[EasyRider]

@bentbike33 180522 wrote:

No advice to help, but given the extremely high torque spec FSA gives for that bolt, if the installer actually cranked it in that hard (I’ve never taken mine up to 38Nm), I’m not surprised it was damaged.

Yah, gadzooks that’s high. I don’t know if the installer took it that high, since the bolt itself loosened pretty easily, and I was only using a ratchet, not breaker bar.

You should see the extractor. It doesn’t seem any more substantial than a old fancy screw-in dust cap, works the same way.

[EasyRider]

@harrykane140693 180383 wrote:

[FONT=&quot]I have a 15 mile commute, so I do not bike in that often. When I do, I usually take the Roosevelt bridge, get on the roads in Foggy Bottom, and work my way up to the L street bike lane around 20th St. I work at 17th and L.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Does anyone have a better route? If possible, it would be nice to get on L Street earlier, but not sure what the scene is like going over the Key Bridge and through Georgetown.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Similarly, now that the M Street lane is completed, that would seem a good route to take when I’m heading home. Is there are preferred route to get back to the Custis Trail via M Street?[/FONT]

I have a very similar commute to yours. I think the least stressful/mixing it up in traffic route is the route you currently take. The M Street bike lane west of New Hampshire is not my favorite, it’s hard to go more than a block or two before hitting a light. I’d just go home the same way.

[EasyRider]

@cyclismo 179206 wrote:

I actually have the insulated growler lol but not the anything cage so never take the growler on a ride !!
Good idea tho, I’ll look for the right cage thanks !

I’ve seen pictures but haven’t tried it myself. Two caveats, weight and width.

Salsa gives a 7lb weight limit for their anything cages, and that might be only if you mount the cage using three bolts instead of the usual two on standard water bottle cage. There’s a heavy duty nylon model and I think you can supplement the usual mounting bolts with velcro or Voile straps to address weight concerns, though you might mar your paint. King Cage also makes a similar product and also sell a hose clamp doo-hicky that can serve as a third bolt.

Usually these oversized cages get mounted to the fork, bikepacking style. So, the growler might get in your way if used inside the main triangle. Depends on bottle width, I suppose.

FWIW, I’ve also found that the vacuum lined S’well bottles (and the unbranded ones made in what I assume is the same factory) will keep liquids cool for most of the day and fit standard water bottle cages. I think if you put chilled ice water in one for a few minutes first, then poured it out and replaced it with an extra cold one and capped it tight, it’d be pretty cool 6 hours later. Maybe not ice cold, but def not a warmbie. Problem is they only hold a pint.

[EasyRider]

@cyclismo 179165 wrote:

Who doesn’t like a day ride and a cold can of cool beer or soda during the break?

I started all-day ride this month. I usually go solo, pretend I’m lost, find somewhere nice and quiet, sit down and enjoy the solitude.

The problem was that I can’t keep my drinks cool when I ride far away from cities. So I thought about getting a cooler bag that can fit a few cans/bottles of cool drinks and keep them cold during the trip.

Through the search I came across a few options, one is BiKASE’s CoolKASE https://professionalcamping.com/bikase-coolkase-test-trek-review/
and another is Green Guru’s Carbon Cooler https://www.greengurugear.com/collections/bike-gear/products/carbon-cooler-22l-pannier which is a little larger.

I believe a number of your have used bike coolers before and would like to ask whether these two options worth trying. I’m also open for further suggestions.
Key is I prefer those that will work well on bicycle.

Thank you

The hip, pricey option would be a Salsa anything cage and a 40oz insulated growler.

[EasyRider]

@EasyRider 178902 wrote:

Thanks all. We’re going to give the highlands trail as VA2DC suggests, if the weather holds. I’ll be back to do Canaan Loop Rd and the Canyon trail on my NFE sometime, sans WeeHoo

The weather held and Highlands Trail turned out fine. We drove to Thomas for breakfast at Flying Pigs, then drove to Hendricks and parked. We pedaled about a half mile up the Canyon Trail to see what we’d missed by driving from Thomas to Hendricks instead of taking the trail. The surface wasn’t too hard on the kid, but I could tell my forearms would have gotten pretty tired after keeping the WeeHoo on a good line for 10 miles. So, we turned around and headed down the Highlands Trail, which was paved and empty. I think we saw at most a dozen other trail users on our 12 mile out to Porterwood and back. The ride highlight was being chased by a mother goose near the Kingsford plant. The river was very pretty in some places, but in general the scenery was typical of most rail trails. The more interesting views, I think, are higher up the mountains. On that note, we did drive out to where the pavement ends on Canaan Loop Rd., on our way to the Lindy Point Overlook. I’m looking forward to doing the loop road solo, maybe after the leaves fall.

[EasyRider]

@VA2DC 178879 wrote:

Given the seatpost/shim/weehoo discussion, I suggest considering my 2nd option:

I’ll add to this that you go through a city park in Parsons and can find some eating places in town.

Thanks all. We’re going to give the highlands trail as VA2DC suggests, if the weather holds. I’ll be back to do Canaan Loop Rd and the Canyon trail on my NFE sometime, sans WeeHoo

[EasyRider]

@huskerdont 178868 wrote:

Hey, I’ve not ridden it but this is the trail we use to huck our boats in for the put in of the lower Blackwater river (maybe a mile in from the gate). That portion at least is not as easy as that picture. It is steeper than a rail trail and can be washed out, and can also have trees down to carry over at times (although you may get lucky and there’ll be none). The part out along the road is flatter than the portion once you go through the gate and pass Douglas Falls, so if you find your son isn’t up to it or the trailer is a bit much, turning around sooner rather than later would be a plus.

Thanks. My thinking is we’ll start in Thomas, head towards Douglas Falls and follow the north fork to where it meets the Blackwater river and probably turn around. Google maps says it’s a steady 350ft descent over 3.5 miles, so that shouldn’t be too hard, even if there are some obstacles in the path.

[EasyRider]

I’ve wondered why they didn’t brand themselves a bit better, to indicate who their intended customers were.

From the outside, Freshbikes looked like any normal bike shop. One needed to go inside and get brushed off by the employees to find out they only cared about the Rapha demographic.

[EasyRider]

First and only bump, I promise.

Still looking for the elusive W. Bush-era steel mountain bike frame. Either frame or complete bike, but I’m looking to spend about $200.

[EasyRider]

I wore my UA 4.0 tights this morning but if it had been any warmer I think I’d have been uncomfortable. The compression+insulation of the UA 4.0 shirt sometimes gives me the been-sitting-in-the-hot-tub-too-long feeling. I think a looser fitting version would be quite nice.

[EasyRider]

I’m dusting off this thread to report that I saw a Weehoo Venture on sale for 25% off last week and went for it. I’m really glad I did, my 4 yr old loves it. He lets out whoops, and asks to take the “long way home.” Getting him in and out is a little tricky, and as Hozn said, a trailer is more practical and easier for the adult. But the Weehoo is way more fun for the passenger.

The seatpost attachment is the biggest “hitch.” One reason I bought new was to get a model that would work with 700c wheels. Unfortunately, my 700c bike only has a fistful of seatpost exposed, and you need a bit more than that to attach the Weehoo. So I can only use it on my 26″ bike, which has a lot of seatpost showing. Boo-hoo. The other thing is, the hitch won’t rotate around the seatpost properly if the bike has a lugged seat tube, which is what mine has. Putting a 1 1/16″ shaft collar on my 26.8 seatpost solved the problem. This gives the Weehoo the flat surface it wants to rest on, and which most newer bikes have. The collar cost 8 bucks online, and is cheaper and more secure than three other hacks I tried.

[EasyRider]

@hozn 168457 wrote:

Would love to hear more feedback on Soma tires.

Maiden voyage is tomorrow’s commute, so will have first impressions soon. I got the Cazaderos mainly to max out my frame’s tire clearance, for the slippery-er parts of the Fairfax CCT, and to see if a kinda-knobby 700×42 tire would feel too stable or unsporty on pavement. I’ve been running 700×38 Panaracer Paselas (cheap, wire bead, no flat protection) and am satisfied with them. I think they are a fine tire for the price, and the sidewalls are surprisingly flexible. If the Cazaderos don’t feel noticeably slower than the Paselas and offer some grip, I will be pleased.

[EasyRider]

I like the Horizons a lot for the towpath between Georgetown and Great Falls. They really eat up the bumps. I recently got some 700×42 Soma Cazaderos that I think should also do nicely there, and perhaps in light snow.

[EasyRider]

@hozn 168277 wrote:

I’m embarrassed to admit how eye-opening these tires have been.

And these are the standard casing, not the black extra-light? I think I’ll have to ask Santa for some!

[EasyRider]

I’m talking about ambiguity in practice, not in law, and there is plenty of it.

Of course advocates would like to call a vehicle with pedals that goes 28mph unassisted or with minimal rider input a bicycle. But if we’re honest with ourselves, ebikes have as much or more in common with a scooter or moped as they do a pedal-powered bicycle, and in fact that’s a large part of their appeal. It’s the motor, but instead of using that word, we use an ambiguous abbreviation, “e”.

But to Dasgeh’s point, if the heart of the matter is responsible users, what is the rationale for allowing Class 3 ebikes but not say, an e-scooter or motorcycle equivalent to say, 150cc or 350cc? Assuming they all operated “safely” (whatever that means), what’s the problem?

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