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anyone else have an issue with defaulting your rides to transportation vs recreation?

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@mstone 139841 wrote:

In general, VDOT will do the opposite and build a wider road based on traffic projections that making it interstate-grade is the only way to avoid the collapse of civilization.

My only glimmer of hope on this point is that there simply isn’t any more cheap land for them to expand on in the area. Merrilee is fully developed for all but the stretch near the home depot/storage facility, but Halstead has narrowed the road quite a bit as well as the Mosaic district.

Widening any of the other major roads for any serious stretch would cost an unbelievable amount of money.

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@huskerdont 139803 wrote:

I’ve been thinking about this post for the better part of a day now and my final thoughts end up being the same as my initial impression: it just shouldn’t be this difficult to figure out how to ride to work without getting hit or hitting pedestrians.

This is of course the reality out here, but I agree with you. The Vienna to Dunn Loring metro corridor and surrounding areas should be very bikeable but it is simply not. The corridor is expected to see large population growth with developments going up all around the Mosaic District, Fairfax Circle, Vienna Metro South etc etc. While Fairfax County has not planned for this at all, the reality is that in the next 5-10 years there will be so much added congestion to Lee Highway/Gallows Road/50 that the speed limits might not come down, but the actual speed of traffic will be a crawl for much of the day.

There should be bike lanes on Gallows from the Mosaic District to the W&O. There should be bike lanes on Lee Highway from Hilltop to Fairvew Park (although ideally there should just be bike lanes from Kamp Washington all the way in on 29 until about Fairview Park – which then would allow you to swing down to Route 50 inside the beltway and use the “Arlington Blvd Trail” but 50 at and outside the beltway is an unfixable disaster and 29 is already chocked full of lights, so basically just use that instead). I’m excited about the extension of the custis with the 66 work, but that doesn’t address going south(gallows, mosaic) and it keeps bikes in fairfax county as trail things. On/near street facilities are more visible and in my mind, more viable towards the long term goal of getting people to take a bike if its only a few miles. Trails are nice, but they don’t tend to go to stores, you still have to get on the road to get to stores and businesses.

I have long dreamed of being shoaled by a bakfiets at the intersection of 29 and gallows. It will happen one day. Maybe.

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While not on gallows, i ride on 29 where it meets gallows further south of there. Take the lane is the only option if you’re using the road. 100% with Tania on the options casual and patient on the sidewalk or moving quick taking the lane.

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3rd the bucket of water. I use microfiber rags i bought in bulk at home depot. clean the tires/rims quickly and give the chain some love if it needs i.

I need an Avenger A6 now…….

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We have provided the true gift of the WABA forums, derailed threads.

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So now I have an official reason to never travel further east on the Custis than is needed to get to the Westover beer Garden?

Sweet.

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Santini Balthus for $65 was a great deal. Bring your own insulation though.

Gabba 2 LS for $165 (it is the jersey, not the convertible jacket).

both recent purchases I’ve been able to try out on some cooler mornings plus, I saw this and thought someone might want them as well…

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Headwinds in the morning,
Headwinds in the evening,
Headwinds at suppertime,
When you’re commuting by bike in April,
You can have headwinds all the time.

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Why so windy??? Its almost April.

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@jrenaut 136086 wrote:

Which is, in practice, completely absurd. Can you imagine if we made someone in a car wait two minutes for a light? No one would do it.

Out here in the sprawl I can think of many 3 minute length lights for cars (which I think is the VDOT maximum???). I grew up using the light at Huntsman Blvd and the Fairfax County Pkwy which is a 3 minute cycle. My current street, Circle Woods Dr and Lee Hwy is a 3 minute light as well. The 3 minute cycles starts at 6am on weekdays and I think 7 or 8am on weekends? and goes until 8 or 9pm? Then it reverts to more of a 1-2 minute cycle.

People do, as legally required, wait for the light to turn green.

The pedestrian areas near the Vienna metro all require beg buttons… then they wonder why people jaywalk.

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My preferred fender. Mostly just to troll at this point. No quick release would terrify me… dry(ish) feet are not worth that possibility…..

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To the MedSpeed driver turning right onto prosperity from hilltop. Thanks for the compliment. I was moving at a pretty good pace this afternoon.

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I have their arm and leg warmers which are sized by the lbs .. which was kinda odd. So I got mediums.. but for their tops I’d be a small according to their size chart… cause i got the big fat legs I guess?

So if it says 36″ chest it really is a 36″ chest.. right?

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Wheel of morality, turn turn turn, tell us the lesson that we should:

And the moral of today’s lesson is; Oh road you sparkle so nice, but are you water? Or are you Ice?

The answer matters not. It is February and you should hug your seatpost like your life depends on it.

[Author]

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