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Oh dear God no. That is certainly not how I want to be remembered, but I’m stuck with it for awhile and yes, I’m very easy to spot on the trail/roads now – a mixed blessing.

Mr. Blacknell, I concur with your assessment — a little slow on the uptake indeed.

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@JustinW 10071 wrote:

Combine the educational bits with a social component and you’ll get a lot of traction. Some folks rebel at the thought of “education” alone, but if you toss in some fun stuff they’ll go for it. Based on forum communications, involved bikers (who could help lead educational efforts) seem pretty social as well.

In other words, work the phrase “Beer and Bikes” into the title and attendance will soar. And I mean that in a positive, cheerful, sparkly way. But yes, straight preaching works for people like me who are rank novices but moving up the food chain it becomes more about the way the message is delivered colleague to colleague.

ann

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I am barely beyond the novice level and therefore my needs were, and to a certain extent still are, focused on two areas:

1. Traffic Skills
Riding in traffic was not something I wanted to learn on my own, through trial and error. It is one thing to look at pictures in manuals and read about the theory of riding on busy streets, it is another thing entirely to go out there during rush hour and try to keep my wits about me when Metro buses roll by inches off my shoulder as I try to figure out where exactly to position myself at intersections. I was fortunate to find a class that involved putting a group of us out on the road with a certain amount of “adult supervision.” That was very helpful.

2. Basic Bike Mechanics
I truly mean basic, starting with how to adjust the saddle, inflate tires, adjust a helmet to fit correctly. And then I want to know how to do basic maintenance on my bike. Teach me how to change a flat, clean my chain, take my front wheel on and off safely. I just want to know the basics, how to be responsible and safe. Honest to god, I have no interest in building a bike in my basement….

3.And the Most Obvious…
I should have put this down first but it was quickly learned and I stopped thinking about it until now. When I left the bike shop I had a bike, a helmet, and a pair of bike shorts. That’s it. Somehow along the way I learned all about the other pieces that are absolutely necessary but are not intuitively obvious unless you know someone who bikes. I needed eyewear, and a jersey, and a pump, and a emergency pack, and water cages and water bottles, and gloves, and ID. And then when winter came I needed a whole new set of clothing and gadgets and gizmos to stay warm. As time went by I “needed” toys like a Garmin and the much-hated chest strap. These seem so obvious but they aren’t if you’ve never ridden a bike for fitness before. Some of this was covered in the classes I took, some I just learned by watching what other people did.

Well, now you’ve no doubt heard far more than you ever wanted. But thank you for asking.

ann

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Cargo Bike Ride Sunday: Have Skittles-inspired messenger bag, and bike, and gloves/tights/underlayer/shoe covers/ear warmers/jacket(s)/ won’t be able to move but I’ll be warm. Cant. stand. another. day. inside.

ann

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Although I am admitted to practice in the Commonwealth (and I know I’m not the only one), I have been loathe to wade into this debate, because traffic law is so far from my area of expertise and interpretation of any statutory provision hinges on so much beyond the plain language.

Liz

According to the little card in my wallet I can practice law but in reality having me represent you would guarantee your swift conviction, a long stay as a guest of the state, and quite likely your deportation even if you were born and raised in Arlington County. That being said, the discussion/presentation at the Death Zone last September left me with the following take away point that I immediately had tattooed on my forearm for easy reference:

The cyclist is always wrong.

Argue or don’t argue the *finer* points of the law. Paranoia and the belief that every driver exists in a vegetative state has kept me alive so far.

Please make it stop raining,
ann

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I wasn’t going to mention this, it really should stay quiet, I was going to surprise you. But this afternoon because it’s raining and I can’t ride (Ok, fine – I won’t ride in the rain for no good reason), I spent the afternoon sticking fifty rhinestones on my helmet. Let the screaming commence.

Looking forward to Sunday,
ann

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What a great excuse to buy a messenger bag! Thanks Dirt for giving me an excuse to shop. I even got to choose my own color combinations at Timbuk2 — in retrospect probably not a good option for me. Lime green-neon red- florescent yellow seemed like a good idea at the time. See you there!

ann

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I believe in few things beyond the Easter Bunny, but lifting is something I do all year but more often when the weather starts to become cold. And part of lifting is stretching, so I guess I believe in two things.

My dirty little secret is I go to spin class between late January and early March at the Fairfax County Recreation Center Drop-In programs. I can also go to GMU’s spin classes if my schedule allows.
1. Spinning is not the same as riding
2. But there’s music
3. The scenery can be quite good. (Not that I’d say this out loud, but there is an inspiring local instructor whose quads I’ve named, “Shock” and “Awe.”)
4. I still ride at least once a week no matter how freaking cold it is, even if I don’t want to, even if my entire body goes numb.

Happy riding,
ann

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Thanks for letting us know how you are progressing. Sounds like everything is going as well as can be expected. I’m sorry about your head, glad you sought medical attention. You are pretty darn tough.

Happy riding,
ann

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@DismalScientist 9595 wrote:

Lower your tire pressure by one half and you can drink twice as much!

And there is an example of the magic of this forum, bike and beer advice all in one place!

Cheers,
ann

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What a great milestone! What was the low point and high point of the year?

Congratulations,
ann

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I am so sorry. Thank goodness you are generally ok. I learned the hard way too not to trust the driver in the second lane to stop. I know you will get right back on the bike, but that was the hard part for me. But reading your description it seems you’ve already ridden.

Best wishes, please let us know how you are doing,
ann

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I probably just need a good booster seat, but they’re so hard to mount.
But certainly I agree with the idea of getting lights up and into the range of a driver sitting behind the wheel.

ann

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Something that came up in discussion last night at the Bike Forum Happy Hour was using lights on backpacks with the idea this location is higher off the ground and perhaps more visible. Being roughly the size of a capuchin monkey, this advice resonates with me.

ann

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Alas, Blacknell has shoddy cocktail waitress skills. Still waiting…

ann

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