[Geoff]

@TwoWheelsDC 82453 wrote:

Took the bus and felt no shame…I have plenty of Rule 5/9 cred.

Same here – only I took a Metro train.
Whether to ride or take an alternative in weather like this is a personal decision based on length of commute, how you feel, what else you have going on that day, options available, and… and…

But lemme ask a question. I avoid riding in heavy rain if possible, but I’m ready for it if caught. But thunderstorms: I don’t like the options of (1) continuing while sitting on a lightning rod, vs. (2) hunkering down under a bridge for an unknown period.

What do people do about thunderstorms?

[Geoff]

@cvcalhoun 82183 wrote:

I was told by a physical therapist, back when I had some serious knee problems, that bicycling actually helps cranky, arthritic knees. The trick is to gear down and then pedal faster. That way, you don’t put the pressure on the knees that you’d have with jerkier pedaling, and you exercise the muscles that help to keep the kneecap in place.

This makes sense to me. My knees no longer permit me to run but biking is no problem. My own cadence is generally between 80 and 90. Particularly on the hills, take full advantage of your gears so you can keep the cadence up. (I confess that on a hill my cadence may drop to around 70.) It is possible to get a good workout on a hill without straining your knees.

[Geoff]

@lordofthemark 82028 wrote:

not to go too far off topic, but could we have a sticky or something with geographic nicknames explained, like trollheim? I know we have a forum dictionary but its mostly about things cyclists and others do, not places.

I’ve been mulling this over for some time but am unlikely to do anything with it. Maybe a group effort could get off the ground.

The Custis seems to have most of the interesting names though I’m not sure how well accepted they are. Some that come to mind:
The Rosslyn Luge: the long east-bound downhill into Rosslyn, with the wall to your right.
The Moguls: the stretch just west of the Luge with the wave-like bumps
Intersection of Doom: Lynn and US29 (What is that, Lee?) in Rosslyn
Bridge to Nowhere: haven’t figured this one out
Tunnel of Love: Haven’t figured this one out
Sister Hills: a pair of short, steep hills at… sorry, need help with a landmark…

It might also be fun to do a map, maybe with Google Maps or Ride with GPS, marking these.

[Geoff]

@kcb203 81354 wrote:

How do these bike counters work?

The same way all of today’s gadgets work. Elves.

[Geoff]

@mstone 81876 wrote:

I hope you let him know at the time…the best way to improve behavior is to de-normalize it, and people need social cues for that to happen.

Part of the value of this forum (for me) is establishing norms for various situations. I have changed some of my behavior based on discussions here.

On the other hand, getting other people to change is ticklish. I’ve growled at people for blocking the trail… and sometimes they growl right back and completely miss the point. Sometimes people have growled at me, and sometimes I thought they were being prigs. We all see ourselves on the side of the angels.

[Geoff]

@Steve O 81644 wrote:

From what I have learned, the lights are ArlCo’s to maintain, but the bridge is VDOT’s. They won’t let us touch their bridge without their permission. Their permission requires some sort of engineering study.

Fascinating. An engineering study is needed to change a light bulb.

Granted it may be more that the light bulb in this case but still, even if it is just the bulb, sounds like a study is needed.

[Geoff]

@rpiretti 81610 wrote:

This thread seems to increase post counts every spring. Coincidence?

@hozn 81613 wrote:

I assume not at all. There are more riders in the spring, so more “whining” seems natural.

Plus, we have all suddenly stopped fretting about ice on the MUPs and need something else to grouse about.

[Geoff]

@ShawnoftheDread 81309 wrote:

Are you sure he didn’t call it?

No, I can’t be sure he didn’t call it. To be honest, I’m not always sure I call out my own passes loud enough to be heard.

[Geoff]

Situation #1
Me: heading west on Custis, just starting up the first of the Sister Hills.
You: Blasted right past me.

I was impressed! Not many people can climb at that speed. But you might have called the pass.

Situation #2, seconds after #1
Me: Digging in, really starting to work.
You: Tried to pass, pulled alongside, couldn’t quite do it. Muttered something at me about “You shouldn’t speed up when someone is passing.”

I had to think about this. I was doing what I always do at that point, attack the hill for all I’m worth. If he thought he could pass and couldn’t pull it off, I figured that was his concern. But I can see that (a) he probably thought I was being a prideful jerk who simply didn’t want to let him by, and (b) the situation was potentially unsafe. Side by side on a hill? What if someone flying down towards us had come a little too close to our lane? Results would have been ugly. Should I have backed down? Should he have backed down (sooner)? Don’t know.

[Geoff]

I’m happier when I ride regularly. My wife notices.
I’m happier when I am riding.
I’ll be sixty this summer. My resting heart rate is 50, my cholesterol, blood pressure, and waistline are all low. Getting older is mandatory, aging is optional.
I save money on Metro fares. Which I spend on bike stuff.
It’s training for century rides, which I do because I’m happier when I’m riding.

Sometimes I wonder how I can be a serious professional if I’m riding a bike to work. Then I shake my head and go for a ride.

[Geoff]

@dkel 81070 wrote:

I can spin seated and get up the hills, but it takes a little longer, and doesn’t max my heart rate

Staying seated doesn’t mean you can’t work. I usually stay seated but choose a gear where I am working very hard to maintain my normal cadence of 80-90. My thighs burn and my heart rate is maxed (I use a heart rate monitor regularly, but not on the commute.) As I said previously, I pass people on hills who pass me on level ground.

Aside from recruiting different muscles when standing vs. sitting, I suspect the physiology of slow cadence is different from that of fast cadence. Understand, I have no special training in medicine or physiology. But I expect that slow hard strokes are hard on the knees. Slow cadence is probably a “sprint” activity that produces a different training effect from high cadence, like weightlifting few reps with heavy weights as opposed to many reps with light weights.

[Geoff]

@PeteD 81047 wrote:

Advice from a former pro was that on long climbs get out of the saddle from time to time to give the muscle group worked by sitting and climbing some time to recover and let the other muscle group do more of the work (i.e. rotating the load through your quads / hamstrings / glutes). And then on real long climbs, its a way to get the blood flowing in your nether-regions.

Understood. Sometimes on a long ride I’ll stand up on level ground just for a change. Similar to changing hand position.

[Geoff]

@vvill 81027 wrote:

Riding SS/FG also means you often have to get out of the saddle just to keep the cadence up!

Ah, you disciples of the Cult of the Fixed Gear… a mysterious culture with your own ways. Not my place to judge!

[Geoff]

@vvill 81006 wrote:

… I’d rather get out of the saddle and crest the hill instead of spending an extra 30-60 seconds climbing slowly in the saddle.

If I may make an observation… I rarely get out of the saddle, but I pass a lot of people who do. I think most people would do better to use their lower gears and keep their cadence up. An awful lot of people seem to be using the same gear they use on the flats, standing up, laboring away with a cadence of maybe 30.

There are also people who are standing up and blast past me. I’m not talking to you, you don’t need my advice.

[Geoff]

Windy!
Other than that, a great day for a ride.

[Author]

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