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]

So here we go again (forecasts for DC 20016 zip code):

-Weather.com 5% chance at 5pm and 0% chance at 6pm. They indicate “Occasional rain likely to begin Wednesday at 7:15 pm.”
-Weatherbug 70% chance at 5pm, 80% chance at 6pm, 80% chance at 7pm
-Imapradar 30% chance all the way through midnight
-Weatherunderground chance of rain 80% 6-9pm (not very helpful)

So, back to the old method of looking to the sky and hoping.

[americancyclo]

corrected for the current audience.

• THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
• * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
• * UNTIL 400 PM EDT
• * AT 318 PM EDT… DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER CHANTILLY. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
• * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… FAIRFAX… VIENNA… RESTON… CENTREVILLE… MANTUA… I66 AND I495 INTERCHANGE… ANNANDALE… OAKTON… MERRIFIELD… CHANTILLY… WOLF TRAP… BURKE… TYSONS CORNER… RAVENSWORTH… DUNN LORING… FAIRFAX STATION… CLIFTON… NORTH SPRINGFIELD AND WEST SPRINGFIELD.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
• SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS… DESTRUCTIVE HAIL… DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION… MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT BIKE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

[dplasters]

Well… I’m not sure if I should try and get home before we all die or if I should wait it out at the office then venture into the humidity apocalypse.

[vern]

@americancyclo 115193 wrote:

corrected for the current audience.

I was just looking at this on radar. It doesn’t appear to be moving much, just growing larger in size. It will make for an interesting commute home if it doesn’t change much in the next hour.

[hozn]

Well it was just a holy apocalypse out here in Reston. Extreme rain and hail.

Lasted 10 minutes or so.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Lots of thunder in Westover now, but the clouds look to be clustered a bit to the south at the moment.

[Terpfan]

@americancyclo 115193 wrote:

corrected for the current audience.

Hmm, long as it stays out with you all and avoids the MVT Roslyn-to-Alexandria stretch, I’ll be happy.

Ha, I never noticed the do not bike into areas with water comment before. I’ve biked through parts of the Potomac when it’s flooded it’s edges before (granted the water was maybe 3-4″ deep). Probably not wise come to think of it.

As soon as I posted this, I saw the alert for Alexandria, but only until 4:45pm, so thinking I’m good.

[mstone]

I actually have drifts of hail in my yard

[rcannon100]

Please fasten your seatbelt and return your tray table to the upright position. We may experience turbulence on the way home.

[rcannon100]

Keeping the rubber side down.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8496[/ATTACH]

[KLizotte]

To the guy wearing tan bike shorts with pictures of red crabs on them (no bad jokes please!) who was riding southbound on the MVT around 6:30 pm tonight: it is time to throw out the shorts ’cause they’re getting kind of thin in the back if you know what I mean.

[Powerful Pete]

On a related note, why do so many commuters wear regular shorts and refuse to wear bib shorts? The number of butt cracks I see… 😮 I suppose it has all done wonders for my fitness, as I end up passing those folks and riding as hard as I can to avoid drafting from them…

[Tim Kelley]

@Powerful Pete 115624 wrote:

On a related note, why do so many commuters wear regular shorts and refuse to wear bib shorts? The number of butt cracks I see… 😮 I suppose it has all done wonders for my fitness, as I end up passing those folks and riding as hard as I can to avoid drafting from them…

Cost?

[Powerful Pete]

I suppose that is a possibility, but cheapish bib shorts are readily available – I suppose it might also have to do with the lycra look?

[mstone]

@Powerful Pete 115624 wrote:

On a related note, why do so many commuters wear regular shorts and refuse to wear bib shorts? The number of butt cracks I see… 😮 I suppose it has all done wonders for my fitness, as I end up passing those folks and riding as hard as I can to avoid drafting from them…

Because they don’t want everyone in the office seeing them in full lycra? (Some things just can’t be unseen!) The solution here is simply to wear a longer shirt.

[Author]

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