[CPTJohnC]

My sync from Endomondo has been fine so far (except for the app not working as well on my phone as Strava). I was also able to add and delete manually entered miles. It is easy, if not very intuitive. And I LOVE the point structure. Clearly the riding day bonus must be astronomical, based on my score.

[CPTJohnC]

Lesson learned from last night’s commute home:

When you see some reference to a trail problem that impacts your intended route, it behooves you to check into it and not just brush it off. I refer, of course, to the sewage spill on the CCT. I did get to show off my shouldering skills as I carried my (fully loaded, 40 plus pounds) commuter up the stairs to the tow path. I don’t think I’m ready to do that every day, but it could have been worse. At least I stayed dry!

[CPTJohnC]

I have no stories of woe, hardship or distress from this morning’s commute, my first full home to work commute in May. The weather was perfect, the traffic was modest and the drivers and pedestrians were (mostly) courteous and law abiding. We’ll see if that lasts for the ride home.

[CPTJohnC]

I think I need to spend more time learning where the nearest bike docks are for my CaBi adventures. This morning I got to my usual dock and it was full. I rode to the next closest one I know of, and it had a slot open. Eureka? not so fast. The open slot is a broken slot. Spotcycle to the rescue, and I found another nearby station with several open ports, at a cost of an extra 10 minutes, and ~1 mile of riding. Oh, and it was a mite warm this morning. I might have to reconsider riding in my work clothes, even just the couple of miles from metro to my office.

[CPTJohnC]

I am catching the drift here that manual entry is the best way to go. That’s unlikely to play well with my lazy man’s style. I can switch apps easily enough, but manual entry requires extra steps. Here’s hoping they get that fixed.

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82255 wrote:

A few years ago I would have said the same thing. And then I did an Al Haig and took control. Besides the fact that I get to ride my bike to work, I would say the greatest outcome of all this is forming an internal cyclist community that cuts across office borders. We have become almost an internal secret society. We know each other and talk to each other all the time – and thus when it comes to business, we know who to call.

I would also say making your agency look good is a damn good way of getting noticed.

The single most important thing I ever did was form my agencies ultimate frisbee team, Seven Dirty Words. I got to know one of the more important persons in the building. She put my on the Y2K Task Force, run by Colin Powell’s son, soon-to-be Chairman Michael Powell. And that got me a job inside the agency’s think tank.

They say that cycling is the new golf. It is a great way to network. And I am not a network weenie. I just really like the fact that I have gotten to know more of the people in my building.

Wait? Stick my head up and be noticed? That would mean potential career advancement. That might be bad!

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82250 wrote:

Have you tried setting up a team???

Form a team. Put fliers up everywhere. Put them up on the bike racks, break rooms. Email the people that you know who cycle. This could be the seed of your internal cycling community. Inside my agency, people get really jazz about this – and the managing directors office bragged about our performance all year long.

(in my whiniest voice) “that’s so much ~work!~” I know you’re right – that would be the right way to go. I know there are plenty of cyclists here. I see their bikes on the racks. But we’re an anti-social bunch, evidently. And not much management support that I’ve seen. I am clearly a weirdo in my office. My management is tolerant of my eccentricity.

[CPTJohnC]

@Emm 82247 wrote:

Meaningful Riders has joined the challenge! We’re ONC (and ONC friends) at HHS. If you’re an HHS person looking for a team let me know. I was able to get 7 people within 2 hours of sending the invite out to ONC staff, so we may fill up, but I doubt it.

I’m surprised HHS didn’t have a team already. The bike racks by our headquarters building is usually full.

I know – it can be a royal pain to find bike parking here. I’m HHS (OGC) and if you don’t fill up, I’d be happy to ride for you – just don’t expect too much I work in the Cohen Bldg.

[CPTJohnC]

Okay – -I solved my first problem, which was signing up for an account. And I supposedly have joined the team, but it doesn’t want to let me sync my endomondo account (or any account for that matter!). Tips from the pros?

[CPTJohnC]

Am I the only one who can’t join because the “registration” page has a bunch of blanks, but nothing to tell me what to fill in? I could try guessing, but…

Stupid work computer with stupid IE. (and an old version of IE at that…) Grump.

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82213 wrote:

Join the one month long Federal Bike to Work Challenge.

Last year team Federal Cyclists Commission was the number one federal agency team in Washington DC and the #10 team in the nation. Yeah, I am laying down a challenge. I’m talking to you HUD, and DOL, and Senate, and EPA, and Navy (there are lots of Navy teams) (who else is on the forum???).

If you do join the challenge, please post your team name here. I would like to try to create a local scoreboard.

[IMG]http://www.doi.gov/greening/images/Logo.JPG[/IMG]

I looked for a team from my agency and didn’t find a single one. And I have no clue how to get in touch with our bike advocacy person? folks? ghosts? – I am the only cyclist in my actual division/office (though I hear rumors of one in a related office…). A couple of years ago they did some bike to work day promotion, including a brown bag lunch, but nothing so far this year.

The irony is that my agency is focused on health (it’s in our name, after all…)

[CPTJohnC]

I plan to attend.

[CPTJohnC]

@guga31bb 77291 wrote:

202 on 1/2 (forgot to post) to 206 today — can there be a prize for largest weight gain?

I’m up there with you — I think I went from 190~ to just over 200 (200.5) this morning. Food is good.

[CPTJohnC]

@hozn 78673 wrote:

Yeah, 7th lowest will be a pretty straightforward report. Just PM me as a reminder, as I’m sure there will be lots of these types of requests toward the end.

Awesome! Thanks so much.

[CPTJohnC]

Okay — as freezing saddles is winding down, I plan to offer a prize for the person who ranks seventh lowest for the average number of miles per ride. I was planning to go with the lowest, but a) I don’t want to make it too easy to target, and b) based on my quicky review of the leader-board, I have a sneaky suspicion that I’m in very strong contention for the lowest avg.

I think it is only fair to enforce a 10 ride/day minimum -that is, the winner must have at least 10 separate days in which they got points for riding- and at least one ride in each calendar month of the competition (to avoid folks who aren’t ‘active’ participants in our lovely little challenge).

Is there someone who can assist in actually pulling the data part of this together? I am planning to offer something in the dessert world as the prize…

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