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Thank you, everyone — Dirt loaned me his bike box and my bike is all set for its summer vacation! Easy as can be.

Liz

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@DaveK 59241 wrote:

I remember noticing that you were wearing all black and thinking you were completely insane, but at mile 90 I wasn’t about to tell you that.

Well, I don’t have a white jersey (save for the BA jersey) — I just went with the one that fits the best. I am a bit OCD about that and figured tugging on my hem or whatever all day would drive me crazier than being in black on a hot day.

@DaveK 59241 wrote:

You looked strong when you left our stop!

What can I say . . .

Liz

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Here is the route, beginning on the W&OD: Family Friendly Route to Wolf Trap

Yes to both of dasgeh’s questions. It is paved, but the path is is a bit narrow and is not well maintained, so lots of bumps from roots threatening to break through the pavement. Also, there are a couple of bridges where there is quite a lip. That said, acc and I rode through on our road bikes and they didn’t break. There are some hills, but nothing the ebakfiets couldn’t handle!

Liz

P.S. There is a sidepath on Trap Road. You cross Trap at a crosswalk to get to the overpass for the Dulles Toll Road. From there, you just look for the first entrance into the Wolf Trap parking lot and wind your way up to the entrance.

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@Tim Kelley 59197 wrote:

When the sun finally came up I could feel exactly where the black trim on my white kit was. I felt bad for the guys I was riding with that were in all black.

I did wear a black kit, but much as I’d like to, I can’t blame that for my woes that day. I also drank a ton — didn’t keep track — had a water bottle and a camelbak. I even gave some of my water to a man who had run out between stops. It seemed like you couldn’t drink enough.

Liz

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I’d be happy to help organize something in Fairfax County or Falls Church for August, without stepping on anyone’s toes if they’ve already volunteered.

Because apparently, I can’t seem to get myself to attend these things unless I’m hosting . . . .

Liz

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@KLizotte 59053 wrote:

Now how many of us on the forum have been in a car accident that has necessitated going to the hospital/doctor? I could be wrong but I think I hear crickets.

Maybe because it’s not the type of thing that comes up on a cycling forum? But yes, I was in a motor vehicle accident as a child that resulted in serious injury.

@KLizotte 59053 wrote:

I know far more people who have been badly injured by biking than I do driving (including myself) and I know far more drivers than bikers.

How fortunate you are. I knew several people, including a close relative, killed in motor vehicle accidents, and numerous others badly injured.

But — none of this matters — it’s all anecdote, which, as you note, has its limitations. However, I believe there may be studies on this topic (number of people per capita injured/killed in bike accidents vs. motor vehicle accidents) with a little more academic rigor than the one cited above. I don’t remember the specifics but I remember being surprised that cycling was realtively safe comparatively.

Liz

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I know not all daily users are tourists, but I would put this in the category of things I have done over my 28 years in Washington to help visitors feel welcome here. I would let them have first dibs on the bike and offer to help with check out process, directions, etc.

Liz

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My profuse apologies to those I led astray and to Dirt for betraying the confidence you placed in me. On the upside, I’m sure the adrenaline rush of riding on 123 helped everyone get a new PR on Col de Wolftrap!

Liz

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@Steve 59049 wrote:

But doesn’t Wolf Trap have a BYOB policy? I can’t be trusted to pilot anything after a concert with that.

Ha! Gotcha covered. At the end of the evening, put your bike on the front of the metrobus, bus back to the metro and ride the metro home.

By the way, I figured out a kid friendly route to Wolftrap that uses the Wolftrap Creek stream bed trail (through Foxstone Park) instead of Beulah. Lots of bumps and twists and turns so you wouldn’t want to use it after dark, but good for a day trip out that way if you are with less intrepid cyclists. Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing it.

Liz

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The other thing to remember is that Virginia just enacted a no texting while driving ban. We need law enforcement in all jurisdictions to take the law seriously and enforce it. We need to tell them (via incident reports) about specific instances where we observe drivers disregarding the law so that they know it is a problem and need to step up enforcement efforts. Otherwise they can legitimately say they’ve never heard of any problems in this area. We complain to each other about distracted drivers, speeding, unsafe passes, etc. but we need to elevate it to the appropriate public officials if we expect them to take action.

Think of it this way: by taking this step you may be protecting another cyclist in the future. Not necessarily from this motorist — I take you at your word that she has seen the light — but from others that law enforcement will be targeting before they make contact with a cyclist.

Liz

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@Tim Kelley 58829 wrote:

I wish I had a minivan. You could just roll multiple bikes in and out!

Yes, we had to get a new automobile a couple months ago — we just have one car so we have to rent cars on some weekends when we go in all different directions. One weekend we got a minivan. My husband and son were all over it and I was all, “a minivan?” My husband got out our bikes and showed me how all three fit in the back without even taking off the wheels to convince me.

Now we have this:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]3356[/ATTACH]

and we can roll the bikes right in and out.

and yet, I feel as dismal does.

Liz

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@mello yello 58709 wrote:

“Rob Roy” Mac Gregor supported the Stuart King James VI, who was deposed by William of Orange and Queen Mary. Hence, blasphemy to name an orange bike Rob Roy.

Apparently the use of the Mac Gregor name was outlawed, and so Rob Roy went by his mother’s surname.

Too bad I like orange bikes, no matter how blasphemous.

All true. Although my brother, Robert MacGregor, has lived in the Netherlands for 12 years now, so I guess bygones are bygones, at least for our branch of the family.

Liz

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@jrenaut 58705 wrote:

I don’t know the color significance here, and Wikipedia is no help.

Well, orange is, in fact, Irish.

See at 3:36:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JTso2WIlW4

Liz

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@ShawnoftheDread 58703 wrote:

Orange on a Rob Roy is like putting blue and silver seats in FedEx Field.

Shawn is right. Tho’ my mother would probably hand paint the frame in MacGregor tartan if I asked her to.

Liz

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Why do you all tell me there is a bike named after my distant ancestor because now I covet THIS

and my brother is local so he can pick it up and save the shipping (assuming he’s not at S-1 himself already).

Bonus: Then I could ride in Dirt’s Gravel Rides. Oh wait, no I can’t, because I could never keep up without gears. Oh well, it was only a covet anyway.

Liz

[Author]

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