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This may be overkill but I have to haul the contents of an office back and forth to work. I use panniers.
http://www.amazon.com/Eleven81-State-Line-Pannier-Black/dp/B001CX1KVM

These can easily haul four bags of groceries, not that I like to shop, not that I like cook either. But it’s possible. And unfortunately, I’ve done it. Theoretically, they could haul four pairs of good shoes and a bag. In the name of research I promise to ride to Tysons this weekend to find out.

I can manage a messenger bag, but mine is so small it barely fits more than a toothbrush and a change of clothes.

Good luck with this. You’ll find something that works.

ann

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Hey Dirt, pass that business name along. I need some yoga.

Chick-Fil-A was terrific about feeding the masses at Ballston.
BikeArlington passed out tons of swag.

In fact please pass along names of businesses that came out to support BTWD so we can return the favor.

ann

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I will defer to Dirt on this but I think of rain in two ways.

In the winter I try to figure out how to maintain my core body temperature and keep my fingers dry. Once my hands get cold and start to hurt, squeezing the brakes is like trying to get a cork out of bottle of wine with a cheap corkscrew, or so I’ve heard.

On a day like today, I don’t care what I wear. I’m not going to get cold. I thought about what to wear purely from the perspective of visibility. I didn’t wear glasses or gloves and my shorts were ridiculously short. But it didn’t matter. The less layers, the less I had to hang up later. I did make sure I was lit up like the National Christmas Tree and had on a neon green lightweight windbreaker that felt and looked like loose Saran Wrap.

I like riding in the rain, when it’s warm.

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I came through Gallows Road late last night. It looks like they have striped the northbound lane from the W&OD to a few hundred yards past the fire house. The new narrow traffic lanes are bringing the vehicle speed down. This is a nice addition to the Tysons area.

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On the bike, no. Theoretically I could during the middle of winter at Bull Run when I’m one five people in the entire park and riding on the loop. But even then, no.

Running, or what I call running, most of the time. It doesn’t worry me to run on the W&OD. I stick to the right edge of the trail, don’t make abrupt changes in direction and expect cyclists to whiz past. Without the music the entire “running thing” is so abominable music is the only thing that makes it even moderately tolerable. As far as I can tell that whole “runner’s high” idea is a complete myth. The only high I get is when I stop.

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@consularrider 19962 wrote:

But you didn’t keep it on at the pitstop!

I have altered mine to be a little more aerodynamic and wore it this morning over my Bike Arlington jersey from East Falls Church to Old Town. Once I met up with dbb in Old Town, the vest went into my rack trunk. It was good to see Zanna taking pictures in Rosslyn sporting her white Bike Arlington polo.

Yes, well.
I got a little overheated.
When I arrived at 5:50 this morning in the FreshBikes parking lot, Mr. Kelley was already busy. I asked what I could do to be helpful.
He said, “Unload the truck.”
Inside the van were about twenty boxes filled with swag. There were water bottles, vuvuzelas, t-shirts, sunscreen, socks, hats, maps, and bike pins just to mention some of the stuff.

There was a terrific turnout, we handed out hundreds of BTWD t-shirts, water bottles, and assorted bling.

Two messenger bags were won. The first one went to a child. A great moment came when one of the hardcore riders: perfect kit, zero body fat, gizillion dollar helmet, cool shades walked over to the kid and his dad and taught them how to adjust the bag. It was a nice interaction between two worlds that don’t normally converge.

And that was the best thing about today. I saw every kind of cyclist there is from racing team members to people in shirts and ties, and high school kids on their way to school. I even saw Dirt, and he is in his own separate category. I saw every size too from teeny, tiny women who ride bikes smaller than mine to great big guys who were sad we didn’t have any XXL t-shirts. I saw some amazing bikes, high-end fancy stuff that probably costs more than a decent facelift. I even saw a bike with cobwebs on it. Honest. I did.

The great thing about Bike to Work Day is it brings together so many different parts of the cycling community. I enjoyed that.

ann

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I am fortunate to own a genuine all-in-one Bike Arlington Safety Vest. I am proud to wear it because:

It’s hi viz

It’s a vest

It’s a shirt

It’s a dress

It’s a small tent

It could possibly be a parachute

Best of all I can wear it over a backpack, winter jacket, and hoop skirt

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I am so very excited!
Tim Kelley offered me a chance to volunteer at Ballston on Friday.
At six am.

I’m thinking of just sleeping on a grate in front of Metro to save time.

ann

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I know I’m stating the obvious but I have more success teaching my own kid in small amounts at a time.
I don’t mind a comprehensive three or four hour class for myself. But for my elementary school age child, thirty minutes at a time is just fine.
He rides behind me and we focus on residential streets and trail etiquette. He’s ten, that’s enough. And for heaven’s sake, the child needs a treat every 30-40 minutes. It’s worse than dragging a large, uncooperative adult who shall go unnamed but who has a strange preference for Twizzlers.
I have zero interest in dragging my kid up and down Gallows Road.
My chamois is not that absorbent.

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Complain to Blacknell, make him work for a change.

I was lucky, there was a foul-up with my registration so I had to be hand-processed.

So here is the person to contact: Megan Van de Mark megan@waba.org

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Fabulous!!!

Imaginative!

Well-written description, laugh out loud funny and wry.

Great workmanship too!

Congratulations!!

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I just took this class with Chris. It is a great investment of time because it is centered around practical on road skills. It’s a controlled ride with excellent leading and instruction. Even if you don’t need this class, tell someone you know who rides a bike.

You must be 18 or older.

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Dear Mr. Casey (I only address people I truly like with an honorific, it has nothing to do with age.)

Attending a WABA event is about finding some free time. And that is hard to do when you’re juggling Jr.’s Spring Band Concert, and the mandatory attendance at the Annual School Fundraiser, and work-related receptions, etc. ad infinitum, oh vomit.

For anyone with young families, but for women especially, it is hard to find time to workout, ride bikes, or go to a social event while raising kids. It takes so much effort to find a sitter or make childcare arrangements, set aside the time, or even come up with disposable income for a ticket that could be spent on something more practical. (Psst, I’m supposed to be at yet another work-related event this evening but I just don’t have the time or the energy.)

Last Friday, an hour before Bikefest began, I stood in the North Wing of the Eastern Market listening to Nelle walk through the event schedule and simultaneously was I texting to figure out where both of my children were. Even when I have made arrangements, things happen at the last moment and I go to plan B.

I think you have to look at the crowd from a perspective of who has the time/energy to come out on a Friday night. Another group would be people committed and devoted to WABA as a cause.

My best guess is most people are indulging in serial technologies. They all have their strengths and weakness.

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The WABA staff deserves all the credit for making last night’s event such a success.
I came in at six last night and was amazed by how well organized the set-up was and how well-planned the timeline for making sure everything was ready when the doors opened at 8:00 pm.

There were roughly 400 people in attendance last night, a silent auction, live entertainment, games on the patio, and three cool bikes built by local shops including a wild-looking tandem with orange grip tape .

It was fun to see so many people in costume last night. I *cough* may have gotten a bit carried away. I have an unfortunate attraction to shiny things and feathers.

But the best part was seeing my friends from these boards: Mr. Casey, who ran the sound system last night, Liz and Kathy who are always shamefully witty and fun to hang out with, the beautiful Zanna was stunning as always, Dave K and his better half were. Mrs. K was radiant in blue.

I may have spotted Blacknell searching through his pockets for God-knows-what. Someday the man will have a suit that fits.

This was the first Bikefest I attended. It was a smashing success because the WABA staff did a wonderful job, a special thanks to Nelle.

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Tickets are almost sold out.

Eminva- it’s the quiet ones I worry about.

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