[brendan]

@eminva 20185 wrote:

I’m a wimp so using a frame pump, I probably wouldn’t get enough air in there to ride safely to the next bike shop. So I was carrying around a canister and a spare tube, hoping to avoid the downsides you suggest. Through this forum, I learned about the Topeak Morph pump, which you can place on the ground for leverage, so now I have one of those.

Liz

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HPG here. Clear tape over the gauge so the printing won’t rub off. I keep it in the triangle bag on the cargo pocket or, on the road bike, in my right rear pocket like the battle weapon it is.

I had three flats in a kevlar-line tire last Thursday around miles 25-35 of the towpath: a piece of rock, edged like glass, had worked its way through the kevlar lining over many miles. So first incursion was in the tube tire-side. I picked out the shard, went over the rest of the tire and cleaned it, booted the tire and put a new tube in. A few miles later, flat again with a *rim-side* hole in the “new” tube. Looked at the rim tape, no obvious problems. I think the tube had spent too many months in a bike bag and was abraded against tools, etc. I patched that hole, set things up again and rode a few more miles, then the valve malfunctioned. It wasn’t a tear at the valve stem mount, just something was preventing the valve from shutting all the way and it was whispering air. Finally, I patched the first tube, swapped that in, re-inflated and hoped for the best.

No canisters for me.

Brendan

[brendan]

@KLizotte 20285 wrote:

I have been continually dismayed by most LBS staff’s attitude that one does *not* use a road bike for commuting, shopping, sight seeing, or visiting friends. When I have repeatedly told them I needed a way to easily carry a full size U-lock and cable on a road bike I’ve been met with a confused expression and “why?”. Errr….because sometimes I have to get off the bike for a while. I also sometimes like to carry food, camera, hammock, and maps. Yeah, I’m a tourer at heart I guess.

I was really amused that I didn’t really notice my road bike has rack eyelets embedded in the carbon seat stays before I got it home. I am somewhat nervous about actually attaching a rack to a carbon rear triangle, though…

Brendan

[brendan]

@KLizotte 20258 wrote:

I don’t know whether the stop sign at the Marriott is legal or not but I think it is a good idea nonetheless.

How about a high-power flashing sign that says: cars exiting this curb cut *CANNOT SEE YOU* so *SLOW DOWN*. Or maybe a rail-road crossing sign/light/bell/bar system?

More seriously: if the county is serious about keeping this part of the sidewalk a MUT, the hotel parking lot entrance/exit needs to be redesigned or closed. If redesigned, perhaps moved east away from the concrete structure (perhaps mid-block between the current location and the traffic signal). The current setup really has no solution due to the sight lines.

Brendan

[brendan]

@mstone 20205 wrote:

Alternatively, there’s a version of the SPD clip that allows you to unclip in any direction.

Note: you need to be cautious about this, your foot length and your bike geometry. I first rode clipless on the xtracycle and had a unidirectional clip/cleat setup. When I started training on a road bike, I learned (the hard way) that rotating my heel inward is a possible way to have the heel of my shoe strike my rear spokes.

Brendan

PS – A friend also noted that when I ride bikes without clipless pedals, I still rotate my heels outward before stepping down. Probably best to have that ingrained…

PPS – Oh and as KLizotte said: I suspect starting with powergrips made my transition into clipless pedals much easier.

[brendan]

@vvill 20168 wrote:

I’ve never used CO2/canisters. I usually just carry a pump although the last three rides I’ve done I haven’t had any inflation device (I need to figure out a way to attach my pump easily on my folding bike).

I’ve never quite understood the appeal of canisters. If you manage to not get it right the first time (need to patch twice, etc.), you’re SOL. Or you brought two canisters…which is starting to get into the weight class of a pump…

Brendan

[brendan]

@KLizotte 20162 wrote:

The big mystery to me now is all the folks I see biking out there with nothing more than a saddlebag (sometimes not even that) and their jersey pockets for storage. I can only guess that they only carry an inner tube, air canisters, keys, ID, and phone. Most don’t seem to carry a lock or more emergency repair stuff. When I was looking to buy a road bike, all the guys at the LBS looked at me like I was nuts when I said I wanted a road bike I could put a rack on (I hate backpacks).

Even on the road bike, I have the three jersey pockets on the back and…four additional pockets in my REI mountain biking aka double shorts (lycra liner + chamois inner, standard baggy shorts outer).

Usually full of crap which I occasionally need.

On the cargo bike, I’m usually outfitted to fix my own as well as other people’s bike issues…

Brendan

[brendan]

@GuyContinental 20147 wrote:

Good call on the quicklinks- I see lots of folks with chain tools but no links or pins. All you can do then is shorten the chain.. whereas a quicklink can really save your bacon and maintain most of the strength of the chain (for folks that don’t know a Quicklink / Missing Link snaps in place to replace a broken link- buy one or two next time you are in a bike shop or just pick them up on amazon- LINK Just make sure that you get the right size…)

If you’re lucky, you can fix your chain so that it’s the same length and just as strong as it was. The links these days are so good (as strong as standard outer plates and pins) some manufacturers include them with chains to make for easy and novice-reliable installation. And they allow off-bike cleaning, though KMC’s 10-speed quiklinks that are included with their chains aren’t reusable, there are some 10-speed links that are reusable.

If you do have a more serious chain issue and you have to pull off links due to bent plates, broken pins, rollers, etc. (or some got lost during the chain damage) remember that the quick links replace two facing outer plates and the attached two pins only. Look at the situation first before deciding which side(s) and how far in to remove pins. Learned that one from experience.

And once you get home after your scheduled and only briefly interrupted ride , it’s a good time to check your transmission for wear and possible replacement. I carry the links (and other more touring-ish repair items) because I really really dislike having to head home early. Plus sometimes I’m pretty far from home and don’t want to have to call in a automotive rescue.

Brendan

[brendan]

@dasgeh 20139 wrote:

I don’t know what it is about runners in Arlington ditching the sidewalks to run in the road. I find the sidewalks here pretty nice, and I just don’t get it.

I suspect that in the busy sections, it ends up being (again) about slower vs. faster traffic. Plus the sidewalks have more, well, sidewalk furniture to dodge. Once the density gets high enough, a combination of not wanting to run into people/kids/pedestrians/parking meters/benches/newspaper boxes/lamp posts/cars-exiting-alleys/swinging-doors-to-businesses/milling smokers/entrance-lines-into-business/etc. (that’s just on my block) and not wanting to slow their pace (sounds familiar to us, no?) lead them to short-cuts/parallel-routes. And it might get habitual to the point they do it during times of less pedestrian density.

On a related note, I asked a friend once why he preferred to run along the crowded main artery vs. back in the neighborhood and he said “people watching”. Heh.

Brendan

[brendan]

@txgoonie 20136 wrote:

Isn’t the runner actually in the correct spot, i.e. running against traffic? Salmoning is really a term reserved for bikes going the wrong direction, no? I’m not saying that moving into the road was the correct thing for her to do, but at least she put herself in the right position to be able to see what was going on.

Would it still be the right thing to do if she was running in a standard traffic lane with oncoming motor vehicles?

Brendan

[brendan]

@consularrider 20105 wrote:

acc,

I was riding all over the place yesterday and never did find you to park my bike. Guess that’s because at noon I riding through Middleburg, on my way back to Purcellville and Leesburg (getting at doner box), and by 5 pm had only made it as far as Hunter Mill Rd. I think I did see Dirt heading west on the stretch of the W&OD between Virginia and Shreve about 5:30.

Mmm, Döner Bistro. Yum.

Missed my chance to stop there on Saturday as I led our Mt. Pleasant-based cycling group astray by telling them about the Lost Rhino brewery’s now-opened kitchen (in Ashburn). Mmm, duck tacos.

I’d assumed we’d be stopping there on the way *back* from Purcellville. Alas, we stopped on the way out and everyone else had to turn back after the beer tastings and brewery tour. I’m not quite sure how I managed to do it (aside from being on a road bike instead of the cargo bike) but I touched base in Purcellville and made crazy good time back to Arlington.

[brendan]

Huh, broke a rear shifter cable at the parking lot crossing there. Last broken chain (on the MVT) was farther south next to the airport, though.

I keep cables and proper-sized quick links (along with tubes, levers and patches) in my kit now.

Brendan

[brendan]

Never heard of something like that happening before? I would think the traffic/pedestrian timing devices have interlocks to prevent such an occurrence?

Brendan

[brendan]

@Veik 19995 wrote:

What is the best way to get from NW DC back to W&OD avoiding Curtis Trail arlington hills?
Via Wilson Blvd? (Rosslyn-Clarendon-Balston route)

You still need to go up the rosslyn hill, but you an avoid the rest of them. I usually get up the hill and as soon as I cross I-66, I continue straight up past bergman’s cleaners to the intersection of Lee Hwy and Veitch street (the custis trail turns right on the far side of the bridge over I-66, but I don’t). From there you have an additional short uphill. I usually turn left at Adams and make my way over to Wilson. From there you can take the bike lane on wilson to fairfax, turn right on fairfax and then head over to ballston. In order to safely get onto the bluemont, you need to be on the sidwalk on the south side of Fairfax when crossing Glebe, just continue in front of the hotel on the left, then the hwy barrier wall on the right and make a left onto the bluemont.

Something like this (google maps gave west/south glebe crossing, that works too), just don’t take the final turn that heads to the tennis courts and, instead, continue heading west on the W&OD.

http://g.co/maps/dqpsm

Brendan

[brendan]

There are runners in the bike lane in front of my apartment most evenings, running both ways (correct direction and salmoning). This is on Wilson Blvd, across the street from Whole Foods. I can’t blame them too much, though, as the crowd in front of Boccato Gelato is thick with kids and dogs for hours, esp. in good weather and virtually impassible at a standard walking pace.

Though, they may want to consider rerouting around the block since it’s a known hazardous area…I’ve been known to sneak out the back of the building through the bar’s basement door to the parking lot if I’m carrying something heavy or bulky to my car in the evening.

Brendan

[brendan]

@DismalScientist 19903 wrote:

An alternative to the Custis is to take the streets at the Ballston Connector:
Fairfax Drive to Clarendon down to Rosslyn. I personally find this way safer, but your mileage may vary.

If you’re not a fan of hills (and/or congestion on hills): for future rides, you can continue past the Custis Trail left turn and go another mile or so to the Bluemont Junction trail left turn off of the W&OD (just past the train car and ball field on the left after the Wilson Blvd. underpass). It takes a gentle rise up to the Wilson/George Mason Blvds. intersection, where you can either turn right into Ballston and follow Wilson all the way down to Rosslyn or continue diagonally across that intersection one more trail block and get dumped onto Fairfax Blvd. which has a nice bike lane the whole way up to Wilson Blvd. where you an turn left and head into Rosslyn. The merge onto the bike lane on Fairfax west of Glebe, which is situated between the right hand turn lane and the continuing forward lane, can be difficult to merge into safely due to highway traffic exiting off of I-66 onto Fairfax (some folks stay on the sidewalk until crossing glebe).

I take the latter route back home into Clarendon after long rides out west, unless goaded into one last set of hill attacks by my girlfriend.

Brendan

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