[eminva]

For technical fabrics, I use Nikwax Tech Wash. I rub a little directly into any stains before washing. For grease stains, it usually takes more than one washing for it to all come out, but it gets better with each successive washing.

Liz

[eminva]

I saw your six and raised you four.

Good luck to everyone who enters! Judging by the entries so far, it will be quite a distinctive calendar.

Liz

P.S. Vote for us!

[eminva]

My only experience using Strava was logging my miles (or kilometers) for the Festive 500. I had no idea it had all those intermediate sprints until I finished my commute in on the first day. I was puttering along at my usual commuter pace. I was mortified when I downloaded the data and saw how many lanterne rouges I had just racked up.

I note your second segment (above) doesn’t have any female finishers, so I guess I could go knock that one off this week and have a QOM.

Liz

[eminva]

RESTONTODC, I’m very sorry to hear about your fall and I hope you recover quickly. Hope you can get back to the bicycle commute asap.

Liz

[eminva]

@adamx 14283 wrote:

we are not seriously promoting cyclist’s use of cell phones while on the bike are we???

Since I started this, I’ll bite. No, that was not my intent. I was just amazed that he was able to do it, without addressing the advisability.

@WillStewart 14292 wrote:

I thought I passed you on the way in, I was on the recumbent that went by at the top of the slight hill at Van Buren st before getting on the trail that bypassess East Falls Church Metro under Sycamore St. Come to think of it, that might have been Thursday.

Did you mean to say it was me you passed on Thursday? If so, I apologize if I didn’t say anything. I must have been really engrossed in my commute. I did pass that way on Thursday a.m. (but not Friday).

Liz

[eminva]

When my son was about 5 to 7, we had a Burley Piccolo. I researched trailer cycles and this model was acknowledged to be superior because the hitch joins on to a rack rather than your seatpost. This eliminates balance problems, no matter how much your kid is swinging around, and believe me, my son did plenty of that. It is also an extremely sturdy, well made piece of equipment with seven gears the kid can experiment with. The down side is that it is expensive and you need to buy the proprietary rack. I never had any problem mounting panniers on the rack with or without the trailer cycle attached, though. Also, I got mine used on Craigslist for a fraction of the price of new. It held up well and we sold it on Craigslist when he outgrew it. Our range with the Piccolo was similar to what I could do on my own. This gave him more range because he was also learning to ride his own bike at the time and didn’t have a lot of stamina. We lived in DC then and I would drop him off at school on the Piccolo (leaving the Piccolo locked up there) and then ride on to work. I had no fear in traffic with it.

I would take exception to FFX_Hinterlands comment that kids can keep up with their parents by about 7-9 — my kid is 11 and still goes quite a bit slower than my preferred speed. Or, maybe he just prefers to enjoy the scenery at a slower speed than me. But it does require one to calibrate their ambitions a bit.

Good luck! Enjoy the next stage!

Liz

[eminva]

@dcv 14234 wrote:

not me, what was he riding?

I didn’t catch make and model. It was one of the dark stretches along there. It looked like a dedicated commuter bike with fenders — either a road, cyclocross or touring bike I would guess.

I also wondered about ambient noise.

Liz

[eminva]

@Tim Kelley 14210 wrote:

a tote for grocery shopping or hauling.

Why, Tim Kelley, did you need to mention another item that has now been added to my lengthy bicycle gear wish list?

Inspired by this thread, I took the day off today and gave the Orange Line my business. I’m not very scientific, but if I feel a little tired in the morning, I RUN up the steps from the basement to the main level. If I have to pause at the top of the steps lest my legs collapse under me, I know it’s time to take a day off.

Liz

[eminva]

@creadinger 14167 wrote:

I was just curious as to what the story behind the bill was and where it is on the scale of likelihood of passing.

The Transportation Committee today voted down the amendment that would have saved Transportation Enhancements (including Safe Routes to Schools, bike and pedestrian projects, state and local bicycle coordinator positions), 29-27. Eleanor Holmes Norton voted in favor of the amendment (e.g., pro TE).

Unclear where it goes from here — hopefully there will be another opportunity to salvage something as the legislation advances.

Liz

[eminva]

@DaveK 14088 wrote:

As a DC resident I will immediately contact nobody. I’d email Eleanor but what’s the point?

Don’t mistake this for a lack of outrage, it’s all there, I’m just resigned to Taxation without Representation.

Dave, Eleanor is on the Transportation Committee and she can vote in committee, so by all means, please do contact her.

Liz

[eminva]

Generally speaking, where in the Washington region do you live? That might help us find some good trails near you.

For a beginner (or beyond), there are good trails at Wakefield Park in Fairfax County.

Have fun!

Liz

[eminva]

@WillStewart 14079 wrote:

Is there anyone else who would like to see something similar at their office?

Yes. I’m only in year one of my three year crusade, though.

Liz

[eminva]

Yay! Way to go! This is great to hear. Anecdotally, I have noticed more commuters out on the trail compared to last winter, which is all good.

Just for the record, you can put a rack on a road bike and the sky will not collapse. I suppose there are those who will look askance, but hold your head high and get your stuff to work in whatever manner works best for you.

Hope to cross paths someday!

Liz

[eminva]

@dcv 13875 wrote:

WOD trial, I-495 overpass.

Right!

@dcv 13875 wrote:

Is that a Lemond?

No, but you are not the first one to think that. It is a Jamis. Which I have rendered undiginfied by the addition of so much commuter kitch. But I don’t have space for a whole stable of bikes, so the ones I’ve got have to do double or triple duty.

I don’t know where your photo was taken, but I want to know so I can go there — looks nice.

Liz

[eminva]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]644[/ATTACH]

Can you identify this bucolic local construction site?

[Author]

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