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

[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]

Replies