My Morning Commute

[rpiretti]

@cyclingfool 74555 wrote:

Exposed legs! Ah, how nice it was to ride with legs exposed from knee to ankle! No tights!!!

It might not have have made me faster, but it sure made me FEEL faster.

So you really are a cycling fool?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cyclingfool]

@MattAune 74575 wrote:

I must be doing it wrong. I saw no sun, very few bikes, and in no way could I have not worn full tights.

Part of the tights thing is just me being a freak. That and when you’ve spent a couple days acclimating to (near) single digits, mid thirties feels toasty! Most people out this AM had on tights. Some had on balaclavas, and a couple looked like they were wearing as much clothing as I did last Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Different strokes for different folks, right?

Oh, and while my grad school schedule is about to force me into an earlier work schedule, I generally don’t leave home until around 8:30… for now.

[cyclingfool]

@Rando Guy 74589 wrote:

So you really are a cycling fool?

Yessirree.

@Subby 74582 wrote:

There was still ice in spots on the WOD and I still needed a balaclava…so let’s not go full nudist earth bike commuter just yet.

Don’t worry. I wasn’t totally nude. I’m not that foolish. I was still wearing a codpiece… and a pair of full-fingered gloves. :p

[ShawnoftheDread]

@MattAune 74575 wrote:

I must be doing it wrong. I saw no sun, very few bikes, and in no way could I have not worn full tights.

And by “wrong” you mean “at 5:00 a.m.” Yeah, I can’t imagine why you didn’t see more of us.

[Dickie]

@Rando Guy 74540 wrote:

Very nice commute but the dang 85% humidity level royally sucks. Was surprised to see so much thick ice out there in drainage ditches and a thin sheet on the bridges. Saw Dickie today so that was awesome.

Looks like we’re back on schedule! Gonna be a great 2014.

[americancyclo]

Riding through the drizzle wasn’t so bad, but arriving at the Dunn Loring metro station to find that there was no bike parking (at least not where it used to be) right by the entrance, I slowly pedaled towards the massive parking lot, grumbling the whole way. I found sheltered parking under the stairs, but then had to make the walk of shame like a car commuter a quarter mile back to the metro entrance.

http://instagram.com/p/jJiWu1A33q/

[eminva]

@americancyclo 74685 wrote:

Riding through the drizzle wasn’t so bad, but arriving at the Dunn Loring metro station to find that there was no bike parking (at least not where it used to be) right by the entrance, I slowly pedaled towards the massive parking lot, grumbling the whole way. I found sheltered parking under the stairs, but then had to make the walk of shame like a car commuter a quarter mile back to the metro entrance.

http://instagram.com/p/jJiWu1A33q/

Yes, I had to go there a few weeks ago — I think I rode around for about half an hour looking for the bike racks (which are wedged between the giant garage and I-66). I would run out of @#$%^&! characters if I had to give my opinion about what they have done/are doing to access at the Dunn Loring metro. On the plus side, it has forced me to completely abandon the metrobus/metrorail mixed mode commute I used to do on metro days and now I just ride my bike to Vienna if I’m taking metro.

Liz

[ejwillis62]

I rode today in the rain. “First time leaving home when it was raining.” i tend to chicken out when it is raining but today I didn’t want to. I need to get over my fear of it being slippery and me being cold. It went well, it was not to cold out this morning. Which explains my bravery. Only one area where they are doing road construction where it was really muddy but I just went slow and carefully. Not to bad a ride. Put my muddy bike on the bus at huntington and rode in. If it isn’t raining on the way home I will ride all the way home. I need a good ride. Thanks Freezing saddles without it, I would never have been on my bike in the rain in the winter.

[MattAune]

@ShawnoftheDread 74625 wrote:

And by “wrong” you mean “at 5:00 a.m.” Yeah, I can’t imagine why you didn’t see more of us.

But…. how much of your evening commute is in the daylight?

(this excuse works for about 5 months of the year.)

[jrenaut]

@eminva 74686 wrote:

I would run out of @#$%^&! characters if I had to give my opinion about what they have done/are doing to access at the Dunn Loring metro.

This is really disappointing – I thought that area was heading in the right direction in terms of density and walking/biking rather than just figuring out ways to move more cars, faster. That Metro station is already in a terrible spot where it’s not much fun to get to using ANY means of transportation (At least it wasn’t last time I was there, which was 5-7 years ago).

[cyclingfool]

@MattAune 74693 wrote:

But…. how much of your evening commute is in the daylight?

(this excuse works for about 5 months of the year.)

For me, it’s not about riding in the dark. I love riding in the dark actually. It’s about not having to get up as the arse crack of o’dark thirty. (Bit of a night owl here…)

[MattAune]

@jrenaut 74695 wrote:

This is really disappointing – I thought that area was heading in the right direction in terms of density and walking/biking rather than just figuring out ways to move more cars, faster. That Metro station is already in a terrible spot where it’s not much fun to get to using ANY means of transportation (At least it wasn’t last time I was there, which was 5-7 years ago).

I think they still are moving in the right direction. But getting there requires massive construction which is causing some headaches, especially for pedestrians as evidenced by the photo.

[eminva]

@jrenaut 74695 wrote:

This is really disappointing – I thought that area was heading in the right direction in terms of density and walking/biking rather than just figuring out ways to move more cars, faster. That Metro station is already in a terrible spot where it’s not much fun to get to using ANY means of transportation (At least it wasn’t last time I was there, which was 5-7 years ago).

@MattAune 74697 wrote:

I think they still are moving in the right direction. But getting there requires massive construction which is causing some headaches, especially for pedestrians as evidenced by the photo.

Okay, now you’ve gotten me started . . .

I agree they are moving in the right direction and understand that the construction would make things worse before they are better. But I think they made some bad choices about how to accomodate users in the meantime (which is years, not weeks or months). They eliminated the bus turnaround but left the kiss ‘n ride, taxi stand and for a while, a small surface parking lot (!) right next to the entrance. People transferring between metro and bus are forced to cross Gallows Road as a result, which has resulted in at least one pedestrian death that I know of (and I’m not really paying attention). I think they should have preferenced users NOT arriving by single occupancy vehicle, but they did the opposite.

I confess I haven’t studied the plans closely and in the end it may be wonderfully convenient for the classes of users I’m concerned about. I hope so.

@cyclingfool 74696 wrote:

For me, it’s not about riding in the dark. I love riding in the dark actually. It’s about not having to get up as the arse crack of o’dark thirty. (Bit of a night owl here…)

You can both be winners! There are pointless prizes both for most riding time before sunrise and most riding time after sunset.

Liz

[Steve]

Tons of dense fog this morning, especially around the rivers (Ohio Drive, Water Street, South Capitol). Ride slow, be safe!

[dasgeh]

I left early (for me) so the dense fog was mostly burned off by the time I was on the road. It was mostly a pretty haze around the river and in DC.

I also learned that before 9 there are TONS of cyclists on the roads and trails… and had the pleasure of riding with arlingtonrider, which always brightens a day. What a great way to start a crazy busy workday.

[Author]

Posts