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@jrenaut 115697 wrote:

My fixed gear is a very different fit than my regular commuter – the seat is higher relative to the bars, and it ends up putting much more of my weight forward on my hands, and it’s sometimes a little uncomfortable.

Are there techniques for getting used to the more aggressive position? I already try to follow Dirt’s advice to wiggle fingers and toes on longer rides before they start to hurt.

When I struggled with this last year and had hand/wrist/elbow pain, the guy doing my bike fitting flipped my stem, making the bike a little more aggressive. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it forced me to actually engage my abs, vs putting so much weight on the hands/wrists. It helped alot. As did doing sit ups 2-3 times a week (kinda hard to engage your abdominal muscles when you have none…). Wrist/arm/elbow pain is gone.

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@jrenaut 115733 wrote:

I think it’s worth going. The Mayor might be there, and she’s sure to give a really patronizing speech about her dedication to safe cycling infrastructure. From behind the podium where she’ll speak, she’ll be able to see the spot on PA Ave where I was hit by a cabbie making a u-turn. It’s one of the blocks that, after all these years, still doesn’t have anything but paint surrounding the cycletracks.

And the weather last year wasn’t awful, it was invigorating.

That was the least motivating reply possible, especially since it’d be my first time on the PA cycletrack .

And I agree. Last year’s weather was so awesome the people at the Rosslyn pit stop offered me 2-3 bags of swag just to get rid of it. I wish that’d happen again. I used that backpack all the time…until it got stolen by my mother, who is now proudly sporting her stolen Bike Arlington bag in Detroit.

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@CaseyKane50 115710 wrote:

For those still dreaming of a jersey, as of 6:45 am this morning, 89 riders were still eligible.

A jersey will be MINE! They said as long as the 89 people show up Thurs and Fri, we’ll get the jersey at a happy hour sometime in early June. I just hope I can select my size. The last thing I need is a mens size L jersey…

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@Tim Kelley 115635 wrote:

I’ve heard that some people prefer bibs because the waist band doesn’t cut into their tummy as much?? I’m on the thinner side so I don’t mind either way.

I think this is only available for women, but bontrager makes shorts with a yoga waistband. They are actually just as comfortable for me as bibs are since the waistband design prevents rolling/cutting in. Plus as a woman, they only JUST started making bathroom friendly bibs (aka ones that you don’t need to strip naked to use the restroom), and I haven’t decided if I need new bibs quite yet.

I wear the above bontrager shorts for my work commute. I just wear a long, slightly baggier shirt with it. I definitely feel inappropriate wearing the shorts in the office so I get out quickly after I change.

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They told me today that 108 people checked in yesterday. Now if only 8 of them drop off I can win a free jersey! Yay. Ideally none would drop off due to gallbladder pain though. Sorry Terpfan

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Not sure if this works for steel, but when I crashed my aluminum hybrid a few yrs back the bike shop told me to put some clear or colored nail polish over the spots to inhibit rust. I did, and the spots never showed any signs of rust. This bike got run through all sorts of wet conditions too–the chain and cassette was constantly battling rust since I am terrible about drying my bikes off after rainy rides. So unless you’re really concerned about the look of things, it seems clear or colored nail polish can be a very cheap, and workable alternative to expensive paint jobs.

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@Terpfan 115418 wrote:

So this starts tomorrow, right? I will drop by hoping there is a bagel there. And if I get my butt out of bed early enough, maybe some coffee too.

Yup, it started. I got my 25% of a bagel and some coffee, along with a bike arlington light (this one in white, so it actually matches my bike for once). The jersey they’re giving away this year is pretty cool, so I’m hoping I can make it there every day and win one.

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WHOA that’s a good deal. Even if I cant find a new saddle or jersey to use this on, I can buy $40 worth of tubes here using this groupon. Totally worth it.

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@rcannon100 115168 wrote:

Saturday starting 9.30 AWLA Walk for the Animals will be talking place in Bluemont Park in Arl, which is on 4MR and WOD

http://www.arlnow.com/2015/05/06/walk-for-the-animals-returns-on-saturday/

Well that answers the internal debate I’ve had since Monday– 50-60 mile bike ride early Saturday on the W&OD or attempt to finish building my garden that day (it’s an all day project at the minimum). I’ll just hope the weather is nice Sunday and I’ll ride my bike down the W&OD then…

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@MFC 114882 wrote:

Any idea if the Strava logging works? From what I read on the NBC website yesterday, its been buggy.

I worked for me a few weeks ago pretty consistently, but then I moved back to MMR for reasons I can’t remember. MMR was such a wreck last year I ended up logging things manually, but it seems pretty glitch-free over the last month of me playing with the NBC site.

You can use the fitnesssyncer.com site to automatically sync strava to MMR if Strava starts acting up too often. I sync the opposite way since MMR wont accept detailed GPS data from Strava, but for the sake of the challenge that shouldn’t be an issue since you just need miles and days.

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I think this bike in my work’s parking garage was trying to see how many spaces it could take up???

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8474[/ATTACH]

I fixed it for them. Not because I’m a jerk (well…kinda), but because they were blocking my lock, along with another persons. I’m assuming they’re new since I haven’t seen the bike before. Maybe they’ll get the hint by next week.

If nothing else, it was an amusing end to an overall pleasant morning commute.

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So the light timing between Maine Ave/Raul Wallenberg and the light in front of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is now AWESOME. I usually have to bike as fast as I can to cross Maine and go uphill on Raul Wallenberg so I can get to that intersection in time to cut over Raul Wallenberg (so I can be on east side of the street–this makes getting onto Jefferson Ave way easier than trying to cross at 15th/Jefferson). If I have anyone in front of me before crossing Maine I usually can’t make it before the light @ the Bureau turns red again.

Today I had 3 people in front of me so I ended up going a leisurely pace, and I actually had to slow down so I could wait for the light to turn green in front of the Bureau. That was awesome.

What wasn’t awesome was Jefferson Ave between 15th and 4th, but others have commented on that already…

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@Supermau 114773 wrote:

I used to enjoy the MVT when I began commuting last year. Now I dread it, unless it’s after dark or before sunrise. I think the last straw was late last summer when a pathlete in brown kit (I call him the UPS racer) passed me rather closely. I caught up to him a mile later because he’d stopped to stare at his iPhone IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PATH!

I’ve just given up trying to go fast during my commute, esp on my way home. Yes, it sucks to go way slower than I want to, but it’s just not safe to go really fast on the MVT. I’ll let someone else get in an accident, and I’ll just ride along and hope they don’t do something that causes my slow self to get hurt.

Same thing holds for weekend rides–even though the MVT has way less stop signs and street crossings, I stick to the W&OD since it’s typically wider and less crowded, especially as you get further out. It’s more conducive for riding fast. Plus the W&OD has Green Lizard Cycling, and I’m kinda in love with their smoothies…

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I just sent the invite out to my small federal agency @ HHS to join the challenge. We’ll see if anyone new joins.

If your an HHS-er, PLEASE add it as your workplace–I programmed the info in last year. I’m happy add your work location to the options if that helps. It’s kinda sad that the Department that’s all about health and wellness has such small workplace group on the NBC.

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So…do we think other manufacturers are going to join in on this? The 2013 Raleigh I just bought has disc brakes, and a quick release lever up front that works just like the ones Trek is recalling.

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