[GovernorSilver]

I don’t ride clipless so i’ll probably get LL Bean Storm Chasers or something of the sort if the thermal booties don’t do it for me this winter, but… just in case someone was in the market for these winter road cycling boots – $99, down from $225:

https://www.milltownsports.com/collections/45nrth/products/japanther-road-cycling-boot-3-bolt-black?variant=6808335553

[GovernorSilver]

@lordofthemark 146122 wrote:

I would not pay the premium for being really close to a metro station.

I think housing is still pretty cheap over by the Huntington metro station. I live next it. My mortgage payment is lower than some folks’ monthly apartment rent. Well, it’s definitely under $2000/month. 😎

To the OP, welcome to the forum.

[GovernorSilver]

Thanks.

Unfortunately my size is sold out.

[GovernorSilver]

How are these Defroster Trail shoes like for walking off the bike?

[GovernorSilver]

@accordioneur 145243 wrote:

There has been some mention in general terms of building core strength. Do any of you do specific strengthening exercises targeted towards cycling?

I do strength training exercises, but not specifically for cycling. However, there seems to be quite a bit of overlap between the exercises I practice and the exercises recommended for improving cycling power on various websites (Bicycling.com, the Map My Ride site, etc). Squats for example are consistently recommended and I practice the pistol squat. I do them because I have old low-back/hip injury and pistol squats seem to help relieve aches/pains associated with that injury. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises for the hips, and it also works just about all the muscles in the legs, and of course the glutes.

Another type of exercise they consistently recommend is core strengthening, but they differ on specific exercises. For my own core training, I’m working on the L-Sit progression, which starts with preparatory exercises for the Tuck Hold, then progresses from the Tuck Hold towards the full L-Sit. The load on the abs increases of course as one moves forward in this progression. Parallettes are ideal equipment for working on the L-Sit, as working on bare floor is more difficult due to the greater load on the hands and wrists. I found an exercise station along Potomac Ave. Trail that is ideal for parallette-based training but it may not be convenient for everyone to get to. I have a nice set of wooden parallettes at home but I’ve heard of folks using parallettes that they made out of PVC pipe. In the past, I’ve practiced other parallette exercises, under a program called “Parallettes One”, that I felt hit my core too, but I’m currently focused on achieving an L-Sit. I need to be able to do it, in order to move on to the next difficulty level in parallette or ring training.

There’s a lot less agreement among the various websites about what upper body exercises to do, or whether to do them at all, for improving cycling power. I’ve seen several articles omit them entirely, while a couple recommend some sort of pulling exercise, and one just says go ahead and do one pushing and one pulling exercise. Between my rings and parallettes, I’ve got all my upper body strength needs covered.

[GovernorSilver]

Ah, the art festival is coming up. I recall it was around the time of the festival last year that the police started cracking down on them law-breakin hooligan stop sign-runnin cyclists.

I might try Lee St. as an alternative to Union until the festival is over, unless I’m really feeling up for an adventure on Washington St.

[GovernorSilver]

@Emm 145255 wrote:

I’m surprised the number of recommendations to ride on Washington St during rush hour. That’s my route for driving to work, and I’m always shocked when there are cyclists on it with how aggressive many of the drivers are, and how tight the lanes are. You are all alot braver than I am!

The HOV lane is where you want to ride. No guarantees that scofflaw drivers (usually w/ MD plates, heh) won’t sneak into that lane, but they never stay in it long, because that’s where the buses tend to drive. Having to ride behind a bus kind of sucks but it keeps other motorists away because who wants to drive behind a bus?

Admittedly, the scariest part is the turn to Abingdon, because there’s only one lane to take from Washington St to Abingdon, and drivers think nothing of close-passing a cyclist there. OTOH, there’s a bit of a dip as you approach that turn to boost your speed – I can usually hit 25+ MPH on my 35 lb. 8-speed bike there, when I have just enough left in the tank after riding at the pace required to keep up with traffic. Rush hour traffic volume usually slows down motorists enough that a cyclist can ride at about 15 MPH – with occasional sprints at faster speeds – unless behind a bus .

The evening is a bit trickier. Coming off of the MVT, you want to cross Washington St. and ride on the southbound side of Abingdon St, which is less risky than immediately turning left onto Washington. I think after 6pm is when people start to park their cars on the rightmost lane. Parked cars discourage motorists from driving on that lane, so that’s the lane to use, though of course you have to watch out for potential dooring as you pass the parked cars.

[GovernorSilver]

Congrats on getting back on the saddle.

I’ve found the Jones Point Park->Union St. route faster than the Royal St. route. On paper it looks longer, but there is less car traffic, which means less mandatory stops at stop signs, and next no stop lights. There have been enough times when a cyclist was ahead of me – on the descent from Washington St. into the park – and chose to turn to Royal St. while I continued into the park towards Union St… then later I arrive at the fork where the two branches of the MVT reunite either ahead of him or at the same times, despite my considerably more relaxed riding pace.

For all out speed though, the fastest route is up Washington St. Best done while HOV is in effect of course. If you’re fast enough (I’m not!) you can take advantage of traffic lights turning green in a wave, and thus be in and out of Old Town in a flash. My colleague who is an aspiring racer loves this route, for this reason. I started riding it after I heard the cops were ticketing cyclists not stopping at stop signs on Union St, then stopped when the weather started getting hot. I’ll try it again when the weather gets colder – the pace is fast enough to warm you up in a hurry.

[GovernorSilver]

No practical need for a folding bike yet, but I’m kind of tempted by the 3-speed that’s left. Costs about as much as a fully-spec’d Brompton – maybe a bit less.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/greengear/pakit-city-bike-lightest-folding-bike-ever-fits-in

[GovernorSilver]

I’ve ridden in the rain with my Rudy Projects – including two of the heaviest storms we’ve had this year. Those of who went to a certain 3rd Thursday happy hour this summer probably rode home in the same downpour that I rode in (eg. worktheweb, SteveO). A cycling cap with visor really helps.

I’ve had them fog up on occasion, usually coming out of an air-conditioned environment into a hot and humid one. That happens to my regular glasses too.

I got them in the first place because they actually stay attached to my head no matter how much I sweat – the Maui Jims always slipped off, as well as regular glasses. I do sweat enough in hot weather to completely saturate my Halo headgear by the 6th mile or so of a ride. The breeze generated by moving on my bike usually prevents fog from forming.

I was steered to this brand by my neighborhood opticians because the other brands didn’t make frames that were compatible with prescription lenses that I needed – they tend to be pretty thick unless going high-index.

[GovernorSilver]

I like my Rudy Project sunglasses. They use a double-lens scheme – the protective lenses and the prescription lens insert. The disadvantage is obvious, but the advantage is it’s easy to switch out the protective lens. I originally got the Rudy Project with polarized lenses, against the advice of the optician who sold it to me – he thought I should get the “photochromic” (aka “transition”) lens option since I said I mostly ride as a commuter. Original cost was $300 with my discount. Not cheap, but then a pair of Maui Jims with prescription lenses runs about $700 at my optometrists’ shop.

When fall arrived with ever-shorter days, I realized what he was saying, and coughed up an extra $85 for a pair of photochromic lens for the Rudy Project. Being relatively clear in the dark hours of the morning and evening and darkening upon sunrise, these proved to be ideal for fall/early spring riding.

I don’t regret getting two pairs of protective lens though. Usually in the longer-day months, I want something that’s guaranteed to be dark, as opposed to changing to a darker shade when the design says its time.

[GovernorSilver]

Been thinking of getting one but the report of bad customer support worries me.

[GovernorSilver]

When I was mostly house-bound this past winter, I worked a bit on pistol squats (a type of one-legged squat).

When I finally got back on the saddle, I noticed my “cruising gear” rose from 6 to 7 on my 8-speed bike. This is the highest gear I can go on before I feel like I’m mashing, thus resulting in a higher average speed. By July I was regularly cruising on my highest gear – probably a combination of continuing to practice pistol squats (increased lower body strength) and more time in the saddle (relearning how to pedal more efficiently).

The funny thing is, my average speed was higher on the 35 lb. 8-speed than on the 21 lb. adventure road bike with the 50-34 chainring and 11-speed cassette. A lot of it was “knowing” the heavier bike better than the newer, lighter one – more familiarity that translates to shifting more efficiently. By the time we were competing in an inter-departmental fitness contest, I finally started logging higher average MPH on the road bike.

Honestly though I think the contest motivated me to ride faster more than anything else, because I was earning an extra 500 steps per 10 min. of activity for cycling at 13 MPH average vs. 10 MPH. Team pride/spirit can do that. I earned a lot of steps from just from the commute time alone (about 60 min. for 13 miles), but the bonus for riding just a couple of MPH faster on average was nice. If I overdid it though, like the one day I averaged over 14 MPH, I got less time credit, so I ended up taking longer routes to ensure I still got good saddle time. Being taught the Crystal City-LBJ Grove route by Crystal City Coffee Club really helped – that allowed me to eliminate a huge chunk of my trail riding in favor of street riding, for sustained riding at 14 MPH or faster over greater distances than possible on the likes of the MVT.

I expect my average MPH to drop quite a bit now that the contest is over.

[GovernorSilver]

@mstone 144585 wrote:

no need, you can assume that they’re going to drive like an a-hole

If I see a car with heavily tinted windows, I pretty much treat it like a taxi – don’t expect predictable, let alone courteous, behavior.

[GovernorSilver]

One time I was waiting at a red light on the road with a “don’t wanna unclip” circling cyclist . He was so intent on his circling that he didn’t notice the light change – it was a bit tricky thing passing him without colliding with him.

[Author]

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