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@Nubbs 56666 wrote:

I have been looking forward to this event all year, Than I ran into the organizers at the hotel bar the night before Crystal City Challenge. Talking to them (mind you pretty cool guys in general) got me even more pumped for it. I ran home to tell the wife about it and low and behold she reminds me that her old roommates wedding is that day in Richmond VA. So I guess i try for next years race.

Or, you can kiss her kindly, wish her well, and send her to Richmond to enjoy the weekend. I’m just sayin’

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@eminva 56338 wrote:

I will be there.

Liz

Hey, I’m looking at radar. A line of storms seems to be getting closer to Tysons/Arlington.

If it’s pouring, I’ll be thinking of you. Fond thoughts, very.

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When was this? I was out there two weeks ago doing an International Distance Tri. The James River is notoriously rough. The first 250 meters are deceptively easy and then you get into the middle of that river only to get hit with waves, chop, and swells. I ended up swimming almost due north in order to catch the turning buoy. I have never been so happy to see that waving man at the beach in my life. Fifteen hundred meters is a hell of a long way out there. I swam at a 15% angle the entire way in to shore. I can tell you honestly, the first transition I was just glad to be alive and didn’t care how fast I came out of it.

The bike course is flat and fast. It’s my favorite bike course of the Virginia triathlons. I keep meaning to extend a day to ride the Colonial Parkway but every time I’m just so glad to be done I pack up my gear, hit Pierce’s BBQ, and drive home.

I laugh when I hear people say, “Oh, I don’t worry about the swim, you can’t win on it.” Yeah, maybe so. But you can die. As a rule of thumb, I make sure I can go hard for twice the distance I’m competing at in the swim. That means 3,000 or so yards. I’ve been in trouble and had to be rescued. I have nothing but respect for the swim.

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I suggested that. And I wasn’t kidding. He just screamed, leaped out of the car, and ran towards the house. It was good to see him sprint. I spent the next hour hosing down his bike, the cooler full of his food and drinks, the hydration pack, and his shoes. Then I started the laundry.

Oh my god. I hope this doesn’t mean he wants to camp. I may die.

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@KLizotte 56174 wrote:

As punishment you really need to make him clean his own bike :rolleyes:

I wish I were a kid again.

I was lucky he cleaned himself.

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@Riley Casey 56111 wrote:

ACC would be the empress of such a thread but this entry parked in Rehoboth would be a contender. The flower pot belongs to the bike, not the railing.

I almost choked on my Diet Coke.

Funny though, I’m trying something new with the sparkle bike. I finally figured out how great it was to use stuffed animals in my basket, they are lightweight. Fake flowers are like granite. Pedaling them around was like pedaling a snowplow. Never again.

Besides, the whole theme surrounding the Seersucker Ride is a bit more toned down than I’m used to. I’m aiming for something polite and well-mannered. Oh hell, I know I’ll give up and go back to my usual self, but a girl can dream.

As I’m thinking of it, a lot of the same principles that apply to the Tournament of Roses Parade could be used on a bike basket without overloading it. But it would entail a lot of work.

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@creadinger 56091 wrote:

I saw this on the front page of the NY Post while at the grocery store yesterday.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/wheelin_dealin_om4Ac5MHi7EJjRsjjOywwJ?utm_source=SFnewyorkpost&utm_medium=SFnewyorkpost
It sounds like these rich old bags are getting their way. Well that’s fine I guess. Leave them to their stupid limos. Put the bike share stations were people actually want them. I don’t think CaBi will be seen in Mclean or Potomac anytime soon either.

McLean just celebrated the installation of wayfinding signs for cyclists. http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2013/05/new-bike-signage-in-mclean.html There is a core group of dedicated bike advocates working to improve cycling routes in McLean. It’s not easy to bike through there. The speed limits are fast, the roads tend to be narrow. Someone was seriously injured along Lewinsville Road just last week, a road with bike lanes. With the new Metro line opening soon, demand for CaBi will increase all along the Tysons corridor.

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One thing Phoenix Bikes and Bikenetics does is bring kids out to Wakefield Park for mountain biking.

Wakefield Park is ground zero for skateboarding and mountain biking. The kids here (I am watching Skatefest) are focused, challenged, and using their energy to figure out how to overcome obstacles– literally. They think it’s fun. But they are also developing their self-confidence, learning skills, and are outside being physically active.

Contributing to Phoenix Bikes creates a lot of positive experiences for kids.

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Triathlons are great, seriously. They are a tremendous challenge and require a lot of thinking and strategy.

But you can die. On a bike, you have the option of stopping. You can catch your breath, seek shade, get something to drink.

750 meters offshore in the middle of a dark body of water you don’t have many options. And you still are only halfway done with the swim.

It’s a different kind of animal. It’s the boyfriend you hate but can’t stay away from. And the danger is what makes the whole thing interesting.

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Yes, it is very flat. There is one gradual hill that runs past OLGC. It’s challenging but not insurmountable. I judge hills on the amount of cursing I use to get up one. This rates one damn with no aspersions towards anyone’s mother.

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I’m out of town that morning but I will buy several tickets and try to get there that night.

I think you do awesome work and I think your kids are great! I’m always happy to support PHOENIX BIKES.

My father grew up in NE Washington DC. He was exactly the type of person who would have enjoyed Phoenix Bikes. He always had tools in his hands fixing, creating, repairing everything from cars, to building cabinetry.

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@culimerc 55907 wrote:

You havent been to a Dirt Book Club meeting.

Yes. I have. And I emailed Dirt this evening to make sure he understood I wasn’t referring to his brand of Book Club.

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Dirt’s saddle is made of steel. His nether regions are made of brass. He rarely wears pants.

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I don’t care if we get lost every week! It’s wonderful to have an opportunity so close I can ride to it. I’m excited the course goes past my house.

I’m also elated that my neighbors can see other people on bikes. I don’t feel quite as freakish. *emphasis on the word quite*

Three years ago when I bought my bike I had to go out to Wakefield Park to find a big group ride. Two years ago I went as far as FreshBikes in Arlington but that was a whole night’s commitment.

This ride is fantastic! I can leave the house and be there in 15 minutes.

I get to see Pete and Vince and James and Liz and Dane!

And I get to have a Ruination IPA afterwards.

It beats the hell out of a Book Club.

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We ride the same size bike. I went through about a year of my left hand twitching after long rides.

1. I stopped death gripping the brakes.
2. I learned to move my hands all over the bars.
3. A lot of the time now I ride in the drops, that helps.
4. I changed the way I distribute my weight on the bike. I was leaning way too much on my forearms.

Assuming I’m not being obnoxious and playing Cat 6 racer, periodically I’ll move my hands into the middle and spin specifically to give my hands a break. But that’s a big assumption.

And of course this is not a problem on my bikes with flat bars. I have other problems with them. They are much harder to pedal.

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