[eminva]

Looks like they are starting to demo the old bridge (as of this a.m.).

Liz

[eminva]

Freaky coincidence!

I was passed by a woman on an ebike on the Custis Trail this morning. She passed me right after the S Curve of Death, and I did later catch up with her at the light by the Key Bridge Marriott, but I would have had to shoal a whole bunch of people to get a closer look at the bike or ask her about it.

I see Mark’s point — but as Greenbelt points out, in the wrong hands, this could go very wrong. I’ll hope for the best.

Liz

[eminva]

At risk of venturing an opinion on a topic about which I know very little (so what else is new on the Internet!):

I don’t see too many eBikes in DC — just the occasional messenger or delivery person. I’ve seen more of them in Manhattan — again, usually delivery people.

Have not seen this, but I have heard of people putting a small motor on a cargo bike — especially helpful for when a mom is carrying a couple of kids plus gear and groceries and lives in a hilly place. I wouldn’t have a problem with this application because a family on a bike, even with a small motor, is preferable to a family in an SUV in my estimation.

My brother in law built his own eBike — he lives close to work, but home is at the bottom of a big hill and work is at the top. Plus he is an engineer/gadget guy who likes to make stuff.

As others have said, they are not allowed on the local trails. I think that’s a good call considering how congested the trails are already.

Liz

[eminva]

Well then, congratulations and good luck! New toy!

Are you planning to do the whole C&O? My husband and a friend are going to do it in October, and if it goes well, they may repeat it with the families in a future year.

Liz

[eminva]

Hi Ann —

I am just a wannabe mountain bike enthusiast, but I’m married to one and the sister of one. My brother swears that one needs a full suspension mountain bike after the age of 40. My husband disagrees and he is well north of 40.

Not saying anyone is over 40, just putting that out there for information.

Having said that, I would probably look at other bikes, too, if I had my heart set on a new mountain bike. I don’t know of any specific brands or models. Talk to the sales staff at various bike shops and tell them how you would like to use the bike and your budget. Consider where it fits in your stable of bikes. In other words, can this bike to just serve a single function, or does it also have to take you to pick up groceries, etc. If it is just for mountain biking, than that helps narrow the choices.

Didn’t CCrew just have a mountain bike for sale?

Liz

[eminva]

Another useful thread — when I bought my commuter two and a half years ago, fenders were on my wish list, but the salesman told me they wouldn’t fit on the bike I wanted to buy. It is a road bike with limited clearance. Would those SKS Raceblades possibly work?

He also said the rack would work as a rear fender, which has helped me avoid the mud stripe up the back, but I’m also concerned about getting the drivetrain dirty, thus requiring more frequent cleaning and maintenance.

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

Thanks — this has been a really informative thread. I knew I needed an adjustment because my knee was yelling at me recently on a long ride. Prompted by these posts, I checked the cleats this morning and one of them must have slipped — it was in a completely different position than I remember putting it. So I guess you should turn your shoes over once in a while to make sure they are okay.

So, how do you avoid cleats slipping? Put them on tighter?

Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

You can bring your bike inside and practice in a doorway a few times until you get the hang of it. They say you should start off on grass to cushion your fall, but not all styles of bikes are conducive to that.

Good luck.

Liz

[eminva]

Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but you specified a commuter — which means you will likely be away from it for 8+ hours — you should make sure you have a secure parking facility and a good lock if you are spending big bucks on a bike. If you have to leave it at the public rack on K Street, get something that would not be thief bait. I see a lot of old 10 speeds along there.

We have a secure bike cage at our building and I notice everything from soup to nuts there — cheap hybrids to fancy road bikes. I think it’s pretty secure, but one of my fellow commuters told me a bike had been stolen from there so even secure facilities have their limitations.

Liz

[eminva]

@JeffC 4685 wrote:

Oh to have a bike only trail (like in Davis, CA or Boulder, CO).

In contrast, the W&OD is not as heavily populated with pedestrians and the Mt. Vernon tends to have more of the professional jogger types who know mostly to stick far right and not go double abreast and there are not lots of houses on the stretches I use.

Or those darned European cities.

I don’t have your good luck on the W&OD, however. I find lots of pedestrians and cyclists of all skill/wisdom levels.

And if you come in on the really late shift, like I do from time to time, you meet up with the kids from PE class from the local middle school taking a jog (well, some of them anyway) right where the W&OD and Custis meet. Had one dramatically fall out right in front of my front wheel a few months ago, sending me off the side of the trail to avoid running over him.

Liz

[eminva]

Okay, some of you have engineering or technical backgrounds while I have the total opposite, but wouldn’t the normal procedure be to put in the drainage pipes first and then the pavement??

I have a friend who lives near the bridge who told me a long time ago (if I’m remembering correctly) that the original plan was to divert the W&OD trail permanently to Idylwood and the bridge would not be replaced, so I guess this is a far better outcome, even if imperfect.

Liz

[eminva]

Hello Jeff —

I take the same route through the streets of North Arlington that CCrew mentioned when I have local business. I often find excuses for stops along the way home on the really congested days so I can avoid the Custis Trail. Those are major streets but they move pretty well.

If you want to avoid the Custis in its entirety, you can pick up the Bluemont Junction Trail at Glebe and Fairfax (which takes you to W&OD), but that is just as thick with pedestrians, if not more so.

Take a look at the Arlington County bike map, maybe you can find something on the surface streets. Ask Tim Kelley for one if you don’t have it yet!

Liz

[eminva]

Hi — I’m sorry to hear about your troubles. I am not clear based on this post and your other post — you say the shifters are shot — are you trying to repair this bike so it will ber serviceable, or are you thinking about getting a different bike altogether? If you still want to try to fix this one up, I would second Mark’s recommendation for Phoenix bikes or one of the other coops. This would probably be the most cost effective approach while also giving you the opportunity to learn more about bike repair and maintenance, which I think you were trying to do with this project.

If you want a different bike altogether, something that would be faster, I would suggest a road bike too, but maybe not from Craig’s List until your bike knowledge is comprehensive enough that you can spot any problems before buying the bike. There are places to buy reliable used bikes, let us know if that’s what you want and I’m sure we can make some suggestions.

Liz

[eminva]

Did they at least put up a fence to keep anyone who misjudged it from going over the Edge of the Abyss (and down to the beltway below)? I was planning to ride in today, but am sick instead, so I didn’t see it myself.

Sounds lovely.

Liz

[eminva]

According to FABB, it will be open tomorrow!

http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-w-trail-bridge-over-beltway-to-open.html

And it will be a dogleg:

http://virginiahotlanes.com/documents/ped/W-OD%20Trail.pdf

Admittedly did not go through there today, but as of yesterday afternoon there was a rather steep drop off down to the beltway below on the approaches on both sides — and no fence. No agoraphobics allowed!

Liz

[Author]

Posts