My Evening Commute

[GovernorSilver]

@KLizotte 122075 wrote:

I highly, highly recommend getting a helmet mounted mirror. I have one and always use it to check behind me before pulling out; makes life a lot safer on the MUPs and the roads. It is so easy to check every 30 seconds or so what is going on behind you if you have one.

I have a Mirrcycle mirror on the left handle, so I have no excuse for that one failure to check.

[mstone]

I saw someone carrying one of those electric unicycles in a store the other day. A little too star trek for me. I also can’t imagine standing like that for very long.

[dkel]

@mstone 122185 wrote:

A little too star trek

Not possible.

[mstone]

@dkel 122197 wrote:

Not possible.

Sometimes nostalgia blinds us to the reality that the future as imagined through the 60s or 80s is a little awkward.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9351[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9352[/ATTACH]

[GovernorSilver]

Riding the Yellow Line home, I saw two cyclists in full kit riding on the grass about a foot away from GW Parkway. Special training method?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@GovernorSilver 122313 wrote:

Riding the Yellow Line home, I saw two cyclists in full kit riding on the grass about a foot away from GW Parkway. Special training method?

#crossiscoming

[rcannon100]

Graverly Point CX course.

[GovernorSilver]

Another coworker graciously offered to ride with me so I took him up on it. The coworker who led me on my first-ever commute also joined us.

They were equally gracious enough to stop and wait for me when they realized I couldn’t keep up with them. They tried to ride slower for my sake but it was still too much for me. We took a couple of breaks to let me catch my breath and drink some water.

Coworker #2 showed me his latest preferred evening route, which includes riding down Washington St. It was surprisingly pleasant, despite my preconception of that street as being too busy to ride safely. We rode on the right-most lane, which is typically occupied by parked cars, so we had to alternate between taking the middle of the right lane, and riding as far left as possible on that lane. He advised I signal “left” with my arm to let the motorists know I may move to the left of the right lane, or even the right of the middle lane. He let me take the lead so I could set the pace. We rode all the way to the MUP bridge to Huntington. He has to take a left turn off of Huntington to get to his apartment, so we used the red light at Huntington and Rt. 1 to partially cross Huntington on the pedestrian crosswalk and position ourselves in the left lane. We ignored some comments shouted our way by a motorist as we were riding on the left lane of Huntington to get to the driveway leading to his apartment complex. He usually rides pretty fast, but he doesn’t run red lights and limits his lane-splitting. It was yet another educational experience for me.

[bobco85]

I had been hearing noises coming from my bottom bracket (a creak every pedal stroke), and my bike shop was so busy that I wouldn’t get my bike back until mid-September, so I decided to do it on my own. I have ridden 3,300 miles on this bottom bracket through all weather conditions plus I have a bit of weight on me (230 lbs.), so I wasn’t sure if I had worn it out already.

I had to learn how to access the bottom bracket, then buy the tools (different tools because mine has a square taper), and finally open it up (using a Youtube video or two for reference on important stuff like direction of rotation). Luckily, it was pretty simple because it only takes a few steps.

Here’s what mine looked like:

[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9373&stc=1[/IMG]

Mind you, this is my hybrid commuter bike that I also used for my recent muddy C&O Canal adventure, but I was surprised at how much dirt had gotten in there!

After a bit of cleaning:
[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9374&stc=1[/IMG]

There, that’s much better!

I took a picture of my bottom bracket in case I need to replace it (I strongly recommend doing this):
[IMG]http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9375&stc=1[/IMG]

After cleaning off the bottom bracket and greasing everything, I put it all back together.

And the results?

This morning, I heard no noises (save for a piece of tape I ran over that was annoying) coming from the bottom bracket

[Terpfan]

So on Friday, I get to the tunnel underneath the Memorial Bridge on MVT and stop since I see two pedestrians just entering it. They weren’t the nice type to wave me through, but they did make it there just a hair before me so I’m back just a few feet waiting when whoosh, another cyclist comes flying up. Not only does he decide to shoal me, but then he unclips and tries to hobble through the tunnel with these two people in it walking. Wtf? I still waited for the pedestrians and then once the tunnel cleared, tried to catch up to make a comment about how it’s really not safe to try to squeeze everyone into that tunnel but he was busy blazing by people with ridiculous passes.

I love the beautiful weather. I just hate some of the folks it brings out to the trails. Oh well, at least the rest of the ride was uneventful.

I decided that this probably needs some video to give it better context given I had forgotten about the dog in the equation too:

[video]https://youtu.be/u1k2aMZDBD4[/video]

[AFHokie]

First commute crash last night. Coming around the Tidal Basin transitioning from Maine Ave onto Ohio Dr, two pedestrians stepped off the curb with less than a tour bus length between us. With a car nose-dive braking in the left lane to avoid them I swerved to the right to miss them, but they backpedaled (assuming in response to the car in the left lane) into my path and at that point it was either collide with the pavement or them.

Outside of some cuts, scrapes, minor repairs to the bike and needing a new helmet, I’m fine.

It’s disheartening the two pedestrians took off without bothering to stop and see if I was ok, but sincere thanks to the two random guys who stopped and helped me off the street.

[bentbike33]

Lately I’ve noticed an uptick in people loitering on the inlet bridge on the MVT just south of the Trollheim. Last week, a jogger-guy doing his stretching routine, and this week a Cabi rider leaning against the rail to talk on his cell phone (which I suppose is marginally better than riding the Cabi while talking on his cell phone). Why are people loitering on this narrow bridge with heavy traffic and poor sight-lines when just a few yards away are literally acres of well-maintained lawn with superior views?

Speaking of well-maintained lawns along the MVT, I wounder if the NPS slightly increased the interval between mowings, thus reducing the total number by 3 or 4 a season, they could save enough money to afford plowing the MVT in winter?

[GovernorSilver]

Ended three straight days of commuting by bike. I told my coworker that I was going to take it easy for the evening commute, and make sure nobody out-slows me this time.

Car traffic on 15th/Raoul Wallenburger was backed up from Independence Ave. all the way to Maine Ave. and beyond. My bike has fairly wide handlebars, so I opted to switch to the sidewalk instead of trying to filter through the cars. I ended up behind a group of about 6-10 tourists on CaBi bikes headed down the sidewalk towards Jefferson Memorial. Yep, I’m being out-slowed now. Waiting at the intersection of Rauol Wallenberger and Maine, I was faced with having to follow them all the way to the memorial. Luckily for me, a pickup truck with New York license plates heading south on Raoul Wallenberger decided to slow down and turn right on Maine Ave, opening up a gap in the car traffic for me to slip back onto the road.

I nearly managed to climb that switchback between Four Mile Run and Potomac Ave but was foiled again. 3 straight evenings of practice though seems to be helping. I think the 2nd speed of my 8-speed bike is the one to use for that climb. 1st speed leaves me so slow that the front wheel is too unstable. 3rd or higher seems to mess with my balance – the sharpness of the turns just makes it so tough for me.

Was out-slowed by a couple pedaling and coasting at an even more leisurely pace down Potomac Ave. Trail. I ended up following the cyclist that was ahead of the couple the rest of the way to Braddock because I really just wanted to take it easy – I would have had to pedal harder to pass her, which I didn’t feel like doing, plus we were riding pass the basketball courts where a lot of people like to congregate, on or near the trail. I maintained about 10 ft. or so of separation between us, so I wasn’t drafting, but once she noticed I was following instead of passing, she started to pedal harder. Sorry, lady.

I’m liking my new Jameison to Mill Rd. evening route. The chance of encountering anyone coming off the Eisenhower Metro station is dramatically reduced this way.

Almost posted a Missed Connection with a squirrel but I forgot where it happened and it was Tuesday evening. Don’t jump in front of my wheel so suddenly again, Mr. Squirrel.

[dasgeh]

It was a lovely commute last night, though less lovely was the mass of runners just before the Intersection of Doom (TR side) congregation on the trail at the end of some race thing. And they left their silly stickers on the trail. Grrrr runners.

[bentbike33]

Anyone know why the Circulator buses going around the east end of the Tidal Basin (Raoul Wallenberg Pl.–>Maine Ave.–>Ohio Ave.–>East Basin Dr.) drive so slowly? They go about pedicab speed even without a pedicab in front of them. Yesterday, the tourists were scarce enough that I passed the Circulator on the sidewalk. Given that there are usually too many tourists to duplicate the sidewalk maneuver, and the I-395 on-ramp traffic often backs up precluding a passing lane, this is a real annoyance.

[Author]

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