[brownnugen]

Left this morning around 0600. I am on a CX bike with studded tires and about 40 lbs of panniers on my rear rack.

• Taking the route 1 bridge (in front of the Hampton Inn) was covered with at least a foot of snow up until you actually get past the Hampton Inn. I walked for about 3 minutes. Once past the Hampton Inn, it is smooth sailing through Old Town (staying on Washington Street).
• Once through Old Town, I took the feeder road and made a left on Slater’s Lane and then heading northbound on Route 1, crossed over the bridge and turned right on Potomac Avenue. Potomac Ave is pretty good until you get to the Shopper’s Food Warehouse area and then, there is some packed snow on the right hand lane. It is pretty manageable.
• Going through Crystal City was a breeze until you turn right on 18th Street to go towards the MVT.
• Once you get through the tunnel, it just plain stinks.
• I pretty much had to walk my bike from there until Gravelly Point, at which I was able to ride across the ice rink parking lot (thanks to studded tires).
• Once you clear the parking lot (by the porta potties), be prepared to walk from there until you are on the 14th St Bridge.
• 14th Street Bridge was clear but once you get on the DC side, the sidewalk (that goes towards the Mall) is full of snow. I don’t even think people have been walking on it. You have to ride against traffic.
• Going towards the Fish Market and Fort McNair, is pretty clear, but there is still a lot of construction going on which restricts all traffic.
• Going over the South Capitol Bridge is pretty clear until you get to the base of it (on the JBAB side)
• Once on the base, it is full of ruts and snow. The sidewalk along the JBAB fence has not been touched. I ended up riding on the street with traffic.

What is normally an hour ride took me 2 hours thanks to all the walking. That is all for now.

[brownnugen]

Any update on MVT, from Belle Haven Marina to DC?

[brownnugen]

@vern 107384 wrote:

I washed my very stinky lobstah gloves last night, and to aid in drying I pulled the sewn-in liner layers out and placed it over a heat register. Nice and dry this morning, however, I failed in 30 minutes to get the liners properly placed back inside the gloves, and since these are my only gloves suitable for below 30 degrees, I had to ride the Metro. I won’t make that mistake again.

That is the reason why I got the Planet Bike Borealis lobster gloves. The liner and outer glove are designed to be separate. I like it because I can go with just the fleece liner, just the shell or both. I don’t like using just the shell because when my hands get sweaty, the shell smells. At least with the liner, it will absorb the sweat and is easily washable.

The liner works well, but feels like it is a cheap fleece that won’t last too long before it starts to tear. When it bites the dust, I will just go out and buy a nicer quality liner.

[brownnugen]

I tried to ride the MVT from Old Town to DC. I was on Washington Street until I have to ride on the MVT. It was totally unrideable on my 32’s with studs. Lots of evidence of foot traffic and saw that some bikes just rode on the grass (off the path). I gave it my best try but ended up turning around at that marina (I don’t know its name) and went home. As much as I hate driving, I had to do it this morning. I don’t think it will get any better with more snow coming and below freezing temperatures.

I was fine with the temps, the MVT was just horrible.

[brownnugen]

I actually already have a dedicated pair of cold weather MTB boots, but was looking for something to pair with my MTB shoes when the weather is warm/mold like it is now, but also wet.

[brownnugen]

@hozn 66427 wrote:

The Gore covers would probably fit the bill, though really if you use mtb shoes, I imagine any of them would be OK (since you would be walking on the protruding grippy part of the sole tread?).

I thought most of the shoe covers also wrap around the bottoms, essentially covering the bottoms. I have seen some reviews that say a hole is worn through them quickly, even when having to put your foot down when stopping.

[brownnugen]

Any covers that you can leave on your shoes and walk about 1/4 mile in without ruining them? I have to walk to/from the garage to the office gym and that is a long time that my shoes can get soaked before I even get to my bike.

[brownnugen]

I thought that I would follow up on this thread after living in this area for a few months now. I find myself taking Woodmont Road to Ft Hunt and then heading towards Old Town. Now, from there, I’ve been alternating between taking the MVT all the way to the 14th St Bridge into DC or taking the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I know a lot of people do not prefer taking the WW and cutting through Oxon Hill Farm, but it is not too bad of a ride. The trail is a little bumpy and not a path frequently traveled by other commuter (I am usually the only person out there at 6 am and sometimes see 1 other person at 5 pm). The worse part of that ride is turning left from the Shepard Pkwy to get to Overlook Ave. Once on Overlook Ave, I am only on the road for about 1/2 mile before cutting through Bolling AFB. One extra benefit of that route is I will occasionally stop at the track on base and run some laps before getting into work.

One of the reasons I’ve been avoiding the MVT route is because I really dislike riding on the Frederick Douglas Bridge, that thing is barely wide enough for one biker; I’ve had to stop and grab onto the side a few times when meeting another bike or jogger going the opposite way. It’s an accident waiting to happen there.

[brownnugen]

Those wall hooks won’t work for me as I would like it to fit on the metal bar and have the ability to slide the bike(s) over in either direction as needed. Whatever hook also needs to be wife enough to accept a MTB tire or wife’s fat cruiser wheel.

[brownnugen]

I recommend giving Garmin a call. Their customer service is terrific and when I had problems with my HRM, they sent me a new one at no charge.

[brownnugen]

What kind of spoke lights do you use? Something like this: http://www.rei.com/product/774213/nite-ize-led-spokelit-bike-wheel-light? Do they affect the trueness of your wheel? can you get away with just doing the front wheel or do you recommend both wheels?

[brownnugen]

@Dickie 47820 wrote:

I use the standard, but keep it on/in my backpack as I own a few different bikes and don’t want to attach mounts to all of them… If you go that route though I’ll give you my mount as a spare if I can find it. I chose the standard as it was slightly longer allowing me more flexibility to use it in situations where a bike rack isn’t available.

Dickie, thanks for the reply; I am going to go with the NY Standard and would love to take you up on the offer for your mount if you can find it.
-Nick

[brownnugen]

So, I think I’ve narrowed it down to the Kryptonite New York standard or the Forgitaboutit.If I got the Forgitaboutit, will there be ala lot of places that I won’t be able to lock my bike to? I saw the New York standard also comes with a mount to put it on the bike while riding, would this be an all around better lock to buy? prices are within a few dollars or each other.

[brownnugen]

I’m not “worried”, just wanted to get some opinions on here since you all probably can speak of your good/bad experiences. Would you say both brands are pretty much on par with each other? If so, then I might as well go for the one that is cheapest (of those 3 choices).

I also noticed they are a lot cheaper on Amazon versus REI. I am an REI member and know you can return things there anytime you have problems; are these products trouble-free enough to save $10 to $20 by purchaseing through Amazon vs REI?

[brownnugen]

I don’t have an REI anywhere near me (in Michigan), so I can’t check the Eagle Creek Pack Its in person. Would you be able to fit an entire suit (jacket, pants, and shirt) into the 15″ size? The description mentions you can fit up to 7 shirts in it. The 18″ says it can fit 8-12 shirts, but I suspect if I got the 18″ size, I would not be able to zip and seal my Ortlieb bag, allowing the contents of the bag to be exposed to the elements if the weather gets bad.

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