My Morning Commute

[PotomacCyclist]

The location of some other bike fixit stands, although the map doesn’t show the Clarendon or Ballston stands.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zQ2afKAN3BFs.kF4MbMC33A1c&hl=en_US

[Tim Kelley]

@PotomacCyclist 134311 wrote:

The location of some other bike fixit stands, although the map doesn’t show the Clarendon or Ballston stands.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zQ2afKAN3BFs.kF4MbMC33A1c&hl=en_US

All the Arlington ones are on the County bike map: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/

[Sunyata]

… was brutal.

The headwind was awful. I was a full 2 mph slower than my “slow” average morning commute speed. I think I am going to need some frosty recovery beverages this evening.

[huskerdont]

@Sunyata 134346 wrote:

… was brutal.

The headwind was awful. I was a full 2 mph slower than my “slow” average morning commute speed. I think I am going to need some frosty recovery beverages this evening.

I was on the SS and wasn’t looking forward to the swirling winds so took the neighborhood streets instead of the Custis. The graupel (snowchunks) followed me the whole ride in and was so hypnotizing I kept forgetting to look where I was going. It was about a 14-mph average (record is in the 19s), but I didn’t mind.

Even though I enjoyed it, I too will have some frosty beverages this evening.

[consularrider]

@Sunyata 134346 wrote:

… was brutal.

The headwind was awful. I was a full 2 mph slower than my “slow” average morning commute speed. I think I am going to need some frosty recovery beverages this evening.

I only wish I could get some of this “Frostie” recovery beverage here in Kyiv.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10876[/ATTACH]

[Terpfan]

The trick is a sail. One day I’m going to create it. I’m sure someone has, but man, if I caught the wind, I could be owning every trophy on the MVT. Of course, with my luck, the wind usually comes from the NW toward the SE while I ride against it in the mornings. It seems to whimper down by night time or switch direction.

I missed Friday though. Should have ridden in. But hearing the sleet from my bedroom and recalling my last ER trip from a slippery bridge, I took a pass. Plus I couldn’t ride home anyway per after work plans (although doesn’t stop me from riding usually as I can just load bike into wife’s car).

[bentbike33]

@Terpfan 134527 wrote:

The trick is a sail.

It’s been done.

[Dickie]

Monday mornings are bad enough but snapping your chain 3 miles from work is just cruel… kudos to Rockford10 for being the only cyclist to ask if I needed help.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Although it was wet and gross and I was hoping for snow rather than wintry mix, at least this morning was a good temp for rain gear. I was warm enough to be comfortable, but was able to ride at a normal pace without stewing in my own juices. And my gloves didn’t start to soak through until I was pulling into the parking lot at work. About as good a winter rain ride as one can hope for.

[Tania]

…my super cool and reflective Sugoi jacket isn’t waterproof enough for an hour-long ride. And my gloves aren’t waterproof at ALL. But I wasn’t cold, got the under layers just right.

And I really, really can’t see well when it’s dark and raining so it was slow going. But you can thank me for it just being rain: I put the studded tires back on last night.

Saw vicegrip and hozn. And hey – to the guy with multiple red blinkies who passed me on the east side of Two Sisters without calling (I had NO IDEA you were there), may your bottom bracket freeze up solid and be forever stuck in your frame.

[hozn]

Good to see you, @Tania.

Yes, this morning reminded me that I love my Endura Venturi jacket. It comfortable and dry for the full 1:10 this AM and cool enough with all the zippers. Best of all it has an integrated glasses cleaning cloth; that came in quite handy. And I love the Northwave Artics [sic]; they really are waterproof, they weren’t lying. With short gaiters, my feet were completely dry.

My luck has been that GoreTex gloves stay dry inside for about 40 minutes. And my Showers Pass Elite pants soak through at the knees after about 30 minutes. “Waterproof”.

It was really pretty out west.

[bobco85]

I experienced wet snow that wasn’t accumulating this morning from Alexandria to Arlington. The snowflakes were pretty, though, and I hope to see some more of them on my evening commute home.

Also, there’s something highly unsettling about seeing a tractor trailer blow through a red light (I was on GM Drive at the Route 7 intersection) more than a full second after cross traffic got a green light. There were pedestrians waiting to step out into the crosswalk, and I’m glad they were paying attention. BTW the tractor trailer was going uphill (west on Route 7), so I don’t think braking was really an issue.

[huskerdont]

Had the XC bike instead of the single speed in case the snow amounted to anything. The snowflakes in the dark in N. Arlington turned to rain about half-way in in Rosslyn. Was a bit bummed. Maybe there will be something to ride through on the way home though. Probably not.

[Crickey7]

They call that a snow? When I was a kid, we had real snow. My twelve brothers and I had only one Raleigh three speed a-twixt us to get to school on. My eldest brother would ride to school through a foot of snow, then immediately ride it back so my next oldest brother could ride. He’d do the same thing for the next brother, and so on. And we liked it.

[huskerdont]

@Crickey7 134625 wrote:

They call that a snow? When I was a kid, we had real snow. My twelve brothers and I had only one Raleigh three speed a-twixt us to get to school on. My eldest brother would ride to school through a foot of snow, then immediately ride it back so my next oldest brother could ride. He’d do the same thing for the next brother, and so on. And we liked it.

You had three speeds? We had one speed (slow), and the tires were those hard plastic kind that didn’t have inner tubes. We thought we were lucky.

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