Bethesda.
Then it was all big flaky snow coming down pretty good.
Then it was face stinging sleet and maybe hail (I dunno)
Then light rain
Then sleet again

It was quite the ride. Visibility was my biggest concern w/ glare from car headlights and my own lights making it tough to see through my squinted eyes (glasses were impossible to keep clear).

There was even a part on a long downhill when I started getting chilled enough to shiver which is a bit disconcerting while riding downhill in the sleet in the dark with limited visibility but fortunately an uphill warmed me right back.

Never a dull moment around here. Seriously. It’s amazing how varied the conditions can be throughout the year.

[video=youtube_share;sIvqhv0vICM]http://youtu.be/sIvqhv0vICM[/video]

[Author]

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