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When I initially saw the first post, I thought that was a pic of the guy you saw today. My first thought was “wow, if those are warm enough to wear shorts in this weather, I may look into one.”

I’m (partially) relieved I was wrong.

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RESTONTODC – hope you’re recovering well. Falling sucks.

On an unrelated note…
@vvill 14249 wrote:

that’s exactly where i get on the trail on the way to DC (I come down Lee Hwy, and then cross at the pedestrian light)

vvill, we’re moving to Cherrydale in a few months, and I’ll have the option of going a bit out of the way to get on the trail at Nelson, or take Lee Hwy for a few blocks (from the old firehouse, to be exact) and getting on the trail at that horrible corner. Thoughts? (Oh, and I’m no Dirt on the hills — fewer / less steep hills = better)

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As the mom to a 15 mo. old (and very happy BoBike Mini owner), I’m loving this thread. Just wanted to make sure everyone here knows about the idea floated on another thread to have a family bike show-and-tell at one of the bike events in the Spring/Summer. The plan was to set up a place where family-cyclists could bring their family bikes to show others their set up. I’m hoping we’ll be able to have it at Clarendon Cup. I’m also hoping someone will show up with a bakfiets or similar…

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@Riley Casey 14188 wrote:

Well that’s a good entre into a question Ive always been curious about. Can you characterize the difference between riding with a heavy load, say a child in a seat or heavily laden panniers and towing a trailer? Just curious. It’s been a verrrry long time since I rode with a child seat but I do virtully all my grocery shopping by bike and a cargo trailer would be the next stage.

I have a similar question. We do the front bike seat all the time and love it. In my head, trailers are _so much harder_. We’re thinking when the family grows we’ll go to a cargo bike (bakfiets-esque). I _really_ hope we do this family bike show and tell so we can compare…

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@DaveK 14135 wrote:

/edit – WAIT! It’s from Jackson Ave in Ft Myer looking down the hill at the city.

Got it! It’s my favorite part of my commute home because it’s the TOP of the very big hill that really starts down by 110. I hate that hill. I pretend it’s three hills (you go up from 110, come down after the Iwa Jima, go up to the gate to get on base then it flattens out before the really brutal, last gasp, curvy hill that led me to invent a hill-song). But I’ve started to love getting to the top, glancing back at the city, and loving my commute (and then booking it over to the Henry gate before it closes). With the nights starting later, I almost feel like I’m going to miss the dark depths of winter. Almost.

Maybe we should start a “favorite place on our commutes” photo album/thread

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@Dirt 14128 wrote:

This might be an easy one.

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I think that’s the Watergate, but I’ve never seen it that early in the morning…

Is there a point at which we should reveal our spots, if no one has gotten it?

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If you want to upgrade from the PVC pipe, massage sticks are AWESOME! http://www.amazon.com/Gill-Athletics-Original-Massage-Stick/dp/tags-on-product/B000YDO1NA (I think you can find it cheaper…)

And chocolate milk is amazing. I don’t even like milk. I don’t even like chocolate milk most of the time. But after a ride or hard workout, it’s silky smoothness is heaven. Though if your kids see you drinking it, they’ll want some.

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@dcv 14112 wrote:

Iwo Jima Memorial?

Close, but much higher.

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@Marcella 14078 wrote:

So then you think it’s okay to make fun of people who are different from you. It’s okay to insult people, as long as you claim that you don’t really mean it.

Personally, I didn’t see insulting comments in this thread. It seems that you did, and people have apologized for that. After a couple of months on this forum, I sincerely believe that no one intends to insult other cyclists, and that new cyclists are welcome here. What might be more helpful is for you to point out specific statements that are insulting and unwelcoming, so those posters can take a look at what they’re writing. If you come at it from a belief that the posters meant well, then your phrasing might be better received (e.g. “I’m sure you didn’t mean it, but XYZ came off as an insult”). And if you don’t believe the posters mean well, then maybe it’s not worth your time to fight it.

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@WillStewart 14079 wrote:

Is there anyone else who would like to see something similar at their office?

Me too, though I’m at the beginning of my journey.

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@DSalovesh 14063 wrote:

I haven’t really paid attention to the road paint, but the signage could be used as an excuse both for misbehavior and under-enforcement because it doesn’t match the straight-only arrow.

I find that enforcement of traffic laws generally in the District is ABYSMAL! Arlington isn’t perfect, but drivers can expect to get tickets for blatantly breaking the law, at least some of the time.

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Here’s an easy one. It’s my favorite part of my ride home, and not (only) because of the view…

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@jrenaut 13929 wrote:

WBut, really, do be careful crossing the GW Parkway. Cars there are perhaps not as aware of bikes or their own speed as they should be.

Don’t worry – you don’t have to cross the GW Pkwy if you don’t take the Mt Vernon Trail from Rosslyn. You just cross Washington Blvd. In the morning, it’s not any worse than the crossings in DC. In the afternoon, you have to be a bit more careful (there are fewer cars, so some are driving faster).

jrenaut’s second point applies pretty much everywhere in the region. It’s important to be aware of whether you’re biking, walking or driving…

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I’m in the Iwa Jima – Memorial Bridge camp, with Brendan von Buckingham. The Custis is great, but I don’t know why you’d go out of your way to get to it, especially that section of it.

An alternative to Brendan’s route is to stay on Fairfax Drive (on the north side of 50) to Meade Street. Take a L on Meade to get to the Iwa Jima. When I went that way more often, I found Fairfax better than Rhodes -> access road, but that was a while ago. I do agree with Brendan that the south side of the Memorial Bridge is better –> you have better sightlines when crossing traffic (btw, it’s Washington Blvd there, not GW Parkway. It’s not a great crossing, but it’s not the terrible crossing of the GW Pkwy that has all those terrible accidents), and once you get to the Lincoln Memorial side of the river, you have normal cross walks. On the North side, you’re crossing traffic that’s coming off the bridge, and speeding up to get on highways, on the Lincoln side, you have 2 stop lights that aren’t timed to speed your way. You have to cross Memorial Drive at the point marked by Brendan — there are no curb cuts after the merge of traffic from 110.

I stop near the Lincoln, but my husband used to go past the RR building and he agrees with Brendan that the south side of the reflecting pool was a better route than along Constitution.

I’m happy to ride with you from Courthouse to the Lincoln – I can leave between 8am and 9am.

One thing you find commuting — everyone has an opinion of what the fastest route is.

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I’m surprised that a doctor really believed that you got runner’s knee from cycling. Long story short, I had massive knee problems in my teens. The recommendation for exercise was always cycling over running. I’ve been able to avoid further knee problems and get back into running by (1) being sure to ramp up high-impact workouts (e.g. running), and (2) focusing on strength in my legs, in part with cycling. I did have some knee pain when I first started long distance cycling, but it was distinct from the pain I get from running, and it went away with a good bike fit.

Maybe get a bike fit (I think CycleLife in Gtown offers different levels, and the more basic level, which has served me well, was ~$150). If the pain doesn’t go away, get a second opinion from a doctor familiar with cycling.

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