[Dirt]

I’m a buy local kinda guy. I buy on-line for emergencies or for things that are impossible to get locally. That is especially true for shoes. I may pay more for them, but I am sure they fit perfectly and I reward a shop for their great customer service.

I often feel like I’m in the minority in doing that. Some vintage stuff is really only available on eBay. Some Euro clothing is only available on-line. Some eclectic winter clothing/items are not normally stocked locally because there are relatively few of us that ride year-round.

[Dirt]

@DismalScientist 4808 wrote:

Looks like I am permanently on step 2 of my 12 step program to becoming a bike commuter. :p

I’m obviously pre-step 1. I can stop buying bike stuff any time I want.

[Dirt]

Today was a good day to figure that out.

SKS Xtra Dry seems to work pretty well out back. It attaches quickly to your seat post.

SKS X-Board downtube fender works pretty well too. This doesn’t work as well as a full fender, but the combination of these two will cost less than $30.

If you’ve got a little more money, the SKS Racerblade fenders give you quite a bit more protection. They are about $50.

All of the above are pretty easy to attach and remove.

Google will find all of those pretty easily. Local shops have them in stock too.

Good luck.

Pete

[Dirt]

@Jsnyd 4786 wrote:

I have almost paid as much for my outfit then I have my bike.

That just means it is time to buy a new, much more expensive bike. (TOTALLY JOKING THERE!)

See how those shorts and that jersey feel for you. Generally the roadie clothes are kinda funny looking, but they are truly functional… especially when it is very hot or very cold out.

You’ll know you’re a bit around the bend when you start to like the look and feel of cycling clothes… when you’re comfortable wearing them in public… when you actually feel odd walking around in jeans. I think there’s a 12-step program for that.

[Dirt]

Eventually this motion becomes second nature. I went through this in the mid 1980s. It brings back fond memories. Hang in there.

Which pedals did you get?

[Dirt]

Professional fitting is expensive, as Mark said. It is usually designed for people who are pretty serious about cycling. A good professional fitting will cost in the $250-350 range. If you’re purchasing a bicycle from the shop where you’re being fit, they will often apply part or all of that fee toward the purchase of a bike. The process takes 1-3 hours depending on what you need. Try and set up an appointment for a weekday morning if you can. They’re often fairly slow times in the shop and it gives you a bit more relaxed fitting experience.

Who: Clovis at Conte’s is absolutely amazing. A few decades ago I was trained and did a bunch of fittings, so I know my way around the process a bit (even though it has evolved quite a bit). I didn’t tell anyone this, but went in as though I was someone who was new to what it took to fit a bicycle. I listened, learned and completely left ego out of the process. That’s hard for guys to do. It really paid off though. Clovis did an awesome job with me. His findings were in-line with what I already knew, with a few modifications.

Since that time, I have had 10 or 12 friends get their fitting through Conte’s…. most with Clovis, but a few with Paul. Both have received rave reviews from everyone that I’ve sent.

CCrew’s Bonzai recommendation is also probably a very good one. While I haven’t been fit there, they have impressed me with their staff and facilities. Amazing shop. I’m so fortunate that both Conte’s and Bonzai are local for me.

I’ve had knee trouble in the past. For my issues, it is VERY important to have the seat in the exact right place… both height-wise and also the fore-aft adjustment. Having pedals with lots of rotational float also makes a big difference. Speedplay pedals do that perfectly for me. They make many different models that fit different styles of riding.

I hope some of that helps.

Happy Monday.

Pete

[Dirt]

@CCrew 4725 wrote:

Speaking of Dirt, where’s that rascal been?

Sorry. I was in training part of last week and was up in the Philly suburbs scaring the crap out of the locals. I guess I took that whole “City of brotherly love” thing a bit too seriously.

I missed y’all too.

[Dirt]

@StopMeansStop 4675 wrote:

Watch out for pink clad men on pink bicycles

Yeah, you really gotta watch out for those. Seriously scary guy. He makes you wonder for whom the jingle bells toll.

Greetings! I’m the pink clad man riding a pink bicycle that you’ve been warned about. My commute includes much of the same route that you ride. That area, the ride down Constitution and up Virginia Ave. are the places where I earned my Indian name, “Dances with Buses”. I’m also working on a long-term study of the relative comfort of car hoods when people run red lights or turn right on red without looking. So far, the most comfortable hood to bounce off of is a 2009 Toyota Carolla. Not only was it curved in a way that really fit my body, but the guy who was driving it had a SUPER hot girlfriend who bent over me to ask if I was okay. (Sorry. I had to say that.)

What were we talking about? Oh yeah! Welcome to the forum. (Editor’s note: Finally! He’s shutting up!)

Enjoy a lovely, rainy day. It is PERFECT for riding out there.

Pete

[Dirt]

A friend saw it. He didn’t see a bicycle involved.

[Dirt]

I know this is kinda off topic, but….

I report every aggressive driver I see. I call the local police and give them a report, with license plate, description of behavior, location, etc. I have, on a few occasions, taken some lovely candid portraits of the driver for fun. (That tends to be a bit inflammatory… so be careful of you decide to do that. I often take photos of license plates, since my head is like a sieve.) Does it do anything? Depends on your location. In DC, probably not. Haven’t had much response in Arlington. Fairfax has been pretty good. I had a few instances where they sent a squad to the house to take a statement, then went and “talked to” the person.

[Dirt]

That was kinda my thought too. I have had a few times over the last 40 years where my pump died and I needed help. Usually I just accost someone else that I see on a bike.

There are some places that do have compressors or air stations for cyclists along the MUTs. I can think of a few along the W&OD.

[Dirt]

Thanks dude. I’ve got a friend that uses that trial from time to time. I’ll pass the info along.

[Dirt]

@Mark Blacknell 4520 wrote:

The idea is that the area between markers 12 and 14 (iirc) is going to get repaved. There’s something of an unexpected holdup on the backend, so no solid start date yet. You’ll hear about it as soon as there is one, though.

It is also marked up from markers 18-21.

[Dirt]

@Mark Blacknell 4523 wrote:

They’re trying to get it right, see, instead of just ramming it through . . .

I’m glad of that. Best to think it through and do it right.

[Dirt]

@Mark Blacknell 4523 wrote:

They’re trying to get it right, see, instead of just ramming it through . . .

I’m glad of that. Best to think it through and do it right.

[Author]

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