[Alcova cyclist]

@DismalScientist 130229 wrote:

The last time I went through Southgate the guard expressed a deep desire to scan something and suggested I get a pass in addition to my Federal ID. I don’t know whether this portends something bad.

I had the same thing happen at Wright Gate (the one by Iwo Jima Memorial/Rosslyn) last night. The guard said that the policy had changed a few weeks ago but there was a grace period. He said starting very soon that if there isn’t a bar code on the back they can scan, you won’t be allowed to enter through that gate. But then when I pointed out that my Federal ID is HSPD-12 compliant he seemed a little less sure, and also added “I am not 100% sure this will apply to bicycles” — so who knows? Signs not looking good though.

[Alcova cyclist]

It’s a short and sweet one, but if you haven’t ridden the downhill from Fort Myer through Arlington National Cemetery, it’s a beautiful ride (and very DC, despite being in VA).

[Alcova cyclist]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 130219 wrote:

I’ve coveted that bike myself, and now wish I had bit the budget bullet and bought it from papillon instead of the cheaper scott I bought from HTO but hind sight is 20/20
If you do wind up getting it I’d be very interested in hearing your 6month/12month impressions of it. Sorry to not be helpful.

This is my exact situation. I thought about it at Papillon (my closest LBS) but wasn’t riding regularly at the time. So I bought a much cheaper bike than I would have if I had known how much I’d be riding. Even if I hadn’t bought the Beltway, I would have been a lot better off spending more than I did up front. Now I have a mediocre bike that doesn’t thrill me, but since it’s only 18 months old, I have a hard time justifying kicking it to the curb.

So instead, I want to buy a new bike, then put studded tires on the escape and make it my snow bike!

[Alcova cyclist]

I plan to attend and will be heading back to central Arlington (Alcova Heights – hence the forum name) via the Route 50 trail or maybe cutting through Fort Myer. Happy to convoy with others headed that way.

[Alcova cyclist]

While I agree that more rules generally equals less fun, IMO the ELF is something altogether different. I’d suggest a vehicle that:
– can go 20 mph without pedaling
– is touted by its manufacturer for its “ABS composite… that protects you from the elements”
– has a windshield, roof, and partial side-panels (doors optional)
– is called a “BikeCar” and a “mini-car” by its owner (as in “[cyclists] don’t want their status as top dog on the bike path to be demoted by the influx of mini-cars” from solarbikecar.com)
may not be in keeping with a winter bicycling game that revels in feats of suffering, strength, perseverance, and courage in the face of the worst old man winter can throw at you.

Other “regular” e-assist bikes suffer the elements just as much, and maybe more, than those on regular bikes, which I always took as the real heart of the game… When the subject of BAFS comes up with non-crazy people (i.e. no one reading this thread), they always ask about the weather I rode in, not how many miles or how fast I rode.

[Alcova cyclist]

Jamilkb — what ID had you been using to get on base?

No problems for me this week going in at either 2nd St or Wright Gate (by Iwo Jima) with a civilian federal employee ID (5 entries total so far)

I have noticed that lines for vehicle inspections are longer and there is clearly more security in place than a few weeks ago. Given recent events it would be unsurprising that the base is changing security procedures.

[Alcova cyclist]

I too would encourage would-be slackers to consider staying on a team. With SteveO’s balancing idea using late registrants, the teams should be able to stay more balanced anyway so you might feel less pressure.

I really liked the team competitiveness aspect of it, but as someone said upthread, it was really mostly about catching the next team up and keeping the next team back at bay. If I recall last year, it was pretty clear about half way that everyone else was playing for 2nd at best anyway, and that didn’t detract from BAFS for me at all. What would have detracted was if some of my stalwart teammates had been on the slackers team and not mighty team 5 (who shall not be named) because they were only going to ride 800 miles instead of the 1500 they did the year before or whatever. If the point is to build community, then having appreciable numbers of vets on the sidelines detracts from that.

I suppose there’s always those who know they can’t help themselves and ride way more than they really want to if they’re on a team, but if the issue is more like “I don’t want to hurt my team because I am going to do less than last year” then there ought to be a way around that.

[Alcova cyclist]

I voted yes but don’t really feel terribly strongly about it. On a scale from 1=”NO” to 10=”YES!” I am a 6.5. My hand isn’t exactly in the air to set up teams, so I’m happy whatever way people want to do it.

Last year was my first BAFS and our team being from northern VA did make it easier to meet up the few times we actually tried to. We also did just fine on side bets even in DC (Capture the Flag World Champion Team 5 (who shall not be named)!)

[Alcova cyclist]

I ride through there ten times a week with a Fed PIV. I have noticed no change under the new policy.

The only hassle I ever got was a question about whether the light mounted on my helmet was a light or a camera. Not sure why they asked, since I guarantee that every single car coming the gate has at least a cell phone camera, but I said “it’s a light” and went on my way.

[Alcova cyclist]

I stopped yesterday morning to chat to the people on Memorial Drive who wave the tour buses into Arlington Cemetery Visitor Center. I very nicely reminded them that they should really check behind them for traffic coming along Memorial from the cemetery before waving the left turners through. It was about the 10th time in the last two months that I had a tour bus waved through cutting me off when I had right of way because the “crossing guard” didn’t bother to check.

They seemed nice enough, but I’m not hopeful that there will be any lasting improvement. It is a bit maddening that by stationing people there in the road, NPS has actually made that stretch of road less safe than if there was no one at all.

Also annoying coming up from 110 that there’s now regularly a wall of buses in the middle of the lane so you can’t get across… heck you can’t even see if there’s any traffic coming the other way.

[Alcova cyclist]

@Mtansill 112665 wrote:

Thanks, Subby! I’m such an idiot. I have de-private-d my Instagram account if anyone wants to see all 94 pictures that I took for BAFS 2015. :rolleyes:

Doh! Me too.

[Alcova cyclist]

@Greenbelt 112149 wrote:

Getting to this thread late, but welcome to the wonderful world of bike commuting.

A couple years ago, with the help of some people on this forum, I compiled some notes and tips for bike commuters. Some of the advice may be a bit outdated, and some opinions may be debatable, but regardless, here it is:
http://www.proteusbicycles.com/community/jeffs-commuting-tips/

-Jeff

That write-up is great!

[Alcova cyclist]

My $0.02 is there’s no need to change bikes any time soon, but figuring out the most comfy way to carry stuff is key.

For carriage, I’ve used four different options over the years:
Backpack – simplest and easy on/off. With a lot of stuff can be uncomfortable (for me anyway) and in the summer leads to extra sweaty back.
Panniers – most stable and comfortable, but a pain to take on/off and depending on brand can be ungainly to carry around.
Pannier garment bag – I used this one a lot. It’s also a pain to take on/off, and has to be adjusted just right to avoid foot/wheel contact. But you can carry a suit and extras. I still use mine every week or two to bring in dress shirts/slacks which I keep in the office
Trunk bag – My current go-to (which I got used from someone on this board) is the Topeak MTX Trunk Bag. It goes on/off with a click, holds a ton, and can expand into panniers if you need to carry more. For me, it’s the best piece of carriage gear I own.
I’ve never tried a messenger bag.

When planning your route, consider bike+bus or a bike+metro+Cabi. I commuted from Herndon to DC/Rosslyn for years going bike->bus->bike->destination.

Register for Bike to Work Day (may 15th) to help you get motivated.

[Alcova cyclist]

Me: Riding in the rain on the sidewalk / “bike path” along Washington Blvd past the Pentagon on Friday afternoon
You: Cyclist in a yellow rain coat coming up behind me
Me: Moving to the left of the 2-foot-wide sidewalk to avoid a gigantic puddle
You: Calling “on your left” after you’d already started your pass
Me: Yelling “No!”
You: Being either oblivious or a total jackass or both
Me: Swerving back to the right to avoid getting plowed into by you, and straight into the 4″ deep 30′ long puddle

I guess it was really important for you to go 17 mph instead of 15 mph. Meanwhile I got to ride the rest of the way home with soaked feet. On the bright side, it could have been worse — Had the puddle been concealing a hazard, I’d have crashed. Had I held my line, we probably both would have crashed. Given how close the path is to the highway traffic there, things could have been really bad.

Calling a pass does not give you right of way over the person you’re overtaking. Executing a safe pass is on you.

[Alcova cyclist]

Beautiful morning – crisp, but not too cold, and what’s left of last night’s winds mostly at my back. Also hit an uncanny set of green lights/walk signals rolling down WOD into Shirlington.

Nice to see a big crowd at HDCC. Maybe outside next week?

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