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

[OneEighth]

@jrenaut 106982 wrote:

That was not pleasant.

Sure it was.
You’re just still too close to it.

[Rockford10]

… is looking like it will involve wet feet. Everything else is dry but the wool socks, shoes and shoe covers. Sigh.

[Steve O]

@Rockford10 107269 wrote:

… is looking like it will involve wet feet. Everything else is dry but the wool socks, shoes and shoe covers. Sigh.

On days I believe my feet will get wet I pack an extra pair of socks for the home ride. It doesn’t fix the shoe problem, but at least it feels better right at first.

[jabberwocky]

IME, this is the problem with wool socks. They are warm and retain their insulative value when wet, but don’t dry quickly. I always try and remember to toss an extra pair of socks in the bag if its going to rain on the ride in. Putting on wet socks is awful.

[dkel]

I have a couple of fans stashed in my office so I can put wet things on them and circulate air through all day. Works pretty well on wool socks if I get things started as soon as I get to work.

[dplasters]

@Rockford10 107269 wrote:

… is looking like it will involve wet feet. Everything else is dry but the wool socks, shoes and shoe covers. Sigh.

Given the expected wind, your socks should be dry about 10 minutes into your ride home.

[dcv]

@Rockford10 107269 wrote:

… is looking like it will involve wet feet. Everything else is dry but the wool socks, shoes and shoe covers. Sigh.

I use plastic grocery bags between the shoe and show covers, feet will stay dry for a few hours

[dasgeh]

@Rockford10 107269 wrote:

… is looking like it will involve wet feet. Everything else is dry but the wool socks, shoes and shoe covers. Sigh.

Do you have hand dryers at your office (or better yet, on another floor that you don’t know anyone else on)? I find that you can dry out socks, gloves, shoe covers and even make a dent on drying shoes in not too much time…

[mstone]

Note: running the 1200 watt dryer on a continuous cycle will cancel out any green cred from the bike ride.

[mstone]

Note: running the 1200 watt dryer on a continuous cycle will cancel out any green cred from the bike ride.

[Powerful Pete]

Fun commute, I suppose. Got exciting at times… and I feel a little guilty for bailing on my planned Hains Point lap, but for once it wasn’t just laziness…

[vern]

After I got home tonight I put on my flannel PJ’s to get all cozy and warm…but just now, still wearing (only) the PJ’s, I took my bike out to the backyard to clean the chain and rims, sand the brake pads and clean the muck off of my bike, and then lubed everything.

[Crickey7]

Winds are shifting during the day and are forecast to be from the South this evening. Thereby possibly giving me the Holy Grail of bike commuting, tailwinds in both directions.

[Rockford10]

Thanks all for the concerns. After that moment of wet feet panic, I did try harder to get the sock and shoes to dry using a little heater and some more attention (moving them around ever 30 minutes or so). While I would love to have an extra pair of socks at work, I only have three pairs of wool socks! I can’t spare a pair! Apparently, my water-resistant clothing only goes so far to keep me dry. I believe my tights were funneling water into(!) my shoes. Wool is very nice, but plastic dries much faster.

The ride home was gorgeous and the socks were only slightly damp. It was the first time in a long time I didn’t see any slush or ice on the trails in Fairfax or Falls Church!

[cyclingfool]

@Crickey7 107363 wrote:

Winds are shifting during the day and are forecast to be from the South this evening. Thereby possibly giving me the Holy Grail of bike commuting, tailwinds in both directions.

Or if you’re me, the seemingly inevitable bike commuting situation – headwinds in both directions. I shouldn’t grumble, though… at least I had the wind mostly at my back last night. I felt a deep sympathy for those people I passed who were heading north on the MVT last night.

[Author]

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