[eminva]

@acc 19766 wrote:

I am so very excited!
Tim Kelley offered me a chance to volunteer at Ballston on Friday.
At six am.

I’m thinking of just sleeping on a grate in front of Metro to save time.

ann

@Megabeth 19770 wrote:

Methinks Mr Kelley has a plan to sleep in on Friday. He successfully recruited me to also show up at o’dark thirty at Ballston. Hmmmmm….

If you look at the One Eighth thread, it appears there are people who actually get up and commute at this hour on a routine basis. Personally, I can only speculate. However, there does seem to be photographic evidence.

Just saying this to point out the trails appear to be open for business at those hours (again, not speaking from personal experience).

I will probably be at the Vienna pit stop for the early part of the window. Say hello if you pass through.

Liz

[eminva]

Thank you, very helpful.

Liz

[eminva]

I am also curious about the answer to this — my husband rides some MTB (and is a lurker here sometimes), but that is a sore topic as he is injured now.

I am what you would consider a very neophyte mountain bike rider. If I had more time (and a bike that fit better), I would pursue it. None of those crazy rock formations out west, mind you. Well, maybe I could work up to that. Any suggestions for how to go about that are welcome.

Liz

[eminva]

@SteveTheTech 19741 wrote:

Oh no it is one of these questions again.

I don’t really have anything to add here, but Steve, I am going to be in the market for a new car in a couple of years and I think I need to start buttering you up because you could obviously be a great help in the selection process. . . . .

Liz

[eminva]

Hello —

I am planning to attend and will be going from work. I work near Farragut North. Google Maps routes me down through GWU, to the mall, around the Lincoln, over the Memorial Bridge (south side), down Washington Avenue (or a trail next to it, can’t tell), to S. Southgate Road and from there onto Columbia Pike.

This would be a first for me (crossing the Memorial Bridge, that is) and I know a lot of you are very familiar with this area, so let me know if Google Maps has steered me wrong. Am I going over one of those GW Parkway Intersections of Mortal Peril? Not that I can avoid it, although I have somehow all these years . . . .

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

@DaveK 19698 wrote:

It could be that car seats are designed for those of us within the bell curve… you should send this question to Shaq or Yao Ming.

I was gonna add insult to injury, and say maybe one of the relative youngsters amongst us is getting old!

Liz

[eminva]

I took the long road in and also stopped at the Crystal City Pitstop for bagel and bell. Right after I left I ran into a cyclist with a flat tire on the MVT. I didn’t have a pump, so I directed him back to the pit stop so hopefully someone there could help him.

Kudos to you MVT regulars — it is busy and narrow.

Liz

[eminva]

One more thing (not boosting post count, I swear):

Go to the thrift store and buy the “beach towels” (I use the term loosely) that were freebie giveaways at sports events (Caps games, Nats games, etc.). After a dozen or so washings, they stop pilling. They are absorbent but really thin and fold up very small. Good for bringing to/from work in panniers.

Liz

[eminva]

@consularrider 19657 wrote:

The last couple days it has been a challenge to get the morning ride clothes dry by afternoon. My outer rain gear is draped on my bike in the parking garage and my shirt and shorts (which are only slightly damp) are on a coat rack and hook in my cubicle. I’ve started bringing a spare dry pair of socks and gloves on mornings when I ride in the rain because I can never count on the the ones I used to be dry 8 to 9 hours later. It’s easier during the winter because I can use the warm air coming out of the heater to help dry them.

I use a space heater by my desk for wet stuff. Yesterday it took the entire day to get everything dry.

The building engineers helpfully placed a fan in the tiny locker room downstairs. It’s probably not, strictly speaking, in compliance with the rules regarding leaving stuff in the locker room, but some of the bike commuters leave their stuff hanging on the hooks right by the fan. In a couple of hours, it is dry and you can go retrieve it. If you can convince the building engineers that a fan is needed in the locker room, this might be a solution.

Liz

[eminva]

@acc 19607 wrote:

So here is the person to contact: Megan Van de Mark megan@waba.org

Good news, I was able to confirm with Megan that I am indeed registered for the Rosslyn pitstop. Not only do I get a t-shirt, but my chances are just as good as those of anyone who also registered at Rosslyn that I might be taking home a new bike.

@dbb, are they giving away jerseys again this year at Crystal City for those who commute every day? I seem to recall that was a very nice looking jersey.

Liz

[eminva]

I had a commitment out in VA this morning so I came in on the later-than-usual shift. The rain had stopped by then and the sun had come out so strong and hot that steam was rising from the blacktop on the W&OD!

Thunderstorms expected later, though, so be ready for anything . . .

Liz

[eminva]

I registered as soon as they opened registration, and now I can’t remember which pitstop I registered for. I went to the Bike to Work Day website to see if I could look it up there, and it said I should have gotten a confirmation email from WABA when I registered. I never received a confirmation email. Did others get one? Should I register again? Wander aimlessly among pitstops until someone feels sorry for me and gives me a t-shirt? Advice appreciated.

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

@OneEighth 19568 wrote:

I took a very quick look at the WABA site and got the feeling there is a rather big gap between the instruction offered in the bike rodeos and the confident city cycling class.
Why not offer this level of instruction (CCC) to kids who are not old enough to drive and are, therefore, more likely to benefit from it? Have a parent or guardian sign the waiver and participate as well if that helps.

+1 for this comment.

I accompanied my son and his friend to and from school by bike last Wednesday (Bike to School Day). Both kids have bike enthusiasts for parents. We had to cross some challenging roads, but we took a roundabout route that stayed mainly on the W&OD and residential streets. They did pretty well, but I observed both some good habits and bad habits. I can teach them what I know, but it would be great if there were a course for them and other interested kids. They are both finishing 6th grade and are old enough to bike around on their own, giving them a little independence.

I understand Safe Routes to Schools is making an effort to get some of this taught in schools, but it is a long shot. Alternatively, these courses could be taught to scout groups, etc. At least that would cover some kids.

Liz

[eminva]

Not to rain on anyone’s parade of pit stops, but if we see a huge upsurge in first time or occasional bike commuters this Friday, it might be difficult or ill-advised to race along the local MUTs racking up pit stop visits . . .

Liz

[eminva]

@essigmw 19560 wrote:

Thanks for posting this, I knew the WP had taken some pictures, but I wasn’t sure when they would show up. Thanks for the link!

It also showed up in the B section of the print version today. If you need an extra copy, please send me a PM with your address and I will mail it to you. Gotta show that to the grandparents!

Liz

[Author]

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