[consularrider]

I’ve been with two different large groups of cyclists at Magnolias on either a Saturday or Sunday and they have been very accommodating so far. We try to get there as soon as they open before they get real busy. Have been seated both inside and on the patio.

Someone in Purcellville recommended the BBQ in Paeonian Springs, but it looks like they don’t serve until mid afternoon.

I also give a thumbs up to the Doner Bistro in Leesburg. If you are not up for the meal, ride around the corner and get a slice of pie , put it in your jersey pocket (it’s in a sealed container ). It’s too bad the Milwaukee Frozen Custard in Leesburg is now closed, that was good on top of the pie slice. I’ll have to see if I can find their shop in Ashburn, the one in Herndon is about a half mile north on Eldon off the trail.

[consularrider]

This morning my backyard temperature reading was 15.8°F, my third coldest ride in my five winters of commuting in the DC area. I managed to miss the single digits during the second week of 2009 since I stayed home with a cold.

And we’ll have 50° temperatures again by Saturday.

[consularrider]

I’ll be installing my Bar Mitts tonight in anticpation of a 15° ride tomorrow morning. I was ok this morning at 28°, but at ten degrees colder will need something warmer.

[consularrider]

You have what, about a 14 mile one way trip? Have you already done a test ride of your proposed route as acc suggested above. At 5:30 in the morning there’s little traffic on the streets you have to cross, so I doubt you would have any real issues if you know the route even though you have a number of road crossings. If you aren’t familiar with the trails, the combination at East Falls Church sometimes confuses riders, so check the map carefully before your first ride. Heading east, the Shirlington Rd crossing from the W&OD and then the jog to the right in front of the gas station to hook up with the 4MRT is really a non-issue since you have a regular traffic light. It can be more of a problem using the hawk crossing a half block south and continuing to or from the 4MRT along Arlington Mill Dr.

The trails you plan to use are in good shape, so I wouldn’t expect issues with flat tires from trail conditions, but do make sure to have spare tube/pump/patch kit. However, the only section of your ride that has lighting is from Lee Highway (East Falls Church near mile port 5.5) to the W&OD junction with the Custis Trail by mile post 4. Other portions get some light from nearby streets (ie along S 4 Mile Run Dr and S Glebe Rd). But good lights are required when you are not along portions parallel to lighted streets. Also where you get off the 4MRT would depend on your destination in Crystal City. You can exit at S Eads St between the water treatment plant and the electrical substation. This would slightly reduce your overall commute distance.

One other note, your trail combination traditionally has not been plowed/cleared after any snow/ice event. There is discussion on another thread that this may change for the W&OD. However, if you plan to ride during or after a snow/ice event, be prepared for slippery conditions. All of the trails get regular foot traffic throughout the winter and that packs down any snow which will quickly turn into ice with the frequent freeze and thaws in this area.

[consularrider]

Nice bike. That could have been my Indiana ride on Boxing Day, our route went around the northern end of Lake Monroe and Moores Creek had flooded about a quarter mile of the road. A high clearance truck went slowly through while we were looking at it and it didn’t appear to be more than six or seven inches deep on the road surface, but we turned around anyway. Also saw my first live Pugsley at Bikesmiths in Bloomington. One of the mechanics there had ridden it to the shop in during that morning’s snow and now I want one. Of course, I’m not sure what I’d really use it for, but I since I had ridden in on a hybrid, the thought of the Pugsley for snow riding is appealing.

[consularrider]

I got there a little before 9 am, and the gates were closed. Still a few riders going around the one by the golf course entry. I saw arlingtonrider getting started as we were taking our lunch break, but didn’t get to say hello. I finished up with 20 laps and a full day’s century with my rides to and from Hains Point.

[consularrider]

I’ve been using a Garmin Edge 500 for the past 16 months. It is easy to mount and remove from the bike in a couple of seconds. You can usually find sales on the basic model for under $200 and the cadence and heart rate bundle for around $250. I don’t have any trouble remembering to charge it because I download every evening (just don’t forget to eventually delete the rides from the device or its reaction time slows way down on startup). The charge was more than good enough for a 12 hour ride (my longest so far). This model does not have map function (until you download it after the ride).

Before that I had inexpensive wired and wireless (Vetta, Cateye and dB4LW), none costing over $50. For these you can get models that you can set up for two bikes if you get an extra mounting and sensor. I switched back to a wired model because I was getting too much interference on the wireless (neon signs, some traffic lights, something near the 4 Mile Run water treatment plant, etc). It was particularly amusing to come out of a restaurant one day and find that I had ridden 50 miles while I ate breakfast with a maximum speed of 74 MPH. That taught me not to pack the bike near a neon sign.

[consularrider]

This will make my fourth year for this traditional New Years Day ride. The first two were with temperatures in the mid-20s to mid-30s, but 2011 was in the mid-50s and tomorrow may hit 60! Much better.

[consularrider]

But it’s still pretty dark under there, so be careful. We almost had a headon collision early this afternoon as one rider insisted on passing a large line of riders heading east while there were both pedestrians and cyclists coming west.

[consularrider]

My last commute for 2011 was 12/23. I rode to work 100% of the days I was in town and one of nine days I was out of town. This makes my fouth consecutive year with over 90% bike commutes and the third where I rode every day I was in town. My total commuting miles for 2011 were a couple miles under 6900. If I had only ridden the most direct and safe route I would have had about 2150 miles.

[consularrider]

Done. One thing that didn’t get defined is how to calculate number of bike trips. I log my daily commute as two trips so that’s the way I reported it, but if that should be treated as just one trip my number needs to be reduced by 225.

[consularrider]

At 5pm yesterday it was a non-issue. Can’t speak to those passing through later.

[consularrider]

I’ll give my recommendation for these classes. I did the series a couple of years ago when I moved to Arlington and started riding a lot. I’m still a pretty crappy mechanic, but that’s not Allen’s fault. At least now I have a clue about what needs to be done and I can talk somewhat intelligently to the real mechanic.

[consularrider]

@KLizotte 12164 wrote:

It snowed over the weekend?!?

Thanks for the info on lights peeping.

I got some isolated snowflakes between Leesburg and Hamilton around noon on Sunday. Didn’t see any Saturday evening the two times I was out.

[consularrider]

I’ve taken to staying in the right through lane to Wilson and lining up to go straight on Wilson at the traffic island. This helps avoid the problem of turning from the left turn lane with no break in the oncoming traffic.

[Author]

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