[Dirt]

@Riley Casey 5560 wrote:

Trail, trail, trail, trail, trail, trail. I guess I hadn’t noticed until this thread exactly how trail riding centric so many of the list regulars are. Not meant as a put down just needing a shift in my frame of reference.

A lot in this area are very trail-centric. Like you, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. As someone who doesn’t drive, I find I use the trails a lot during the week and kinda avoid them on the weekend.

My comments on e-bikes was limited to the trails because that’s the only place that I’ve encountered them. On the streets I think they’d basically behave and be treated in two ways: 1) like a bicycle if they’re traveling at bicycle-esque speeds; or like a scooter if they’re traveling at scooter-esque speeds.

On the trail I see no issues related specifically to e-bikes…. more to how they are used. At normal bicycle speeds, they are fine. I have concerns with them when they get going fast… those concerns are the same as cyclists going fast in congested areas.

[Dirt]

I’ve tried most bike lights on the market and owned lights from 8 or 9 different manufacturers over the last 20 years. I have some very strong opinions on the matter. Please keep that in mind.

The Dinotte lights are very, very good. I’ve had good luck with their customer service too. Light In Motion lights have proven reliable, durable and a pretty good value. Their customer service is okay. I’ve had trouble with Night Rider… both in durability and customer service. The lights work very well when they’re working though. They lasted a year or so before they start having issues.

By far the best system I’ve used for commuting, mountain biking and endurance racing comes from Exposure. http://exposurelightsusa.com

I use a Diablo1 and a Flare for commuting. The Diablo is too powerful on most settings, so I use the middle setting on the road and the lowest setting on the trail and make sure to aim it down so I don’t blind people. It is small, light and super bright (900 lumen on high, 300 on medium, 150 on low). I like that there are NO CABLES or external batteries. The handlebar and helmet mount are PERFECT. If I were buying a light just for commuting, I’d look at the Joystick. It is smaller, lighter and has plenty of power for riding on the roads.

The Flare tail light is tiny, powerful and the rechargable batteries work fantastically. I get 15-20 hours out of a charge and they come with a very good smart charger. The mounting system is brilliant.

The durability is amazing. I have used the Diablo 200+ days per year for the last 3 years and it has NEVER shown a sign of weakness. It has NEVER stranded me. Never had a bad charge. Never given me a moment of worry. The Flare has been in use for a little over a year and it is perfect.

For off-road riding and endurance racing, I use a Toro on the handlebars and a Diablo2 on the helmet. That combination has proved the lightest, most effective system I can imagine. There are add-on batteries you can get that double or quadruple the battery life (depending on what you need). I can’t imagine a better system.

Here’s the best part…. Their customer service ROCKS! I cracked a plastic mount for the handlebars on my Diablo. It was my fault. I tried to remove the light when it was -10F. Plastic breaks instead of bending in those temps. I called exposure and they sent me out a bag of 3 replacement parts next-day mail and didn’t charge me at all. They just asked that I return the broken one.

To my knowledge, these lights are only available from the web site listed above. They seem like they are expensive when you first look at them, but when you look closely, they are an extremely good value.

My New Project: My next commuter will have a generator system built into the wheels and frame. The German company Schmidt makes amazing systems. Supernova makes great lights to go with the Schmidt hubs. Yes, they are expensive, but imagine never having to charge batteries again. You’d never have to worry about running out of lights. Seems perfect to me. The construction is dead sexy too. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm

Hugs and kisses,

Pete

[Dirt]

When modesty in attire is required, I wear my regular roadie bib shorts, and put a pair of Endura baggies over the top. They make a few different models. They have ones that have a snap in liner, but I really don’t like the way that felt or worked. Endura makes shorts and knickers that are super functional, very comfy and darn near bomb-proof. My first pair of Endura knickers was worn 5 days per week for almost 18 months before they started to show signs of mortality. They’re still in use and work great. The pockets are super useful.

http://www.endurasport.com/

I’ve used their Hummvee shorts, Singletrack shorts and knickers and their Firefly shorts. The Singletracks are my favorites.

I bought one of their rain jackets. I would not recommend those. It worked great for the first month, then lost its water resistance. Great design. Great build quality. Waterproofing didn’t last though. It has been revived with some XC Ski stuff that you spray on, but it isn’t quite the same.

Good luck.

Pete

[Dirt]

The new pavement is super creamy. No lines on it yet, but it was smooth enough to lick. Don’t bother though. It didn’t taste very good. I tried it.

[Dirt]

Hi Kathy. That was a Dirt imposter. Sorry for my slow response. I was riding elsewhere on Independence Day.

Happy Trails.

Pete

[Dirt]

@OneEighth 5243 wrote:

I would strongly advise against riding on Washington Blvd below where Route 50 crosses. High speeds, lots of traffic, no escape route.

And there are lots of great ways to get around it. Filmore Street (both North and South) is actually quite lovely to ride upon.

[Dirt]

@CCrew 5236 wrote:

Thanks for that link. I’d had several people at work ask if I’d seen it. How’s that for awkward watercooler conversation?

Generally I’ve found that being frank and open during these watercooler conversations insures that no-one makes the mistake of asking that kind of question again.

[Dirt]

I make it a habit to never get my nose too close to my saddle. After 10s of thousands of miles, that thing smells RANK!

On topic: 40 years of riding with regular saddles. The noseless saddles that I’ve tried did not allow my legs to move naturally on the bike. Super cool that they work for many people though.

[Dirt]

@KLizotte 5210 wrote:

Newsflash: The hole will not be filled in since the Fish & Wildlife Service has determined that it is a critical watering hole for endangered duckies. It is now considered a protected wildlife habitat and a cordon area of 100 miles will be established as soon as the various governmental agencies figure out who has jurisdiction. To that end, I spied bean counters on the George Mason bridge this morning counting cyclists (a.k.a. duckie killers).

Hahahahahaha. “It’s not a sink hole. It’s a wetland that must be preserved.” Bwhahahaha

[Dirt]

@brendan 5192 wrote:

I still think one should vocalize your intentions.

I always announce my intentions. I usually say something like “I’ll take wind for a few”… thus implying that they might take a pull down the road. If they spaz or don’t come around, then I separate myself from them. In the same way that I’m creative in my ways of letting people know that i’m passing on the left, I’m also pretty creative in ways to get people off my wheel. As a big guy that people like to draft off of, it helps to have a few different tools in the tool box.

[Dirt]

I love that one. ONe of the best sign hacks EVAR!!!

[Dirt]

For drafting, I usually pull to the front and take a pull, then see if the person wants to take a pull. If I’m not able to get around and do that, I will ask if I can take a wheel for a few.

[Dirt]

I love and respect all mankind.

[Dirt]

I need to explore some rides out there too. I haven’t riden out there very much. I know that Adventure Cycling Association has a route that heads southeast out of DC. I haven’t looked closely at it though.

[Dirt]

I heard back from Arlington on this. They’ve sent someone out to inspect it and will take action.

I have received no responses from any of the other agencies that I contacted. I will be contacting the United Nations later today.

[Author]

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