[adamx]

hint i found in bicycling or velonews or some sport gear related site…every few washes i ad a splash or three of hydrogen peroxide…seems to do the trick

[adamx]

i am registered at FC Pit Stop…it is barely a mile into my commute on W&OD to SE Waterfront, DC. I’ll stop there to support FC cycling.

Happy to rally there and ride in to DC (pit stopping at rosslyn) with anyone. I’d like to stop at Freedom Plaza before heading in to the office at 12th/D SE.

Adam X

[adamx]

Pre-rode the derby in CC garage yesterday and the dandy ride. Sheba asked me to help marshall the dandy ride and says there are about 300+ people registered for that. 300 people going over the bridge (name omitted) from Jefferson Memorial to VA side…won’t that be a site. The ride in the garage will be fast but looks like loads of fun. Riders should remember they are ‘in a garage’. Sounds like Sheba and Joel mapped out a kids ride and a 6 and under ride. Addison (4) is now fired up to ride her push bike FAST with Sheba’s delila. She asked ‘daddy, can delila ride her bike fast?’ Unfortunately i’ll be with the dandies and wont get to watch them race.

so…sign up, register, do whatever…just get there to promote this first time event, Crystal City and Sheba and hopefully get a committment for a second year.

[adamx]

i was running late and rode by at 0710 and there wasn’t a soul in site not even a drop of coffee or donut crumb suggesting anyone had been around.

[adamx]

weighing in again. I live in Falls Church…not the ‘city of falls church’ but just houses out of the line. I am in Fairfax County and 13 miles from the office at 12/D SW. I am about 1/2 mile from W&OD and the office is about a mile off the trail after i hit the Jefferson Memorial. Pure commute works out to about 125 miles/week. During the winter i pretty much go direct to/from on the crossdresser loaded with lights and reflecto. During the summer i try to leave the house early and ride the hills of north arlington on the weigh in or i do the same in reverse on the way home. Roads in N. Arlington have well marked bike lanes. I can easily get a 30-50 mile ride in on the way home or even in the morning if i’m that motivated. I live in a single family home in the Poplar Heights area of Falls Church and there isn’t a garage to be seen for miles and miles. Some places have basements and some do not. I have a shed out back and it is big enough to store several bikes, a couple of trailers and a good size work stand. Not big enough to hold 11 bikes. JOHN.PLANK@Longandfoster.com was my guy and he knows the area very well.

[adamx]

welcome – soon – to the area. i moved to Rosslyn the first time from Laguna Niguel and had a 5 mile commute into the city…but i was single and could live in a one bedroom apt with my four bikes…

when i came back the second time this is what i did…pulled out my DC 50 Mile Radius bike map…hilited all the metro lines…hilited primary bike paths…figured out mileage…and picked an area…of course i was married this time and had been here before so i knew i wanted to be along the W&OD and the orange line…and i needed to get to DC and the wife wanted to get out west – to centreville – to see her mom…i’m halfway between the two…13 miles from the office at 12th/D SW and the hour trip is equivalent to the time i’d spend on a metro commute

then give your location and price range to your realtor and 2 days and 30 houses later…you’ll find your spot…

you might want to check realty on line because what you are looking for…house, garage for 11 bikes at $2500 or less…sorry my friend but not w/in 5 miles of the district…uh..maybe not even w/in 15 miles of the district…

so, some options…

look at the orange line and W&OD going west from the district…

look at the Capital Crescent Trail and Red Line going north from the district…

look at the Mt Vernon Trail and Blue Line going west and south of the district…

look east and south of the district along the green and orange and yellow lines…i dont know of well designated trails and paths going out that way someone might weigh in..

[adamx]

we are not seriously promoting cyclist’s use of cell phones while on the bike are we???

[adamx]

where is that thread i started on the TR Takedown. Looks like he’s got two this year that we know of. Congrats on making the stat!

[adamx]

i bought the LAKES winter boot two years ago too and they are great. but still, i can’t find the 100% soluction for an hour long ride. still have chilled toes by the time i get to work and at 17f a few weeks more than chilled. but not near frost bite prior to purchase of the lakes. i have tried all sorts of combinations too and working now with the think wool cycling sok under a thick wool cycling sock. my toes are the only cold parts of my body so it could just be me.

[adamx]

No ‘anti-fog’ solution found in 23 years of cycling. i have to wear glasses to keep my eyeballs from freezing. i bought a pair of oakley jawbones a few years ago because they are vented…i wore them on a muggy summer morning and returned them the next day. i’ve found the brim of a simple cycling cap under the helmet does wonders to keep water off your eyes…but most effective with head down which calls for constant up/down head bobbing to look ahead.

[adamx]

ed says he’ll send invite out soon. i’m going too. i’ll post the info on this thread to be sure you all get it.

ugh, this is my first full week of work in a month and my first full week of cycling all year…i’m tired!

[adamx]

will be extremely valuable to you for only $2 at any LBS (local bike shop). and then leave it behind as it makes a pretty good general map.

[adamx]

good timing; i was going to ask the same. by an incredible stroke of luck yesterday, i emailed the ‘right’ person and have now won interest in implementing the act at Immigration and Customs Enforcement of Dept of Homeland Security. I was told that Domestic Nuclear Prep Office of DHS already implemented. i have all the forms and documents DNPO uses if anyone needs them.

is there a list out there of Feds implementing the Bicycle Commuter Act?

[adamx]

Hello;

Following are some bulleted thoughts to help you through the process. As suggested, you can search this site for other discussion areas and you might find good info locally with WABA, Bike Arlington, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, the washcycle, commuter connections and nationally with League of American Bicyclists, bicycling and maybe even velonews.

I ride from area of West Falls Church to area of SW Waterfront using a variety of trail and street combinations and directions.

Pre-Ride & Commute Time: as emphatically encouraged, pre-ride the route. NOTE: while the route will be the same the live ride will not. The ride will be much different in the dark and cold and when constrained by time. Also remember to figure in time to dress and undress, park and lock the bike, shower, change, get to your cube.

Hydration: water freezes. In teens and twenties my bottles freeze. When temps drop below freezing I switch to a camel back. But at 17f on 4 Jan the water in my insulated hose still froze.

Be Seen: I prefer to be as visible as possible. I don’t want ‘sorry, your honor, I didn’t see him’ to be a justifiable excuse for killing me. I wear reflecto bands on both wrists, both ankles and the left calf. I have reflecto sidewalls, I’ve spray painted the BOB trailer with flourescents and I have reflecto bands on the seat post and stem. Tail (red) lights are highly encouraged and should always be rear facing. I believe blinkies are most visible and agree they are annoying to people behind me on the trail. But, I need them to attract motorist attention when I am on the streets. I ride with two – one on the saddle bag or camelback and one on the reflecto strap on the left calf. Suggest models with USB re-charge capability. Leave AC at home and keep USB at work. Never let the battery die in the dark and in the cold! NOTE: on/off buttons aren’t conducive to fat fingered winter gloves. I also wear a light weight mesh reflecto vest. And, of course, there is refleco piping on shoes and shoe covers, jackets and other clothing. I had my four year old help me paint some old gloves with reflecto paint…she had fun and I feel more visible.

See: most of the trails and streets have some direct or indirect or ambient lighting. Unless riding in the woods and extreme dark you don’t need 73 jigowatts of light. The nitrider minewt is a nice option for about $100 and you can get that in cordless and USB rechargeable. NOTE: on/off buttons aren’t conducive to fat fingered winter gloves.

Clothing: lots of trial and testing to find the right mix for your body. Depends on how much you want to spend and how many layers you want to have on. I am comfortable with all parts except my toes. Still can’t find the absolute anti-chill solution.

i tried to attach a cold cycling brochure i have in my archives…from someone in toronto…

enjoy

[adamx]

i am at Potomac Center North…500 12th ST SW. The area is underdeveloped but L’enfant is rebuilding and bringing restaurants back. Wonder if WABA could convince them to put showers there! OH…there is a public bathroom at L’enfant entrance near the Mc Donalds. And there is a hotel in the building.

Fortunately, there is a gym in PCN that provides access ONLY to gov’t employees and i use that. For whatever reason we dont provide gym access to contractors but we do give them access to gov’t secrets, IT systems and almost everything else.

The building across the street from me has a public parking lot and there are many cycles parked there. I wonder where those people shower and change?

Look fwd to seeing another commuter in the area. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Author]

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