My Evening Commute

[GovernorSilver]

First official night time commute ride. I’d ridden on MVT and other places before at night, but it was on weekend activities like the Halloween group ride/parade.

Was surprised to still see a lot of pedestrian traffic in front of Washington Monument. I guess the warm (for November!!!) weather had a lot to do with it. Very pleasant.

After crossing the Eisenhower-Telegraph overpass, I decide to keep riding on the sidewalk instead of waiting to cross Huntington as I usually do. It’s usually a long wait as there’s car traffic coming off the Beltway and more car traffic coming from Telegraph. Thanks to my helmet light, I spotted a section of the sidewalk by the auto shop where there’s a concrete square surrounded by a sort-of pothole. I dismounted and walked around that hazard, noting that I might be able to cut through the parking lot to avoid it. Other than that, I used the beg light at the intersection of Huntington and the road that leads to the Metro kiss-and-ride, to stop the car traffic and get onto Huntington.

[KWL]

♫♫Summertime…and the living is easy.♫♫

[Crickey7]

We’ll play this by ear tonight. If it’s not raining too hard and it’s 55 degrees or so, I’ll test the new waterproof socks-with-sandals combo.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I was happy to see the leaves were cleared off the W&OD in Banneker park…was getting a little treacherous on that first bend as you enter from Van Buren.

[vern]

@TwoWheelsDC 127634 wrote:

I was happy to see the leaves were cleared off the W&OD in Banneker park…was getting a little treacherous on that first bend as you enter from Van Buren.

I found that this was the case all the way to Reston. Other leaf encrusted areas such as west of Gallows were free and clear tonight.

[wheelswings]

Tonight was my turn to crash. First I rode through a hole that I’ve long sworn I must never ride into at N George Mason and 15th. It was dark and raining, and I was focused on finding a gap between the cars going north and south. When I got my window, I raced out without looking down…STUPID…and my bike literally jumped like a drunken bunny through the darn hole. Miraculously I stayed upright, but not without huge effort. I was literally shaking and gasping for breath.
Unfortunately, the fun didn’t end there. I was over on 13th St just past Nelson, still shaken from incident #1. I was focused on the Fed Ex truck in my lane and the oncoming car headlights. Well, there’s a trench in the road there… I think they’re working on the pipes…and at that point I went flying over the handle bars. Got a gash in my knee, and my hands and ribs are aching from the impact (I’m now walking around with an icepack in my shirt! ). A guardian angel came out from the shadows and helped me put my twisted up bicycle back in a straight line. He was able to apply the brute force to my multi-tool that I was just not able to muster. And I put my brakes back in order. So all is well, but I’m glad to be home!

[lordofthemark]

@wheels&wings 127642 wrote:

Tonight was my turn to crash. First I rode through a hole that I’ve long sworn I must never ride into at N George Mason and 15th. It was dark and raining, and I was focused on finding a gap between the cars going north and south. When I got my window, I raced out without looking down…STUPID…and my bike literally jumped like a drunken bunny through the darn hole. Miraculously I stayed upright, but not without huge effort. I was literally shaking and gasping for breath.
Unfortunately, the fun didn’t end there. I was over on 13th St just past Nelson, still shaken from incident #1. I was focused on the Fed Ex truck in my lane and the oncoming car headlights. Well, there’s a trench in the road there… I think they’re working on the pipes…and at that point I went flying over the handle bars. Got a gash in my knee, and my hands and ribs are aching from the impact (I’m now walking around with an icepack in my shirt! ). A guardian angel came out from the shadows and helped me put my twisted up bicycle back in a straight line. He was able to apply the brute force to my multi-tool that I was just not able to muster. And I put my brakes back in order. So all is well, but I’m glad to be home!

Glad it wasn’t worse, and hope you feel better.

[KLizotte]

@lordofthemark 127643 wrote:

Glad it wasn’t worse, and hope you feel better.

+1 Ouch!!!! Those are scary pics. I hope you have just bruises and scrapes and nothing more serious. You may wish to get your ribs x-rayed though. If you decide to get x-rayed, call an orthopedist office first and bypass urgent care and the emergency room if possible. They have the equipment to examine you and can patch you up in the office saving you a trip. This tip was given to me by an orthopedist when I broke my ankle. Hydrocolloid bandages are fantastic on road rash (my leg is currently covered in them).

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[annoyedindc]

Before I head out for the evening to be blinded by those riding north on the CCT, I’d like to leave this here.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/bicycle-lights-too-bright-blinking-problems

[Subby]

Get better w&w.

[trailrunner]

On the way home tonight, I wound up riding through a construction site (long story) and eventually found myself mired in thick, peanut-butter mud from the last 24 hours of rain on freshly churned bulldozer clay. The only way out was to walk my bike to the road, but the mud was so thick that I cold barely push it. My bike and shoes are a mess now, and reminds of the old days when I did that for fun.

[kwarkentien]

@wheels&wings 127642 wrote:

Tonight was my turn to crash. First I rode through a hole that I’ve long sworn I must never ride into at N George Mason and 15th. It was dark and raining, and I was focused on finding a gap between the cars going north and south. When I got my window, I raced out without looking down…STUPID…and my bike literally jumped like a drunken bunny through the darn hole. Miraculously I stayed upright, but not without huge effort. I was literally shaking and gasping for breath.
Unfortunately, the fun didn’t end there. I was over on 13th St just past Nelson, still shaken from incident #1. I was focused on the Fed Ex truck in my lane and the oncoming car headlights. Well, there’s a trench in the road there… I think they’re working on the pipes…and at that point I went flying over the handle bars. Got a gash in my knee, and my hands and ribs are aching from the impact (I’m now walking around with an icepack in my shirt! ). A guardian angel came out from the shadows and helped me put my twisted up bicycle back in a straight line. He was able to apply the brute force to my multi-tool that I was just not able to muster. And I put my brakes back in order. So all is well, but I’m glad to be home!

Well this is quite horrible news. Glad you weren’t more seriously injured. Hope you can make it to coffee club tomorrow. I’m buying!

[Powerful Pete]

As wheels&wings is a good friend who I commute with occasionally, I decide to join her in crashing this evening.

Right in the middle of the 15th Street & Constitution intersection (heading towards the Washington Monument) I wiped out. Fortunately I was not run over and two good samaritans helped me hobble out of the intersection. I have no explanation beyond slick conditions and what looked like a bit of oil on the road surface. One moment I was out of the saddle trying to get up some speed to climb the little hill (15th Street towards Wallenberg) and the next moment I was kissing the tarmac.

I came down hard on my rear end and although I barely scraped my butt, elbow and knee on the left side, it will be a fitful night as I am rather sore (my lower back is not happy). Ouchie.

Happy news – I made it home under my own power (pitifully slowly, with walkers passing me on the Custis, LOL). Bike damage only seems to be a scuffed saddle and a ground down rear quick release.

So the point of the story is to be extra careful out there, especially in the slick conditions and in the dark.

[komorebi]

w&w and PP — double ouch! I hope you both feel better soon.

[wheelswings]

Oh no, Powerful Pete, you crashed too?! That is taking empathy a little too far. You are a dear friend, for sure.

Good to know you are home safe.

I rode a lot today (uncomfortably), but tonight I needed a triple dose of ibuprofen. Sounds like you might want to indulge in the same.

Heal fast! Sending hugs. w&w

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