My Morning Commute

[VikingMariner]

@jrenaut 88902 wrote:

I do not particularly appreciate the kids asking why I’m going so slowly up hills.

Tell them there’s a police speed trap ahead.

[consularrider]

I was channeling my inner dismalscientist this morning and rode in in khakis.

[Terpfan]

Awesome morning. Continuing my push to get my 16.8 mile ride in under 1 hour. Despite hitting lights at Rt 1 and twice on Wisconsin Ave, I managed to get pretty close with just a hair under 1:07, a new personal record. And I was mumbling the I believe chant to myself in anticipation of kicking some Belgium backside tonight.

[rcannon100]

I found Baby Benjamin Bunny hopping down the Custis hill this morning. I tried to stop to shush him off the trail but he disappeared into a brier patch. Hopefully he made it through the fence to safety.

[lordofthemark]

@Terpfan 89332 wrote:

Awesome morning. Continuing my push to get my 16.8 mile ride in under 1 hour.

And meanwhile I was continuing my push to get my less than 5 mile ride to under 30 minutes And came pretty close, made it from the end of the Pentagon Bus station to NJ and M SE in 33 mins, I believe my best time yet.

While waiting for the 29G bus at Heritage I saw a rider in a blue shirt waiting for the light to cross LRT northbound. I called out “Sean!” but not too loudly, in case it was someone else and they might think I’m deranged.

The weather was great. They have restriped Connector Rd where it hits Boundary Channel, I think thats a good thing (I now get into the left turn lane without having to figure out where to shift left, since its just the one lane at the intersection now) Water Street/fish market continues to be a mess.

I found a new reason to take the lane. On 7th from Maine to Eye, I sometimes take the lane, sometimes the sidewalk, depending. This AM there was another cyclist as well as cars in the lane, and the sidewalk looked clear, so I took the sidewalk – well what do I see coming downhill (after I had committed) but a guy on a seque. Not a tour, not a cop, just an old guy on segue. Which, BTW, takes the full width of the sidewalk. Lacking the mountain biking skills to scoot up the grassy hill to the right and with parked cars on the left, I had no choice but to stop till he passed.

[Terpfan]

@lordofthemark 89340 wrote:

And meanwhile I was continuing my push to get my less than 5 mile ride to under 30 minutes And came pretty close, made it from the end of the Pentagon Bus station to NJ and M SE in 33 mins, I believe my best time yet.

While waiting for the 29G bus at Heritage I saw a rider in a blue shirt waiting for the light to cross LRT northbound. I called out “Sean!” but not too loudly, in case it was someone else and they might think I’m deranged.

The weather was great. They have restriped Connector Rd where it hits Boundary Channel, I think thats a good thing (I now get into the left turn lane without having to figure out where to shift left, since its just the one lane at the intersection now) Water Street/fish market continues to be a mess.

I found a new reason to take the lane. On 7th from Maine to Eye, I sometimes take the lane, sometimes the sidewalk, depending. This AM there was another cyclist as well as cars in the lane, and the sidewalk looked clear, so I took the sidewalk – well what do I see coming downhill (after I had committed) but a guy on a seque. Not a tour, not a cop, just an old guy on segue. Which, BTW, takes the full width of the sidewalk. Lacking the mountain biking skills to scoot up the grassy hill to the right and with parked cars on the left, I had no choice but to stop till he passed.

I was 40 minutes or so on the 7 mile when I was first riding back in 2011. But I don’t think I had the commitment level you do then so i’m sure it will get better for you faster than it did for me.

Convinced I still have plenty of room to do better as watch some of the folks on here zoom by me on uphill sections.

[krazygl00]

@lordofthemark 89340 wrote:

And meanwhile I was continuing my push to get my less than 5 mile ride to under 30 minutes And came pretty close, made it from the end of the Pentagon Bus station to NJ and M SE in 33 mins, I believe my best time yet.

While waiting for the 29G bus at Heritage I saw a rider in a blue shirt waiting for the light to cross LRT northbound. I called out “Sean!” but not too loudly, in case it was someone else and they might think I’m deranged.

The weather was great. They have restriped Connector Rd where it hits Boundary Channel, I think thats a good thing (I now get into the left turn lane without having to figure out where to shift left, since its just the one lane at the intersection now) Water Street/fish market continues to be a mess.

I found a new reason to take the lane. On 7th from Maine to Eye, I sometimes take the lane, sometimes the sidewalk, depending. This AM there was another cyclist as well as cars in the lane, and the sidewalk looked clear, so I took the sidewalk – well what do I see coming downhill (after I had committed) but a guy on a seque. Not a tour, not a cop, just an old guy on segue. Which, BTW, takes the full width of the sidewalk. Lacking the mountain biking skills to scoot up the grassy hill to the right and with parked cars on the left, I had no choice but to stop till he passed.

I think someone floated out the idea a while back (it might have been me) of a generic forum callout, such as “ELITE!!” that only forum members would recognize and respond to. Other riders would only think you were rightly proclaiming your awesome ELITE status, notifying the mere mortals of the presence of your massive guads dispensing copious amounts of Rule V.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@lordofthemark 89340 wrote:

While waiting for the 29G bus at Heritage I saw a rider in a blue shirt waiting for the light to cross LRT northbound. I called out “Sean!” but not too loudly, in case it was someone else and they might think I’m deranged.
.

Sorry I missed you. I have trouble recognizing the Irish pronunciation when there’s loud traffic.

[Phatboing]

@ShawnoftheDread 89359 wrote:

Sorry I missed you. I have trouble recognizing the Irish pronunciation when there’s loud traffic.

Aha, that was you in the blue shirt at Cherry and Hillwood this eve then, wasn’t it?

[ShawnoftheDread]

Guilty.

[Vicegrip]

@krazygl00 89353 wrote:

I think someone floated out the idea a while back (it might have been me) of a generic forum callout, such as “ELITE!!” that only forum members would recognize and respond to. Other riders would only think you were rightly proclaiming your awesome ELITE status, notifying the mere mortals of the presence of your massive guads dispensing copious amounts of Rule V.

Lol.

I see both the V and the 41 is strong.

[Terpfan]

Aside from it being muggy, it was a nice ride. It helped that the NPS employee down by the power plant semi-directing traffic on the trail as they did something by the long bridge said “Good morning” in a cheerful voice. And then crossing under Memorial Bridge in the one lane tunnel behind a runner, the runner stopped and stood against the wall offering to let me go by. No issues with drivers and one even let me go first at a stop sign despite me getting there far later than him. I should be playing the Powerball or something now.

[Steve]

I haven’t been on my bike in a month now, due to the birth of our first child (family biking thread, here I come!). I was off work for 3 weeks, which is normally the only place I ride, or at least the main one, and this week I drove due to being tired and working some odd hours.

I really cannot wait for Monday to be back on the bike and enjoying a ride, you know other than the work part. Hope to see some folks out and about.

[consularrider]

I took the Eads St detour this morning instead of continuing eastbound on the reopened 4MRT. At the intersection of Eads and 23rd, I had one Arlington Police officer pull over a car that had turned right onto 23rd (don’t know why because the driver wasn’t speeding and turned on the green light). Then as I proceeded north through the intersection a car turned right on red just ahead of me and another Arlington Police officer pulled her over. The officer ask her if she had observed the “no right turn on red” sign where she had just turned. She was shocked, shocked, I tell you to know there was such a sign there (driving while visually impaired?).

[rcannon100]

My morning commute was lonely. Doesnt anyone work during the summer? The Rosslyn Totem pole incantated that only a few meager soles had offered it worship this morning.

[Author]

Posts