My Morning Commute

[DrP]

Yesterday morning was a great ride, except for witnessing a brainless move at IOD. Cyclist passes me at Ft Myer Dr Custis crossing as we head towards Lynn. The signal at Lynn turned to a solid hand as he passed the monolith, but he kept going and seemed confused/annoyed that he had to stop in the middle of the road for the cars and forced them to allow him through (honking, as they should in this instance) in the last few seconds of their green. Definitely an idiot, but not sure if the brainless type or self-absorbed type (likely the latter with a good bit of the former).
Definitely not a PAL.

[notinthe18]

This morning, on the path along Constitution Ave NW going east from Lincoln before 21st, some guy on a CaBi decided to pass me on the right without warning … and then completely lose control and smash into me. I got some nasty road rash on my leg but thankfully no broken bones. He stuck and was concerned until I got up and was clearly not too badly hurt, then quickly rode off. Total jerk. I’d watch out for that guy — he was wearing a Cava (the fast casual lunch place) string backpack and no helmet.

FWIW, I had my yellow rainproof slicker and lights on

[DrP]

No downed trees or clogged drain-induced deep puddles today and the geese kept away from the trails. So, even with rain, all was good.

However, there was a car in the greenery below the MVT just south of Trollheim, facing the wrong way (clearly from a state that does not require front plates because it had one that said “Farm Use”. Maybe it should have stayed on the farm (and it looked like a pretty standard non-farm vehicle to me) and the torn-up grass showing that it came from the parkway. Again. People on this forum keep asking why NPS won’t improve Trollheim (especially at the split) to reduce falls even if something like 75% or cyclists have fallen on it. Well, they do not seem to want to fix the parkway where a car goes off the road about once every two or three months, so why would they bother with us. I do fear one of these times such a car taking out trail users.

[consularrider]

@DrP 178409 wrote:

No downed trees or clogged drain-induced deep puddles today and the geese kept away from the trails. So, even with rain, all was good.

However, there was a car in the greenery below the MVT just south of Trollheim, facing the wrong way (clearly from a state that does not require front plates because it had one that said “Farm Use”. Maybe it should have stayed on the farm (and it looked like a pretty standard non-farm vehicle to me) and the torn-up grass showing that it came from the parkway. Again. People on this forum keep asking why NPS won’t improve Trollheim (especially at the split) to reduce falls even if something like 75% or cyclists have fallen on it. Well, they do not seem to want to fix the parkway where a car goes off the road about once every two or three months, so why would they bother with us. I do fear one of these times such a car taking out trail users.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]17917[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]17918[/ATTACH] At 8 am this morning.

[mstone]

@DrP 178409 wrote:

clearly from a state that does not require front plates because it had one that said “Farm Use”

“unregistered farm vehicle”

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv28.pdf

In some cases, this has been abused…

[consularrider]

@mstone 178426 wrote:

“unregistered farm vehicle”

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv28.pdf

In some cases, this has been abused…

[video]https://www.google.com/search?q=i%27m+shocked+gif&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=3LVJNr0BUoV7BM%253A%252CSTKs7EFviswvfM%252C_&usg=__d_osgUqlQfjIOtlwv1Rv4Wy2VXg%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjM1cX69I7bAhXytlkKHaNZBJMQ9QEIPTAK#imgr c=3LVJNr0BUoV7BM:[/video]

[consularrider]

@mstone 178426 wrote:

“unregistered farm vehicle”

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv28.pdf

In some cases, this has been abused…

[video]https://media.giphy.com/media/Qjf12eSG7eypG/giphy.gif[/video]

[consularrider]

@mstone 178426 wrote:

“unregistered farm vehicle”

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv28.pdf

In some cases, this has been abused…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]17919[/ATTACH]

[Crickey7]

After a week of riding in rain, I’ve discovered many new squeaks. Looks like a good weekend to repack bearings.

[huskerdont]

@DrP 178409 wrote:

No downed trees or clogged drain-induced deep puddles today and the geese kept away from the trails. So, even with rain, all was good.

However, there was a car in the greenery below the MVT just south of Trollheim, facing the wrong way (clearly from a state that does not require front plates because it had one that said “Farm Use”. Maybe it should have stayed on the farm (and it looked like a pretty standard non-farm vehicle to me) and the torn-up grass showing that it came from the parkway. Again. People on this forum keep asking why NPS won’t improve Trollheim (especially at the split) to reduce falls even if something like 75% or cyclists have fallen on it. Well, they do not seem to want to fix the parkway where a car goes off the road about once every two or three months, so why would they bother with us. I do fear one of these times such a car taking out trail users.

This happens often enough that I’m on the lookout whenever I ride through here in the rain. Not kidding.

[mello yello]

@Crickey7 178433 wrote:

After a week of riding in rain, I’ve discovered many new squeaks. Looks like a good weekend to repack bearings.

squeaks? I’m getting crunchy sandy noises.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17928[/ATTACH]

[dplasters]

Watched a VDOT pick-up truck westbound on 29/Lee Highway turn right onto northbound gallows road at roughly 30mph. Tires squealing… Electric road sign he was towing completely flipping over, utterly destroyed and dragged for another 50 yards or so.

Sigh.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

[huskerdont]

Runners abreast this morning, just over the center line on the Custis, you don’t even phase me now, for I have ridden in Chicago, where they have mode-separated lanes along the lake, one set for walkers and one for cyclists, and still you’ll get people walking four abreast in the bike lane.*

True story: Four people walking abreast in the bike lane south of downtown Chicago, with four bicycle cops riding toward them and me. Spidey sense tingling, I slow down as the first three cops went off the trail to avoid the woman who wasn’t going to give an inch, but the last cop dropped his shoulder into her and rode on. She went livid and turned shouting obscenities, and of course here I am now facing her and coming to a stop, worried I’m going to have a problem.

I don’t even know where my sympathies lie in that situation.

*In fairness, I also saw cyclists on the pedestrian path too. Each path has little bike or ped outlines, but transportation is hard.

[Crickey7]

@Crickey7 178433 wrote:

After a week of riding in rain, I’ve discovered many new squeaks. Looks like a good weekend to repack bearings.

In fact, I’d trashed the cups and bearings in the rear wheel and the front steerer totally seized. Took a little while to dial in the new rear wheel (I cannot, for example, run 35mm tires on that bike) and cleaned and repacked the steerer races. Good as newish.

[hozn]

@Crickey7 178999 wrote:

In fact, I’d trashed the cups and bearings in the rear wheel and the front steerer totally seized. Took a little while to dial in the new rear wheel (I cannot, for example, run 35mm tires on that bike) and cleaned and repacked the steerer races. Good as newish.

Maybe switch to cartridge bearings?

Obviously repacking those doesn’t make much sense, but seals will likely make that irrelevant. I haven’t yet owned a bike/headset long enough to have to replace headset bearings (longest I have had a single headset was probably 20k miles). Nothing fancy – Cane Creek 40.

I know people claim cup & cone hubs are great, but who wants a hub they have to maintain?

[Author]

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