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

[ShawnoftheDread]

Looks like a good gap has opened up from DC heading south and even a bit west. Leave now or face doom!

[Crickey7]

Winds out of the SSW look absolutely ferocious. Careful crossing those Potomac bridges.

[Steve O]

@ShawnoftheDread 135520 wrote:

Looks like a good gap has opened up from DC heading south and even a bit west. Leave now or face doom!

I failed to heed this advice.

I left later. The first 3/4 mile were not so bad. Some rain, but fairly light.
Then it suddenly started coming sideways at me with giant stinging drops…and in torrential quantities.

The most exciting part was along the W&OD just east of Madison Manor. Four Mile Run had come out of its banks and had flooded the trail up to the sound wall. I decided to forge through, figuring it might be 3-6 inches deep. When it got above the ankle of my TOP FOOT, and I was fighting the current and hardly moving I decided it would be prudent to turn back.

[ginacico]

@Steve O 135547 wrote:

The most exciting part was along the W&OD just east of Madison Manor. Four Mile Run had come out of its banks and had flooded the trail up to the sound wall. I decided to forge through, figuring it might be 3-6 inches deep. When it got above the ankle of my TOP FOOT, and I was fighting the current and hardly moving I decided it would be prudent to turn back.

I ended up walking through that, from EFC metro around 6:45. Cold, fast flowing water, up to my knees. It occurred to me how unsafe it was, but there didn’t seem to be another way around on foot. Another guy was waiting under the Ohio St bridge to see if I made it through alive. Despite my instructions to close his eyes and click his heels three times, he forged through also.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

[dasgeh]

I teleworked yesterday, but was planning to bike to the snow forum. The snow went crazy during dinner. Kids were a bit freaked out, especially by the prospect of me going to a meeting in it. 3yo said “Mommy, I don’t want you to die in the storm”.

I waited it out and it wasn’t even raining when I left the house.

[bentbike33]

@Steve O 135547 wrote:

The most exciting part was along the W&OD just east of Madison Manor. Four Mile Run had come out of its banks and had flooded the trail up to the sound wall. I decided to forge through, figuring it might be 3-6 inches deep. When it got above the ankle of my TOP FOOT, and I was fighting the current and hardly moving I decided it would be prudent to turn back.

Ran into this a few years ago in September, remains of a hurricane I think. There is an imperceptible dip in the trail here of a couple feet that is revealed by the flooding. I turned back before the water reached my hubs and weaved through the surrounding neighborhoods on both sides of I-66 before finding my way back to the W&OD. Another epic gully-washer, but at least that time it was not dark.

Not a good idea to proceed through something like this. One false step and you’re on your way to the Potomac.

[Steve O]

@ginacico 135555 wrote:

I ended up walking through that, from EFC metro around 6:45. Cold, fast flowing water, up to my knees. It occurred to me how unsafe it was, but there didn’t seem to be another way around on foot. Another guy was waiting under the Ohio St bridge to see if I made it through alive. Despite my instructions to close his eyes and click his heels three times, he forged through also.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

I think the alternative from that side would be to go back across the bridge just east of the Brandymore Castle hill and take the dirt (well, mud) footpath into the neighborhood.
Or take the pedestrian overpass to the Custis Spurt to Ohio Street.

Hopefully it won’t ever have to be a decision to make again.

[dbb]

@bentbike33 135583 wrote:

One false step and you’re on your way to the Potomac.

Make it a segment and you get a KOM Kelley can’t (won’t) take.

On your recumbent, ankle of your top foot is in the vicinity of your nose. Could turn out badly.

[Tim Kelley]

@dbb 135590 wrote:

Make it a segment and you get a KOM Kelley can’t (won’t) take.

On your recumbent, ankle of your top foot is in the vicinity of your nose. Could turn out badly.

You never know, deep rim wheels have a great side profile if you’re trying to ride the waves!

[TwoWheelsDC]

@dbb 135590 wrote:

Make it a segment and you get a KOM Kelley can’t (won’t) take.

Downstream is the new tailwind.

[wheelswings]

As usual, my Saturday riding/errands were limited to whatever could be sandwiched between my gymnastics carpools. But quite UNusual was the fact that I loved the drive just now, the reason being that NPR (WAMU 88.5) today is replaying its Limits of the Body episode, about the Ride Across America. If you missed it on the radio, you can find it at http://www.radiolab.org/story/91710-limits-of-the-body/
Parts are quite fascinating, e.g. about duct-taping your neck for support, and about using exhaustion-derived-hallucinations as an opportunity to push harder. Spoiler: there are some very sad aspects of the story, too.

[dbb]

Left the office early to get to the polling place in my neighborhood so I could vote. Like a student trying to remember the answers to a test, with every pedal stroke I said to myself “Don’t vote for the idiot!”

Got to the polling place, checked in, and got my ballot. I couldn’t remember which one wasn’t the idiot!

[DismalScientist]

It’s Gilmore.

[cvcalhoun]

@dbb 135940 wrote:

Left the office early to get to the polling place in my neighborhood so I could vote. Like a student trying to remember the answers to a test, with every pedal stroke I said to myself “Don’t vote for the idiot!”

Got to the polling place, checked in, and got my ballot. I couldn’t remember which one wasn’t the idiot!

Your hypothesis was that there was one who was not an idiot? Clearly, you are pedaling too hard, and need to slow down so you can get some oxygen to the brain.

[dbb]

@DismalScientist 135954 wrote:

It’s Gilmore.

Eight Arlington voters seem to agree with you

[Author]

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