My Morning Commute

[ebubar]

Just looked at my GPS route home tonight. Broke the 25 mph speed limit on Sligo Creek on my way home tonight. Scofflaw cyclist confirmed!

[Steve]

@ebubar 83451 wrote:

Just looked at my GPS route home tonight. Broke the 25 mph speed limit on Sligo Creek on my way home tonight. Scofflaw cyclist confirmed!

It’s always been a little dream of mine to get a speeding ticket on my bike.

[lordofthemark]

The Good – Got out bright and early, weather beautiful. Did the three hills on the route (connector drive, Humpback, and 14th st bridge) much better – only second time on the new bike, and previous time tires were a bit low. Felt more comfortable on the sharrows part of Eye street (I seem to have hit a low traffic time) Did the NJ Ave short cut from Eye Street to USDOT.

The Bad – So after showing my badge to the guard at the top of the ramp to the garage, I get the strap on it caught in my handle bar. No big deal, but I guess it threw me mentally. I decided to be a GOOD cyclist, and signal my right (I make a right at the bottom of the ramp). On the downhill. Mistake.

The Ugly – how I must have looked going over the handle bars. (I THINK thats where I went)

The Good – escaped with only a surface wound on my right knuckle, and some small bruises and scrapes on my hands. Bike seems fine. The Planet Bike front light snapped off, and was undamaged, and I was able to put it right back on.

What I learned – Stop and think. Keep the bike under control. You don’t really HAVE to signal there for any particular reason. In fact there is no reason to at that spot, and it was totally stupid to do so.

[jrenaut]

I would like to give a string of really offensive expletives to those in charge of caring for DC’s streets. In particular 14th St at T NW, and the pothole there that ruined my wheel. Thanks to the Bike Rack for getting me a new wheel in time for me to make the tail end of Friday Coffee Club.

[Dickie]

@jrenaut 83472 wrote:

I would like to give a string of really offensive expletives to those in charge of caring for DC’s streets. In particular 14th St at T NW, and the pothole there that ruined my wheel. Thanks to the Bike Rack for getting me a new wheel in time for me to make the tail end of Friday Coffee Club.

Well thank god you weren’t carrying pie this time!

[jrenaut]

@Dickie 83498 wrote:

Well thank god you weren’t carrying pie this time!

I wish I had been carrying pie – I would have been going more slowly and my wheel might have survived.

[consularrider]

Speed kills.

[cyclingfool]

@consularrider 83507 wrote:

Speed kills.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5361[/ATTACH]

[KLizotte]

@lordofthemark 83467 wrote:

The Good – Got out bright and early, weather beautiful. Did the three hills on the route (connector drive, Humpback, and 14th st bridge) much better – only second time on the new bike, and previous time tires were a bit low. Felt more comfortable on the sharrows part of Eye street (I seem to have hit a low traffic time) Did the NJ Ave short cut from Eye Street to USDOT.

The Bad – So after showing my badge to the guard at the top of the ramp to the garage, I get the strap on it caught in my handle bar. No big deal, but I guess it threw me mentally. I decided to be a GOOD cyclist, and signal my right (I make a right at the bottom of the ramp). On the downhill. Mistake.

The Ugly – how I must have looked going over the handle bars. (I THINK thats where I went)

The Good – escaped with only a surface wound on my right knuckle, and some small bruises and scrapes on my hands. Bike seems fine. The Planet Bike front light snapped off, and was undamaged, and I was able to put it right back on.

What I learned – Stop and think. Keep the bike under control. You don’t really HAVE to signal there for any particular reason. In fact there is no reason to at that spot, and it was totally stupid to do so.

For what it’s worth, I almost never signal going downhill since I think it is more important to keep my hands on the bars/brakes. If I think I’m really going to have to signal going downhill, then I slow way down first then signal.

Glad you are ok though. Don’t worry, we all make mistakes and we learn from them. The falls and bumps/bruises become less over time.

[cyclingfool]

This AM’s commute was beautiful and much more pleasant than Friday evening’s. Friday, I had grown complacent about the weather and had left my rain gear at home, unaware of the forecast evening precip. Then, as I was already soaking wet, my chain broke. The only positive of this was where it happened — coming up the Crystal City Connector trail — so I was right next to the workstand by the cafe. Out came the mini tool, I took out the broken link and nursed my bike home. By the time I reached home, the sun was coming out. Typical.

So, I put on a new chain Saturday night and overhauled front and rear hubs (this was needed maintenance I was planning on doing soon anyway). Then washed my bike yesterday. Lots of TLC! It’s all fixed and “nice and perty” just in time for 3 more days of rain and road grime. At least I remembered to stuff my rain cape back in my panniers and won’t be caught off guard tonight.

[brendan]

I drove to/from Reston today.

I had intended to ride in today, even put the dummy on the back of the element when I drove back from DC to Arlington last night. I’m moving to DC, so my car is hauling largish stuff back and forth.

It was my last bike commute chance for this week. Then I noticed that I’d left my helmet in DC.

I considered riding anyway, but, again: I’m not allowed any more broken bones and/or trips to the ER due to bike injuries.

There’s always next week!

B

[Subby]

@brendan 83717 wrote:

I’m not allowed any more broken bones and/or trips to the ER due to bike injuries.

Heh. I said this at the beginning of the year, too. And then I realized talk is cheap. Ice is forever.

[Dickie]

…was very British.

[cyclingfool]

@Dickie 83753 wrote:

…was very British.

I was thinking PNW (Pacific Northwest), but British works, too. Whichever is the better descriptor, I loved it! 50 with a light mist is perhaps my favorite riding weather.

[Vicegrip]

@Dickie 83753 wrote:

…was very British.

Spitteling

[Author]

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