[GovernorSilver]

Glad you’re ok, Bob!

[GovernorSilver]

@lordofthemark 143812 wrote:

Just to remind everyone, the target climb is 0.3 miles, at at an average grade of 5.6 percent, for a total elevation gain of 108 feet. You really don’t need to find me climbs that are longer and steeper than that, but thanks!

That’s similar to the climb to my house – 0.2 miles, 100-ish ft. elevation gain. Only difference is the gradient range: 7-9.5%.

The steepest section is just coming off the street – I’ve had the tendency to stand there, then downshift and pedal seated when standing gets too tiring, which coincidentally is past the steepest section. The one night when I climbed most efficiently was when I never stood – just steady pedaling. I might have had 2 drops of sweat from that climb and was breathing comfortably. I usually sweat buckets and am out of breath.

[GovernorSilver]

When I was learning how to ride a bike last year, I recall reading an REI article that said to only stand if the hill is so steep that there’s no other option. They seem to have softened their stance since then – now they say the same things I’ve read on other cycling websites:

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climb-hills.html

[GovernorSilver]

Wow, a lot of great suggestions! Can’t wait to try them out myself.

I haven’t tried crossing GW Parkway from MVT at Tulane Dr – I’ll probably start there.

From what I understand, standing has a lot of the same cost-benefit tradeoffs as pendulum dancing/sprinting – you get a burst of power but the duration is short because it consumes so much stamina. I’m trying to get better at steadily spinning up hills myself.

I always climb up a hill to get home. The distance is less than half a mile, but it’s steep enough to give me a workout every time. I had my most efficient-ever climb up that hill one night last year and I’ve been trying to replicate it ever since. I basically just “walked the bike” with a cadence that wasn’t all that fast, but was steady and didn’t consume much energy. It was one of my last rides before the surgery that put me off the bike for 4 months.

[GovernorSilver]

@mello yello 143664 wrote:

The NPS kiosks have trauma kits, btw, in case anyone wipes out on the mall.

I did not know that. Thanks for the heads up!

Heal fast! Similar circumstance to my latest fall couple of months ago – rain just stopped but the road was still wet, bike slipped on a slippery spot on the road when I changed lanes too abruptly. Luckily for me, one of the three guys who immediately rushed to my aid had a wet wipe, and I was only a few blocks away from a Kaiser clinic, where I have insurance.

Since that crash I’ve been keeping my tire pressure on the lower end on days the roads are likely to be wet. This won’t totally account for operator errors on my part but that’s one less variable to worry about.

[GovernorSilver]

@chris_s 143535 wrote:

At long last – new routing technology on dcbikemap.com!

Care about hills? Don’t care about hills? Care about bike infrastructure? Don’t care about bike infrastructure? Tell the site what YOU care about and it will attempt to route accordingly.

Don’t like the route it gives you? Drag the route around until it goes where YOU want it to go.

Feedback welcome.

Nice, nice.

You might want to add the yellow line to the legend. Took me a while to figure out which line was the route that the app chose for me – it’s the yellow one! I’m guessing you’d want to label it “Top suggested route” or something as there’s already a line in the legend for suggested routes.

I guess “suggested routes” is actually “bike friendly roads”? Also it’s very similar in color to the “cycletracks” line.

Finally, “Capital City Brewing Co” cannot be found by the app’s search function. This is important for those who want to attend the 3rd Thursday happy hours. 😎

[GovernorSilver]

Speaking of dogs – I’m torn when I watch this – the dog looks happy but, I’m hoping nothing unhealthy was put on him to achieve tha look.

[GovernorSilver]

For those who can’t make it in person but have online access, Fairfax County has this “submit your question” page up:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/askfairfax/ActiveDiscussion.aspx?roomid=124

[GovernorSilver]

Huh, original link is now broken.

This one has the info for tomorrow night (July 25):
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/embarkrichmondhwy/meetings.htm

[GovernorSilver]

@rcannon100 143480 wrote:

I found this passage of the article interesting…..

I like this part too – assuming he was taking proper care of them when he went out on those nightly hunting expeditions.

“Go home, grab my two real-life Pokémon — my two little dogs — and cuddle with them and go to sleep,” Johnson said. “That was my next task.”

[GovernorSilver]

Check out this Asian guy who caught all of those Poke-things!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliareinstein/lol-of-course-hes-valor?utm_term=.daaR78D1a#.nn7ED8kln

Oh, wait…

[GovernorSilver]

@GovernorSilver 143255 wrote:

We rode on Commonwealth this past Friday evening. Looks like new asphalt was installed on the circle next to Four Mile Run Park Trail.

I was wrong. Rode through the circle again yesterday evening. Road looked as beat up as ever.

I must have been hallucinating from heat exhaustion or something Friday evening.

Bummed that the sweet Eads -> 4 Mile Run Trail -> Shirlington route will be going away for a year in the near future.

[GovernorSilver]

We rode on Commonwealth this past Friday evening. Looks like new asphalt was installed on the circle next to Four Mile Run Park Trail.

[GovernorSilver]

Nice morning ride by this area summer standards but not as entertaining as hearing that the shuttles between DCA and Pentagon City were delayed by a water main break on Rt. 1 – took my colleague 1 hr to get from Braddock to Pentagon City.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Delays-on-4-Lines-as-Metro-Wraps-Up-4th-Safety-Surge-387252142.html

I mean, I felt bad for him but this is why I’m bike commuting during this Safetrack Surge.

[GovernorSilver]

@mello yello 143148 wrote:

I hate those warm headwinds…
Yesterday was a slog. Hot, humid, windy, my legs felt like jelly and I think I didn’t eat enough during the day… bonking halfway home.

Oh man, did you stop anywhere to un-bonk? Our team at work was treated to lunch, so I was fueled up for the ride home.

I stopped at my favorite exercise station along Potomac Ave. Trail to work in a couple of sets of pullups, tuck-to-bent arm stands, etc. but that probably wasn’t the wisest decision in that heat, without a 2nd bottle of water or cold liquid of some sort. My stomach felt a bit queasy after that.

[Author]

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