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@MCL1981 16654 wrote:

Ouch man, that sucks. What a terrible time of year to break yourself. How did a speed bump toss you like that? I hit the speed bumps in my neighborhood going down hill around 20mph and they’ve never done that. Granted I’m on a mountain bike.

I know the speed bump he’s talking about. It’s not a “hump” like you have in neighborhoods to slow cars down. It’s more like a Mexican topee that is shaped like the Shenandoah ridge on the relatively flat plain of the east coast. It’s really narrow and really steep. I went over it 2 weeks ago and it was such a jolt that I think it reset my computer.

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@creadinger 16130 wrote:

Yeah, I can’t say it was a great place. 100% unique, but very weird. On the other hand, I can’t say I like what it was turned into – “Corporate Grill”? That’s like a 180 degree turn from a Pirate themed bar.

Ok, first I need to apologize to SurlyTed because this post has nothing to do with you……. It appears as though after flirting with switching to Corporate Grill, the Piratz Tavern is back! Crazy! I think the owners were very unimpressed with the bar makeover show that paid them a visit and just couldn’t sell out like that. I may have to pay them a visit again soon for something rummy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/piratz-tavern-owners-patch-up-their-corporate-sign/2012/03/15/gIQARAJqES_blog.html

Just had to correct my previous post that it was gone. I didn’t want any misinformation getting out, even if it’s not cycling related.

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Where exactly did this happen? I ride River Road all the time. Some of those hills are long and steep and like you said, a crash would have had severe consequences. I usually ride with a helmet mirror and I check behind me right before I head down any hills to see what I should expect to pass me soon. I’m planning on doing my bread and butter ride out to Poolesville and back on Thursday so I’ll ride with a bit more awareness this time.

It’s great that another motorist was able to get the plate and be a witness.

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Has anyone ever been to the Anacostia pit stop? Last year I could have stopped, but decided instead to keep on riding to work. I’m just curious as to what it’s like and such.

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@GuyContinental 16455 wrote:

In fact I can smell them now, on the other side of my office 10 feet away draped over my bars… I can only imagine what they smell like to others (think hockey locker room).

It may not be the gloves 10ft away that you you smell but your hands from 2 feet away. When my gloves are a little funky I notice that it’s hard to get the smell off of my hands once I get to work. I wash them of course, but I can still smell it faintly for a couple of hours.

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Welcome to the area! Wow, a 2 mile commute would be really great! I’m kinda jealous.

Hopefully you will find everything else you need quickly. I think you’ll enjoy exploring the area. You’re moving at the right time as spring has just arrived. As you read already, when you’re not commuting, there are miles and miles of trail to explore and great road rides to explore new areas as well.

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Can you handle tea? It’s a bit more gentle on the stomach than coffee with less caffeine overall. I don’t handle caffeine well either, but in the way that I’m really sensitive to it rather than digestively. It will keep me up if I drink coffee after 6am basically. I have to reserve the strong stuff for long drives or things I know I’ll need to be awake for.

Once or twice I have brewed some tea in the evening, chilled it in the fridge overnight then put it in a water bottle as a little pick me up. I swear though that caffeine makes me sweat more, even though studies seem to show that that is a myth.

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@PotomacCyclist 16140 wrote:

Were you mixing Perpetuem with Gatorade? You’re not supposed to do that.

I didn’t mix them together, but they definitely got mixed up in my stomach.

Perpetuem already has carbs. You got sick because you forced too many carbs into your stomach. The stomach can only process so many carbs per hour.

Perpetuem is carbs. That’s the reason I used it. To keep my energy levels up and reduce the amount of real food I have to eat. It doesn’t have many if any electrolytes though which was what the gatorade was for and thus my question. Food/carbs isn’t my issue. It’s about getting enough electrolytes and salts to replenish what I sweat away without getting sick drinking gatorade.

This year, I plan to stick with plain water for hydration and carb chews for calories. Chews are basically the same as gels only not as messy. You can put a half-empty packet of chews into a bento box or rear jersey pocket without making a mess. You can’t do that with a half-used or even empty gel packet. I try to avoid anything with added caffeine because it tends to upset my stomach. I think the high-sodium carb chews might cause some issues for me too so I’ll avoid the margarita flavor.

What do you plan to use to replenish electrolytes and salt? Or will you somehow make sure to get that from chews and gels? I don’t think I could rely on chews and gels for my sole source of energy for a long ride so I will usually eat real foods in addition to some bars/gels when I’m out for longer than 60 miles.

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@Terpfan 16068 wrote:

I can’t decide if I’m sad or not that the Piratz Bar is gone. I remember going there one night because QH was packed to the brim and they had belly dancers. Part of me wanted to point out their confusion given the Carribean sort of pirate theme, but then I realized I wasn’t really sure who were staff and who were customers. I had also heard rumors about the owners having some sort of divorce and the bar being a byproduct so I’m not too surprised it closed down.

Yeah, I can’t say it was a great place. 100% unique, but very weird. On the other hand, I can’t say I like what it was turned into – “Corporate Grill”? That’s like a 180 degree turn from a Pirate themed bar.

Surly – I think the suggestions so far all sound like exactly what you’re looking for. From Silver Spring to Takoma Park to College Park to Greenbelt you’ll find things like farmers markets and co-ops, some pretty good trails and even some cycle friendly roads. In addition to that each of those 4 places has a metro stop so you’ll be able to get around the city to explore everything else quite easily too.

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I did the C&O from Cumberland to DC in the fall of 2005. The GAP trail hadn’t been officially completed and connected yet. I did it in three days and stayed in Motels along the way. I rode a mountain bike and carried a back pack, which was fine but these days I highly prefer panniers. I had a really good time, and it kinda got me more interested in touring and traveling by bike. I plan on doing the whole thing from Pittsburgh sometime, just have to set aside a few days.

I know others here have done it more recently, but in general I think it is something every local cyclist should do at least once. It can be really boring (endless tunnel of trees), but it’s historic and scenic in places and is a great example of rails-to-trails conservancy. I think the fall is probably the best time to do it. Typically the hot/dry sun of August/September will dry out the mud and there’s a slightly lower chance for rain, which can wash the whole thing out. Unfortunately you can get tropical storms during that time too, but that’s only if you’re unlucky.

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@Terpfan 16001 wrote:

There is pirate bar not too far away….

Unfortunately, the Piratz Tavern is no more. It was featured in a bar makeover show because of a lack of business. Apparently there aren’t enough swashbucklers in the area to keep a place like that alive. I lived in downtown SS for a few years and we went for a several-hour-long-drink-fest. It was fun, but weird.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/spike-tv-show-gives-silver-springs-piratz-tavern-a-makeover/2012/02/21/gIQADLA9SR_story.html

The Quarry House is more than enough of a reason to move to downtown SS though. There’s also no shortage of ethiopian restaurants to fulfill any of your meat/lentil needs. There’s a good crepe place, a Whole Foods you can walk/bike to, and Fenwick beer and wine has a huge selection of hard to find beers.

I really liked living there.

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This story from the WaPo got me thinking that a race to visit 5-10 food trucks in the area would be a cool idea too. Don’t they list their live locations online somewhere? I think order would be key to keeping stomachs from getting angry in this challenge… like don’t do cupcakes before going to grilled cheese or korean tacos, or don’t do the curry one after the pie truck, etc…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/best-bets/food-trucks,94524.html?hpid=z10

Unfortunately they don’t have food trucks out here in Suitland, so I only hear stories about how much fun they can be.

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@ren 15813 wrote:

wow, great help. I am checking out the map now and checking out options.Curious why you bear left after Taylorstown instead of going right to head more direct on rt 665. also what’s your opinion of riding on 15/James Monroe Hwy? And what do you think of crossing into Brunswick on the Berlin Turnpike as compared to crossing at Point of Rocks? Thanks again…really nice to talk with other riders. I’m from northeast PENN. and visiting this area for a few days, will have a touring bike so road and dirt are fine.

I’m not as experienced out there as others, but I would very highly recommend against riding on 15, especially over the Potomac at Point of Rocks. It’s a pretty major throughway for travelers and I don’t think it has a shoulder at all. It looks like it has a narrow sidewalk, but that would probably be too narrow to ride comfortably with high speed traffic right next to you. Whites Ferry near Leesburg would be a good option, but that’s out of the way.

I’ve ridden across the bridge near Brunswick twice and it’s a lot quieter than 15. On googlemaps streetview you can see some old guy on a beat up mountain bike riding across it. That was all the convincing I needed to tell me that that bridge is safe enough.

Where in NE PA? I grew up in State College, but last year I did a tour down along the Adventure Cycling Atlantic Coast route through the Delaware Water Gap. It was a great time!

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@elcee 15531 wrote:

First make sure they’re the correct screws. If they are, loosen the screws completely. The shifter bodies should then separate from the clamps, and you’ll be able to see why they’re stuck to the handlebar.

Final update – Ok, they were the incorrect screws that I was messing with, so it’s not surprising the clamps didn’t budge. I finally did find the hex-nuts to unscrew and I got the shifters off no problem. Man, they are hard to get to with the rubber flaps in the way though.

So I put the new stem and bar on and slid the shifters onto the ends. At this point, if I had normal brakes I think I could finish the project myself. Unfortunately the cross-bar brake levers did not really fit on the new bar. So I un-did the cable to pull them off, and removed them, but now I need new cables and housing etc… and I think it’s time to call in the professionals. I’d be happy if I could finish it myself, but it would also drive me crazy knowing that paying someone else would get me much better results.

PS – Thanks for all of the help and advice! I really appreciate when experienced folks try to help out mechanical newbs like myself.

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You could head west on the W&OD and then take some backroads or Route 287 to Brunswick, MD, then take the canal up to Harper’s Ferry. I’ve done most of that in reverse once. I think it would be better than taking the canal the whole way.

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