[Brendan von Buckingham]

@dasgeh 55964 wrote:

I can answer that last one. I live in Cherrydale, and the Custis is (1) the only good option to get from Cherrydale to Lyon Village with a stroller/kids (Lee Highway sidewalks become impassable and just aren’t safe or pleasant) and (2) the only off-street path we have (well, in south Cherrydale). We have lots of traffic cutting through on our streets, and subpar sidewalks. So, if you need to take a kid for a walk in the stroller, Custis is the best bet. Unfortunately.

In the 90s I biked Custis from EFC to Key every commute. I eventually gave up and became a vehicularist and shifted to Washington Blvd or Lee Highway. I never liked mixing with so many pedestrians, kids and dogs on Custis. The thought of hurting a weaker trail user I just couldn’t accept. Final straw was wiping out on wet leaves on the Maywood Switchback over Lee Highway. I still have the silver dollar sized scar on my right shoulder from that one.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@baiskeli 55688 wrote:

Brendan von Baconham.

I’m Baconham? Well, eat me. I’ve kinda been wanting to say that since the beginning of this thread.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Bacon? Now I’m interested in this thread again.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

He may not have deserved it on a personal level. Let’s assume he’s a very nice guy with a mother and all. But his actions can’t be defended. The collision was the logical eventuality of the way he was choosing to ride. It was just a matter of time. He was lucky that he was able to walk off after the collision, even if he only made it as far as the bench at the bus shelter. He needs new friends though. One, they were the peer group that made his riding seem an acceptable risk to him. And two, “Dude, where’s your bike?” and “Dude, how’s your bike?” aren’t the biggest priorities after getting grilled by a mini-van cab. A “Dude, are you OK?” would have been nice.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Don’t initiate. Will acknowledge with a nod if someone is extremely emotional about it. Waving and saying hello to strangers is a symptom of fear, novelty or insanity. I’m not afraid of bikes. I see them all the time and if I waved at all of them, my arms would get tired (it’s not 1996 anymore out there). And I’m not crazy. I’m grumpy. I don’t wave thanks at cars either when they do something they’re supposed to.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Not only are there bicycle games, but anything voted “Spiel des Jahres” (German for game of the year) has got to be good. Basically, the Germans have redirected all their marshal energies and ambitions into cardboard and boardgames (kind of jokey, kind of serious).

There’s been quite a renaissance in boards games the last 15 years or so, this ain’t your grandfather’s board game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/442/um-reifenbreite

This is your grandfather’s board game: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/26086/bicycle-race-a-game-for-the-wheelmen

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Washington Post reported the cyclist has died.

Don’t know if it was a partial cause, but there and for several blocks, U Street is torn up all the way down to the concrete base for a repaving project. No lane markings, lots of raised manholes, no construction signs warning of the hazards.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

A low speed collision with a camera tripod would be unfortunate.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

You’re either are going to have to find a sarcasm icon or explain how he is supposed to get on Roosevelt Bridge. After the pleasure of Columbia Pike and the spaghetti of highway lanes around the Pentagon, he’ll need to cross GW Parkway three times and do a half-mile double back to get to the bridge ramp. And then you’re only in Foggy Bottom for your troubles.

M Street and Georgetown isn’t for everyone, but I love it. The a.m. downhill on M Street lets you go as fast as the cars and the p.m. gridlock let’s you triumphantly pass them all by.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Ugh. In 20 years of Arlington to DC commuting, my few tries on Columbia Pike have been the worst. Columbia Pike itself is inhospitable in terms of lane widths, traffic behavior and road conditions. Haven’t tried it in a year. If instead of Columbia you find a parallel back street you still have to figure out a creative and indirect way to get to either 14th Street or Memorial Bridge. I’ve never found a good way to do this. Maybe the Washington Blvd improvements and Long Bridge Park will change that.

But for now, I’d be resigned to Walter Reed, becomes Filmore to Clarendon Blvd, to Rosslyn, Key Bridge, L Street (a.m.)/M Street (p.m). One alternative is Filmore to Pershing to Barton to Clarendon. This puts most of your north/south commute in Arlington and puts you across on the best bridge.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

The stretch between Wright Gate and 110 is now finished and ready for Bike DC 2012. I mean 2013. I mean 2014.

Really though, the underground work is done and Marshall has been repaved. Smooth as glass. They also changed the shoulders at the bottom of the hill at 110. It used to be uncurbed and you could cross from bike trail to Marshall at any point along that length. I actually liked that. It’s now improved with a curb so that all bike traffic has to go through an ADA curbcut at the crosswalk at the IJM Access Road intersection. If you’re inbound flying downhill towards 110, don’t miss that curbcut. It’s you’re only chance to get on the bike trail without dismounting.

In other sections of my commute, they’ve installed a traffic light at Meade and Arlington Blvd Access Road EB (helpful inbound, new delay outbound). Also they changed Rhodes & Arlington Blvd Access Rd EB into a 4-way stop. That’s an improvement inbound, no effect outbound. It is funny though, since about only 25% of drivers know how to determine right-of-way at a 4-way stop, there’s only a 1 in 256 chance of 4 cars meeting and doing it right.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Memorial Bridge. Love the cyclist community though. Just about every passing cyclist asked if I needed anything.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

1st Street NW is a great street, good choice. Stop sign at every intersection keeps traffic volume and speed low, beautiful houses. Try K Street as your E/W to 1st St NW. If you can manage the underpass at the rr tracks it saves a good chunk of time and gives the advantage of all of 1st Street’s good crossings over the avenues. Depends how you feel about Sursum Corda, but I’ve never had a problem.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

It was probably your fault. It’s always our fault.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Filtering is allowed, but the phrasing in the VA regs says something about traveling abreast in the same lane being illegal. You can overtake in the same lane, but you can’t travel abreast. I think that’s what they’d use to write a citation about make left turns with cars like that. Either way, I’d prefer the ticket over being forced over that Grate of Peril.

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