[GovernorSilver]

@Birru 158258 wrote:

You are clearly a very smart and attractive person. I’ve got a ’17 Renegade. 😎

A very smart and attractive person sold it to me. That I can say at least. 😎

[GovernorSilver]

@Birru 158238 wrote:

IMO if you’ve been riding the same bike for a while you’ll know if you have a flat. A flat in the rear feels sort of like your rear tire is in mud, robbed of a little power and tracking a little squirrely. The numbers you mentioned also need some context. Are these narrow 23c tires on a heavy bike? 70psi sounds low but not flat so there may be a lot of visible sidewall deflection, but that depends on bike/rider/load weight. On 32c tires 70psi sounds like plenty for most people.

You might as well inspect the tire for any obvious signs of a puncture or tear. Since you made it to your destination, also check the tire again at the end of the day for any changes in pressure. Even better: buy up a tire gauge and measure.

I’ve been riding this bike (Jamis Renegade) intermittently for about a year. Rode it on the C&O last fall, then barely rode it until this past March. Jamis calls it an adventure road bike – a bit heavier than a road racer but lighter than a touring bike.

I still have the stock tires on it – 35c Clement X’plors. I’ll check for signs of puncture/tear this evening and pump them a bit more, assuming the pump here at work fits Presta valves. Thanks!

[GovernorSilver]

“Hey! Hey you! You’re running a flat on your rear wheel! Just letting you know!”

I have yet to experience my first flat tire as a bike commuter. I looked down at my rear wheel several times but can’t really tell if it’s flat. When I’m stopped, the wheel is not sitting on the rim. I tried squeezing both tires with my fingers and they feel the same.

Before my ride I pumped both tires to 70 psi, within the 55-90 range printed on the tires.

The suggestion I might be riding a flat tire messed with my head. I rode through the Potomac Yards parking lot and sidewalk along Rt. 1 instead of my usual Potomac Ave route – just drained of confidence to take on the headwind while riding with car traffic. Rode down the bit of gravel/dirt from E. Glebe to the Target parking lot – didn’t feel any different than riding the C&O Gap Trail.

[GovernorSilver]

@CaseyKane50 157788 wrote:

A long delayed project to improve the security around the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria has closed eastbound Jamieson Avenue from Mill Street to Courthouse Square. A detour is in place, directing vehicles to turn right onto Mill Road and then proceeding to a left onto Eisenhower Avenue.

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Westbound traffic will still be able to use Jamieson, but jersey barriers have been installed that narrows the roadway. Bike riders will definitely want to take the lane in this section.

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I should have checked this thread Monday morning. The Jamieson closure took me by surprise. I reacted by salmoning.

Tuesday morning I rode the Eisenhower sidewalk to Elizabeth Ln, usedthe beg button to force a break in the constant stream of morning rush hour traffic.

I normally ride the sidewalk after crossing the Huntington-Eisenhower bridge until I find a break in the traffic, then cross Eisenhower to get to Jamieson, then take the alley by Whole Foods to get to Duke.

[GovernorSilver]

@Emm 157726 wrote:

The spring season is not my friend so far. I went all freezing saddles not loosing my gloves, shoe covers, or other winter gear. This week I lost 2 gloves somewhere in my house, and then forgot one at work Tuesday (I switched from full finger to half gloves between AM and PM commutes). No worries I figured, I just wore a mismatched full finger pair the Wednesday morning, and thought I’d pick up my second nicer glove at the office when I got there. Not only did I STILL forget my second glove at the office last night, I also left my shoe covers under my desk which led to some seriously numb toes this AM. I spent most of this morning’s ride just telling myself “at least your not driving at least your not driving…” over and over again in an effort to keep my mood positive and ignore my cold feet.

On a positive note, Saturday looks lovely, so I’m really looking forward to a nice warm ride then!

If it makes you feel better, the first time I tried to use my balaclava, I wasted 10-15 searching for it, then rode to work thinking that I lost it. My anger at myself compensated for my ears getting cold. When I got into the locker room to take a shower, I realized I had the balaclava around my neck the whole time!

On another note, next time I ride in sub 35 F weather, I should try covering my nose/mouth with the balaclava. The congestion in my nose building up so that I can’t breathe through it, and only through the mouth, is a nasty feeling.

[GovernorSilver]

@ginacico 157721 wrote:

Hey, that’s my commute!

Did you lock up in the garage? Riding the helix down to P1 (and back up) is one of my favorite parts.

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The Yellow line is my backup, and it’s really not bad going into the city.

No, I just locked up on one of the racks on M St. Got a bit lost riding to Mt. Vernon Metro, mostly taking L St but missing a turn to get back onto M St. Traffic wasn’t too bad at that time of night (around 9 pm), even with a parked car blocking the L St. bike lane.

[GovernorSilver]

Rode from Crystal City to National Geographic to watch a documentary – up MVT to 15th, etc.. Not a single cyclist was going in my direction. I was surprised at the time, but now that I think about it, the Yellow Line is a decent ride from Crystal City to stations north. Going south is the PITA direction due to Safetrack.

Only bummers on the ride was discovering I couldn’t cut in front of the White House to get to 17th. Lots of stuff fenced off, increasing the density of pedestrian traffic.

[GovernorSilver]

Lesson learned: Check the weather report for wind conditions before riding on Potomac Ave. The wind blew me off the road onto the grass a couple of times. The motorist behind me was reluctant to pass me because the wind was making me swerve on and off the road. Should have ridden on Mt. Vernon Trail or Commonwealth Ave to get to Crystal City.

I found the hidden “Fitness Cluster” park which I’d passed numerous times in the evenings while riding our beloved Behind The Buildings route. I knew there was some kind of park there but didn’t know about the rings, pullup bars, etc. I took a pic but this guy’s review video is much more thorough:

[GovernorSilver]

@Judd 149284 wrote:

You’re missing out. All the cool kids have their coffee at a coffee club. See you at Best Buns tomorrow unless you want to be a square.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wanted to be a cool kid but by the time I gave up looking for the balaclava you cool kids would been long gone: 8:20 AM.

[GovernorSilver]

Was about 34F or whatever so I finally took my balaclava out of its wrapper. Later after mounting my pannier and water bottle, I wasted some time searching for the now-missing balaclava. Finally, I gave up and put up with my ears subjected to the chilly breeze.

After I parked and locked my bike, I realized the balaclava was around my neck the whole time. Damn, I’m so smart!

[GovernorSilver]

@CaseyKane50 149111 wrote:

I was part of the group of six cyclists. We were riding from Alexandria, headed to the Anacostia River Trail. As you can see from the video, the driver had turned into the wrong lane. Our lead rider was looking to the left and was not expecting a car from the right. Fortunately, one of our riders called out in time time for the lead rider to stop.

[video=youtube_share;oGE3mLTIzsE]https://youtu.be/oGE3mLTIzsE[/video]

I’m guessing the driver hadn’t had coffee yet.

Nice to finally meet you, even if it was in passing. 😎

[GovernorSilver]

@ursus 149097 wrote:

At about 8:45 this morning, I was on the sidewalk on the east side of Ohio Drive heading from the Waterfront to Haines Point. When I got to the crosswalk that allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross Ohio Drive and go past the Jefferson Memorial, I saw an unusual sight. There was a car stopped in the crosswalk on the wrong side of Ohio Drive (westbound lane heading eastward) and a cyclist who had apparently swerved to miss him not expecting a car in the wrong part of Ohio Drive. Several other cyclists had caught up to him behind him so I saw no need to get involved.

Whoa, I saw the same thing!

It was the same group of cyclists that rode in a little pace line and passed me on 14th St. Bridge earlier. Almost all of them were polite and friendly as they signaled their passes and greeted me in passing.

[GovernorSilver]

I stripped the screw on my Spurcycle bell, after it started getting loose and I tried various Y-wrenches on it at VeloCity Bike Coop.

I was able to order a replacement screw and matching hex wrench from Spurcycle for $4 total – no shipping charge. They shipped fast too.

[GovernorSilver]

I could go for a winter jersey

[GovernorSilver]

@consularrider 148103 wrote:

Our group was behind and orange ELF on the C&O Canal Towpath mid-day. Its driver was much better behaved than many of the cyclists and almost all of the pedestrians.

What a coincidence! I was also on the C&O that day, riding with NOVA-CBG. We saw an orange ELF parked off trail, appeared to be stopped by a Park Policeman on horse. It would have been around 1-2 pm.

[Author]

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