[brendan]

The old-timers (compliment) at Bicyclespace built up a pair of bombproof wheels for the big dummy a little ways back. Sapin heavy-duty spokes, rhyno lite boxy rims, etc.

Neither light nor cheap (for their class of rim), but hopefully no worries for the next 5-10 years.

B

[brendan]

Ride back from Herndon tonight was > 3 hours (partly due to darkness).

A few too many “oh crap” moments, but never outright fell…entirely due to luck. Which I won’t press. I’m going to telecommute tomorrow and cross my fingers for clearer trails next week.

Same spots were dodgy on the way home as on the way in this morning.

Good fun, though and SUPER GLAD I did the ride today. Thanks y’all.

Brendan

PS – off to watch the Gold Sprints at Right Proper!

[brendan]

@Mikey 109440 wrote:

Blanche Dubois (v) – To put oneself in a position of vulnerability that requires one to “depend on the kindness of strangers.” Especially in the context of crossing the George Washington Parkway. Because the MVT was blocked I had to Blanche Dubois the crossing of the GWP to get to the Memorial Bridge.
(n) A vulnerable road-user awaiting their right-of-way that never comes. The Blanche Duboises were lined up 6 deep at the GWP crossing this morning because of heavy traffic

“Duboises” How could I *not* ELITE that post?

B

[brendan]

@Mikey 109409 wrote:

Flintstone (v) 1. The act of propelling a bike from the seated position by pushing off with one’s feet, usually to avoid a particularly dangerous trail condition (i.e. ice, sand) 2. The act of slowing or stopping a bike by dragging one’s feet either in an equipment emergency (i.e. loss of brakes), or because of slow speed travel, 3. To outwardly demonstrate the completeness of a stop (e.g. at a stop sign) by ceremoniously stomping one’s foot on the ground before continuing through the intersection.

Similarly, I need a word for my “Courtesy Foot (Almost) Down” – what I use when I sense that the driver already stopped at the four-way stop sign may expect me to blow through a stop sign and will just wait until I stop completely before proceeding. Which can lead to a standoff if I just slow … and slow … and slow … but never take my feet off the pedals.

Basically, it’s my foot gliding *ever so slightly* over the ground while my bike is proceeding *ever so slowly*. Sometimes bike tilted/foot extended in a exaggerated or dramatic manner. That way I don’t have to “restart the engine” as if I actually came to a complete stop, foot down, feet no longer primed to accelerate.

It works remarkably well, giving the driver some confidence that they can proceed without risking a collision. I get most of the benefit of not completely putting my bike into Park and turning off the “engine”, which is what a real “foot down on stop” generally feels like.

B

[brendan]

@GB 109432 wrote:

What was your total riding time and distance?

Shaw -> Herndon, about 24 miles. 2:45 or so (ish? Forgot to check the clock when I left). Cargo bike, heavyish bags.

[brendan]

Riding west of Gallows report (studded tires):

The segment from Cedar Lane up to just past Adahi Rd was more treacherous than it looked. The ice was just super slippery and I had to put my feet down several times. As was the segment right before the curve for the crossing of Park St. in Vienna. Got passed by a runner while flintstoning. Twice.

Also, obviously, Buckthorn Hill is problematic. I should have shifted lower heading up the hill so I ended up having to flintstone near the top, which took weight off the rear wheel, which made for some hilarity with all that bike. Almost a catastrophe, but still would have been a funny one.

I also wanted to take the downhill slow so I stopped at the top and realized I really didn’t want to go down at all on that ice. So I just flintstoned in the snow to the north of the trail. Really really slowly. All the way down.

Oddly enough, the segments through Reston into Herndon were good and bad but even the completely crusted over sections were pretty reasonable on studded tires.

Pedestrians were kind.

The ride back will be interesting tonight.

[brendan]

@hozn 109348 wrote:

I don’t know what your normal pace is, but this sounds easily doable. The trail from Reston (maybe even Herndon?) all the way to Vienna will be 95+% pavement, so it won’t slow you down at all. Then Vienna to Falls Church is the slow part, but it’s not that slow, just chopped up; ride fast and it will end sooner. From EFC all the way into DC (AFAIK) you’ll be on beautiful plowed W&OD+Custis trail, so that’s a non-issue..

Thanks! Good to know. I’ll roll the dice on Reston to Herndon, I suppose I could surface-street it if it became awful (there were a few spots in that western segment that forced me off the trail proper for a bit a few weeks back).

The Big Dummy is heavy, but isn’t a fat bike (it’s just got a fat rider). It does currently have Nokian W240 26 x 1.95 studded tires installed. The rear end will be weighed down by bike supplies, bike tools (never know when you might need to tighten up a cassette, bottom bracket or crankset…), work clothing, ride-back clothing, extra lights, several work laptops and accessories. So, it’s a slog, but should be a steady one!

My normal home->work pace door to door is about 2:20, I think. It’s been over 3 hours once or twice when I bit off a bit more than I could chew in terms of ice on the W&OD.

Ok, depending on meeting schedule (and wrath of deity weather), I’ll plan to ride it tomorrow.

Brendan

[brendan]

You’ve been riding the towpath? In this slush?

B

[brendan]

Toying with the idea of DC->Herndon (and back in the evening) tomorrow via the Custis/W&OD with the Big Dummy and studded tires.

Time/speed is mostly flexible, but I’d like it to be < 3 hours in the morning (and I'd like to be able to make it up the 2 mile hill into Vienna in the evening without sliding back down). Possible or wait till next week? B

[brendan]

@dkel 107388 wrote:

Been there, done that. That’s one big reason I got bar mitts: my lobster gloves were never the same again.

I concur. Washing gloves…or even trying to remove sweaty hands from gloves and put them back into the same gloves (say, during a trail repair) sometimes means the gloves will never work correctly again. That’s not the kind of equipment failure I want to deal with tens of miles from home on a cold winter commute. Bar Mitts don’t seem to have that problem…though twice this winter I’ve found bird poop inside the bar mitts during my morning commute…could be worse, though, I guess.

[brendan]

@Tim Kelley 108711 wrote:

[video]https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=764276083649598[/video]

As they approached, I expected one to turn revealing Lt. Ripley who then asks” Where do you want it?” (referring to the snow, of course).

[brendan]

If it’s where I think it is, I’ve seen a drunk driver trying to figure out how to get his car unstuck from on top of the pile of rocks on the bumpout in the trail.

I called the cops.

They didn’t find him, but found a lot of damage further east on the trail where the driver had “desired lined” his way back onto the highway.

B

[brendan]

@PotomacCyclist 108623 wrote:

I figured as much, but I wanted to call the spammer out. Odd that he didn’t post any spam links though. I think it’s their new strategy. Hide among and become one of the local riders. The unleash the spam links later.

Yup. You can post something innocuous and then go back a week or two later and edit the post.

B

[brendan]

@PotomacCyclist 108580 wrote:

??

Are you commuting to Virginia from… Pakistan?

It’s spam, reusing text from earlier in the thread.

B

[brendan]

@Boomer2U 108451 wrote:

6:35pm is the time stamp by my phone on the pic, FYI

Erin is convinced that at least 30 of that count is due to Dirt doing laps.

B

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