My Morning Commute

[jrenaut]

@Xarici 94128 wrote:

I did let him know that it wasn’t legal and he ignored me. If I weren’t enjoying the commute and also needing to be in the office I would’ve stopped for longer.

Sometimes I think about moving to Ward 2 so I can vote against him.

[Terpfan]

Finally rode my new bike in and with the clipless. Pretty nice and much easier climbing hills with a modest road bike and clipless than on my heavy hybrid.

Of course then I get to work and stupidly look at Facebook to see a discussion about cyclists. One guy is claiming cyclists should move out of the way for cars in a narrow portion of a roadway. Then another lady is saying MD law requires cyclists to ride on the sidewalk first. Needless to say, I spent some time educating both of them on the idiocy of doing said things. Namely, that inviting a car right next to you in a narrow stretch of road is like playing russian roulette. And that drivers don’t think about the repercussions of cyclists adhering only to the sidewalk and then coming onto a crossing much faster and from a less visible area than they expected. Alas, I doubt this will change their minds because of course they know best and dare anyone, let alone someone who is a driver and cyclist, offer the non-vehicular point of view.

[ebubar]

In case you’re on the forums:

Me: Passing on a White, steel, Jamis road bike near the CCT entrance/exit in Georgetown

You: Super tall hybrid with bar ends

First:
Sorry if I startled you when I called my pass. I find that I get startled more when people don’t call their passes. I’m guessing I might have slipped and called my pass a little too late so was closer than intended. My bad, but thanks for being cool about it and letting me know in a calm and rational manner.

Second: You were cruising at that hybrid. If you’re on here, multiple elites are due to you good sir.

Happy rides!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Terpfan]

It was nice to see Arlington County Police out by the intersection of doom pulling over motorists left and right. I wanted to ask them if they could come walk a little further down by the GWMP exit ramp and watch people fail to yield at the crosswalk too, but decided them doing anything there was progress.

[cyclingfool]

@ebubar 94591 wrote:

Sorry if I startled you when I called my pass. I find that I get startled more when people don’t call their passes. I’m guessing I might have slipped and called my pass a little too late so was closer than intended.

Which means you probably called it about the same place most people seem to call their pass. And I’m guessing yours was more than a barely audible whisper. So your “called pass fail” was probably still better than most people’s lame attempts to call their passes IME.

[dbb]

@Terpfan 94633 wrote:

It was nice to see Arlington County Police out by the intersection of doom pulling over motorists left and right. I wanted to ask them if they could come walk a little further down by the GWMP exit ramp and watch people fail to yield at the crosswalk too, but decided them doing anything there was progress.

Jurisdictional issue. The boundary between Arlington County and the National Park Service is in the driveway entrance about 20 feet from the crosswalk across Lynn. US Park Police has the off ramp.

While I wish no harm to cyclists, there were several close calls between cars and cyclists in the crosswalk. Those served as excellent discussion opportunities for the decision makers massed on the grass as well as the individual motorists who were afforded an opportunity to speak with an Arlington Police Officer.

[Terpfan]

@dbb 94643 wrote:

Jurisdictional issue. The boundary between Arlington County and the National Park Service is in the driveway entrance about 20 feet from the crosswalk across Lynn. US Park Police has the off ramp.

While I wish no harm to cyclists, there were several close calls between cars and cyclists in the crosswalk. Those served as excellent discussion opportunities for the decision makers massed on the grass as well as the individual motorists who were afforded an opportunity to speak with an Arlington Police Officer.

I didn’t hang around as I go right off the MVT to Key Bridge. But I wish the PP would stop folks on occasion. Of course, I don’t know where or how they would pull them over either.

[KelOnWheels]

There are a great deal of tourists out and about in DC at 10:30 AM. WHO KNEW?

There were some Super Secret Special Police Guys out at 15th & Penn blocking up the block. I inquired if I might take the cycletrack through and they were very nice in explaining that they had been instructed to keep all vehicles out so they couldn’t give preference to bicycles.

I forgot my work shoes.

I remembered I hate riding with a backpack.

It’s a beautiful day!

[Dickie]

@KelOnWheels 94651 wrote:

There are a great deal of tourists out and about in DC at 10:30 AM. WHO KNEW?

There were some Super Secret Special Police Guys out at 15th & Penn blocking up the block. I inquired if I might take the cycletrack through and they were very nice in explaining that they had been instructed to keep all vehicles out so they couldn’t give preference to bicycles.

I forgot my work shoes.

I remembered I hate riding with a backpack.

It’s a beautiful day!

I miss your posts…. they always make me happy. Post more!

[cephas]

@KelOnWheels 94651 wrote:

There were some Super Secret Special Police Guys out at 15th & Penn blocking up the block.

There was a Super Special heretofore Secret motorcade that plowed down 13th about that time. The black SUV backseat driver seemed to be looking around more than usual. Must’ve been the squirrels.

Sent from planet ***** on my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KelOnWheels]

@cephas 94723 wrote:

There was a Super Special heretofore Secret motorcade that plowed down 13th about that time. The black SUV backseat driver seemed to be looking around more than usual. Must’ve been the squirrels.

Sent from planet ***** on my iPhone using Tapatalk

Two Super Secret black SUVs made an illegal left from Penn onto 9th (I think) while I was riding down the cycletrack. They were not being PALs.

[lordofthemark]

(In honor of TRoosevelt, whom I watched between innnings last night) I am DEE-LIGHTED.

52 minutes! Not from Shirlington to NJ and M street, but all the way from Park Center. As fast as transit (on a particularly slow transit day) Faster than transit from our old place. Means I rode an average of at least 11MPH, which is I think as fast as I have ridden on a longish ride not mostly downhill. Despite waiting for lights at King St in Alex, and at Maine in SW DC. Having pumped my tires even better this weekend, plus riding with less in the backpack, probably helped.

Only negative was that because of some bike parking issues at Park Center, I missed HDCC. The ride was great – great weather, generally light traffic on the 4MRT. As usual the Wharf had a new adventure for me. The south of Maine sidewalk was posted as closed (though it was actually open) but there was a defacto, possibly not legal, cycle track in the far right lane of Maine, where the crews had put up orange thingies to block off cars. But that lane itself was blocked at the end by a construction vehicle, forcing one to the general travel lane on Maine. So thanks to Clark Construction, I have finally taken the lane on Maine Avenue! And then proceeded to a full vehicular left onto 7th.

And the apex of today’s ride was when a CaBi rider Idahoed a red on Eye Street, I did not, and then I caught up with him at South Capitol.

[Emm]

This morning’s ride was beautiful. Sunny, no headwind, and everyone on the trail was polite. Also a good temp–cool, but not cold. Everything was PERFECT.

I’m going to have to figure out over the knee or longer pants soon though (once it dips into the 50’s in the AM). I have a few pairs, but they aren’t padded since I just used them with my hybrid. Since I’m guessing I’ll call it a day (or “season”) November or Decemberish, I’m not dying to spend a ton of money on long, padded pants. Maybe I’ll just look like a total dork and put long pants on over my padded shorts one it drops into the mid 50s…

[dasgeh]

Yes, this morning was amazing. I was feeling quite blah after losing a debate EARLY this morning about whether our son is allowed to climb out of his crib and come into our room. Finally got on the bike, got on the trail, and felt awesome.

@Emm 94765 wrote:

Maybe I’ll just look like a total dork and put long pants on over my padded shorts one it drops into the mid 50s…

This is what I do, and honestly, I don’t think it looks any dorkier than the long pants on their own (I wear running capris or tights) or just padded bike shorts.

[Crickey7]

It was a great commute, made even better by the gentleman with the flat tire who let me stop and lend him my spiffy new mini-pump that works like a floor pump, even though he had a mini-pump. And who graciously let me gush about its superior qualities, making suitably impressed comments and an inquiry as to where I had bought it.

[Author]

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