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@eminva 18809 wrote:

Oh my gosh, I’ve never done 41st Street, but both jrenaut and PotomacCyclist refer to hills that have humiliated me.

Tim Kelley can give you some advice about making it. I know you can do it.

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Somehow I managed to adjust to big girl clipless pedals.
I fell a lot. I never got hurt but it was humiliating.
It took a year for me to be comfortable in Look cleats. It took a week to get used to Crank Brothers.
Just do it. It’s worth it but it’s hard.
However, I always tried not to clip in both sides when I was in a lot of traffic or riding with a group until I was comfortable with the setup. I never want to put someone else in a precarious position because I’m inept.

ann

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Dirt, you left out a few small details.

Yesterday in the rain you rode a century on a fixie.

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That’s ok, my sanity has been questioned quite frequently. It gets harder and harder to chew through the restraints.

Had fun yesterday teaching my 10 year old, Rambo, how to ride in the streets around Vienna. There’s nothing like the look of pure terror on the face of a child to warm my heart. But it was good practice for him to learn to ride in the street and learn hand signals. I think in the long run, the sidewalk is a more dangerous place to be.

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@eminva 18597 wrote:

taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Liz

Hmm, note to self, there is an alternative to shrieking.

I used to call out to everyone on the trail. Then I lost my voice and got callouses from ringing my bell that has the frequency of fingernails on a chalkboard.

But sometimes a shriek works. Or if not, then slowing way down and watching the entertainment.

List of Shriek-ilcious Moments on the MUTs
1. People walking dogs on 20 foot leashes on the W&OD
2. Parents teaching Junior how to ride a big boy bike on the W&OD on Saturday afternoons.
3. Moms talking on a cell phone with double-wide strollers AND a dog on a leash
4. A screaming fast peloton coming in the opposite direction with the force and momentum of a cat 5 tornado
5. That woman on the MVT who rides the portable elliptical machine (I am not making this up)

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Welcome to Washington, DC! It is a great city to visit!

You have plenty of time to do some research and I’m directing you to a few bike resources.

Metro (our subway system): http://www.wmata.com/
You may find the combination of using the subway and your bikes will allow you to see more without exhausting yourselves. Keep in mind bikes are not permitted on subway trains during our rush hours.

Bike Arlington (Encyclopedic coverage of bike issues including maps of the Washington, DC area):http://www.bikearlington.com/

Biking in DC: http://bikewashington.org/visitor.htm

Capital Bikeshare: http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/

National Park Service Bike Tours (Free): http://www.nps.gov/mall/planyourvisit/national-mall-bike-tour-topics.htm

This will get you started.

ann

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I’m so glad the CaBi matches my favorite shoes. And I’m bringing, Rambo (10 years old), my best riding partner with me.
ann

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And FWIW, I always make one bottle full of whatever mix (usually HEED), and one water. Sometimes water is the *only* thing you want.

And stop drinking regular Gatorade. There are a million better things out there.

Blacknell, you swine.
I don’t live in Hogwarts and don’t have the time or inclination to stand around mixing up special concoctions to put in my water bottles. I’m too busy putting air in my tires, snapping in my Garmin, finding my silly shoes, pulling on my gloves, etc. I’m not adding yet another step to the process beyond opening the refrigerator door, untwisting lid, pouring, and replacing lid. I drink what I have on hand. And sometimes what I’m drinking is appalling but it’s what I like.

So back to Rule Number 1. Do what works for you.

Gatorade For-evar!
ann

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@zanna_leigh 18419 wrote:

I was reminded of this the first time I rode 50 miles, by myself, on streets I’ve never ridden before, no padded shorts, and fully stocked with…wait for it…one water bottle and no food. Hanging out with people like Tim Kelley and Chris Eatough makes you think that anything under 100 miles is short. So I figured, 50 miles isn’t long distance, I don’t need food or water! Luckily half way through I stumbled across a Giant and picked up two clif bars, ate one and neglected to refill my water bottle. Needless to say I ate about two Tim Kelley sized portions of pasta that night and probably equal portions of water.

And I lied, I am reminded of this constantly (people being smarter than me that is).

I could lie. I could say I can’t imagine doing something like that. But I won’t.

You made a good point, even though you didn’t have water you brought money. Money can solve a whole lot of problems.

omg- You ate an entire trough of pasta? :p

ann

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I rode a limited amount last summer through the Inlet of Ocean City to just beyond the state line in Delaware. Where I was riding there was a bus/bike lane that sometimes disappeared. Early in the morning, before nine, was great. But it is a tourist area, drivers are distracted, Atlantic Coast Highway is a business district. It was challenging. This summer I’ll head inland.

I had the brilliant idea to ride along the alleys. I forgot about a favorite tourist pastime, aim the glass beer bottle at the dumpster from the balcony. I picked up a flat within ten minutes.

All of that being said, I love riding at the beach.

ann

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Those truly special moments I’ve been having lately, the ones that involve tossing the bike and beginning to run, convinced me there’s no way I’m “running” in a bathing suit. There is not enough Vaseline in Costco to make that possible. But 4″ shorts are best worn in combination with over the knee boots if you know what I’m sayin’ so I’m left with six inch shorts and some sort of legally acceptable top. I’m done with one piece suits of any kind, except for the Forever Lazy Suit and if I wore that I’d probably drown. All in all, drowning at the beginning would at least spare me suffering through the rest of the race. I decided TYR had the type of “costume” that worked the best for me. Sadly, everything priced to sell is sold out. If you want to buy this sort of alternative wear, winter is probably best.

The bib shorts have been ordered but I’ll let you know. They sound awfully complicated. Zippers here and there, a clasp in front, it makes my head spin. With my luck the zippers will burst about 35 miles from home and I’ll provide the evening’s entertainment all the way back.

Thank you again, I learned a lot from these exchanges.
ann

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]933[/ATTACH]
From my File: Compromising Photos Not To Be Released

Trust me, you really don’t want me throwing a party. For my last birthday we had to calculate how many tipsy women could safely fit in a moon bounce at one time.

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Sorry for the confusion. I have two separate issues.

One: Bib Shorts
The bib shorts were on my mind yesterda because I saw a man flying around Bull Run without his jersey and I was reminded of them.

Two: The Triathlon: “I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.” I’ll head over to one of the local shops today or tomorrow and see what they have to say.

Thank you again.

ann

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CCrew I agree completely with you about TYR. They have high-quality, beautifully designed selections that fit more people besides teenage girls.

The chamois is probably not an issue. The short triathlon is not going to bother my sit bones too much. I ride almost every day so going 10-15 miles is not going to bother me even if I choose something without padding.

I’m worried about the heat. Wearing a jersey on a bike is fine, there’s always a breeze. But what I’ve discovered coming off the bike is my “running style” doesn’t seem to create any breeze and I cook like a lobster in a pot after the first mile.

As for the bib shorts, men swear by them. Why shouldn’t I have the best equipment just like the men?
There appear to be different clasps in front and varying degrees of exposure in the back. I’m just trying to sort all of that out before I put down close to $200.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.
ann

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What did you name your bike?

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