[CPTJohnC]

I know this is an older thread, but if you’re still looking for a solution, and if you’re a Costco shopper (or have a friend), they have 150 lumen (or maybe they’re 200 now?) ‘tactical’ flashlights 3 for about $17/20 per pack. They take three AAA batteries (I run Duracell rechargeable with great success. I have not had great luck with Eneloops, though others swear by them) have a high/low/blink option, and work great with TwoFish lockblocks/flashlight holders. I get about 2-3 hours from a full charge on high if the weather isn’t too cold. When the temps dip below freezing, the run time is probably closer to 1.5-2 hours.

They’re no 400 Lumen monster, but they throw a fair bit of light – enough that I could ride the Towpath at night and not worry that I wouldn’t see a huge rock or other major obstruction. Sure, they’re regular flashlights, so the beam pattern isn’t truly proper for cycling, but they do the job well enough for occasional or backup use. I preferred having one mounted on my helmet so that I could point it where I needed it.

[CPTJohnC]

I decided to ride today because I was feeling too lazy to run. I’m thinking I should have run both for fitness reasons and because I had not one but two bonehead incidents this morning (mine). The first involved me passing a car on the left, which I don’t prefer, and the other involved making contact with a cab. Sure, he should have looked, but I should probably have been more patient and definitely shouldn’t have ridden up his right side when it seemed fairly likely he’d decide to drop his fare. No harm to me or my trusty steed, but it shook up the pedestrians on the sidewalk who had to watch me do my best levitation trick. Cabbie was apologetic faced.

[CPTJohnC]

You: Scruffy looking guy on a BSO, riding across K St. NW at 17th against the light… both ways (He boxed the turn, against both lights… seriously!)

Me: The frustrated bike commuter who has been doing way too much driving lately.

[CPTJohnC]

I have to admit, the song that most followed me on last weekends CWC was “I’m Singing in the Rain” followed closely by “Deadman’s Curve”

[CPTJohnC]

Thanks for the great suggestions. I spent some more quality time with Google Maps this morning, and checked out the Anacostia and Western Branch? trails, which are a mere 2 miles from my ultimate destination, and the street access doesn’t look too bad. Head there, do some miles and return sounds like a plan that will work for me!

[CPTJohnC]

@Justin Antos 28143 wrote:

And we try to hit “peak” by counting in late spring, but it’s just a single snapshot in time.

If you see inadequate bike parking at your Metro station, please let us know!

I would have to say that the counts at Vienna, East Falls Church and West Falls Church seem pretty low (or high) in terms of my experience of the usage of rack spaces; Prior to the current construction, Vienna frequently had all or almost all rack spaces filled and many bikes parked along railings, against trees, etc… likewise, I can never recall seeing anywhere close to the number of available spots listed at EFC or WFC (based on the many times I’ve used each, or walked through the bike parking). Obviously I wasn’t doing a ‘scientific’ survey, but I was often trying to park my bike, and finding a vacant spot at the racks could be tough. I wonder, though, if Metro had done a recent sweep to eliminate abandoned bikes, which seem to take up anywhere from 5% to 15% of available spots sometimes.

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