[Greenbelt]

One issue with the afternoon trip home is the heat. I’m lucky and can sometimes wait until 7 or 7:30 when the sun is lower. But if you have to be back home earlier, there’s going to be no avoiding the peak heat. I’d make sure to have at least two water bottles, if possible, and drink a lot throughout the work day to make sure you’re hydrated for the return trip. I was sick hot out there on Friday afternoon, although next week looks a little better.

[Greenbelt]

There might be some alternate routes? Maybe talk to Ben at Proteus bikes in College Park — I know he commutes daily from Silver Spring, although I think he’s way out in northern Silver Spring outside the beltway…

[Greenbelt]

I used to stretch when I was younger and my muscles did.

[Greenbelt]

@ronwalf 6620 wrote:

Woo, 745mph! That’ll get me to work on time.

Dang typos. Yep, 20 kilometers per minute would be kinda quick for the multi use trails.

[Greenbelt]

Saw an cool looking Kona e-bike at my LBS last night. 2k list price, fully loaded (big lights etc.) First one I’ve seen in captivity, although I’ve had a few brief sightings in the wild.

According to the staff, the electric assist kicks off at speeds over 20kpm (pretty sure it was kph, not mph).

Having seen the upclose coolness, and with assurance that they aren’t designed for speeding around trails, I hope to see more of these.

Would be great for people starting to ride again, but not strong enough yet for hills.

[Greenbelt]

Stay late after work. Have a beverage and get a bite of dinner. Then, anytime after 7pm you can take your bike directly on the metro for the trip back to Bethesda. I did this last winter when I had to work late (didn’t want to ride home after dark on the unlit trails along my route). Of course, it presumes you have the flexibility to stay downtown until after 7.

[Greenbelt]

@ronwalf 6434 wrote:

Anyone have a favorite route from the north (Greenbelt, or College Park-ish)?
MBT or WV Ave?

Don’t know about the last bits of getting to Nationals Park from the Capitol area, but we’re going to try this weekend I think. I think I’ve posted versions of it before, but here’s a scenic general route to Capitol Hill area from a commute helmet video a while back with most of the turns marked:

[video=vimeo;25782796]http://www.vimeo.com/25782796[/video]

[Greenbelt]

Yep, I got these guys: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57258

Expensive, though. Hopefully, they’ll be worth it. They have a reflective sidewall, which I like.

[Greenbelt]

Welcome Justin. I guess it varies a lot from building to building. Mine is perfect, we have an underground bike rack in the garage, and a small gym with shower rooms in the building. I suppose that’s probably not too common, though, and many people have to get a gym membership nearby.

Never hurts to put pressure on employers to make accomodations. Lots of people run at lunchtime, so I think getting bike commuters together with the runners could help add to the pressure for buildings to put in showers. Many companies can be persuaded based on the health benefits for their employees — that’s an angle worth trying. (Lots of businesses aren’t too interested in employee convenience, but when you bring up the health costs of diabetes and heart disease, they can be persuaded to invest in facilities for wellness, exercise etc. in their own business interest!)

[Greenbelt]

Terrible. I hope your IT skills track them down and provide evidence to convict.

[Greenbelt]

Speaking of lane painting….

We’ve got some drunken temporary line painting on 201 in Beltsville. I sent this video to MDOT — they told me they’d eventually put in permanent lane markings with a five-foot shoulder. We’ll see.

The video doesn’t show the worst of it — it’s even squigglier between Cherrywood Lane and Beaver Dam Road:

[video=vimeo;25326546]http://www.vimeo.com/25326546[/video]

[Greenbelt]

I’m just now going through all the great air quality links on this thread — thanks everyone.

If it wasn’t mentioned before, this is the one I’ve been using. I like the animation tab thingy: http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=268

[Greenbelt]

Wasn’t as bad as I expected. Some clouds came in around 6, and by the time I got started at 6:45, it wasn’t that bad. Had the trails completely to myself. I had out at 3pm just to walk up the block — that was unbearable. So I was expecting worse.

[Greenbelt]

I use the Halo version with the plastic-y rubber-y strip in front that really helps keep sweat from dripping straight in to eyes. The strip will eventually crack, though. But they last a long time. My wife uses the Headsweats — I like how hers are in bright colors and sort of add some extra visibility from behind.

[Greenbelt]

I’ve taken to completely soaking my jersey with water before I leave. I figure I’m going to soak it through with sweat after a few miles anyways, might as well just get it wet in advance. Helps for a few miles anyways.

[Author]

Posts