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[Starduster]

@KLizotte 93557 wrote:

Is Sedge Moss the guy who was retired and could talk a blue streak? A real rail road buff. Knew so much about the history of the area. Met him about three years ago at the caboose. I hope he hasn’t passed away!

No no, Sedge is still alive and well, lol. He decided it was time to retire from the caboose and in typical fashion, provided for an orderly transition. Joe was his recommendation to hire. And yes, Sedge was perfect at tying the trail’s railroad past and its cycling present together.

[Greenbelt]

Anybody else see the Miss America (or something) women out in front of the White House this morning? Sadly, didn’t get a picture. Stuff like that makes bike commuting way more fun than the subway or the rolling smog coffin.

[chris_s]

@Starduster 93550 wrote:

Memo to BikeArlington- any word on when this will be finished?

I’d ask for you, but I’m slammed at work right now. The project manager’s contact info is here if you want to inquire.

[dbb]

I was grabbing a CaBi today about noon and this fellow (or lady) was eyeing me as I checked my bike out.

[jrenaut]

Tough to find parking at school this morning. Got to ride from school most of the way to work with a friend and Xtracycle dad after we dropped our respective children off.

[Supermau]

A few from my recent commutes from Franconia to DC…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6536[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6537[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6538[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6539[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6540[/ATTACH]

[Supermau]

My original commuter was this old 26″ hardtail MTB. It’s now relegated to dirt only. Nothing special but it got me there! I have to admit it started to feel like dragging a dead mule on those long commutes even with road tires.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6544[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6545[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6546[/ATTACH]

[Crickey7]

@Supermau 93680 wrote:

My original commuter was this old 26″ hardtail MTB. It’s now relegated to dirt only. Nothing special but it got me there! I have to admit it started to feel like dragging a dead mule on those long commutes even with road tires.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6544[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6545[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]6546[/ATTACH]

That’s a pretty commonly recommended entry commuter setup (see recent article below).
http://www.bikecommutercabal.com/convert-your-mtb-to-a-commuter/

I did it myself for a couple of years, when I discovered my road bike was not up to the rigors of commuting. Still, I wonder at the notion of spending money converting a mountain bike into a role it’s only so-so at instead of getting a more suitable ride from the start. The commuting offerings now are far superior to what I had available in the mid 90’s.

[cyclingfool]

@Crickey7 93681 wrote:

That’s a pretty commonly recommended entry commuter setup (see recent article below).
http://www.bikecommutercabal.com/convert-your-mtb-to-a-commuter/

I did it myself for a couple of years, when I discovered my road bike was not up to the rigors of commuting. Still, I wonder at the notion of spending money converting a mountain bike into a role it’s only so-so at instead of getting a more suitable ride from the start. The commuting offerings now are far superior to what I had available in the mid 90’s.

I’m doing this right now, and I love this bike every bit as much as I used to love my Surly LHT, arguably more b/c it’s unique and I’ve done all the work myself, including wheelbuilding. I’ve been riding said bike for almost a year and a half now. I took a CroMoly steel Trek 830 MTB frame (size L) bought of Craigslist for $50 (1995 vintage judging by the serial number) and built up a drop bar conversion commuter/tourer out of it. The geometry is remarkably similar to a 26″ Surly LHT w/ a 54-56cm frame size. I like my fat 2″ slick tires, too. The bike does everything I want it to, fits me like a glove, and can go just about anywhere. It’s a solid commuter and all around bike. (velospace page)

As far as the costs of converting are concerned, the accessories mentioned in the article are almost all transferable to any other bike and would have to be purchased anyway if not already owned — rack, fenders, lights. The only thing that might be specific is a pair of slick tires, so at worst you’re out $75 bucks for a decent set of slicks. Given the relatively active market in older MTB frames, deals can be had on CL for those looking to buy and there is a pool of buyers out there, too, if you decide to go with something more modern but can’t n+1 it. My only (personal) caveat to all this is it’s best, obviously, to find a frame with a rigid fork, so that limits options some, but not ridiculously, esp. around here.

[dkel]

@cyclingfool 93690 wrote:

I took a CroMoly steel Trek 830 MTB frame (size L) bought of Craigslist for $50 (1995 vintage judging by the serial number) and built up a drop bar conversion commuter/tourer out of it.

Hey, did I ride behind you and then in front of you this morning westbound on the W&OD towards Vienna? Looked like that bike, from the pictures…

[cyclingfool]

Nope, wouldn’t be me. I commute from Del Ray/Alexandria to downtown on the MVT. Haven’t been out that way on the W&OD in three months or so. Must have been someone else with really good taste in bikes.

[dkel]

@cyclingfool 93698 wrote:

Must have been someone else with really good taste in bikes.

Well, I liked the pics of yours, and the bike I saw today was very similar, so there you go. Congrats on the nice DIY job.

[GB]

@dkel 93697 wrote:

Hey, did I ride behind you and then in front of you this morning…

Subtle brag, nicely done.

[Supermau]

@Crickey7 93681 wrote:

That’s a pretty commonly recommended entry commuter setup (see recent article below).
http://www.bikecommutercabal.com/convert-your-mtb-to-a-commuter/

I did it myself for a couple of years, when I discovered my road bike was not up to the rigors of commuting. Still, I wonder at the notion of spending money converting a mountain bike into a role it’s only so-so at instead of getting a more suitable ride from the start. The commuting offerings now are far superior to what I had available in the mid 90’s.

I got to the point pretty quickly where I realized I was wasting money. Still, I had a good time with the bike, fixing it and upgrading it. I learned a lot about how bikes work – stuff I hadn’t known much about prior to pulling this from the shed. It was a fun project. It’s a comfy bike too, but my Trek is just so much more efficient. It’s nice to have a backup now, as well as a useable off-road bike. I’m no hardcore mountain biker but I do enjoy it. Next year I’m hoping to get into the next level of road bike (for me, anyway)…some kind of endurance style roadie. We’ll see what the wife thinks of that…

[KLizotte]

I saw this bike a few weeks ago in the garage of the Friendship Heights Whole Foods a few weeks ago.

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