[Bill Hole]

I tank up before I leave and then again when I get there. My commute is 50-60 minutes and I never feel the need to hydrate during that short time span. If it was much longer, during winter I’d carry a water bottle in a carrier under my jacket.

[Bill Hole]

It was 12 degrees this AM when I left the house. Moose Mitts plus Planet Bike Borealis gloves. My fingers were cold within 10 minutes, and were in agony by the time I got to work nearly an hour later. So far nothing works for me in sub-20 degree weather, and the 30s are problematic. I’ve tried the chemical hand warmers but they do nothing for my fingers. I guess the next step (other than Metro) is to try the Jo-Ne hand warmer I got over 50 years ago for use on my Washington Post paper route. I love the smell of lighter fluid in the morning (not)!

[Bill Hole]

Santa wasn’t involved, but my credit card brought me new brake pads and rear shifter cable for my commuter flat-bar road bike, and new 10-speed upgrade (chain, cassette, chain rings, X9 rear derailleur and shifter, cables, housings) for my recumbent high racer, which needed most of that stuff anyway so I figured I’d go whole hog. Still fine-tuning the ‘bent, but so far I like.

[Bill Hole]

This summer a guy on an e-bike shoaled me during several evening commutes in the northbound 14th St. bike lane north of Arkansas. He would get in front at the light, then leisurely motor up the hill while I waited for a chance to pass. Of course as soon as I passed he sped up to get in front again. Being shoaled by a slow-moving e-bike is much more aggravating than being shoaled by a regular bike because it offends my sensibilities.

[Bill Hole]

Bikes.

[Bill Hole]

Last weekend the sign said “…requires vehicles and cyclists to obey…”. So someone must have gotten through to them. But if they start ticketing cyclists for running stop signs and continue not ticketing drivers for speeding, passing too close, etc., I’ll be seriously ticked.

[Bill Hole]

I dropped AAA and joined Better World because of this guy’s implacable hostility towards bicycle infrastructure. Good riddance.

[Bill Hole]

I don’t know where your ultimate destination is, but rather than brave that stretch of Beach, why not turn left on Joyce Rd. and take the immediate right up the hill to the Carter Barron fields. Take the parking lot and some neighborhood streets through to Blagden (look at a map for details).

[Bill Hole]

I’ve been wearing Lycra shorts ever since a yellow jacket flew up my loose shorts leg and stung me on the butt. YMMV.

[Bill Hole]

My goal, as in the previous 2 years, was to average at least 100 miles a week. I’m currently at 5338, so I made it! I didn’t think I would after only riding about 100 miles through January into mid-March, and missing a lot in the past 6 weeks due to a cold, vacation, and ever-shifting work locales.

I’m not sure I’m going to set the goal that high for next year, but we’ll see.

[Bill Hole]

I usually bike from Silver Spring to Arlington. I’m getting over a cold this week and it’s costing me $9.40 a day to ride Metro. That adds up fast!

I also save a bundle not needing a second car. So biking really has been a good investment for me.

[Bill Hole]

It’s very common among recumbent cyclists to move the cleat as far back as it will go. It seems to provide more comfort and stability when the feet are out in front, and, in my experience, doesn’t affect performance negatively. I use the same shoes on both my recumbent and my commuter hybrid, and I’m actually not sure I like the cleats back on the upright. But I don’t dislike the position enough to buy different shoes for each bike.

[Bill Hole]

We saw you there and I was impressed with the number of riders (and at least 2 cars) who stopped to help. We kept going because we didn’t want to get in the way and add to the crowd. I’m very glad you’re OK enough to post your thank-yous.

[Bill Hole]

I just want to point out to any potential vigilantes that I’ve seen more than one Gold Rush meeting the description of this one in the area. Don’t go off half-cocked and harass the wrong rider.

[Bill Hole]

I had ordered one of these before seeing this thread. I received it and, after an additional wait for the memory card to come in, installed it on my helmet. Not wanting to spend the $16 or so for their helmet mount, I modified the mount from an old headlight so it could accommodate the larger mounting screw for the camera.

My reactions so far:
1. Resolution is pretty good for such a cheap camera, and it works well in early morning light (I leave the house between 6:10 and 6:20 AM).
2. It has no image stabilization, so the image bounces around a lot. I’m going to do some more work on my mount to see if I can make it a little steadier.
3. It can pick up license numbers if they’re fairly close, but not if the camera is getting jostled too much.
4. The battery lasts long enough for my commute both ways, which is about an hour and a half.
5. Video is stored in QuickTime format. If you want to view your video on Windows, Windows Media won’t play the sound. You should download QuickTime from Apple (or buy a Mac).
6. The microphone isn’t great – mostly you hear the wind rushing by – but it picks up my screams when drivers try to kill me.
7. The initial setup instructions were confusing. The OP’s instructions above helped me get going.

I paid less than $60 from rakuten.com. The price has gone back up to $84, but I definitely think it’s worth it.

Bill

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