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@rcannon100 142043 wrote:

Bikes are limited by the power of their engine. Generally inexperienced cyclists cannot exceed say 13 or 14 mph because they just dont have the engine for it. But with an ebike, an inexperienced rider can go much faster than their experience would indicate is prudent.

Full agreement here. I came to riding an ebike with a lot of regular cycling experience. I think that for most others it would be a great thing if the shops that sell ebikes had them governed to 15mph initially and only lift the limit to 20mph if the customer can demonstrate appropriate skills (preferably after a few months of regular riding, so that they’ve developed some situational awareness about how our crowded trails function).

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@sjclaeys 142034 wrote:

Well, I’ve seen e-bikes ridden with a suicidal disregard for safety that’s greater even than whats often attributed to cyclists.

Yes, and we’ve also all seen regular cyclists do the same. Idiots abound! That’s not really the point is it? I remain incredulous that anyone who lives in a neighborhood regularly terrorized by dirt bikes would compare them to middle-aged office drones just trying to get to work without sweating a ton.

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@UnknownCyclist 142013 wrote:

Gee, I feel the same way about dirt bikes.

Yes, those are totally equivalent. Except for maybe the noise pollution, and the riding with a suicidal disregard for safety that’s greater even than whats often attributed to cyclists, and the using them as getaway vehicles (given MPD’s no chase policy), and … something else … Oh! right, the maiming and killing people pretty frequently.

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I’ll throw in another vote for just buying it, using it as much as possible, and not worrying about the vague and imperfect particulars about the current state of our laws.

I’ve been riding one everyday for about four or five years and haven’t had a single issue with law enforcement or complaint from other cyclists. I’ll occasionally ride it where it’s currently illegal because accessing a trail is the only safe option (generally just the MVT to get to my dentist in Crystal City; occasionally on the MBT to get to a buddy’s house). I just try to ride like an extra-reasonable human being when doing so and otherwise don’t think too much about it.

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@Tania 138654 wrote:

What makes you think we don’t?

I’d sort of resolved not to open this thread again, but man am I glad I did. It now meets and exceeds my recommended daily dosage of guffaw.

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@dasgeh 138947 wrote:

When this was my commute and I was headed eastbound, I would always line up in the car lanes, then go with the green (when the never-used left from the ellipse also had green), and move back into the bike lanes on the other side of the intersection. I got some strange looks, but perfectly legal and you don’t have to wait for that silly light. Doesn’t work westbound, though.

I’ve seen people doing that but was always a bit confused! It makes perfect sense now.

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Iceland, hands down. I spent two weeks there touring by car and it handily beats Banff and New Zealand for sheer quantity of amazing natural sights.

I’d spend a couple of days in Reykjavik getting situated, then head out on the southern ring road. I’d plan on circumnavigating toward Hofn, which is about 450km, with a ton of detouring for side roads, hikes, sights.

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I admit to once seeing a kid out on the ART riding an ill-fitting and very high-end cervelo in his tennis shoes that I knew couldn’t possibly have been his. My reaction was, “eh, the bike shop will get him when he tries to go get flats put on**.” We used to have that several times a summer at the suburban shop I used to work at. I’ve heard that the Daily Rider and a few other shops see a lot of that same thing.

**Footnote: I was also thinking, “And there’s no way I’m confronting or even following that group of kids.”

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Not that any of this is relevant, but I used to live right there and LOATHED that intersection. And the general pattern of traffic design problems and poor drivers was part of the attraction to move into the city. I also couldn’t believe some of the shenanigans with trying to use the gas station on that corner. Even though its one of the only ones in the neighborhood I started actively avoiding it.

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A bit more detail from a cyclist who passed by soon after this latest attack.

I rode up shortly after this event, and it was pretty brutal. Lots of blood on the victim and on the ground, and the victim was missing a tooth.

I biked along the trail with a witness who said that there were ‘at least 15 guys,’ most of which were on bikes. The alleged assailants were just hanging around, with bikes laid out all over the trail to make it impassable when the victim walked by. The youths then slapped the guy on the head (or something provoking like that), at which point the victim allegedly tried to verbally or physically defend himself — which likely just made the whole thing worse, as this was apparently when the group swarmed.

All of the above information comes from a second hand source, so I am not reporting anything as a fact. Just a third hand report of another bystanders point of view.

The victim had every right to be on the trail and stand up for himself. But as a person that bikes this trail every day, I will likely just turn around if there are big groups of kids on the trail with apparently nothing to do.

That’s the second time I’ve heard of kids blocking the trail and harassing passing riders/runners. Hopefully this information provides anyone who runs into blockading youths with the opportunity to Crazy Ivan and find an alternate route.

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Yet another beating/robbery on the Met Branch Trail.

It has been reported elsewhere that about 15-20 teenagers jumped a jogger yesterday without provocation. They broke his front tooth, multiple bones in his face and gave him several bad gashes around his head and body. They took his phone and wallet.

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Capitol Hill to the White House had significantly more bike commuters than normal this morning. Those that I spoke to seemed very pleased with the decision and to be having no trouble with their routes. Oddly there was only one other bike at my building’s racks and it wasn’t one of the usual suspects. I think some bike commuters at my company are teleworking in solidarity with the Metro riders who were offered that option.

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@mstone 135752 wrote:

Assume that what you’re saying is more important than what you’re wearing. Realize that you’ll look like an idiot if you play with it during the meeting and uncross your legs. Start wearing it daily because you need to own that.😎

Did you mean: “Make idle chitchat with coworker and fiddle with your phone and notes to make sure you’re the last to stand up and leave following meeting”? Because that was my preferred approach!

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You’re in a meeting with the Big Bosses and make a pitch that goes over pretty well! Your part in the meeting being done, you sit back and cross your legs. That’s when you notice that there’s a big reflective strap on your ankle. And it’s velcro, so discreetly slipping it off is out of the question.

Pop quiz hotshot–what do you do?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]11073[/ATTACH]

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Finland to Deliver All Mail by Electric Bike — Postal Service Able to Raise Retirement Age 2 Years

[IMG]http://img.yle.fi/uutiset/lappeenranta/article5656953.ece/ALTERNATES/w580/s%C3%A4hk%C3%B6py%C3%B6r%C3%A4%20py%C3%B6r%C3%A4%20posti%20postinjakaja%20postinkantaja[/IMG]

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