[DanB]

Happy Bike Totally Wet Day! Looking forward to my 17 mile ride home in “heavy rain“.

But to prove that every cloud has a silver lining: I don’t have to worry about sun screen and my chain isn’t squeaking. 😎

The swag was great, too. I hit four pit stops on the way from the Pentagon transit center to downtown. I got two pairs of bike socks at the Rosslyn pit stop: the obligatory 3rd annual pair of Rosslyn socks and, thanks to drawing a red ticket , a fluorescent yellow pair that matches my jacket. Well, almost, I just need some mud stains on the socks. The light-up arm bands are great, too. Hopefully, they create a force-field of safety as I bike/boat down Annandale Rd this pm.

Thanks to all the organizers/volunteers!

[DanB]

@Shawnbeast 177477 wrote:

How was the ride through Annandale? I’ve only taken that route once, but I found that the roads with bike lanes were pretty well marked and I felt safe enough. The ride up Gallows is also very decent, but obviously longer. I take the CCT from West Springfield to near Mosaic about once a week and its wonderful, makes me happy to get to ride through the trees along the creek.

The ride went well. I was fortunate to pull up behind a regular commuter who has been riding Annandale Rd (McLean – Burke) since before it had a marked bike lane. He let me know that Hummer Rd (south of the Gallows/Annandale intersection) has a marked bike lane now, too. That was good to hear, because it doesn’t show up in Google Street View. He also let me know the best route to the pedestrian bridge to Wakefield Park and that I should watch out for the gravel on the other side–all helpful info.

So the ride went well, I wasn’t even that tired from it after not biking much recently. I did get the worst seasonal allergy reaction of my life, though, with something like poison ivy hives on my neck, under my eyes and up and down my arms. Perfect timing for my business trip starting Wednesday. :rolleyes: I’m telling myself it was so bad, because I haven’t been out biking in the pollen all spring to help build up resistance. Anyway, it wasn’t my last time biking that route.

[DanB]

I have a confession to make. I moved last September from Vienna (VA) down to West Springfield and haven’t biked to or from work since. 😮 On my regular, motorized commute I take an express bus to the Pentagon, and I biked to and from there just once.

Well, today’s the day I’m biking the whole way home (a little ways south of the Audrey Moore RECenter). I have mapped out two routes, one that takes the W&OD to Banneker Park and then south to Annandale Rd (17 miles). The other takes the W&OD to Gallows and then connects to the CCT (23 miles). I’m taking the shorter one today.

If anyone has tips on navigating Annandale, I’d appreciate any intel.

[DanB]

I’m planning to go on the ride. My wife and kids just left to visit her family in Germany, so I’ve got three weeks of low-guilt weekend/evening biking. (There’s still a little guilt, because I have a long list of projects I should be doing!)

Anyway, I was wondering if you might consider moving the start time up at least an hour, because of the high heat. They’re predicting a heat index of 91° at 9am and 99° by 1pm. Then I still need to bike back to Vienna. (I don’t think it would be fair to subject others on the Metro with my sweaty state after the ride.)

Also, I haven’t heard if others are going. Do you have a rough head count?

[DanB]

@Starduster 161361 wrote:

The cylindrical thing? Your guess as good as mine…

So here’s my guess. German bikes used to come with a small tool bag located behind the seat. (See picture.) Maybe what’s on your bike used to hold a special toolkit, and there was a cover on it that has since fallen off. Or maybe it held a certain kind of lock. Or …

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[DanB]

Awfully quiet on the trail. Thought there’d be more activity, because the rain had stopped early this a.m. with no more expected until late. Maybe everyone’s already off for the weekend?

Coming down the M St bike lane. Upshifting to make the next green light when suddenly my front derailleur cable housing pulls away from the shifter and points straight up. I might have laughed, but I quickly realized I’ll be having a somewhat slower commute home. At least now I’ll be motivated to put all those shifter and brake cables to use that I’ve already bought and are waiting for me to install.

[DanB]

@vern 160549 wrote:

yep, that’s got to be the dumbest stop sign on the WOD – the northbound stop sign for cyclists as they hit the peak of the hill at Buckthorn.

… and who names a street after an invasive species, anyway? :confused:

[DanB]

@Judd 160372 wrote:

I’ll be at New District tonight.

Ditto. Hope to get there around 4:30.

[DanB]

@phog 160360 wrote:

Who here has the oldest Bike to Work Day shirt? I have one from 2006, if had older ones I can’t find them.

Steve O …? I think he has them going back to 2000. Even more impressive: he knows where they are!

[DanB]

The sign is missing at the Shreve Road crossing on the W&OD. It’s the one located between lanes and warns cars about the trail crossing. The sign’s base is still there, though. I’m concerned that a biker could hit it while crossing the road and get thrown off. I just sent an email to the W&OD office and asked who else should be contacted on it.

[DanB]

@huskerdont 160125 wrote:

Without bicycling, more crazy people would be behind the wheel of a car.

So join us this Friday on the bike path!!! 😎

[DanB]

@Brett L. 159631 wrote:

Ha, the hoser. Tell him to take off, eh, the next time.

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[DanB]

@bentbike33 159390 wrote:

How did it all end up on the far side of Lee Hwy from Oak St. if it was a right turn on red? Somebody’s head trauma may be worse than they think. Looks more like the car on its side was trying to make the left turn, and one or the other blew off the red light. If the car from Oak St. blew off the light and was high-tailing it to the left turn lane, it makes sense that when the other car hit it, it would end up on its right side.

I disagree with ArlNow’s interpretation of the incident, too. From the location of the crash, the car on its side appeared to be turning left onto the connector to Nash St. The car that struck the one on its side is in the left lane, and the car that was struck would have been further up the hill if it was turning right.

[DanB]

@accordioneur 159373 wrote:

I think you’re misunderstanding the common house. It sounds like it’s a “clubhouse” such as is found in many new developments. It’s not a place where all the residents go for meals prepared by a kitchen staff. It sounds like the developer is thinking in terms of a senior cohousing community without calling it by that name.[/FONT]

I agree. Each house has its own kitchen. Like many newer townhouse developments, there’s a building where larger groups can get together and eat since that’s not feasible in the small-ish homes.

[DanB]

One thing to watch, I found this on the Fire Marshal Plan (last page of the application). It shows the fire truck turn-around which appears to overlap the trail. I don’t have a problem with the fire dept. doing this, but there should be bollards to separate the road from the trail that only the FD can remove.
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