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Does she do any other activities that might involve climbing, stretching, and/or balance that you just need to reminder her of as being similar? For example, gymnastics, ballet, wall climbing (I see these at parks now), lot of use of jungle gyms (although the ones that exist now seem way too safe to learn anything on), horseback riding, climbing on anything. Lots of people, including kids, do not always realize that two things use similar skills

(and I am not sure I understand what you mean by sitting on the seat to get on and off as I have no memory of ever getting on bike other than by swinging my leg over the bar and pushing my self on and off the seat via the pedals once I started or leaning the bike and pushing up off the ground. I am usually lucky if my toes hit the ground when on a bicycle.)

***I see your reply that came when I was still typing. I understand what you mean by sitting in the seat to start. I still think finding a similar activity to compare to might help.

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Too warm and humid for October, but otherwise a beautiful morning. Many more people than yesterday. And, it is a sad state that I have to include this as being another part of a fabulous ride – everyone who passed me called their passes! And there were quite a few. I was shocked. Where are you all the rest of the year? (Or where did all those others who just whiz by without a word or ding go? And can they stay there?)

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…was quite wet. Extra empty too, likely due to rain and Columbus Day (there are a few of us that do not work directly for the gov’t and have to work.).

And my newest, most dangerous part of my commute: The minivan that weaves all over the road tossing newspapers on my approach to the Custis. I have been taking this route for a few years and he popped up a couple of months ago. I am not sure if it was a route change or new person, but he seems to think he owns the road. There are cars parked on either side from time to time that he weaves around and frequently there are other cars that have to maneuver around him too. This morning he veered towards me, which had me yelling some unpleasant words towards him – at least he looked up at that point. It was dark and raining. From now on it will be at least dark when he does this. I have lights and reflectors, but if he isn’t looking anyway, this is going to be a constant battle. Other routes for me don’t make too much sense since this is a straight shot from my house – and he wanders like this over all the streets in the area. Some days our timing has us meet and other times I see him on the cross roads.

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@ginacico 166088 wrote:

I got a reply this morning about Army Navy Drive — the bike lanes will be back eventually.

“Good morning,
I totally understand your frustration with the unmarked pavement condition of the road.
We are in the process of lay out and Re-stripping soon ! the micro seal coat requires some time to fully cure.
I will keep you posted.”

I received a nearly identical reply to my e-mail. No date, despite the query as to when the lane markings will return.

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@semperiden 165935 wrote:

I noticed that too… About six months ago, they also decided to extend a bus stop right through the middle of the bike lane, just after the big hill, going southbound. Guess they don’t want bike lanes there.

Yes, back in May they did that. I have been waiting for the return of the bike lane as was describe by Bike-Ped Manager:
http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?11745-Army-Navy-Drive-losing-a-bit-of-the-bike-lane&p=158016#post158016

I hope it is soon. At least the ground down lane marker was still a marker, now there is none. It felt like the cars were already closer to me and it was the first time after the chip-seal! Also, with darker commuting, it is really necessary to have clear markings.

Bike-Ped Manager: Please let us know status!!

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@Judd 165816 wrote:

It was not. There was only one bike there last night around 9 p.m. I moved it off of the bridge to its present location since it was partially obstructing the entrance to a major bike/runner thoroughfare. Not sure if it was the lost twin, but there was a Limebike parked near the bottom of Southgate Dr near the Air Force Memorial last night.

I tweeted Limebike with pictures of both bikes and asked them to return them to within the bounds of their approved operating area.

I think your tweet worked. No more lime bikes today. Thank you!

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@dasgeh 165784 wrote:

(Been there, done that. But not that: she should have just rolled into the parking lot where she could easily swing around).

Exactly the problem and why I commented as I went by.

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@KWL 165767 wrote:

Visual. I think their redistribution efforts need improvement.

Well, only one left there this morning, but it was moved a few feet away to be in the middle of the sidewalk. No idea if the other was moved locally too since I did not stop to look for it.

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@bentbike33 165763 wrote:

I recall seeing there was a Code Orange Air Quality Alert yesterday. Ozone will do that to you.

Yeah, I knew it was a code orange, but often that clears out enough by my commuting time to not be so painful. It just seemed particularly bad yesterday given the more recent clearer days. Or maybe because the humidity wasn’t as high as bad air days earlier in the season.

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It is after the autumnal equinox, it shouldn’t be so warm. And what in the world was I breathing? Whatever it was, the oxygen content was low, even in the regions without the bug swarms. I still feel it in my lungs. Ugh.

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Crazy Ivan cyclist?
So, heading eastbound on the Custis, I come around the blind curve after the s-curve of doom, and a cyclists not far in front (less than halfway to the curb cut before the wall) of me (same direction I was headed) stops, shuffles the bike into the other direction and slowly starts up again. Really? Just after a blind curve? I saw the cyclist the instant I came around the curve and started dinging my bell. She eventually noticed that there were others on the trail, at least, there was a deer in headlights look rather than, say, speeding up the turn or getting off the trail to do it. I did comment as I went past her that it was a bad place to turn around, but I doubt she heard (I think I saw earbuds).

There was no obvious reason to change direction there, other than REALLY wanting to go back up the S-curve to bike down it again. It looked more like it was just time to turn around.

I love the fact that so many people are cycling. I hate the fact that there are so many people cycling (and doing dumb things and being in my way).

Otherwise, it was a nice, albeit humid, commute.

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@notinthe18 165758 wrote:

Huh, that’s two more than were there 24 hours earlier…

Well, at least the ones on the VA side of the LBJ grove aren’t multiplying. They were still there this morning, but still only two. And I think that is a shady spot, so chances that their batteries are running down are growing.

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Not sure if they are supposed to be in VA, but there were two lime bikes on the VA side of Boundary Channel. They were parked at the top of the ramp on the Pentagon side of the bridge by the LBJ grove. I did not see anyone hanging around site seeing at 7:30am this morning in the area. Just the usual cyclists and runners. So, if they are supposed to remain in DC, they already escaped. Not the best place to park them either, but they were not in the way if no one else was coming through there. Good thing neither the morning Army or Navy runners were amassing in that location today.

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I just took a quick look at this (maybe there is a safe shorter way home… Shorter yes, not sure if safer, but that may be my comfort level). It does not seem to understand all addresses. I entered the address of the gym I go to, and it gave me options of Arlington, VA {zipcode} or N Wilson Blvd elsewhere in the US and world. Even trying just N Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA and it had no idea where it was, but it knew some other, lessor roads in Arlington. So, not sure where the issue is, but it won’t take addresses it doesn’t understand and the options provided do not always make sense. However, I can move the marker to where I want it, so I can just find something nearby as an end point and then drag the marker where I want to go to.

It does nicely show the bike racks – properly indicated two at my gym (I did not check to see if it noted that they are outdated and hard to ulock to (this is a beef I have with the gym)).

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@Judd 165613 wrote:

Sorry to hear that your friend was injured.

In the event of a driver doing something that causes a crash:
1. Always call 911. The adrenaline rush from being hit can cover up injuries and impact judgment. If 911 asks if you are injured, tell them that you are unsure and that they should dispatch a paramedic.
2. Insist that the driver be ticketed even if you don’t think that you’re hurt. This can greatly impact your ability to cover damages should you find out the next day you are injured or something is broken on your bike.

Thank you – both for the kind words and the information for others to learn.

He knows what he needs to do now – from both the experience and my re-iterating the need. (I learned that from a car accident (I was in my car) many years ago – a lawyer was driving the other car who was completely at fault did everything to get naïve me away from the location and make it not seem like her fault. Luckily there were willing, honest witnesses.)

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