[brendan]

@KLizotte 22087 wrote:

However, studies here and abroad have consistently shown that cycletracks, well-designed bike lanes, etc. help bring out the indicator species, namely women and older people. The more women you see biking, the more the overall population gets on a bike because of real and perceived safety. And the more bikes there are on the streets, real safety for cyclists goes up.

Yes x 10. Real safety for all cyclists, no matter where they ride.

@KLizotte 22087 wrote:

There is a reason we have sidewalks – we don’t expect people to walk in the street because of the danger; we even segregate the sidewalks by putting in curbs.

Sort of. I’m of the opinion that streets were meant for people and the invasion of and takeover by automobiles will be a temporary (if very long) phenomena and a failed social experiment.

That could be the hydrocodone talking, though.

@KLizotte 22087 wrote:

As a last note, I think sharrows confuse drivers since it seems to imply that cyclists should only be on roads with sharrows. I still can’t figure out what the “End of Sharrows” asphalt signage means on Madison Ave near the Washington Monument. It seems to imply that cyclists are supposed to get out of the road at that point.

Indeed. I think they are useful…but send an unclear and confusing message.

Brendan

[brendan]

Thanks folks. I had Dr. Avery at Commonwealth take a look at it today. It’s broken into three pieces but the location and spacing appear to be within the range where they like to see if it will knit itself together first. So, sling, pain meds and come back in 3 weeks for a follow-up.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1191[/ATTACH]

Brendan

[brendan]

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel or…

Brendan

[brendan]

@Mark Blacknell 21994 wrote:

Sure there is. Find the bell.

Ooh, nice.

[brendan]

I like the free bells from New Belgium Brewery that they give away at sponsored bike events. They probably buy them via some sort of corporate promotional good supplier, but still: I find them both loud and flexible in terms of choosing what kind of ringing pattern I need from pass to pass.

Brendan

[brendan]

@consularrider 21839 wrote:

However, before the 4 Mile Run extension under I-365 opened, I often had to endure multiple bus dropoffs at a the Barrett Elementary School just about every morning. Since I stop for a school bus with it’s red flashers on and stop signs extended, I eventually figured out that the best way around this back up was to become a true pedestrian and walked my bike on the sidewalk there (it’s across the Martha Custis/Valley Dr intersection from the school). It meant adding all of 30 seconds rather than several minutes.

Heh, that was my elementary school. But don’t blame me, I lived close enough to walk to school.

Brendan

PS – also, that was 30 years ago…

[brendan]

I second the squeaky disc brakes -> pedestrian warning signals.

And to play a bit of devil’s advocate on the thread opener, some light reading:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/invention-jaywalking/1837/

and

http://westnorth.com/2009/02/01/a-history-of-jaywalking/

One can argue either case as to whether cyclists or pedestrians are the most vulnerable. But as cyclists, we’re bringing our speed into the picture…which means we’re bringing the higher level of danger upon ourselves and pedestrians…and we control that speed. So, I think more responsibility rests upon us.

Brendan

[brendan]

@acc 21792 wrote:

And sometimes you find the oddest things.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1180[/ATTACH]

For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was an animated series starring those two bike seats.

Brendan

[brendan]

The few times I’ve dealt with jammed keys on my own or other locks it turned out that the key jammed because it wasn’t seated all the way down in the cylinder before it was turned. The application of patience and multiple people always ended up solving the problem: backing out, reseating the key and disengaging the lock. Not fun at night in the rain, though. A reminder to unlock your lock slowly and deliberately…

Folding plate locks haven’t held up well to test attacks, I wouldn’t recommend them.

Brendan

[brendan]

@Dirt 21274 wrote:

Anyone seen him? He commutes between Rosslyn and Alexandria on the MVT at least once or twice per week, as far as I can tell. I’ve seen him going both directions. He’s kind of difficult to miss. He’s the guy who appears to ride the vast majority, if not all of his commute without the front tire touching the ground. If I’ve seen him with his front tire down, I have no idea because he’d just be another guy riding a mountain bike on the path. His commute is opposite of mine, so he’s heading south in the morning and north in the afternoon.

There was a kid who joined up mid-route to one of the social rides last fall/winter in DC who spent 99% of the time on just his rear wheel. It was really amusing…until he began running all the red lights and *NEARLY* got smashed by a truck.

I’ve seen him one or two other times at night in DC.

There’s also a guy I’ve seen in Clarendon who sits on his bike facing the rear (with the bike going forward), and he steers behind his back and looks over his shoulder to see where he’s going. Whenever I see him in the bike lane on Wilson, for a moment I’m confused about whether or not he is salmoning…

Brendan

[brendan]

@DaveK 21273 wrote:

I assume everything on CL is stolen unless convinced otherwise. I’ve bought at least one good bike off there though.

I’d had felt some guilt about the used road bike I bought last year off of craigslist, in terms of not really researching the seller/history. I googled his name, got a google result that made me depressed, but then…I clicked on over to read the thread with the disturbing subject line…(don’t forget to expand the entire thread)…

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/mabra-uscf/d76LNhXrd7g/NszietkVRTsJ

…and giggled. “Buy low and sell high,” indeed.

Brendan

PS – doesn’t mean he buys from reputable craigslisters, of course.

[brendan]

@essigmw 21186 wrote:

Welcome to NoVa! I can tell you are from the west coast, because you said “the” 395. We just call it 395, or the 3rd circle of hell.

I’m off topic, but I grew up calling it Shirley Highway…(hence “Shirlington”).

Brendan

[brendan]

Is the total weight of the other rider+bike significantly higher than yourself+bike? If so, then that may swamp all of the other “speedier” variables that you have on downhills and the other rider+bike will go faster.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99681.htm

Note: yes, in a vacuum, gravity accelerates different masses the same, but this is a balancing forces problem.

Brendan

[brendan]

@ShawnoftheDread 21248 wrote:

Is it just me, or does this post scream “stolen”? A $50 Newest, minus wheels?
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3056286278.html

Noticed it doesn’t have pedals either. Not sure if that makes it more or less likely. Contact and ask for the history, I suppose.

Brendan

[brendan]

@Dirt 21258 wrote:

Cowbell is soooo ubiquitous. I’m thinking of going for a tambourine. There was always something really sexy about the way Shirley Jones played that instrument on the Partridge Family show.

What were we talking about?

My own experience at RAGBRAI last year was on about 85% of days, both a tambourine and a cowbell will not fall off of your handlebars. Oh, and a drumstick can and will stay in your right jersey pocket all day long to be deployed as needed and easily returned there securely when the time comes.

As I’ve said before, I’m a ring+call early kinda guy. Though I do let a certain amount of disdain and/or incredulousness through in my voice when I am forced to call “passing on the…RIGHT?” or “Passing through the MIDDLE???”. .

Brendan

[Author]

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