[bobco85]

I just came across an article in CityLab that was written about these garage races, and I happened to see an oh-so-familiar forumite in his singular cycle and dapper cowsuit. It’s kinda cool to see y’all in a news article!

Here’s the link: https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/04/parking-garage-bike-race-anything-goes-arlington-virginia/557156/

[bobco85]

@lordofthemark 177408 wrote:

So like the advantage of that is that drivers will be careful, because they don’t want to crash into all that stained glass?

It gives new meaning to treating one’s body like a temple.

[bobco85]

I will be unable to attend BTWD 2018 in the DC area on May 18 (I like the t-shirt/text color choice), but I will be participating in Seattle’s version: Bike Everywhere Day!

https://www.cascade.org/bikeeverywhereday

Instead of visiting pit stops, I will be visiting Celebration Stations (which are pretty much the same thing). I will take pics/vids and report on the swag/treats

(Quick note: on the Bike Everywhere Day map, there are supposedly 3 Celebration Stations showing in the middle of Lake Washington; they’re either water-bike accessible only or just the key for which colors mean which (morning/evening/both).)

[bobco85]

@Crickey7 177387 wrote:

I dislike that law abiding is posited as irrational for cyclists. Break the law if you want, justify it as you want, but don’t judge those many of us who deem traffic laws as part of the same social contract that all laws serve.

I think the sentiment is not to judge those who follow traffic laws more strictly but to acknowledge the moral relativism in breaking said laws and how the extenuating circumstances play into effect. I think it’s the idea that traffic laws (specific rules and regulations) fail to communicate the general intent of creating a safe environment because there is no flexibility.

We all have a spectrum of what would be more/less acceptable in our eyes, and I know everyone would differ in opinion when looking at situations of potentially breaking the law like the following examples (BTW only some of these are lawful):

• Cyclist filtering through gridlocked vehicular traffic
• Cyclist not stopping at every stop sign on a bike trail
• Pedestrian entering crosswalk on flashing “Don’t Walk” signal
• Driver making a right turn on red with “No Turn on Red” sign but no pedestrians/cross traffic anywhere nearby
• Cyclist slowing to walking pace but not stopping at a stop sign
• Cyclist in bike lane sees a car with its hazards on blocking the bike lane in distance, moves into travel lane a block away in anticipation to get around
• Driver on interstate pulling over onto the shoulder to check their phone (non-emergency)
• Cyclist only crossing at non-bicycle-detecting stoplight after waiting the full 2 minutes or 2 full light cycles
• Pedestrian crossing a street mid-block
• Driver driving less than 10 mph above the speed limit

I guess to sum it up, I would only consider it irrational if someone were to only follow traffic laws to their strictest interpretation instead of considering the circumstances in each situation.

[bobco85]

@AFHokie 177324 wrote:

Don’t leave your ride-share bike on a ferry:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2018-04-09/abandoned-bicycles-a-problem-for-coast-guard-ferries

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk

Interesting, I just read a local article on that yesterday. The ferry operators keep track of people that bring their vehicles/bicycles onto the ferry, so if a bicycle like a DoBi is remaining, they have to look for the owner and assume that there was a passenger overboard, costing thousands of dollars to the Coast Guard.

DoBi companies have been sending out messages to their customers telling them to either leave the DoBi’s at the docks or to bring them as carry-on.

[bobco85]

@drevil 177309 wrote:

College Park
FTFY

:confused::confused::confused:

…oops. I totally thought I was writing College Park the whole time! Time to hit that edit button!

[bobco85]

Seen on the Emerald City Ride (Seattle’s equivalent to the DC Bike Ride) yesterday, we need more of these:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobco85]

@egn 177291 wrote:

I prefer PG Plaza because it is closer to DC, but I would need to get a bike locker and the route would require riding on sidewalks along a very busy road.

The route to College Park is a slightly longer distance to ride (and going the opposite direction of DC), but it is a much more pleasant and safer ride on the trolley trail. I think I would only need to wait for one traffic light. I could also use the Bike and Ride facilities there.

Any feedback on which is better?

I think you answered your own question there . Based on your statements, the (edit: accidentally wrote PG Plaza originally) College Park route looks far superior because it’s safer, it’s on a trail, and you already enjoy it more. Also, since you’ll be getting on a station farther out, you’ll have a better chance at getting a good seat on the train!

Just think how much nicer it will be when spring kicks into gear. Then, on really nice days, you can always extend your ride to Greenbelt so you can enjoy more of the wonderful Anacostia Tributary Trail System.

[bobco85]

I finished a new video detailing the 2nd Ave 2-way protected bike lane here in Seattle. I rode the entire length of the bike lane and a bit before and after to show what it’s like to ride the recently completed infrastructure (early improvements started back in 2014, remainder finished earlier this year). This is the analogue to the 15th St NW cycletrack in DC, so think of that as you watch the various improvements that have been made in this PBL. You will also notice one block (at Stewart St) where construction detours the PBL, and this has been a major gripe for cyclists here as it affords no protection, but it will get better once construction is complete.

A couple of things that the Seattle 2nd Ave PBL has that DC 15th St doesn’t (but should add IMO): concrete curbs and planters, stop bars for cyclists to rest their feet on (makes it easier to start again), concrete aprons at driveways.

I ride part of this PBL during my morning and evening bike commutes (my building is between Seneca and Spring Streets), and it’s a pretty nice ride save for some bumpiness in a few of the older sections.

[video=youtube_share;cBTJ5f3bn8E]https://youtu.be/cBTJ5f3bn8E[/video]

P.S. – you can see the naming convention used for some of the streets, as many streets come in opposite-direction pairs having the same first letter (Bell is SB/Blanchard is NB, Seneca is SB/Spring is NB, Union/University, Pine/Pike, etc.).

[bobco85]

@Judd 177015 wrote:

I’ll probably go trailer, but I did read a great article about subsidies for cargo bikes in Europe last night that piqued my interest. Any bike trailer recommendations?

This is the trailer that I currently use (Allen Sports Explorer Bicycle Cargo Trailer): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DWFVGI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8

That particular trailer is not sold anymore, but here are 2 images of it (note the second image shows the trailer in its upright form):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17710[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]17711[/ATTACH]

What I like about it:

• Relatively inexpensive yet sturdy enough
• Easy process to detach from bike and convert from the regular behind-bike to one with a walking handle, perfect for going into stores (usually pet stores when I get kitty food and litter) and knowing exactly how much you can get
• Has a cover to protect contents from rain (does well, but a puddle sometimes forms on top which starts to soak through)
• Two-wheel layout makes it stable and does not cause issues with balance when riding (I’ve had my bike fall over yet the trailer stay upright)

What I don’t like about it:

• The zipper on the cover is poorly made and broke (I use bungee nets to keep it in place)
• Bottom of container does not have any support bracket/solid base (it kinda hangs from the edges), so tends to sag and bottom out on tree roots/sidewalk ramps/etc. when fully loaded
• Tires/tubes were terrible, so I had to buy kid-MTB tires and tubes

This set-up works for me, but I would guess that you would want something better geared toward bike adventuring than larger grocery/supply rides. A one wheel trailer might work best for you as it would be easier for longer distance rides (like for bike-camping) but will do just fine for grocery rides. If you go the two-wheeled route, definitely get a trailer that has a metal frame and a solid base. You can always get a tarp to make it more water-resistant. Also, don’t worry about the included tire(s) as you’ll probably want to replace that with a stronger one (kid BMX/MTB tires are cheap). Oh, and you’ll want to put lights on it if not one of those caution flags (I have been considering attaching a flag to mine).

In addition, I’d strongly recommend going to Rod for bike trailer advice. It’s kinda part of his job!

[bobco85]

@Judd 177000 wrote:

I went car free this morning. It’s the first time in 22 years that I haven’t owned a car. I decided to donate my car to WABA, which I looked into after Jeanne told me that she donated her car to WAMU.

Here’s the tow truck taking her away:
https://twitter.com/LumberjackCycle/status/979682537835515905

And thus, the countdown timer to Judd getting either a cargo bike or a bicycle trailer begins…

…also, congratulations on becoming car-free! Zipcar and bicycle trailers work well as a replacement. I look forward to hearing about you riding with a trailer/cargo bike to get furniture from IKEA*. Trust me, it’s fun 😎

*FYI the IKEA in College Park is easier/safer to bike to from Arlington than the one in Woodbridge because of all the trails you can use (MVT, MBT, NW Branch, NE Branch, Paint Branch).

[bobco85]

@Rimas 176953 wrote:

http://www.bikecando.com/huckleberry-hill-camp.aspx
This site is supposed to be one of the better ones. Nice bonus is the relaxing sound of the water rushing by.

On my bike trip along the C&O Towpath, I stayed at the Huckleberry Hill campsite on my 2nd night (3-day trip to the halfway mark and back). It was nice and quiet (no train noises, I slept like a log) save for some expected other sounds that were heard early in the night (it was Independence Day, after all :cool:).

Huckleberry Hill (62.9 miles) is farther than the expected distance for this trip, but as an FYI for folks doing other longer trips along the C&O, it is a great campsite, and I highly recommend it.

[bobco85]

This trip sounds like it’s going to be pretty awesome! The only advice I can give is to not camp at the Bald Eagle Island campsite (Mile 50.3). It is very close to the active train tracks, and IIRC there were about 13-14 trains that passed through the night I stayed there. They were so loud it was like the trains were passing right through my tent! Also, I did not bring ear plugs on my trip (I really wish I had).

Given the proximity of some of the campsites to the train tracks in your planned 40-50 mile range, I’d recommend looking at the Indian Flats (Mile 42.5) campsite as opposed to Calico Rocks (Mile 47.6). The Indian Flats campsite is 2,024 feet from the train tracks versus only 160 feet for Calico Rocks (Bald Eagle Island campsite is only 95 feet).

(Automated message: $0.02 has been successfully deducted from your account and added to this thread)

[bobco85]

I made a video of the ride I did along the Cedar River Trail back in January. The Cedar River Trail is a mostly paved trail running 17.6 miles from the southern tip of Lake Washington (next to the Boeing factory) through Renton and Maple Valley before changing to gravel as it heads toward Landsburg. The northern 13 miles are asphalt, and the southern 4.6 miles are gravel. I rode on it until it changed to gravel, then I rode onto the Cedar to Green River Trail (which is all gravel) to get to the Lake Wilderness Arboretum where I ended my video.

I saw some interesting things along the way, including a photo shoot for newlyweds who were using the beautiful trail as a backdrop! I still have plenty more to explore here in Washington State.

[video=youtube_share;T3bKBqwc2vk]https://youtu.be/T3bKBqwc2vk[/video]

[bobco85]

News from Seattle which started taking on dockless bikeshare around the same time as DC: in order to deal with the problem of doBi clutter, Seattle is testing out having actual dockless bikeshare parking:https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2018/03/21/seattle-tests-low-budget-painted-bike-parking-to-make-bike-share-more-orderly/

Here’s a pic of one of the doBi parking spaces in use:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17689[/ATTACH]

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