[fongfong]

Sorry for the double post, but gosh Arlington County, there people are serial abusers. Break out a few fines and they will get moving. 2 weeks without any pavement there seems something that warrants actual penalties.

[fongfong]

They are at it again. Now, the final 100 yards of sidewalk have been removed as you head toward the bike trail, forcing cyclists into the street AT THE ENTRANCE TO I66. Not that cars are accelerating here in any way to get up to highway speed. I appreciate that they are going to replace the sidewalk, at some point, but leaving it as loose soil that cannot be ridden on just ain’t right.

I’m not even complaining that the future protected bike path is not yet finished and is an obstacle course.

So Arlington County, is there a particular reason that these serial offenders are not being monitored.

[fongfong]

Nice. Give me back those pitchforks and torches.

[fongfong]

Just did. Looking at the Bikeshare map, I see a fairly huge gap in stations around this area, particularly since several new office buildings have been built or are being built in the vicinity.

[fongfong]

Just reading this, and I am shocked and surprised by the lack of support from the posters here. It is all well and good to take the position that you know best about whether or not a policy is workable, and especially appropriate to be mindful of the functioning of the Metro system. But to conclude that a blanket ban on bikes during rush hour is appropriate on all trains and at all times is completely counterproductive to providing better bike access in the DC area.

I’d be interested in the biggest critics explaining exactly what is wrong with the BART policy. BART tested whether and how this policy would work over a one year period, and determined that there was plenty of excess capacity to permit bikes on trains. This is their policy:

BART Trains

Please observe all bike rules if you plan on taking a bike on a train. Although bikes are allowed on all trains at all times, there are some important exceptions:

Bikes are never allowed on crowded cars (there must be enough room to comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle)
Bikes are never allowed on the first car of any train
Bikes are not allowed in the first three cars during commute hours (7:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:30 to 6:30 PM)
Bikes are not allowed on escalators. Bicyclists must yield to other passengers and not block aisles or doors. If you are taking your bike on BART, it’s your responsibility to know and follow all bike rules–please read them.

They have now allowed bikes on BART for a year and a half. I have heard of no complaints about it. If the doubters wish to show me how the policy is a failure, I’d love to see it. The BART policy appears to want to treat cyclists like adults, something that those who would want no changes tends not to want to do. I personally want to be treated as if I can follow those above rules. It smacks me as elitism to take the position that others cannot be held to that same standard of using their best judgment in this regard.

One last point. I want my 7 year old son to ride his bike more often. He goes to school 6 miles from our home, and some says he can ride to school, but would have a tough time riding both ways. Letting him and me ride part way, and take the Metro the rest of the way would be great, but some here think not.

[fongfong]

Bob, perhaps a kind word about trailers would rehabilitate my reputation.

[fongfong]

I just got through this thread, and wow. What seems most interesting to me is that virtually every runner who decides to run in a bike lane knows very well they are creating risks for cyclists. And they just don’t care. And they are fully prepared to get into an argument with you since they likely get admonished every time they do it. And they know the law is not on their side. And they have more than plenty of other routes they can take since they are not actually running anywhere for transportation – I’ve never seen those running with backpacks in the bike lane.

So when I read the staunch defense of bike lane running and that sidewalks stink, the fact remains that there are other places to run. Bike lane runners are the fitness equivalents of Range Rover drivers, with an inflated sense of their own importance. Perhaps I am not as zen as many on this list. Sorry, but when a ped, or cyclist, or driver, I find it helpful and considerate to others to follow the rules. I await a post from a runner that makes the case that they actually do give a darn about others.

[fongfong]

Late to this party.

If you want to join AAA, you are forced to join AAA mid-Atlantic. Each AAA chapter is different, and each one sets their own policies for things like local lobbying and bike service. Yes, if you are a member of AAA NY and you break down elsewhere, they will help you out with roadside assistance, but do not mistake the local chapters for one another. And the national organization has its own policy arm. Here is the list of the spokespeople for each chapter: http://newsroom.aaa.com/for-media/local-media-contacts/

So for me, the bottom line is that I would never give a penny to AAA mid-Atlantic until they stop with their anti-bike rhetoric. Getting rid of Townsend would also be required. That, and provide assistance to cyclists. But until they do this, they can pound sand.

I once asked the other spokesperson to name for me one bike lane project in DC that AAA supported. This was at last year’s National Night Out where AAA shows up at the local DC police station. It took him a long time to answer, and he said he supports cyclists etc. But could he name one bike lane? Finally, he mentioned that AAA supported the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lane. I thought this rich since they opposed the first several iterations of the lane and protested its very existence.

[fongfong]

Good news. You can take mostly bike lanes all the way from the Key Bridge to the complex. Local folks recently fought for and got DDOT to install bike lanes on New Mexico Avenue, over the objections of many who live in the area. Enjoy your new commute.

[fongfong]

When I went to the Philly Bike Expo, I bought 2 pairs of these Bar-Mits things – one for my Xtracycle and one for my commuting bike: http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Mitts-Handlebar-Shifters-Internally/dp/B00380H7QE/ref=pd_sim_sg_2 Best things ever in world history. No need for lobster gloves any more. So now I need only worry about other extremities.

For the drop bars this forces you to keep your hands on the hoods for the duration of the ride, so if you like moving your hands around these might not be for you. They are also a bit warmer than those for my straight bars being that they are less airy.

More info here: http://www.pogies.com/install.php

[fongfong]

Sad to say, bad behavior is not just for car drivers. Most cyclists are also drivers, and the “me first” attitude is something hard to drop. Coming up the WO&D from the Key Bridge one day alone, I was startled to find a big lumox on my tail, who had sprinted to catch up with me and then just hung back there. When I waived him through and then said it was bad manners to draft without warning, he actually wanted to fight with me. So we danced back and forth crossing the 66 bridge, with him yelling how he was gonna beat my a–, etc. and so forth.

It seems to me that the sense of entitlement one comes to believe is god given for car drivers can easily carry over to cyclists.

When it comes to passing someone on the bike lane, I really like to avoid the Cat 6 racing that often ensues as I pass someone that has been going slower. Half the time, the person takes it as a personal affront to their manhood (yes, this only happens with men), and the race is on. I dislike having a perfect stranger on my wheel since I have no earthly idea if they know anything about proper drafting technique. So now I have taken to only passing folks when I am sure I will put some distance between me and them.

[fongfong]

My 4 year old and I are I Go lovers and have had the same problem with the same size seatpost. The solution is a lot of trial and error of putting just enough clear plastic packing tape on the seat post so you can just slide the plastic bushing and the metal over it. It will never be completely wackle free because of the need for it to turn. Agree, there should be a bushing that fits this seatpost perfectly, but there just isn’t.

[fongfong]

Me: Old yet remarkably well preserved rider heading up the Custis Trail from key bridge toward my job in Ballston.

You: super-cool guy brandishing a whistle and not afraid to use it bombing down the wrong way on the one way street part of Lee Highway 29 on the other side of the concrete divider and then bombing back onto the sidewalk, narrowly missing …. well everyone and making sure that everyone knows you are coming at 25 mph. You look and sound like a cross between an English traffic policeman, the guy hailing cabs in front of the Four Seasons and that Flying Tomato guy.

We get it. You are a man not to be trifled with. And it excites us when you fly by, but only more so because of the whistling.

[fongfong]

Thanks Admin for contacting the engineer. But while honest, his response suggested he really has no actual plan on when this might occur. I must say also, I don’t really understand the connection between repaving operations and painting operations. And if the two are connected, this suggests there will never be the proper painting done of this stretch, since there will be no repaving. Can we ask again for a schedule? Or, even better, provide an email where we can actually ask a real person about the the plan? Once we hear that, we can then take that up the food chain and perhaps have others made aware of the need for better markings. I certainly respect there is an order for things getting done, but I’m also well aware that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. (that’s a pun since this is a bike related forum, hah)

Re sharrow locations. At least on the G Mason stretch, the sharrrows are accompanied by a sign that says Bike May Use Full Lane. Clearly, that would mean the sharrows should be painted in the middle of the lane. Sharrows indicate sharing of lanes, so it would seem fairly apparent where the painting should take place.

[fongfong]

Chris, Is there anybody from the County I can annoy to find out when this is scheduled?

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