[eminva]

@Dirt 13086 wrote:

I’m not understanding the problem here….

The ad says, “Inseam Length 31″ for all sizes.”

However, I believe Pete has already asserted that he can sew, so maybe he is planning an extension on the bottom hems or some more sophisticated fix.

Liz

[eminva]

When I left the house, weather.com was reporting a wind from the WSW in the teens. I think I had it at my back so the commute in was fine. Even crossing the Key Bridge was okay. The wind is expected from the same direction tonight, so should be interesting. It looks as though it is supposed to diminish a bit after dark, and I am perpetually on the late shift, so I’m going with that glass half full optimism.

Liz

[eminva]

I appreciate that they are pruning the trees to improve the safety of the trail, and, if done properly, will be beneficial for the trees, too. My chief complaint was the poorly conceived and largely unmarked detour.

Today the detour was well marked and very clear, so thank you.

Liz

[eminva]

This is very good, and comports with my experience. I think it is a shame that cyclists find it necessary to park their bikes to barricades by store entrances. That makes entry and exit more difficult for all patrons, and I expect it would expose the bike to more risk of getting damaged by people passing through. I hope the offending grocery stores see the light and improve bike parking.

Liz

[eminva]

Are you sure that’s the right video? You seem to start and end in Arlington.

Liz

[eminva]

@FFX_Hinterlands 12896 wrote:

Liz, ask 5 other bike commuters to email the same question, then you’ll have given it a good try.

That is a good idea, but complicated. Most of the bike commuters I know are moving to our facility in Rockville in a couple of months (only accessible by car). At the same time, I’ll be moving to our main building across the street so I will have to figure out who my fellow bike commuters are at that facility. But I will hit them up.

Liz

[eminva]

@Tim Kelley 12903 wrote:

Have you continued to experience similar issues? If so, could you please share those as well?

Yes. I went through between 8:30 and 8:45 this morning. The detour began at the Lyon Village Shopping Center (Giant, Italian Store). The detour sign seemed to point to the sidewalk along Lee Highway. I wasn’t sure how far the detour went so I turned onto the sidewalk, rather than crossing Lee Highway to ride with traffic (I thought I might miss the detour back to the trail if I did that). However, I did not see another detour sign for the rest of my journey and I ended up taking a combination of the Lee Highway sidewalk and salmoning down the bike lane (which lasts two whole blocks) until I rejoined the Custis where Lee Highway crosses I-66 again just before Roslyn.

There were many other befuddled cyclists wandering through the corridor in both directions.

Many of us who travel through this area are not familiar with North Arlington and can’t make up detours in our heads, so some signage would be great.

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

Inspired by this thread, I just asked our Benefits Department if they would consider offering the Bike Benefit. Here is the reply I got:

“This was reviewed recently and participation in this option of the program would be low and management feels that the administrative costs are too high for such low participation rates. However, since the plan is reviewed periodically, there may be a chance that this option may be included sometime in the future.”

Oh well, I tried.

Liz

[eminva]

Thanks for posting, Tom and Arlingtonrider. I haven’t ever really done a group ride, but I was despairing of being up to the task given the reports posted here by some of the faster cyclists (compared to me, anyway).

Weekends tend to be nuts at our house, but I hope to be able to work in the Arlington Loop ride and Shirlington lunch some weekend. And I will definitely do all I can to support any FABB rides out in my neck of the woods.

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

You worked pink into it! Guess Pete is getting to you.

Nicely done. Allez Tim!

Liz

[eminva]

I took the day off today and it is seriously snowing out here in Vienna and at this point, it is sticking. The forecast calls for weather into the 50s tomorrow, so alas, I guess it’s not yet time to play with my new toy (studded tires on the mountain bike).

Liz

[eminva]

I concur that americancyclo’s proposed route is safer and more pleasant. The only change I would make would be at the very end, to turn right, instead of left, on Old Courthouse Road, and then left on Gallows to get over to the mall (rather than negotiate an exit ramp on Rte 123 to Rte 7).

I don’t doubt your riding abilities, but motorists here are not as used to having cyclists taking the lane on these major state highways out in the suburbs. In downtown DC it’s another story, but out in the suburbs they aren’t expecting you and that could mean danger.

Good luck!

Liz

[eminva]

@DaveK 12752 wrote:

Not that I know of, I have to fill out a dead tree form to switch my benefits each time and submit it to HR.

You must not — you would know. There is a website you use to make any changes. Our company also uses it to administer the Health Care FSA.

Liz

[eminva]

@DaveK 12712 wrote:

If I could get half and half or some combination it would be better. With the new SmartBenefits rules I now won’t get a bike benefit at all… what I used to do was claim my transit benefit for a couple of months, let the excess build up in my account for emergencies, then switch to the bike benefit for the rest of the year. Now, since they reset the SmartBenefits amount every month, if I want a transit benefit at all I have to forgo the bike benefit. It’s idiotic.

Dave, does your employer use WageWorks? If so, my colleagues and I have discovered a loophole to get around the monthly reset. It’s kind of complicated, but I can explain it if anyone is interested.

My problem is that my employer doesn’t offer the bike benefit. I know it is on the menu of services WageWorks offers based on info I’ve found elsewhere on the WageWorks site. I would ask about it, but I doubt I’d use it because my cost of public transportation even 20% of the time swamps the $20 bicycle benefit.

Liz

[eminva]

@Joe Chapline 12715 wrote:

This raised a couple of questions in my mind:

1) Is present bike technology “geared” (no pun intended) toward people that enjoy working on bikes, as well as riding them?
2) If that’s the case, does that exclude a lot of women from the pool of potential riders?

Excellent questions, and for my part, I would answer both with “yes”.

Like Joe, I don’t have a special interest in bicycle mechanics. I have learned as much as I can just to do my own minor trouble shooting and to be more conversant with mechanics at bike shops. My impression is that mechanics enjoy talking with cyclists who are knowledgeable and maintain their bikes carefully and I feel less condescended to than at the beginning, when I knew next to nothing.

It appears to be a slippery slope because as I get more knowledgeable, I get more demanding and I find sometimes work is not done to my satisfaction. However, I’m not good enough to do it myself. Also, as Joe points out, it is inconvenient to have to go to the shop for minor adjustments. For this reason, I’m thinking of attempting to expand my range of novice mechanical skills.

Having said that, I ride a road bike under a variety of conditions. Another woman with a simpler bike who only rides in good weather might not have these problems.

In response to americancyclo — unless she lives where there aren’t hills, I would expect a novice woman would want gears for ease of riding. That would probably trump ease of maintenance, unless she is already super fit.

Liz

[Author]

Replies