My Evening Commute

[Crickey7]

I think karma is having a joke on Terpfan.

[Terpfan]

@Crickey7 117212 wrote:

I think karma is having a joke on Terpfan.

Yep. Karma is a b….to me, always. I got the freezing saddles treatment with nickel-sized hail coming sideways and a downpour to rival last week (one of two storms I managed to hit). You were right about traffic. The GWMP was gridlocked.

[rcannon100]

Fun!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8761[/ATTACH]

Splashing all the trolls hiding in the underpasses was hysterical!

[Crickey7]

Another rain lottery this afternoon. I won yesterday’s. It was pouring as I rode the elevator down to the bike cage, and had totally stopped by the time I pulled out of the garage.

[rcannon100]

@Crickey7 117252 wrote:

Another rain lottery this afternoon. I won yesterday’s. It was pouring as I rode the elevator down to the bike cage, and had totally stopped by the time I pulled out of the garage.

Sorry to hear that! You missed out!

[PotomacCyclist]

I messed up yesterday’s rain lottery. I’ve been breaking up the RackSpotting into small segments. A little here, a little there. In the evening, I figured I would fill in an uncovered area. Just a couple blocks. The rain had stopped. I knew more storms were on the way, but I thought I could finish in time. Halfway through, I saw bright flashes of lightning and loud thunder, but no rain yet. Just before I finished the abbreviated route, the skies opened up again.

I was riding CaBi at the time. Or actually standing under an awning next to the CaBi bike. Then I docked the bike and took Metro back.

[dplasters]

Almost went an entire year before getting hit by a car. Sideswiped by a Gutterman Services van on Lee highway. Didn’t go down but my left shoe was nearly ripped off by the back right tire. They of course did not stop.

ANGRY WORDS and THOUGHTS.

A Fairfax County police officer is on their way to file a report. In the meantime, please don’t use their services.

Thank you.

[Steve O]

@dplasters 117263 wrote:

Sideswiped by a Gutterman Services van on Lee highway.

What are the details? Were you just riding straight and they passed you too closely (understatement)? Or was it a right hook situation?
Where on Lee Highway?

[dplasters]

@Steve O 117268 wrote:

What are the details? Were you just riding straight and they passed you too closely (understatement)? Or was it a right hook situation?
Where on Lee Highway?

Passed “too closely”. Between Fairview Park and Shreve Rd west bound. Disappointed in myself for not getting the plate. And I consider getting a go-pro…..

[dkel]

@dplasters 117269 wrote:

Passed “too closely”. Between Fairview Park and Shreve Rd west bound. Disappointed in myself for not getting the plate. And I consider getting a go-pro…..

On Lee Hwy? Gotta say, that’s one place I ride the sidewalk. Stinks that this happened to you! I’m really glad you weren’t injured.

[dplasters]

@dkel 117270 wrote:

On Lee Hwy? Gotta say, that’s one place I ride the sidewalk. Stinks that this happened to you! I’m really glad you weren’t injured.

I hadn’t really had a bad experience there. The numerous lights (the car that hit me had to stop at the red light to turn onto shreve…) combined with the fact that it expands to three lanes west bound and the right most lane dies into Hilltop which is where I’m going.

On the sidewalk I have to deal with cars turning right from Lee on to Gallows and tons of curb cuts from the shopping centers and gas stations.

It is something I’ll have to reconsider. The DW is less than excited.

[bobco85]

@dplasters 117271 wrote:

I hadn’t really had a bad experience there. The numerous lights (the car that hit me had to stop at the red light to turn onto shreve…) combined with the fact that it expands to three lanes west bound and the right most lane dies into Hilltop which is where I’m going.

On the sidewalk I have to deal with cars turning right from Lee on to Gallows and tons of curb cuts from the shopping centers and gas stations.

It is something I’ll have to reconsider. The DW is less than excited.

That really sucks to hear, but I’m relieved that you’re uninjured.

I, too, have not ever had a bad experience on that stretch of road, although I will sometimes move onto the sidewalk at Shreve if I’m heading farther westbound (love going to the Merrifield Garden Center), but that’s only after riding in the road after turning left off Fairview Park Dr because the light gives you a brief break in traffic.

If you are considering a Go Pro or other camera, I’d recommend going with it. It’s sometimes the only evidence you can have on your side of a collision.

Also, albeit a bit late, I would also call Gutterman Services and tell them that at x:xx time, one of their drivers hit you at that location. It’s not much, but they might know who the driver was, and they might admonish that driver because, well, the news of someone with their logo hitting a cyclist isn’t good for business.

[dkel]

@dplasters 117271 wrote:

I hadn’t really had a bad experience there. The numerous lights (the car that hit me had to stop at the red light to turn onto shreve…) combined with the fact that it expands to three lanes west bound and the right most lane dies into Hilltop which is where I’m going.

On the sidewalk I have to deal with cars turning right from Lee on to Gallows and tons of curb cuts from the shopping centers and gas stations.

You clearly have more experience with that stretch than I do! I drive that way a lot, but I’ve always felt that for cycling, Lee Hwy is just a bit too high-volume and fast-moving for my taste. That’s just me, of course; it all comes down to comfort level and experience. There are plenty of roads I ride now that I used to avoid. One bad experience can definitely color your opinion of a road or route, though. I ride up to McLean once a week, and though I’ve only had a couple of bad experiences doing it, I still frequently feel a sense of dread, though I’ve done that trip dozens of times without incident. Weird.

[GB]

@dkel 117275 wrote:

You clearly have more experience with that stretch than I do! I drive that way a lot, but I’ve always felt that for cycling, Lee Hwy is just a bit too high-volume and fast-moving for my taste. That’s just me, of course; it all comes down to comfort level and experience. There are plenty of roads I ride now that I used to avoid. One bad experience can definitely color your opinion of a road or route, though. I ride up to McLean once a week, and though I’ve only had a couple of bad experiences doing it, I still frequently feel a sense of dread, though I’ve done that trip dozens of times without incident. Weird.

I believe what you are describing is summarized in Rule 64.

Very sorry to hear that you got hit. Very happy to hear that you walked (rode?) away from it.

+1 for calling the company with the information you have.

[dplasters]

@dkel 117275 wrote:

Weird.

The weirdest part is:

I was thinking about how when I got home I would post that on June 2nd, 2015 I kinda wished that I had arm warmers on my EVENING commute.
That I saw over a dozen people on bikes in Fairfax.
That I stopped at the light of hilltop and prosperity with a nice lady also taking the lane and having a wonderful cycling commute.
It was also the first time since mid-december I hadn’t strava’d my ride since my phone battery was basically dead.

I was later somewhat hassled by the officer who came to take my report for not staying at the location but I couldn’t really call cause my phone was dead… ugh.

Honestly, it was such a great ride other than that part….

[Author]

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