My Morning Commute

[Crickey7]

Yes, the new wheels, though not very expensive, are cartridge bearing. The old stock house brand wheels were ball bearings. In theory one can clean and repack wheel ball bearings forever. I find in practice the cups and cones get scored fairly easily (because the seals fail on cheap wheels), and rebuilding the entire axle is a major parts-finding pain.

On the steerer, the headset seemed fine. The bottom race was kind of rough, but that was fairly easy to clean and repack. I’ll probably take it apart again at some point and replace that race.

[komorebi]

Scene: in the elevator of my condo building this morning, heading down.

Unknown neighbor: “I’d rather do that [gesturing at my bike] than go to work.”

Me (aloud): “Oh, I’m on my way to work too.”

Me (thinking to myself): “Except that I’m going to have a lovely ride along the river, enjoy this beautiful weather, have coffee with friends, and arrive at work energized, while you’re stuck in your metal cage.”

Anyway, I found it interesting that she saw the bike and assumed I could not possibly be headed to work. The D.C. region has been celebrating Bike to Work Day for 20+ years, there’s a BTWD pit stop literally around the corner from my building, and still the message hasn’t sunk in.

[lordofthemark]

@komorebi 179037 wrote:

Scene: in the elevator of my condo building this morning, heading down.

Unknown neighbor: “I’d rather do that [gesturing at my bike] than go to work.”

Me (aloud): “Oh, I’m on my way to work too.”

Me (thinking to myself): “Except that I’m going to have a lovely ride along the river, enjoy this beautiful weather, have coffee with friends, and arrive at work energized, while you’re stuck in your metal cage.”

Anyway, I found it interesting that she saw the bike and assumed I could not possibly be headed to work. The D.C. region has been celebrating Bike to Work Day for 20+ years, there’s a BTWD pit stop literally around the corner from my building, and still the message hasn’t sunk in.

I hear you, but in fairness it was a beautiful morning AND a Friday I am pretty sure a lot of the people I saw on the trail this morning were NOT going to work But yeah, each time we let someone know this is doable, that’s a win. Yesterday when I got in someone in the elevator said ‘nice day for a ride?’ I replied “yeah, but this morning was nicer” which caused a light bulb to go off, as he then asked “do you ride to work every day” (I was honest and said about half the time, also I don’t want to seem like I am doing something beyond what is possible for the person asking the question) This morning at the office someone also asked about my ride, and I told them how far.

[phog]

Hot as Hades today. An early start, cold water soaked evaporative head cap, garden hose treatment at journey’s end after the ride home might be the ticket.

[dkel]

Someone came in my office this morning and said, “when I drove in the parking lot, I wasn’t sure if you were here because I don’t know what color your car is.” I replied, “orange,” and pointed to my bike in the corner. 😎

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[dbb]

Great ride up the MVT this morning. Disturbed along the DCA fence south of Gravelly Point by a motorist (?) riding something that sounded like a Honda 50 (does that date me?) working extraordinarily hard on the GWMP. The motor was wound tight and the operator was trying to assist by assuming a full aero tuck. The scene was crowned by the one gallon plastic gas can tied to the back of the motorcycle. You go!

[dasgeh]

Anyone else get a contact high from the pot on the S-curve of the Custis? Whoa.

[sjclaeys]

@dasgeh 179125 wrote:

Anyone else get a contact high from the pot on the S-curve of the Custis? Whoa.

I usually get a good whiff at the pond near Nelson St and almost all of the time in Georgetown, even on windy days.

[PeteD]

Boundary Channel Drive leadout by Lordofthemark.

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[jepstein]

what is with the latest trend of riders going the wrong direction around Hains Point? seen it everyday the last two weeks but rarely ever before that. surprised to see the park police do nothing about it.

[huskerdont]

@jepstein 179357 wrote:

what is with the latest trend of riders going the wrong direction around Hains Point? seen it everyday the last two weeks but rarely ever before that. surprised to see the park police do nothing about it.

I’ve no idea why people behave like idiots, but on the other hand, I don’t want to see the park police noticing cyclists at all at HP, if you know what I mean.

[Judd]

@jepstein 179357 wrote:

what is with the latest trend of riders going the wrong direction around Hains Point? seen it everyday the last two weeks but rarely ever before that. surprised to see the park police do nothing about it.

I’ve spent a lot of time at HP. This is not a recent phenomenon. I think some folks don’t realize it’s a one way until they’ve started down the road, some view it as being in a park so it’s okay, some don’t think that rules of the road don’t apply when you’re on a bike, some are clueless, some follow the bad advice given to pedestrians to walk against the flow of traffic and some just don’t give an F.

[mstone]

@Judd 179359 wrote:

some follow the bad advice given to pedestrians to walk against the flow of traffic

That’s the correct thing to do if you’re a pedestrian on a road, it’s only horribly wrong if you’re on a bike or a pedestrian on a trail.

[Judd]

@mstone 179360 wrote:

That’s the correct thing to do if you’re a pedestrian on a road, it’s only horribly wrong if you’re on a bike or a pedestrian on a trail.

That’s like, what the government wants you to believe.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[consularrider]

@Judd 179369 wrote:

That’s like, what the government wants you to believe.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but “they” are the ones who make the rules, no?
:p

[Author]

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