My Morning Commute

[mstone]

@vern 118283 wrote:

I’ve crossed these bridges when wet and find them to be much less slippery than the Trollheim or the other wooden bridges on the WOD. I slow down for the wooden bridges when wet, but I don’t do so for the composite bridges in Loudon County.

The Loudoun bridges are in the sun and not built over a swamp. There are a lot of non-slippery ordinary wooden bridges, also.

[Powerful Pete]

… too short.

Had to cut my commute short for some work meetings this morning. Very pleasant temperature…

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@jabberwocky 118278 wrote:

Floorboards are actually scored because flooring often only has one good side (meaning clear and free of defects and knots), and manufacturers learned long ago that installers suck at picking it. So they route grooves into the bad side to make it obvious that side goes to the floor.

Lots of folktales and secondary benefits of grooving the underside, but the primary reason is stability.

[jabberwocky]

@Brendan von Buckingham 118362 wrote:

Lots of folktales and secondary benefits of grooving the underside, but the primary reason is stability.

I don’t buy that; the small kerfs routed into flooring are going to do nothing to help expansion or contraction (life long woodworker here). Wood doesn’t work like that. There isn’t a constant stress level that needs to be relieved, every piece of wood is different. Cutting a piece of stable wood can actually result in it warping, because internal stresses that were balanced before suddenly aren’t. There is a reason those kerfs are very shallow (maybe 1/8″ on a 3/4″ piece of flooring). Once wood has been joined flat and planed to thickness you don’t really want to mess with it.

They may reduce the floorings area in contact with the floor, which may help in situations where the wood is wicking moisture from a wet substrate, but if your substrate is wet wood flooring is screwed no matter what.

The installation reason is what a few manufacturers have told me directly.

[mstone]

I think the answer is…TRADITION!

[vern]

@mstone 118356 wrote:

The Loudoun bridges are in the sun and not built over a swamp. There are a lot of non-slippery ordinary wooden bridges, also.

Please tell me where these not-slippery-when-wet wooden bridges are located. I haven’t crossed one yet. I’d like to have that experience.

Also, the Loudoun bridges are not in the sun when it’s raining (with that rare exception), but I appreciate the contrary response.

[bentbike33]

@mstone 118356 wrote:

The Loudoun bridges are in the sun and not built over a swamp.

True, but the Trollheim is so heavily traveled that I doubt anything is actually growing on its surface except maybe toward the extreme edges. It may be that the heavy traffic makes the wood more slippery by effectively sanding it smooth. Before I started commuting regularly, my mountain biking experiences riding over roots, small deadfalls, and wooden anti-erosion bars taught me two fundamental equations:

(1) wood + rubber = good traction

(2) wood + water + rubber = zero traction

Knowing these has kept me upright on the Trollheim and other boardwalks.

[jabberwocky]

FWIW, most of the better composite decking products strive to meet ADA compliance for traction, which specifies both a dry and wet coefficient of friction.

[mstone]

@vern 118373 wrote:

Please tell me where these not-slippery-when-wet wooden bridges are located. I haven’t crossed one yet. I’d like to have that experience.

Also, the Loudoun bridges are not in the sun when it’s raining (with that rare exception), but I appreciate the contrary response.

The issue isn’t the water, it’s the biofilm. Wood that doesn’t stay wet as much doesn’t have the same problem. E.g., the citizen’s bridge on the W&OD, the one just east of little falls, heck, most of the bridges on the W&OD. You just don’t see cyclists routinely wiping out on them. They tend to have the vegetation cut back on either side so they get more sun, and are in generally dryer environments. So they’re wet when it rains, but not damp for extended periods–unlike the MVT boardwalks, many of which are literally green with slime. I don’t think composites are the answer because there’s no obvious reason why they wouldn’t have the same biofilm problem. A biocide could work, but NPS doesn’t want to dump that into the park. Ditto a high-traction compound. Teak might work, but I don’t think it’s in the budget (and still might not work). Switching to a high-traction concrete deck would probably work but would be expensive and environmentally challenging (they’d need to bring in some heavy equipment and probably drive more substantial pilings.) If there were a simple solution it probably would have been done by now.

[Terpfan]

Augh, bleeping broken spokes. Going to go back to the bike store at lunch. But thank you to the folks who asked if I was alight on MVT by the airport. Quite kind and nice to so many folks care.

[KWL]

THIS is one of the sights that makes my morning commutes so enjoyable.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

OK June, a couple more like this morning and we’re even.

[Powerful Pete]

Great commute this morning (taking it easy after a long day of riding yesterday)… until I flatted my back tire about half a km from the office. Rode gingerly into work and will change out the inner tube this evening before my ride home. Naturally rode through all kinds of weather last night and my bike is absolutely filthy. Will teach me to not wash it down immediately after my ride!

[Tim Kelley]

@Brendan von Buckingham 118887 wrote:

OK June, a couple more like this morning and we’re even.

What is so rare as a day in June?

Then, if ever, come perfect days and heaven tries earth if it be in tune.

And over it softly her warm ear lays.

[mikoglaces]

Great commute today. Took the cross bike rather than the road bike, over Chain Bridge, and then three miles of mud and puddles on the C&O to Georgetown. Gotta love the mud.

Better than my commute home last night. left the office just as the storm was starting. Worst conditions I’ve ridden in in months. Could barely see on the Custis and W&OD and had to ride slowly. Stopped and moved large branches off the Custis twice.

[Author]

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