[bentbike33]

@lordofthemark 211278 wrote:

Don’t ride a carbon fork in general and stay away from the C&O Canal a Towpath unless you’ve got a gravel bike.

I’ve ridden the towpath on a regular hybrid bike – should I not do that? (or do they just mean don’t ride a conventional drop bar road bike?)

I also own an aluminum frame drop bar road bike that has a carbon fork. Haven’t ridden it on the towpath, and don’t intend to, but ride it on our local streets regularly.

Am I doing something wrong? (Well aside from the things I already know I’m doing wrong, I mean, whatever)

If you do all of these things without benefit of a 2-stroke motor bolted to your bikes, I think you should be fine, especially as I know you are not a Clydesdale.

[bentbike33]

@Judd 211224 wrote:

I put X-Men on the list so I could bike with some adamantium claws on.

You gonna shave down to the sideburns as well?

[bentbike33]

@Starduster 211153 wrote:

Well, we *do* have a segment of our community running 2 and 3 wheel recumbents, and they’ve always been polite to me.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

[bentbike33]

@Starduster 211151 wrote:

So by now I am probably famous/infamous for the businesslike and powerful dyno lights I run on both my 40 year old Trek and the rescued Kettler CityShopper. The beauty of the Busch + Muller headlights on both bikes is that they are like a good automotive low beam light- usable light on the road *without* blinding the oncoming cyclist. Properly and precisely aimed of course. You may thank the German StVZO traffic regulations for this. Also powering a tail light that is bright enough to safely be a part of street traffic. My wife’s Breezer Uptown did not come wired for dyno lighting, so I installed the battery & rechargeable equivalents on hers, so we can be romantic and ride in the night safely. To me, a bike is not complete until it is set up for night work. How I roll…

Agree, love my dynamo-powered B+M Luxos-U and taillight. The setup can also serve as an auxiliary power source for the Wahoo if I forget to charge it. 😎

As I approach oncoming cyclists at a different angle, I’ve decided that a “too bright” headlight or strobe is my problem, not their’s, so I shield my eyes with my hand. Frankly, I’d rather do this and know where the oncoming rider is than have them go entirely dark by covering or killing their light. And if my headlight is too bright for your knees (where the beam cut-off hits), that’s probably your problem, too.

[bentbike33]

The pandemic has mainly pushed me off of trails and onto roads. Pre-pandemic, I was a daily commuter on trails: W&OD, Custis, and MVT (and 4MRT on coffee day). As the shutdowns were starting, but before my office went 100% telework, I had already shifted my afternoon commutes to primarily a street route because the trails were so crowded. During the early heights of lockdown I did some riding on Strava Global Heatmap “cool zones” like Glebe road from Williamsburg Rd. to Shirlington Rd., and eventually settled on some loop routes that approximate my former commute miles. These are mostly on neighborhood streets with occasional segments on busier roads where necessary to make connections. Since I am doing one ride per day instead of 2, I can take advantage of better weather conditions, so mostly morning rides in the summer and more afternoon rides in the winter. The traffic remains light in the neighborhoods as things are opening up, so I find I am enjoying riding around in big circles more than going back and forth.

[bentbike33]

@DrP 210976 wrote:

Exercise class on Trollheim?
This morning around 6:30am traveling south on MVT from Roosevelt Island parking lot, I started on Trollheim, which was wet and thus likely slippery. I noticed ahead a large group of people (20?) at the intersection where it splits for the Roosevelt bridge and continuing on MVT. The “leader” seemed to be trying to organize them in rows to do something in the large area. I rang my bell repeatedly, trying to slow down safely, and said “This is an unsafe place to stop. It gets slippery.” They all reacted as if I were just a whiner (“And GOOD day to you,” “There is always one like that”) or just ignored me barely making room for me to pass through.
Did anyone else notice the group there? Ever seen such a group there before?

Otherwise the trails on an Arlington Loop were clear after last night’s rain.

Perhaps you should have suggested they exercise on the GWMP? It is wider than Trollheim, after all (as well as unsafe for cars in that vicinity, but that’s another story).

Not to mention the empty parking lot 100 yards to the north, either.

[bentbike33]

The 2021 Loopy for Arlington competition was dominated by Kilgore T who swept all categories completing an astonishing 148 Arlington Loops, 83 clockwise and 65 counterclockwise and thus 65 Matching Loops. Since the Bentbike Organization refuses to be responsible for anyone developing adult-onset diabetes, so by rule Kilgore T is eligible for the Matching Loops Prize of a custom redesigned box of Froot Loops (TM) only:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25281[/ATTACH]

Dave Pomeroy was this year’s (2nd) most unwound competitor with 78 Clockwise Loops, one for each day of Freezing Saddles:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25282[/ATTACH]

And Chadd Westoff got himself the (2nd) most wound up this year with 20 Counterclockwise Loops:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25283[/ATTACH]

Congratulations Kilgore, Dave and Chadd!

Please PM me if you would like to arrange a meeting to receive your prize. I usually go to the HDCC at Best Buns in Shirlington on Wednesday morning, although since I’m still on telework, I skip it on rainy days.

[bentbike33]

@CBGanimal 210134 wrote:

It appeared out of nowhere!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe it’s a TARDIS?

[bentbike33]

@cycleski 209924 wrote:

Good morning, I am interested in hearing from commuters that ride recumbent bikes on good and bad aspects associated with traffic, logistics, etc.. I have commuted on upright bikes for nearly 20 years from Vienna to Arlington and DC. Considering a recumbent to improve comfort but not sure if it will be a solid idea as a commuting option. Thanks, John

My normal commute is from the Falls Church side of Tysons to SW DC. I ride what’s called a “high racer” recumbent, 700c wheels, pedals ahead of the front wheel, hands out front. I have no trouble with traffic as my head is about level with car drivers, and the relative unusualness of a recumbent attracts attention. You do need to always remember to downshift before stopping to ensure a smooth takeoff, however. Climbing is slower, but descents and flats are faster. Sometimes the local bike trails can be a little rough, especially the MVT, as my bike has no suspension, but there are other ways to DC.

Logistically, a backpack is not an option. I can usually get by with one pannier, so I added a crossmember to the rear rack to mount the pannier on top of the rack behind the seat to maintain a better aero profile. :rolleyes: I use a seat pack to keep keys, cable lock, phone, wallet, glasses, light jacket, extra gloves, etc. and a double hydration pack for water on one side, and tools, tire pump, spare tube, etc. on the other. My workplace has a bike cage where I leave a u-lock and cable.

[bentbike33]

@zsionakides 209535 wrote:

Rode over that yesterday on 4MR with 650b tires and that fix is awful. I felt the jolt on that bike and can’t imagine how harsh it would be on the road bike.

I’m really puzzled why that area can’t be fixed when there are numerous concrete to asphalt transitions all over the place without issue.

I suppose the “speed bumps” are there in anticipation of ongoing subsidence. :rolleyes:

[bentbike33]

@SarahBee 205095 wrote:

Rumor has it that [mention]komorebi [/mention] has a new pair of bike pants this year that would make her a serious Cat 4 contender!!!

Yes, she wore them to HDCC this morning. I can still see an image of them when I close my eyes.

[bentbike33]

@dbb 204903 wrote:

What? I thought having operator’s licenses and plate on the vehicles was supposed to prevent such occurrences. That’s what the trolls tell us cyclists.

Not if it’s a MD War of 1812 plate.

[bentbike33]

Hello fellow Honey Badgers! This is Kurt from the Falls Church/Tysons area. I’m Bent Bike on Strava and bentbike33 on this forum because I ride recumbent bikes exclusively. Ordinarily, I would have a daily commute to downtown DC, but COVID has me doing a set of loop routes I’ve developed (Jorge is an admirer) of approximately the same length as the round-trip commute. I usually ride in the morning before telework, which was a great idea all summer but may need reassessment during Freezing Saddles.

This is my sixth Freezing Saddles, the last 4 I have managed to ride at least a mile every day. My goal this year is to ride at least a DecaSleaze (10 miles) every day and leave no bonus points behind.

I sponsor the Loopy for Arlington pointless prize for riding the Arlington Loop of trails. I play a few of the games like reporting on wormholes. I am a regular at the Hump Day Coffee Club (HDCC) Wednesday mornings at Best Buns in Shrilington (although this year we just buy coffee and pastries at Best Buns and sit outside nearby). Stop by HDCC sometime if you can. I usually get there about 7:30 and leave before I get too cold.

I have found Strava Team Posts to be a good way of communicating during Freezing Saddles.

[bentbike33]

Statecrest Anti-Graviton Anomaly

Connecting 2 streets named “Statecrest” in the Broyhill Crest neighborhood of North Annandale, this wormhole is associated with an anti-graviton field pushing you back as you approach, and pushing you away as you leave (unlike the much more common graviton-emitting wormholes that pull you in). Quantum Astrophysicists are puzzled by this anomaly and are uncertain whether the anti-graviton emissions arise from the wormhole itself of are an entirely independent phenomenon, especially since the strength of the field differs between the north and south event horizons. Use this wormhole while transiting to and from the Annandale Rd. bike lanes to avoid the rough pavement on Masonville Dr.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]22334[/ATTACH]

[bentbike33]

@drevil 204171 wrote:

I do agree with you that there are hordes of geese on my riding routes on ART and Lake Artemesia right now. Some of them taking their sweet time to clear off the path even though I ask nicely.

You need to ring your bell vigorously at the geese to chase them off the trail. I was training the MVT geese just so prior to the pandemic, and they were responding much better than the Wharf-area tourists.

[Author]

Posts