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[Hitting the Like button]

I don’t care if you are a member of the National Orangutan Party, if you advocate on behalf of the cycling community, you are terrific.

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I shared the same delusion about 90 minutes ago. It seemed so real. There were even thunder sound effects. but that is the random nature of pop-up showers around here. At least I don’t have to water the plants tonight.

Got fenders.
ann

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And They Lived Happily Ever After…

As we speak, Spartacus (my bike), is being fitted with grillz otherwise known as temporary fenders. The nice thing is I can put them on and take them off easily. All ick factors aside, I was told putting them on would keep my drivetrain cleaner. God knows there’s nothing I enjoy more than spending time with a toothbrush cleaning cogs, but I’ll manage somehow. So he should be ready this afternoon and maybe if the weather holds up we can get down to Wakefield Park for the zoo this evening.

ann

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My bike is only slightly larger than ones ridden by circus monkeys. And because I believe the hallmarks of civilization are 600 thread count sheets, facilities that flush, water above room temperature, and wine chilled below 50 degrees, I know when the mud starts spraying I will– well squeal like a pig in mud. So when you see a very small woman riding an even smaller bike squealing along the W&O, that would be me. Thank you for your kind offers. And CCrew- you are brave, I know exactly what you mean.

Squee,
ann

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As a rule, I would purposely encrust myself with mud only if it involved a spa treatment and a masseur. But the weather reports are not improving and I need the saddle time. So off I go in search of fenders. Ugh.

ann

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First a confession, I have no intention of purposefully heading out into a rain/thunder/lightning mix. I can find plenty of ways to mix electrical current with water in my own home for fun and amusement. But I won’t be held hostage to “iffy” forecasts either. I had fun on Saturday in the drizzle partly because no one was on the W&O past Reston. I’ve been looking for safe places to bail as I meander around. I see them and take note. I also notice where there aren’t good places to wait out a bad storm, like some areas west of Herndon. And I carry some cash taped to my phone in case I need to wait out a storm in a restaurant (or a shoe store :rolleyes:). I agree with the suggestion to look at radar. Sometimes it is raining in Vienna and dry in Annandale but I can tell that pretty quickly looking at radar as well as how fast bad weather is closing in on my position. Good luck and best wishes for a dry ride.

ann

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Bahaha! I remember them well. I probably would have thought the same. The Dems had an earring and longish hair, the Republicans had very short hair (males).

Happy trails,
Ann

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Gosh, glad you are not seriously injured. Very glad you did not wind up doing an undercarriage inspection of the car that was behind you. And particularly happy that the computer was safe- in reality I never even cared about the electronics. Again, very relieved you will live to ride again.

Best wishes,
Ann

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About hallucinations and beer- Ah, no. I generally stick with grapes of the fair variety.

Bicycle Dreams was fascinating. Ride the Divide was another interesting flick. I admire and respect the people who engage in that type of event but personally I could not withstand that amount of pain over a long duration.

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Again, what a horrible tragedy. I cannot express the depth of my sympathy to his family, words fail me.
ann

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I usually notice the big snakes around Private Drive in Reston, the way the sweat burns when it drops into my eyes, how I wish for something better than water in my water bottles, and then remember Jacksons, with ice cold adult beverages, is oh so close to the trail where it goes past Reston Town Center. I love to ride because it keeps my mind engaged (no more staring at a mind numbing black line on the bottom of a cold pool) and because I can choose to ride with people or by myself and still have an equally good time. It never gets dull. Besides bike clothes are cute. 😎

ann

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The hallucinations are just an added bonus.

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A slip lane is a road traffic lane provided at an intersection to allow vehicles to turn at the intersection without actually entering it and interfering with through traffic.

If you look at the overhead map you will see the far right lane allows traffic to turn without having to stop and wait for the light. I don’t understand enough about angles or how to descend this particular hill and pick a line that will allow me to turn into the slip lane while maintaining a high rate of speed, but it seems there is some controversy over whether the cyclist entered the slip lane or not. I have wondered whether he was trying to beat the light and made a split second decision to turn.

Rainbows and unicorns, safe riding
ann

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Thank you for posting this, I am always happy to support a fellow cyclist and have made a donation. That is the monster of all monsters he is training for and I wish him the very best of luck.

ann

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Still waiting to see an identification, have not seen this information. Hoping I just don’t know where to look. Otherwise, this tragedy is compounded. I admit there have been long stretches in my life when I wandered around without ID when I was running or biking. But not recently.

I’ve thought a lot about this accident and some small gesture I can make to recognize other cyclists beyond a friendly wave and nod when I’m on Spartacus (my bike). Unlike my vehicular cyclist friends, I still drive a car– frequently even. Oh, the horror. But today as I was coming down to work I decided I’d start waving to the cyclists I see. It is my way of showing my support of other cyclists working out or commuting or simply going to the grocery store. So at the corner of Jermantown and somewhere in Fairfax this morning I gave the bike dude waiting at the light a big thumbs up. His mouth fell open in astonishment, hesitated, then waved back. It was a good moment.

The reality is we are a small community and losing even one diminishes us all.

Ride safe,
ann

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