[DismalScientist]

Saw the same thing this morning, but I had a green. What would be the reaction if I put my foot down, checked for traffic, and hopped through the intersection? I prefer to take my standing start at Courthouse rather than Uhle.

[DismalScientist]

How about all the way down Clarendon from Clarendon to Rosslyn? There are generally enough movable obstructions that I am in and out of the bike lane all down the hill.

[DismalScientist]

Yesterday morning one of these doufuses ran a red light at Virginia and New Hampshire (he may have been on the sidewalk too) and almost ran into me. I was crossing with a green. Since I was riding a bike, it would have hurt if he hit me. If I were in a big metal box instead, we would have received his just desserts.

[DismalScientist]

I’d suggest Commonwealth Avenue (after crossing Four Mile Run at Arlandria) rather than going all the way to the river, but, then again, I’m not a fan of the trails close in.

[DismalScientist]

I ride my 25 year old touring bike. I would think the first question would be whether you want drop bars or straight. Personally, I prefer drops to reduce air resistance. So I would go with a steel-framed road bike with 28 to 32 mm wide high pressure tires. I would avoid more racing-type road bikes given the road surfaces you are likely to encounter. If you want to sit upright, I would recommend a hybrid with similar tires. If the roads they commute on are really rough, you might want a mountain bike, but I would recommend getting as narrow and high pressure a tire as possible.

Whether to go through a bike shop depends on the bicyclist’s mechanical aptitude. The mechanics of bicycle components is fairly simple. If you can work on the bicycle yourself, explore the wonderful world of craigslist. Otherwise, go to a shop. I would also recommend not buying anything that could have been sold originally through a discount store.

[DismalScientist]

All that may be true. Please wear all the lycra you can find. There’s nothing I like better than watching lycra-clad poseurs eat my dust as this old geezer screams by in street clothes on my 25 year old bike, with shifters on the downtube, as God intended…:p

[DismalScientist]

Here a link to the appropriate rut to be paved:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=22205&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=60.50566,135.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Arlington,+Virginia+22205&ll=38.896876,-77.067209&spn=0.001845,0.004128&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=38.896762,-77.06716&panoid=wdfm6-BEP7xr92xnG7r8vw&cbp=12,196.29,,0,9.91

If you move around streetview, it is clear that joggers already use this route. It is unclear if this is an official jogging route because I can’t tell whether they are wearing ear buds.

[DismalScientist]

Umm… Washington Blvd. is in Arlington. Perhaps they are going extraterritorial in their taxing, er enforcement policies. Taking after the water department, I suppose.

[DismalScientist]

Can they pave a path and cut the curb to the immediate north of the west dog leg? This area clearly sees northbound foot and bike traffic and enters the parking lot where there are no bike spaces and so doesn’t take up parking spaces. This would, of course (horrors of horrors!) encourage folks to ride in the parking lot between the east and west curb cuts. …But I’m sure that doesn’t happen now.

[DismalScientist]

“The joggers seem particularly oblivious on the trails today. Bring your air horns to wake them up…”

[DismalScientist]

I personally did not appreciate the chicane practice before my morning coffee.

[DismalScientist]

I generally ride on the left side of the curb lane and squeeze between cars in the curb and next right lane. Generally it is too congested for drivers to switch lanes quickly. You have to keep a look out for eastbound traffic turning left between the stopped westbound traffic. This routine may not be for everybody.:cool:

[DismalScientist]

I’m at 18th and M. I avoid it by taking the Roosevelt bridge and New Hampshire across Washington Circle.

Coming back, I always take M and the Key bridge just to pass all the stopped traffic in Georgetown.:p

[DismalScientist]

I generally take Key Blvd and Highland to avoid Wilson between Courthouse and Clarendon. It’s nice to pass through the bucolic neighborhood where this site’s administrators live. 😎

[DismalScientist]

27 x 1 1/8
Shifters on the downtube as God intended.

[Author]

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