[ctankcycles]

@ctankcycles 106209 wrote:

Hey guys, Kevin O has joined our Strava group and is putting in miles but he’s not showing up. We’re currently the only team besides the Slackers without 10 members. What does Kevin need to do to authorize BAFS to link to his Strava account and how can we notify him?

Okay, I figured it out. I sent him the “authorize” link in the comments of his most recent ride on Strava. Hopefully he’ll follow through.

[ctankcycles]

Hey guys, Kevin O has joined our Strava group and is putting in miles but he’s not showing up. We’re currently the only team besides the Slackers without 10 members. What does Kevin need to do to authorize BAFS to link to his Strava account and how can we notify him?

[ctankcycles]

Hey Chris, we were out in front of Science Club for a while and it looks like we just missed you before heading to Black Rooster. We should exchange numbers so we can coordinate better next time. Since today was kind of a bust (although Nick, Jen and I had a great time!) how about we give it another shot on Thursday at St. Arnold’s on Jefferson (just south of Dupont between Connecticut and 19th)? Good Belgian beer selection and happy hour mussels.

[ctankcycles]

Hey that works, I’ll ride my Soma Double Cross which has 32c with fenders. I’ll probably bring an empty growler in my rando bag.

[ctankcycles]

@pdubs 105821 wrote:

I’m not sure if anyone is planning to ride tomorrow, but I am riding out to Old Ox Brewery located on the W&OD at mile post 25, and anyone is welcome to join if they want. They open at 11am so thats my arrival goal.

I also will be getting coffee beforehand either in Arlington or Shirlington. If anyone wants to join, my plans are flexible. Just let me know when and what place you prefer for coffee.

Bikes? Beer? Yes, count me in. I’m right up the hill from Shirlington so if you’re cool with meeting there (Best Buns?) that works for me. Around 9:00 am sound about right? Let me know what kind of bike you’re planning to ride so I can plan accordingly.

[ctankcycles]

I’m planning to be at the happy hour as well. Thanks for arranging, Jon! So now we have 10 team members in the Strava group but only 8 are showing on the leaderboard. Kevin hasn’t ridden since 12/12/14 (according to Strava) so it makes sense that he’s not showing up but what about Sherri?

[ctankcycles]

Hi everyone! Just found this thread, sorry for being late to the party. Really looking forward to another winter of Freezing Saddles. And I’m hoping to get together on some rides and going to some happy hours with anyone who’s interested. Last year I had a great time and all my team members were awesome but I never actually got out on a group ride or even to a happy hour. I know, I’m a terrible Freezing Saddles participant (in terms of the social aspect). But I’m looking to change all that for 2015. So anyway, I live in Fairlington and commute downtown most days and usually get in longer rides every Saturday and Sunday. Road, gravel, trails, I’m down for whatever. Except mountain biking. Not that I don’t love it, when I was in Blacksburg it’s all I did (besides go to school occasionally), but I don’t have a fully built mtn bike right now.

[ctankcycles]

@dasgeh 104455 wrote:

I really don’t know about Kenmore and Shirlington, but the neighborhood streets that I’ve seen (Courthouse, Lyon Village, Cherrydale) have been good with small, avoidable patches of ice (don’t pick up too much speed on down hills).

The roads in and around Shirlington are all clear.

[ctankcycles]

@Mikey 104303 wrote:

I second this idea. this is how dasgeh and I convoyed last year and it should be fine. The area between the 14th street bridge – humpback – and LBJ memorial absolutely suck, but the rest isn’t bad. We could also cut over on the Pentagon South parking connector road and get on FERN then turn right on Army Navy. As a group we would be fine.

Based on what I experienced this morning, the trail on the 14th Street bridge is also still largely covered in rutted ice. I don’t think I’d have fared very well without studs.

[ctankcycles]

Thanks! I searched “streetcar” but didn’t come across this thread. Very helpful.

[ctankcycles]

@mstone 97759 wrote:

Because the lights aren’t going away. If your position is that an oncoming light makes it impossible for you to see to such an extent that you are likely to maim or kill someone, but it’s ok as long as nobody ever approaches you with an oncoming light, you’ve got a fundamental and unsolvable problem with riding at night. I have family members who simply don’t drive anymore at night because they don’t trust their vision at night. This is the same thing–the onus is on the person who knows that they are posing a danger to others in the conditions that exist. You can’t just wish that away by saying the conditions should be other than they are. Now, if you think that you’re sensitive to oncoming lights but compensate by looking away from them and proceeding more slowly and cautiously, without the knowledge/expectation that you’re endangering anyone, then carry on.

I’m not wishing or suggesting the lights should go away. I think they’re great and make riding at night a whole lot safer and more fun. I use one that’s capable of 360 lumens which I find to be more than enough for non-MTB use. If others feel they need more brightness, that’s cool, but learn to aim it properly, don’t use the strobe on the trail, and don’t put it on your helmet. This isn’t directed at you personally, for all I know you don’t do any of those things. It’s like the high beam lights on a car. While drivers might benefit from the added brightness they provide, it’s illegal to use them when there’s oncoming traffic since they pose a danger by blinding oncoming drivers. It’s more annoying than anything, certainly not something that’s going to cause me to crash since I don’t look directly at oncoming bikes at night and have no vision issues. Shine on you crazy diamonds.

[ctankcycles]

@mstone 97737 wrote:

We’ve been over all this before, and I truly believe that if you personally go completely blind in the presence of an oncoming light, you shouldn’t be riding at night, period.

Why is the onus on the person who is blinded by the bright oncoming light? Perhaps it’s the person who requires a blinding (dazzling?) level of brightness to ride on an MUT that doesn’t belong on the trail at night. Those of you who are arguing that it’s necessary, what did you do before these powerful lights were available? I realize some of you are new to the game, but there was a time when I commuted between downtown and Shirlington with nothing up front but a 3xAAA battery powered Cateye that didn’t do much more than alert oncoming riders and cars of my presence. Now I use a 360 lumen Cygolite and find the lowest setting is usually sufficient on moon lit nights and I’ll bump it up to the next level and then maybe 360 if it’s really late and pitch black.

[ctankcycles]

Cell phone reception isn’t 100% along Skyline Drive but the coverage is pretty good overall. You should be fine.

[ctankcycles]

It’s not cheap, but rain apparel that uses Schoeller fabric is, in my experience, even better than Gore-Tex. I’ve had the Search and State S1-J jacket that uses Schoeller fabric for about a year and it keeps me dry for long periods of time, including a torrential downpour out in Colorado in August. I was hesitant at first since it doesn’t have pit zips but I had heard the breathe-ability is so good that they’re not necessary and I’ve found that to be true. Like I said, it’s not cheap, but it’s very high quality fabric and construction, and made in the NYC garment district so if supporting made in the USA cycling companies is important to you, it’s worth considering. Also, for what it’s worth, the S1-A is a beautiful jersey.

[ctankcycles]

I salmon here every morning during the week, did it today, been doing it for 10 years. Never been hassled by park police although I’ve heard it does happen occasionally. The sight lines are good enough and the people loading/unloading from cars/buses/vans onto the sidewalk is so frequent and the tourists so unpredictable I think it’s often the safer option. There are “NO STOPPING OR STANDING” signs along the curb but that doesn’t prevent people from stopping and the park police don’t enforce it.

On an unrelated note, anyone know the lady on the black Surly with white Ortlieb panniers who appears in the current Google Street View along this stretch (going the right direction)? https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8798745,-77.0364254,3a,37.5y,340.54h,52.15t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s52uYRMz9czU3ycRr3WKxmw!2e0

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