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

[TwoWheelsDC]

Timed the red light at Madison McLean/Dolly Madison tonight…2 minutes 24 seconds. Was really tempted to jump the light while yelling “this is legal now, suckas!!”

[Boomer Cycles]

@Vicegrip 125747 wrote:

Don’t scrap it! If they can’t fix it and or/break the brake all is not lost. I know a bike riding guy in falls church that can repair or replace the post and has the equipment to do so. He also has induction heating equipment that is very good at targeted heating for jammed up parts. Save the bike and all parts broken or not.

And if they do wind up breaking off the rear brake mount from the frame, take it to Bruce the Welder, who works out of his garage just off the WOD at Little Falls Street in Falls Church. Bruce does custom welding on bycicles and motorcycles at very reasonable prices. He advertises on Craigslist, or I be happy to facilate an introduction.

[Steve O]

@wheels&wings 125772 wrote:

They also gave me new tires ‘cause I had no tread left – apparently I was riding on the liners. Oops. Over a year ago I was urged to replace my tires “within a week,” but I guess I managed to milk them for a few thousand miles extra.

Yay fenders! You’d have already been wearing down those new tires for a year without them to hide your tires’ condition. Think of all the savings!

@Steve O 124445 wrote:

One of the advantages of fenders is that you can’t really see how worn your tires are. This means you get more miles out of them: right down to the very last inch.

The disadvantage is that you learn that it is time to change your tire when it blows out.

[Vicegrip]

Drag chute?

Were they able to fix the bike?

[GovernorSilver]

Rode up N. Capitol St to New York Ave. While waiting for the red light to turn left on New York Ave, I saw the psycho guy walking between cars on N. Cap in my direction – I’d previously seen him holding his earbuds to a tree to let it listen to something, then yelling random obscenities at random people. So I walked my bike to the sidewalk to bypass him.

Now I know why my colleagues prefer to ride on the MBT instead of N. Capitol/New York Ave. to get to the U St area or Columbia Heights. The traffic lights take forever to change, then there’s psycho guy.

Climbing up 11th St. towards Columbia Heights I was surprised by the number of cyclists who struggled with the climb. I guess I’m used to the more athletic riders I see on the MVT. I thought I read somewhere that you’re not supposed to pass a cyclist in the bike lane – I guess I could have switched to the street to pass. Nobody called passes on the streets except me.

Enjoyed the concerts at The Pinch then rode to Metro.

[Boomer Cycles]

I swung by the Washington Canoe Club off off the Cap Crest trail on my commute home yesterday, and was treated by this view of the Rosslyn skyline, overlooking the Potomac River. If only this weather lasted all year long.

[wheelswings]

Thank you to the many riders who cheered on my pink-clad ten-year-old on her pink Mongoose bicycle during our various errands up and down the WOD and Glencarlyn trails this weekend. She’s still got her “learner’s permit” on the bike, but she’s getting better each time we’re out there. Thanks for all the encouragement. After my flat tire and the Friday evening lightning storm, I wasn’t sure she’d be up for more rides this weekend, but fortunately the options were in my favor… “Hmm, let’s see, sweetheart. It’s a pretty day out there. We could either do some more homework and housework, or we could go for a bike ride. What do you think?”

[Steve O]

@wheels&wings 125974 wrote:

or we could go for a bike ride. What do you think?”

LGFaBR!

[ejwillis62]

what I thought was going to be a beautiful ride home ended up being ride home in the rain. I was cold and wet. what a bummer. But any day on a bike is better than being in a car.

[GovernorSilver]

Stopped by BicycleSpace to pick up a Y allen wrench after losing the multi-tool. It was raining so I tied some plastic shopping bags around my shoes and put the cap on under my helmet. Took 5th down to G, then G to 3rd to get to Madison. Turned out to be a decent route to get around the convoluted mess where Mass. Ave, 4th, H, and 3rd all meet, and at the same time avoid the busiest part of Chinatown. The only hitch was one of the plastic bags got caught between a pedal and the crank. I resigned myself to possibly having waterlogged shoes again and ripped off both bags.

Tried the Crystal City route:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.8411811,-77.0502236/38.8565408,-77.0466255/@38.8483383,-77.0508116,545m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0498852!2d38.8506536!3s0x89b7b72c1009552b:0xdd331415a07d528c!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0488022!2d38.8561984!3s0x89b7b7258c2b7dcf:0x9fef8fca54626773!3m4!1m2!1d-77.0489629!2d38.8580045!3s0x89b7b725becce269:0x676d0e697fd7af0a!3m4!1m2!1d-77.048977!2d38.858136!3s0x89b7b725ba255d27:0xd8246f144fb2c74d!1m0!3e1

I failed to find Service Rd and so ended up dodging an errant tax and other fun stuff going down Crystal Dr. Then I hit the one-way section of Crystal Dr and had to switch to the sidewalk. It’d be nice if Service Rd avoids that, but I’m guessing it doesn’t.

i was ready to kick myself for leaving my helmet light at home. Nightfall happened much faster than I thought it would.

Not giving up on Crystal City just yet – especially with the options for picking up dinner on the way. I think I know where Service Rd. is now. I also need to figure out if there is a way around that one-way section other than sidewalk riding.

[Terpfan]

So, yah, that storm kind of came out of nowhere. I would have waited it out had I not idiotically felt a few sprinkles and continued out of OT toward Belle Haven. By the time I was to that bathroom, I was so soaked that it was useless to stop.

[Steve O]

@GovernorSilver 126075 wrote:

The only hitch was one of the plastic bags got caught between a pedal and the crank. I resigned myself to possibly having waterlogged shoes again and ripped off both bags.

(psst – sandals)

[GovernorSilver]

@Steve O 126112 wrote:

(psst – sandals)

Seems kind late in the year though for that, though it can’t hurt to keep searching on the Internet for sales on sandals… for next spring…

Believe me I loved walking in the rain with my Crocs clogs – it’s too bad they’re too wide for cycling.

[dasgeh]

@GovernorSilver 126130 wrote:

Seems kind late in the year though for that, though it can’t hurt to keep searching on the Internet for sales on sandals… for next spring…

Believe me I loved walking in the rain with my Crocs clogs – it’s too bad they’re too wide for cycling.

(psst – socks with sandals)

[GovernorSilver]

@dasgeh 126132 wrote:

(psst – socks with sandals)

When it drops to below 40F? How about with wind? You really wear that?

Don’t forget, we’re talking about riding in the rain – and not the pleasant summery rain either.

[Author]

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