[Bruno Moore]

Three times, all in one week—but at least the first time I landed in snow. Third time was in mud and crud (bleeechhhhhhhhhhhh), and second was on (in?) an icy expansion joist in the middle of 8th NW (and is why I’m in the market for a new helmet).

The important thing is, though, that my trusty Marmot coat doesn’t even show scuff marks from any of these hard landings. That’s some serious textile engineering right there.

[Bruno Moore]

The (actually rather pretty) NSA Christmas ornaments win in my book.

[Bruno Moore]

Okay, so here’s the deal: I’m going to have to throw myself on the mercy of the court and offer bribes/accept penalties for this one.

Today, I did the time trial. I’ve been planning this for WEEKS. Waiting for a warm day (lower air resistance). Scouting CaBi stations along the route. Trying to figure out how far I could go and overplanning everything.

Turns out I was faster than I thought, saw I had three minutes left, and went for a half mile kicker. Went over my time limit by twelve seconds.

12 measly seconds. I think it took me longer than that to take the bike out of the dock and put it back.

So here’s the question: do I have to redo the time trial, or can I just take a half (quarter?) mile penalty and look dumb instead?

[Bruno Moore]

I think Thursdays are generally out for the lot of us. Nixed. Ditto next Tuesday—Laurie and I will be heading to Annapolis for Bike Maryland’s annual summit, and won’t be back until…well, I don’t actually know.

While I’m trying to rack up beerneuring points, and DC Brau does half priced (i.e., $2.50) pints on Fridays, they’re a bit out of the way and, well, Bladensburg Road isn’t that fun to bike on.

Monday, however, looks to be a great day for a bikefest. I’m voting Brookland, either Smith Public Trust or Brookland Pint.

[Bruno Moore]

I’m marshalling. I know there’s at least one other Inquisitor on the ride. For those who are wondering, yes, there is still room to ride; yes, they do still need marshals; yes, you should.

[Bruno Moore]

And, for those of you reading this (and following the tangent), WABA needs you to be a Vasaritt marshal.

[Bruno Moore]

Side note to yesterday’s ride: found the Strava playback showing me chasing Jeff (and, presumably, the rest of y’alls). Had I taken the right turn on top of the Odell Bump, would have caught you just as you left the BARC, rather than falling 20 minutes behind as I kept checking directions.

Whoops.

[Bruno Moore]

It’s like kudos on Strava—for some people at some times, a two mile ride is BIG. A friend of mine taking his first ride on a bike after an injury? It was the shortest ride on my feed, but the one everyone loved.

Me setting five PR’s and two 2015 top ten finishes? Eh, whatever. I’m one of two people who’s ever ridden one of those segments anyway. 70 miles, 20 PR’s and 2 KOM’s? That’s hard for me. Sure.

Eric riding 10 miles? Whatever. 10 miles in the snow? Man’s crazy. Kudos.

Someone got fifteen QOM’s on a training ride? Well, Ms. Vos, I’m sorry to hear you had an off day on the bike. Happens to us all. Best of luck with that hamstring, and cute cat!

So two days in a row? If any of us here were normal people, that would be a Big Deal after the eternal winter we’ve had. This may be the first time I’ve ridden the Bianchi (Marianne) two consecutive days since…uh…January, maybe? First time at all in two or three weeks, anyway. Spring is on its way, bikes are being dusted off. Kudos.

[Bruno Moore]

I don’t know if they need more marshals, but 1. you could always email Michelle at WABA and ask; 2. show up before 8:15 (blech) and ask if they could use another marshal or two; or 3. unofficially help anyone you see who has a flat/other emergency/looks really, really lost. I don’t know if any of those come with the free entry perks of being on Official Marshal™ with a badge (or vest) and everything, but I think most of us who marshal semi-regularly have ended up paying for rides we worked at one time or another.

[Bruno Moore]

Marshaling the full Vasaritt. I’ll be Your Man In Yellow with the patch kit and spare tubes.

There’s a slight chance of rain, I should mention. It wouldn’t be a WABA ride without that, would it?

[Bruno Moore]

This was a pretty good day or two for the Inquisition. Good “work,” everybody.

Now to secure my beerneuring side bet victory—much as it pained me to pass right by the closed Heavy Seas Brewery on my way in to Bawlmer, I think I’ve figured out a good strategy to make up for that, just you wait…

[Bruno Moore]

So let it be posted, so let it be obsolete. On Monday, I was in Bethesda for an interview; as a new CaBi member, it was time for a gratuitous joyride. And, of course, there just happened to be a brewery across the street from the dock…

Rock Bottom, Bethesda: Dubbel, *Cascade Stout

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8052[/ATTACH]

Aaaand, it’s happy hour. Just cool enough for a dubbel to sound good. And sure, it was, but like so many other stronger brewpub beers, a bit green as well. You just can’t rush an abbey beer, but brewpubs are brewpubs—and keeping things rotating is the name of the game. Still. Not ending on that note. It’s rare that anyone bothers telling you what the hop is in a stout; let’s see how this one is.

Well, not bad. The bitterness is a bit different than the usual stout—more “hop strong bitter” than “black malt sharp bitter,” but I doubt I would have noticed what was going on without the bartender mentioning something. Perhaps if they’d played with the citrus flavors from the cascade hops—grapefruit counterpointing the chocolate malt—it might have been more remarkable. Still, a stout’s a stout, and on a cool day, this one does the trick.

[Bruno Moore]

Yeah, I narrowly dodged getting sent out to south Jersey this weekend. Up until the time they finally got around to telling me it was cancelled, I was trying to figure out 1. which bike to take with me; and 2. if I’d be able to ride it up the Manayunk Wall.

But, in the end, the snow and ice means I get to enjoy the warmth here.

[Bruno Moore]

@cvcalhoun 110269 wrote:

You may have waited too long, if you haven’t gone yet. On the way home, I had trouble even walking the bike, because snow was getting between the brake pads and the wheel, stopping the wheel from going around.

Already went—though if I wait long enough, the snow will be deep enough to cushion my fall when I slide out on the slick patches, right?

…should mention that the closest thing I have to a snow bike is my ’87 Schwinn with 27×1-1/2 commuter tires. The Wo in the shop window is looking even nicer right about now.

[Bruno Moore]

And here I was intentionally waiting for the snow to start…

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