My Morning Commute

[americancyclo]

The snow route served me well today, roads were clear enough that you could have taken 23 slicks, but why you’d do that to your road bike, i don’t know. East side (downstream) of Key Bridge ped path is still a mess though.

[bobco85]

Anybody know who was “featured” in the Morning Notes on ArlNow today?

http://www.arlnow.com/2014/03/05/morning-notes-901/

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4925[/ATTACH]

[consularrider]

Who was that masked man? Hope the Virginia anti-mask enforcers don’t find out.

[brendan]

@bobco85 78914 wrote:

Anybody know who was “featured” in the Morning Notes on ArlNow today?

Dunno, but they are wearing my favorite cycling coat!

[NicDiesel]

Starting later this month I’m finally, after a five month layoff, going to be bike commuting again. The commute for my main gig will still be a jaunt up the stairs to our loft, but I just picked up a second gig doing SAT and ACT tutoring out in Plymouth. It’s easy (and good) money, it’ll help fund the “Fat Bike” fund, I get some personal interaction, and, best of all, I’ll have a built in 34 mile round trip commute every Thursday and Saturday to look forward to now that it’s finally warming up.

[Steve]

@brendan 78920 wrote:

Dunno, but they are wearing my favorite cycling coat!

Mine too! The only issue I have with it is that it is pretty easy to overheat in, because it is so warm. Inbetween temps (like high 30s, 40s) can be tricky with that jacket and what to wear under it.

[creadinger]

So, if any of y’all know Good Hope Rd SE where it goes up, up, up from the Anacostia to Alabama Ave.

This morning I started riding up as usual (filled with dread), and when I got past the right hand bend near the library I noticed an ancient Honda Civic beginning the steep part ahead with the flashers on. I kept on my pace and actually caught up to the car (what?), who by now I realized was driving 10mph for 20 yards then stalling. I made the pass and felt good that I could breathe clean air again, but soon after she passed me again… bah. But she was still struggling to keep the car running so I had a chance. I dug into my suitcase (more like a fanny pack) of courage and just before the bend at the top I made the pass again (where there also happened to be an MPD bike cop hanging out on the sidewalk, and I yelled out – “there’s no way this car belongs on the road!”). Having made the pass again, I caught the end of the green light at 24th St., and never saw the car again. #winning!

TLDR version: I beat a car up Good Hope Rd this morning.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Came upon a herd (?) of at least seven deer crossing Westmoreland just south of Longfellow MS. After they crossed, they gathered in one of the townhouse lawns adjacent to the road.

[Yggdrasil]

Has anyone else who takes Four Mile Run/W&OD Trail through Columbia Pike to Reagan Airport noticed just how insanely dirty the creek is? Despite riding the trail for near to 8 months now, I noticed today how the creek is completely littered with plastic bags, beer cans, broken bottles, and tons of other garbage! Does anyone know of a clean up movement going on or around what time of year the county tries to organize stream cleaning? I’m relatively new to the area, but I’d love to work with someone to get this stream clean, it’s terrible seeing all the birds nest around this plastic garbage.

[consularrider]

I believe there is usually a Four Mile Run cleanup effort in the spring, but not all parts of the stream get covered. You can always volunteer to lead a cleanup effort. My family did as part of my son’s community service project in middle school. I see that Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) had an event scheduled for this past weekend in Shirlington and Barcroft parks which is in the area you mentioned. The link also mentions the Potomac watershed cleanup on April 5.

[Yggdrasil]

@consularrider 79457 wrote:

I believe there is usually a Four Mile Run cleanup effort in the spring, but not all parts of the stream get covered. You can always volunteer to lead a cleanup effort. My family did as part of my son’s community service project in middle school. I see that Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) had an event scheduled for this past weekend in Shirlington and Barcroft parks which is in the area you mentioned. The link also mentions the Potomac watershed cleanup on April 5.

Thanks, I think they must have gotten Barcroft and Shirlington, but not the W&OD trail further downstream. I think that April 5th pickup of the Potomac watershed may involve some cleaning up of the stream. Thanks again for the info.

[mikoglaces]

@TwoWheelsDC 79310 wrote:

Came upon a herd (?) of at least seven deer crossing Westmoreland just south of Longfellow MS. After they crossed, they gathered in one of the townhouse lawns adjacent to the road.

There are woods behind Longfellow that extend down the road to Haycock School.

[Terpfan]

So a couple of you and including one of my BAFS teammates had talked about bar mitts. I finally got to use the pair I recently bought. I can’t believe I waited this long. They are awesome and totally worth the money!

[Steve O]

Okay, so I’m wondering if anyone else has this same experience? I have ridden on the Custis hundreds and hundreds of times. When I ride inbound on the section between the Wash Blvd. underpass and the Glebe Rd. underpass, it is clearly a slight downhill grade.

Then when I’m riding outbound, the section between the Glebe Rd. underpass and the Wash Blvd. underpass is clearly a slight downhill grade.

But, of course, that’s impossible. I have tried and tried and tried to not experience it that way, but it always seems slightly downhill to me no matter which way I’m going.

Does anyone else have this same brain dysfunction? I suppose if I’m going to have some sort of perceptual bias, erring on the side of always riding downhill is better than the opposite.

[jrenaut]

I’ve had the same experience, though usually both ways seem slightly uphill. I figured it was an indication of my ELITENESS.

[Author]

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