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Angry Introverted Me: “Stupid BMW’s always trying to run me over on Glebe Road. Two empty lanes of traffic and they seriously have to cut me off?”

Overly Polite Me: “Oh what a beautiful day. I hope Mr BMW makes it to work on time so he can make enough money to keep up the payments on his car!”

Seinfeld Me: “Hey Mr. BMW. The jerk store called. They’re running out of YOU!”

Sarcastic Me: “My sincere apologies Lord BMW. I now realize that I can’t accelerate my bike from 0-60 in 4 seconds like your amazing automobile. I should
get off the roads and let you have both lanes of traffic all to yourself so you can cruise right down the middle of the road going 60 in a 30. You deserve it.

Vindictive Me: “Next time you cut me off, i’m not going to swerve and brake, you’re going to hit me, wreck my bike just enough that I need a new one (i’ll make sure of that),
get a nice gouge in your paint job and give me whiplash. Your grand prize will be buying me a nice new dream bike. I’m sure I can find one comparably priced to your BMW.”

I’m partial to a combination of Sarcastic and Vindictive.

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@americancyclo 48713 wrote:

if I can’t get my dream budget I was looking at the aluminum disc tricross, but I know vvill loves his kona Jake too, so those night make the shortlist if I can’t wait for the tout terrain.

The tricross and jake are my two top choices. The jake seems to have better specs but the tricross looks to have brake levers on the flat part of the handlebars. I think I’d like that feature for transitioning from my upright hybrid with triggers.

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This makes me want to get a camera for myself, even if it did no good in this case.

Similar thing almost happened to me a couple of times in North Arlington on Glebe Road while making my way to work. I’m cruising along at about 14 mph uphill. A steady clip for a beginner like me on a hybrid imho. Two lanes completely open and a huge truck comes flying by me and cuts me off. Luckily I was going slow enough and had my hands on the brakes and stopped before ramming into his tailgate.

Then, yesterday, some idiot in a BMW convertible cuts me off after a stoplight because I didn’t accelerate fast enough for him. Weaving in and out of traffic and I still caught up to end up behind him at the next light. Some idiot drivers out there.

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Welcome to a fellow “new” commuter! I’ve crazily been starting my commute during the winter.

I’ve pretty recently started riding to work more regularly. Regarding not wanting to ride all the way, I’m a fan of the half-commute to build up strength (bike to work and metro home, then metro back and bike home the next day). I have the advantage of an entire lab all to myself to lock my stuff up in though.

For being seen I have a bright neon yellow Pearl Izumi jacket (convertible so it’ll become a vest pretty soon with weather getting warmer!). I imagine that it makes me very visible. All my coworkers seem to see me coming.

For locking up I use a U-Lock through the frame and back tire and a chain lock through the frame and front tire, attaching to the back U-Lock. I think I saw a European blog or something that did a study showing this to be the “best” way to lock your bike up. Its worked for me at the Takoma metro, but there tend to be lots of bikes always locked up there and its a pretty visible area.

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@Riley Casey 47273 wrote:

Kathy and the rest of the folks across the river are blazing the sociability trail. It’s time that those of us north of the city met up for a bit of pleasantry. Any other riders in or passing through Takoma, Silver Spring or the northern reaches of the city up for some brew, caffeinated or otherwise? I’d be happy to talk to Zed at his coffee shop in downtown Silver Spring if thats convenient or Soupergirl across from Takoma Metro has coffee now along with the soup. I expect that the hundred or so bikes parked parked at the racks at the Takoma and SS metros must include some forum members. Lets out ourselves and get together.

I regularly go through Takoma. In fact, if I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to bike all the way into Arlington, I’m one of those bikes parked at the Takoma Metro. Never been to Soupergirl, but I know where it is and i’d love to actually meet some the fine folks on here. Don’t know Silver Spring very well, but I could swing through there just as easily. I’ll keep my eyes on the thread to see what becomes of things!

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]2593[/ATTACH]

All my goodies in one swoop:

1) Trek 7.2 FX – love the black color
2) TITEC barends borrowed from an abandoned bike in the landlords basement.
3) Garmin 200 GPS
4) New Bell bike helmet. Big improvement over the old skateboarder helmet.
5) Bright yellow Pearl Izumi convertible cycling jacket.

Once I get up to a 14-15 mph average and get a few thousand miles on the Garmin,
i’ll be upgrading to a Cyclocross. Kona Jake here I come…?

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Depending on where you’re originating in Takoma, my route (pieced together from advice from many of the folks on here):
1) Flower Avenue
2) Maple
3) Pick a road to cut over to 3rd
4) 3rd to Kansas
5) Kansas to 13th
Note: I like 13th more than 14th. No bike lanes, but 14th seems like its completely torn apart. I also notice a lot more bikers on there. Fine if they were as law abiding as the folks here, but almost everyone I see riding on 14th rides like a maniac with a death wish. Running red lights, pulling in front of me, not stopping in a line…it’s CHAOS! I have none of these problems on 13th, and as long as I leave the house by around 7:00 AM, I avoid crazy rush hour traffic.

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Me: riding the shuttle to work because its snowy and just generally disgusting out.

You: dressed entirely in black with headphones in both ears, weaving through the bike lane and going the opposite direction to traffic.

While I admire your riding in the cold weather, do you have a death wish? If the cars don’t run you over, I sadly see a collision with a cyclist following the rules in our future!

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@SilverSpring 46605 wrote:

I’m Mike and I commute on a silver/grey Fuji hybrid that’s sturdy, slow, and reliable. I commute from Silver Spring/Takoma Park to Downtown DC on the MBT, 5th/6th, 14th, and (on nicer days) the GBT and CCT. Curiously, with none of these routes am I as swift as the bicycle messenger guy in “Premium Rush”…perhaps my tires are underinflated….

Thats a great flick! Motivates me to occasionally take my downtown route. Since we both cruise along the GBT and CCT sometimes, if you ever happen to see me in my bright yellow jacket and dark black skateboard helmet on a black 7.2 Trek FX hybrid with bar ends shout out a hello!

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I’m Eric and can be found cruising between Takoma Park and Arlington by way of GBT to CCT to Glebe and the hills of North Arlington until I arrive at Marymount University to teach kiddos astrophysics. I’ll be in a dirty bright yellow pearl Izumi cycling jacket, with 1 pannier on a 7.2 trek fx hybrid. Dreaming of getting a cyclocross (kona jake, need to find one…perhaps Proteus… or fuji cross from performance).

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@Dirt 46153 wrote:

We’re up to second.

You folks are up to number 1 now. Climbing the ranks fast!

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@Rod Smith 46077 wrote:

Check it out! Bike Arlington All Stars is in fifth place already! http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/nbc2013/leaderboard Two places behind my old team. Please join if you are a high roller.

And that’s based only on your miles. Looks to me like Arlington can setup a real dream team. I’ll just be happy to say you folks helped get me into this game!

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I joined the challenge myself, but would be happy to join a team of folks on here. Still new to bike commuting but managed 200 miles in February. I was happy as a beginner!

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I’ve got between 26-30 miles RT (13-15 miles each way), depending on the route. City is about 13 miles, trails are about 15 miles. I travel from Takoma Park to Arlington (there’s a thread on here with excellent recommendations people provided to me) and have started to do the half-time commute (bike in one day and home the next).

The total moving time is only around 60-70 minutes (quicker going home) and about 70-90 minutes with stop signs/stop lights/obeying traffic laws tossed in there. The time isn’t really an issue though, since that’s about the same as my metro commute on a good day.

Built my route and half-commute plans based on the advice of all the great folks here. Did it occasionally in the fall and then full-on committed when my wife got me a Garmin 200 for xmas. I just have to beat that little digital bike man on my commute. Let me tell you, he’s crap on the flats, but FLIES up those hills. 12 mph the whole way…amazing…

Might have seen some of you out there on the CCT today. It was the busiest i’ve seen it in awhile. I’m the dude with the black skateboarder helmet, bright yellow jacket, black trek 7.2 FX with barends and grey running pants. My students think i’m quite fashion forward in that getup! See you all on the trails!

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I’m pretty new to the whole bike commuting thing. Wife got me a Garmin Edge 200 which has spurred my interest.
I have quite the competition with the little digital cyclist that lives in that thing. We’re always competing with each other!

I have a couple approaches. I don’t bike in rain/snow yet. When i’m really tired, I’ll bike the 2 miles to the Takoma metro
and metro the rest of the way. Thats a short little 10 minute warmup at this point!

My whole commute is around 28 miles round trip. It takes me about 1 hour 20 minutes to go the whole way, typically only an hour of that is moving time (stupid
stoplights and stop signs!).

I have two routes: 1) Kansas to 13th to R to M to Key through Rosslyn on the Custis and then up Old Dominion and 2) Georgetown Branch to CCT to 41st street to N.Glebe Road.
I consider both routes to be pretty hilly in the beginning and hilly in the end. Especially that 41st street. Still have to walk my bike up that. I got those routes
from the excellent recommendations of the fine folks here actually!

I have lots of space at work, so I do the alternate days approach. Bike in Monday morning, Metro home and back, then bike home Tuesday night. My half
commutes help me sleep like a baby! Planning to do this for the month of February and try out the round trip a few times a week come March.

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