My Morning Commute

[huskerdont]

You know, that is one of the rare lights I’ll treat as a yield sign. Otherwise, you don’t reach the IoD before the cars are going through, which I find dangerous. I find at the Ft. Meyer light I can usually safely go a few seconds before it changes because the light toward Key Bridge changes and stops most of the traffic. Those few seconds are enough to reach the Iod while motorists still have the no-right-turn arrow (assuming they’ve noticed it).

[dasgeh]

@huskerdont 130481 wrote:

You know, that is one of the rare lights I’ll treat as a yield sign. Otherwise, you don’t reach the IoD before the cars are going through, which I find dangerous. I find at the Ft. Meyer light I can usually safely go a few seconds before it changes because the light toward Key Bridge changes and stops most of the traffic. Those few seconds are enough to reach the Iod while motorists still have the no-right-turn arrow (assuming they’ve noticed it).

You’re right about Fort Myer traffic most of the time… except sometimes a car uses the light for the GWMP to basically U-turn, and then gun it to catch the green at Lee. Probably once a week I see a red-light-jumping cyclist almost get creamed in this scenario. I find that I can make the {walking person} light at Lynn if I go right when the light at Fort Myer turns green and go steadily.

[huskerdont]

@dasgeh 130494 wrote:

You’re right about Fort Myer traffic most of the time… except sometimes a car uses the light for the GWMP to basically U-turn, and then gun it to catch the green at Lee. Probably once a week I see a red-light-jumping cyclist almost get creamed in this scenario. I find that I can make the {walking person} light at Lynn if I go right when the light at Fort Myer turns green and go steadily.

I watch for that and don’t go if there is a U-turning car–I don’t proceed if there is a car anywhere in sight. It’s just how I deal with the IoD situation, not a recommended course of action.

I find that even if I gun it when the Ft. Meyer light changes, though I make the Lynn St. light cycle, I still don’t get to the intersection before the cars are allowed to turn. And since it’s my understanding that once the signal begins counting down, you are no longer legally allowed to enter the crosswalk, and that’s the place where I feel an accident is most likely, I opt to break the one rule that I feel safer doing rather than the other. The other option, of course, is to just wait through the entirety of both lights, but this annoys me since, as in most places, the lights are timed for cars, not pedestrians or cyclists. If I really had to wait through both lights every day, I’d avoid the trail and ride down Lee Highway and turn left at Lynn like I used to do.

[scoot]

Sounds like Lee and Fort Myer would be a great candidate for re-timing the signal cycle. If cars rarely ever come up Fort Myer during the last few seconds (and especially if the few that do are speeding U-turners), why not give a green to Custis trail users earlier?

[Steve O]

@scoot 130500 wrote:

Sounds like Lee and Fort Myer would be a great candidate for re-timing the signal cycle. If cars rarely ever come up Fort Myer during the last few seconds (and especially if the few that do are speeding U-turners), why not give a green to Custis trail users earlier?

That would assume that those who time signals give a flying rat’s a$$ about other road/trail/sidewalk users, of course.

[kcb203]

I’ve now had three commutes without a single ELF sighting, whether of the motorized mini-car or Santa helper variety. Yippee!

[huskerdont]

Last commute of the year and the smallest cog on my cassette spun loose.* Out with the old!

*I tightened it recently to the recommended 45 nM when replacing the wheel, so I’m not sure why. Will check it out tonight … or maybe next year.

[DrP]

Snow Flurries!!!!

And as I was approaching the IOD, I was slowing down due to the now single digit countdown and cars were turning. Then the cars in the two turning lanes stopped to allow me and at least one other cyclist behind me (there may have been two) go through. A nice start to the week.

[Powerful Pete]

Pleasant if chilly commute. Left under the snow flurries in Arlington and arrived in DC nice and well chilled. The wind by Gravelly Point will be a pleasure to have behind me on the commute home… if the wind does not turn (as it always does).

[gibby]

Nice to see some fellow travelers this morning on the MVT (tho with that brutal wind in my eyes it was hard to see much of anything).
It was pretty lonely last week as I was apparently 1 of only about 3 people working downtown.

[huskerdont]

Bummer, missed the snow on the ride. Probably because I was running late since was #29 on the counter. On the plus side, should finally be able to use some of the winter gear tomorrow morning. Winter boots, tights, hat under the helmet, lobster gloves–here we go finally.

[Powerful Pete]

Wait, so you didn’t use your winter cycling gear this AM? 😮

[bobco85]

First morning commute of 2016: Welcome to winter weather!

Climbing the hill on Beauregard from Holmes Run today, the wind nearly stole my breath from me because I had my mouth uncovered on my balaclava (I wore glasses today which fog up immediately if I have my mouth covered). I saw a few fellow cyclists (one was on a CaBi) on W&OD between Walter Reed and Park Dr exit, so it was nice to know that others were braving the suddenly-cold-again weather.

I’m jealous of everyone that saw some flurries today, but it makes me happy to know that we might actually get some of the frozen stuff after all of this easy riding weather.

[huskerdont]

@Powerful Pete 130823 wrote:

Wait, so you didn’t use your winter cycling gear this AM? 😮

Today was an in-between day for me. Regular shoes, a thin skull cap, and gloves were fine. But 18 degrees is the real deal and I’ll be all kitted up.

[consularrider]

@bobco85 130825 wrote:

First morning commute of 2016: Welcome to winter weather!

Climbing the hill on Beauregard from Holmes Run today, the wind nearly stole my breath from me because I had my mouth uncovered on my balaclava (I wore glasses today which fog up immediately if I have my mouth covered). I saw a few fellow cyclists (one was on a CaBi) on W&OD between Walter Reed and Park Dr exit, so it was nice to know that others were braving the suddenly-cold-again weather.

I’m jealous of everyone that saw some flurries today, but it makes me happy to know that we might actually get some of the frozen stuff after all of this easy riding weather.

Well, in east Falls Church calling them “flurries” would have been an overstatement, more like the occasional stray snowflake. I expect I saw about 20 cyclists this morning on my six mile ride to and from Mikes Deli for Monday Morning Pancakes.

[Author]

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