My Morning Commute

[Greenbelt]

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[Greenbelt]

Actually 99% of my fellow travelers have been courteous on the commute, but I’m having a hard time holding my frustration for cars blocking intersections and aggressive pedestrians walking through or standing in the bike lanes just because they know I’ll stop for them.

Need to find my inner peace, which eluded me once this morning. (Dear ear-bud bro standing in the M street bike lane — I sincerely apologize for being rude. Please pop out a bud on the street side when you’re standing in bike lanes so you can hear me politely saying “heads up, buddy” so I don’t need to scream to get your attention.)

[Subby]

Lynn Street crossing: STILL THE WORST.

[chris_s]

First bikeshare commute this morning (long story). Forgot to re-dock half way and so I went over my 30 minutes (boo).

FYI Bikeshare bikes are REALLY slow. Like, REALLY slow.

[vvill]

@Subby 91880 wrote:

Lynn Street crossing: STILL THE WORST.

FWIW I wouldn’t begin crossing with the countdown started already if there is traffic like that. I *might* if there are other trail users already in the intersection, though.

[Subby]

@vvill 91888 wrote:

FWIW I wouldn’t begin crossing with the countdown started already if there is traffic like that. I *might* if there are other trail users already in the intersection, though.

Yeah, I’m just stubborn. Unless I am doing something wrong there, I’m going.

[bobco85]

@Subby 91889 wrote:

Yeah, I’m just stubborn. Unless I am doing something wrong there, I’m going.

I feel you on this, but if you were to get hit by one of the vehicles I think you’d end up getting a ticket for it. Quick explanation: you’re considered a pedestrian in this situation (trail-user crossing in a crosswalk), starting to cross on a flashing “Don’t Walk” red hand is illegal for pedestrians, and I’ll just throw in a cynical “blah, blah, blah, you’re obviously a scofflaw because you’re a cyclist, blah, blah, blah, it’s all your fault.” :p

[Subby]

@bobco85 91891 wrote:

I feel you on this, but if you were to get hit by one of the vehicles I think you’d end up getting a ticket for it. Quick explanation: you’re considered a pedestrian in this situation (trail-user crossing in a crosswalk), starting to cross on a flashing “Don’t Walk” red hand is illegal for pedestrians, and I’ll just throw in a cynical “blah, blah, blah, you’re obviously a scofflaw because you’re a cyclist, blah, blah, blah, it’s all your fault.” :p

That makes sense. I didn’t realize you couldn’t enter the crosswalk on a countdown. Thanks!

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Subby 91892 wrote:

That makes sense. I didn’t realize you couldn’t enter the crosswalk on a countdown. Thanks!

It’s probably a legal distinction that has few implications outside our wonderful contributory negligence bubble.

[bobco85]

@TwoWheelsDC 91894 wrote:

It’s probably a legal distinction that has few implications outside our wonderful contributory negligence bubble.

I was thinking of this incident from a few months ago that made me think there would be little chance of justice for Subby: http://www.arlnow.com/2014/05/07/cyclist-hit-by-car-issued-ticket-in-rosslyn/

[Boo Boo]

My morning commute was an afternoon commute. After having to drive to the office this morning, I got to stop at home and hop on the bike for a ride downtown to a conference. The 40 minutes in the saddle completely turned around what was a totally crappy morning.

[PeteD]

There’s something to this commuting thing. If Strava has me burning 1100 calories each way, getting down to climbing weight is going to be easy.

Today’s commute was on the Commutotron (aka Trek 7300), since I wanted the use of my pannier to carry the laptop, power brick, and a spare set of clothes. I had to stop along the way to adjust the pannier clips, since the contents weighed as much as my road bike, and had slid down the rear rack, so each pedal stroke ended up with a heel into the side of the pannier.

Oh, and it’s late-season blackberry harvest time it seems. I saw 4 people along the W&OD picking blackberries from Vienna all the way out to Sterling. So be careful folks.

–Pete

[hozn]

@PeteD 91930 wrote:

There’s something to this commuting thing. If Strava has me burning 1100 calories each way, getting down to climbing weight is going to be easy.

Strava lies about calories — unless you have a power meter. At least for me it is about 2x the HR-based Garmin estimates on commutes, which seem to be empirically reasonably accurate. For racing or really hard efforts the numbers get a little closer for whatever reason.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@hozn 91939 wrote:

Strava lies about calories — unless you have a power meter. At least for me it is about 2x the HR-based Garmin estimates on commutes, which seem to be empirically reasonably accurate. For racing or really hard efforts the numbers get a little closer for whatever reason.

So you’re saying I can have that second pint of ice cream in the freezer?

[lordofthemark]

@lordofthemark 91838 wrote:

I’m going to be doing this sort of. We are moving, and I volunteered to keep BOTH bikes at work for the next two weeks. Took the Kona in this morning, and tomorrow I will ride the old MTB.

OMG, I didn’t really realize how actually terrible the Roadmaster UltraTerrain Extreme was till commuting on it the day after commuting on the Dew. Time this AM was 40 minutes, vs 30 minutes yesterday, and a much less pleasant 40 minutes it was. Now the two of them are locked together, to be taken out only for lunch time rides, till the move is done.

This is I think the first time (since getting back to biking) I have commuted in two days in a row, and its certainly the first time I have ridden more or less transportationally four days in a row.

Also: It turns out the fences along the Maine Ave sidewalk (southside, west of the fish market) are due to security for an event, I guess related to the african heads of state, and not to the Wharf construction, so at least that part should be better soon. Also Maine and 7th and 7th and Eye was more hairy than usual.

[Author]

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