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I did the Five Borough Bike Tour in ’87 and again in ’88. Back then there was no Lycra® in evidence and there were no commemorative jerseys. I can’t recall if I wore a helmet. I’d bet money that no one had more than 10 speeds. Ahh, the good old days.

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The neighborhood offers such a delicious buffet of hills. Why choose only one?

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That’s good news! I’m going to be down in Mississippi on business next week and have been asking my colleagues down there about access to a bicycle, but my rides would be of the one mile variety. One guy promised me he’d lend me his daughter’s Hello Kitty tricycle. He’s kidding … I think … but I’ll ride it if that’s all I’ve got!

When I’m at home I can do a one miler around the block, and since I live on the infamous Quantico Street hill in Arlington, there’s nothing sleazy about that mile!

J

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Yay!

It was good to meet a few folks last night!

Jesse/accordioneur

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Just this morning I tried out Outdoor Research Lucent heated gloves. For the last couple of years I have had real problems keeping my hands warm while doing outdoor activities in winter, and so I decided to give heated gloves a try. These were the only ones listed as being waterproof (unfortunately, not waterproof enough for kayaking). They’re ridiculously expensive, but I’m willing to spend money to avoid being stuck inside in the cold weather.

It was a cold, dark 15 degrees when I left the house at 5 AM. I set the gloves on the middle of their three settings. My commute is only three miles – and my hands were reasonably warm throughout. Riding home it was in the 30’s and so I didn’t need the heat. I’m going to keep them.

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OK, so on Saturday I rode a loop from my house to an artisinal, small batch local roaster – otherwise known as my house. While still wearing my bike gear I roasted two pounds of beans (one of Columbian, one of Papua New Guinea). I roasted them to what is often called a “City Roast”, but since I live in Arlington I have to refer to it as a “County Roast”. Once the beans cooled I brewed a sample in a Clever Dripper (a hybrid between French Press and Drip) and enjoyed a nice fresh cup.

Note that compared to the stated rules: (Part 1): A only kinda visited a roastery since it was my house, (Part 2) I brewed the coffee using a method that wasn’t on the list, (Part 4) Roasted but didn’t drink the #coffeeoutside. Also, I used different varieties of coffee than any specified in the challenge. And last, my name doesn’t require a UTF character set. Since I was true to the spirit of the challenge, even I didn’t exactly follow any of the rules I deserve at least 2.718 points.

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@Nadine 130795 wrote:

Looks like a fair number of people are talking about bike caravaning back on the Custis trail. ANyone want to do that at ~ 6:30-7?

Hi Nadine. It looks like I might need to leave the Happy Hour early to get to music practice, so I could ride with you at around that time.

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I plan on being there. Hope to ride (start in Ballston, home to EFC) but that depends on what craziness work throws my way this week.

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I got a pair of those things for my thirteenth birthday.

Y’know, for my bar mitts vah.

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@ginacico 130069 wrote:

Wow, there’s quite a party on that bike. I can’t figure out half of what’s goin’ on there.

I see a CB radio, a small audio amplifier, maybe a music player, a TV, battery pack, … I carry a similar set of functionality with me when I ride. It’s called an iPhone.

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A greatest hits collection from this academic researcher would also include “‘Christ Kid, You’re a Weirdo’: the aural construction of subjectivity in Bad Boy Bubby”, “How to be a Real Lesbian: The Pink Sofa and Some Fictions of Identity”, and “The Sexed Subject In-Between Deleuze and Butler”, the last of which sounds like the title of a naughty Downton Abbey spin-off.

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This sort of trail rage goes both ways. As an early morning runner I’ve had cyclists on the W&OD shout at me, even curse me out, because I wasn’t well lit enough for their taste. Typically they’re right on top of me and it because it’s unexpected it comes as quite a shock. Eventually I got tired of having to deal with this Lycrapathic behavior and started wearing one of my red bike blinkies when I run. Then I had a cyclist come up right behind me and shout his appreciation at how visible I was, which also made me jump. Oh, well.

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Kitty,

Like you, I have just stumbled into this madness. Last year my only connections to BAFS were (a) watching from my warm, cozy kitchen as a neighbor foolishly headed out on his bike on freezing mornings, and (b) bitching about how clearing the snow from the W&OD ruined it for skiers. And now I is a BAFSer.

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