My Morning Commute

[bentbike33]

@BTC_DC 124151 wrote:

Broken chain but luckily was close to a Capital Bikeshare station and able to tow my bike the remaining couple of miles to the office.

I would have liked to see that.

[dasgeh]

@BTC_DC 124151 wrote:

Broken chain but luckily was close to a Capital Bikeshare station and able to tow my bike the remaining couple of miles to the office.

It did take almost 10 minutes to check out the Cabi, however, with the touchscreen barely working or sensing which buttons I was pressing. I use Cabi infrequently, but have run into this issue a few times now.

Sounds like you should get a daily key membership

[ian74]

@Terpfan 124124 wrote:

This morning was fun. VDOT has totally torn up Beacon Hill Rd so I decided to take Rt 1. So I decided to take Rt 1 except I saw plenty of obstacles on the sidewalk so I just took the road except briefly to skirt traffic by the Walmart. Once I crossed the pedestrian bridge into OT by Washington St, I just missed the crosswalk so I proceeded down the westbound sidewalk on Washington to about Wolf or so. Then I said, eh, what the hell, I’m on a roll. And I proceeded to take Washington St all the way down to the split onto Abingdon. The most amazing thing from it all? Not a single honk or dangerous move from a vehicle at all. Then again, I was also booking it at at 18mph average despite hitting two lights and slowing for a turning vehicle.

Beautiful morning and since I took the ridiculously crazy route, even got one 9th place ever finish for a strave section. And, ha, that’s the only way I can score–ie, be crazy enough to do a route only another 10 or 15 brave souls will try.

I live on Abingdon! Aside from that, once you get into OT I don’t think there’s an issue riding on Washington. Is it not allowed through there? I know “techincally” it’s the parkway, but through old town it sure doesn’t have the type of speed and nonsense of riding on the parkway outside of town. Do you usually go under the bridge and ride Union St back to the MVT after you get to OT? Sounds like a fun ride though.

Some mornings I ride on the closed section of the Rock Creek Pkwy drive that goes under the Kennedy center. There’s something about being on an open paved road that makes you want to really hustle.

[BTC_DC]

@dasgeh 124168 wrote:

Sounds like you should get a daily key membership

That is exactly what I need! Have ordered and the key is on its way.

[Terpfan]

@ian74 124177 wrote:

I live on Abingdon! Aside from that, once you get into OT I don’t think there’s an issue riding on Washington. Is it not allowed through there? I know “techincally” it’s the parkway, but through old town it sure doesn’t have the type of speed and nonsense of riding on the parkway outside of town. Do you usually go under the bridge and ride Union St back to the MVT after you get to OT? Sounds like a fun ride though.

Some mornings I ride on the closed section of the Rock Creek Pkwy drive that goes under the Kennedy center. There’s something about being on an open paved road that makes you want to really hustle.

It’s permitted on Washington St, at least up until Abingdon heading north-bound (I’m not sure if it’s considered okay on the main roadway through the last traffic light). But sometimes it’s a little dicey since people treat Washington St like it’s part of a grand prix sometimes. I typically take the MVT up to Royal and then head down to where that connects by the power plant and then briefly on East Abingdon for that block before Slaters Lane to turn off on the MVT.

I agree about the open road and hustle feeling. I also usually don’t ride on Rt 1 except for very small stretches. The downhills on Rt 1 can be a lot of fun if you catch the lights and are ahead of traffic since unlike the Beacon Hill downhill section, the traffic light at the bottom is visible and doesn’t change as frequently. Flip side of riding on Rt 1 is that it is a 40-50mph roadway and people take that as the minimum suggested speed at all non-traffic times.

I’ve never actually done the RCP segment below the Kennedy Center Bridge by bike (I’ve done from the top of the park down to Virginia Ave), but sounds like a fun one to try

[Terpfan]

I forgot this gem from this morning’s commute [video]https://youtu.be/a35g-bGNh4U[/video] . Saving it for next time someone whines to me about cyclists always running lights.

[Steve O]

Today was bicycle count day in Arlington County, and I passed three stations where they counted me and we shared good mornings (all were people I know).

I did throw the statistics a bit, though, since today I was wearing my helmet.

[Crickey7]

Gave Montgomery County PD a big thumbs up this morning as they were conducting one of their sporadic stings of cars driving on the shoulder of River Road, which is my lane. The officers hide on foot behind a bus stop. Very tricksy.

[jrenaut]

Since our CSA pickup is right by my wife’s new office, we rode together to drop the kids then to her office. I kissed her goodbye and rode off, and one of the construction guys at the next corner said, “Gives new meaning to ‘kiss and ride'”.

Also, I hope I never get old enough to be able to ride past Canal Park and not go through the fountains.

[dasgeh]

I rode my road bike to work. I think it’s been almost exactly a year…

[GovernorSilver]

@dasgeh 124168 wrote:

Sounds like you should get a daily key membership

Just received mine yesterday, having learned about this new option myself last week. 😎

[GovernorSilver]

Got a little careless turning right from Pendleton to get on MVT in Oronoco Bay Park – missed the path altogether and got on the grass/dirt to the left of the path, and wiped out when I tried to roll onto the path, because of the steep rise of the path in relation to the grass dirt. Bruised my right knee, but didn’t realize it was bleeding quite a bit until I arrived at work.

Tried my Papal Visit Alternate Route #1 as posted on the other thread – turned left onto E. Basin Dr. instead of right after crossing 14th St. Bridge, then rode on Ohio Dr. Got a little lost looking for the Park Police parking lot, found it, cut through it, earning a stare from a cop, took the Case Bridge MUP to L’Enfant Plaza. I started to regret my route choice on the other side of the Case Bridge MUP when I had trouble descending into the park due to the sharp curves. By the time I was riding on Maine Dr. I was in full regret mode. I think there might have been a bike lane but it was obliterated by construction. Fair amount of traffic, but no worse than N. Capitol St.

Leaning strongly towards taking my chances with Madison for my morning commute during the Papal visit, since they’re not supposed to seal off the area entirely until 10AM.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I would trade the few bike lanes and sharrows on my commute for drivers who didn’t lose their minds when I lane split. I mean, please don’t pass me with 6 inches to spare when going 35mph, but if I’m lane splitting, you can assume I’m comfortable riding closely alongside you while slowly pulling away from a stoplight.

[Oldtowner]

@GovernorSilver 124250 wrote:

Got a little careless turning right from Pendleton to get on MVT in Oronoco Bay Park – missed the path altogether and got on the grass/dirt to the left of the path, and wiped out when I tried to roll onto the path, because of the steep rise of the path in relation to the grass dirt. Bruised my right knee, but didn’t realize it was bleeding quite a bit until I arrived at work.

Tried my Papal Visit Alternate Route #1 as posted on the other thread – turned left onto E. Basin Dr. instead of right after crossing 14th St. Bridge, then rode on Ohio Dr. Got a little lost looking for the Park Police parking lot, found it, cut through it, earning a stare from a cop, took the Case Bridge MUP to L’Enfant Plaza. I started to regret my route choice on the other side of the Case Bridge MUP when I had trouble descending into the park due to the sharp curves. By the time I was riding on Maine Dr. I was in full regret mode. I think there might have been a bike lane but it was obliterated by construction. Fair amount of traffic, but no worse than N. Capitol St.

Leaning strongly towards taking my chances with Madison for my morning commute during the Papal visit, since they’re not supposed to seal off the area entirely until 10AM.

Hope that knee is feeling better!

There must be a reason why people go around East Basin, but I just go straight after the 14th Bridge and then turn right on Ohio Drive and then head towards Hains Pt. Then I take the sidewalk at the Case Bridge right up and over. It has to be faster then going around the long way.

On the other side of the bridge I take G St up to 4th. It’s a pain, but That’s gonna be my work around. I really don’t like how they have taken to closing off 15th at Maine.

15th and Madsion are both in the area that is going to be closed as of Tuesday night. Wednesday morning will be bad all the way around.

http://wtop.com/pope-francis-2015-us-visit/2015/09/popes-d-c-visit-to-cause-street-closures/

[GovernorSilver]

@Oldtowner 124393 wrote:

Hope that knee is feeling better!

There must be a reason why people go around East Basin, but I just go straight after the 14th Bridge and then turn right on Ohio Drive and then head towards Hains Pt. Then I take the sidewalk at the Case Bridge right up and over. It has to be faster then going around the long way.

On the other side of the bridge I take G St up to 4th. It’s a pain, but That’s gonna be my work around. I really don’t like how they have taken to closing off 15th at Maine.

15th and Madsion are both in the area that is going to be closed as of Tuesday night. Wednesday morning will be bad all the way around.

http://wtop.com/pope-francis-2015-us-visit/2015/09/popes-d-c-visit-to-cause-street-closures/

Thanks for the updated info! I’ll check out those route ideas too.

I got my knee treated and dressed by the nurse at our workplace wellness center. I learned more about dressings than I’d ever known before in my life. Hopefully it’ll be reasonably healed up by the time the Pope arrives.

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