[gtmandsager]

I hit up the MoCo trails yesterday, rode up and back on the towpath, it was awesome! Three of us on cross bikes, one on a mtb. We went up seneca creek, over seneca ridge, ducked into the HT on Darnestown rd, and then took turkey foot to the muddy branch trail to get us back to the towpath. Couldn’t have scripted better weather for fall riding (shorts and short sleeves?!?).

The trails were fantastic, and even though a cross bike may not have been ideal, I certainly felt comfortable enough and managed to keep up reasonably well with the guy on a 29er. I ran my tubeless setup (Vittoria XL Pro TNT), which made all the difference. I ran cross race pressure (because that was the point), 25/27psi front/rear and everything held up great. I bottomed out a few times but the rims don’t seem worse for the wear. I lost count, though, of the number of likely pinch flats, at least a dozen. There were plenty of big tree roots and rocks that would have done me in for sure. So I highly recommend, but not with tubes and only if you’re confident in your setup.

Next up (I think), Lake Fairfax.

[gtmandsager]

DaveK and I were on cross bikes, my tires were 35mm and I think the other were ~32-33ish. I ran mine at 40psi, I think he was similar. We were fine on the way up, but had a couple pinch flats on the way back (south). But I’d say it’s manageable on a cross bike, it may not be quick b/c you have to take some of the sections a bit gingerly (or walk, or both). I can’t speak to what it would be like if it were muddy.

[gtmandsager]

I rode on Triggers in Iowa on a borrowed Crux, they were amazing. I’ve ordered a set of Panaracer Comet 38s after seeing a glowing review by someone who also runs them on a caadx (and they’re cheeeeeeap), I’m looking forward to trying them on longer rides on the towpath and Loudon gravel.

I may try converting the maddux rims that came with the bike into a tubeless setup, but that would require some uninterrupted alone time and I spend pretty much all of that either sleeping or riding my bike… The tires the bike came with are schwalbe’s racing rob, which are not purported to be tubeless ready and I haven’t seen many reviews of people trying to convert them to tubeless. I may just train on them for now with tubes and keep an eye out for something to try running tubeless for cross season.

[gtmandsager]

Thanks so much for the trail recommendations and reports. We tried out the CCT north from the W&OD on Friday all the way up to Great Falls. It was a blast, the trail was great for the CX bike, had to walk a few short sections but not too bad. There are some rocks though, we had a couple pinch flats (tubeless envy…). All in all, a great ride, probably more comfortable on fat mtb tires but definitely still great on cx. Looking to hit up some of the other recommended spots soon!

[gtmandsager]

It looks like there’s dirt loop that you can go from the W&OD up the CCT, over to lake fairfax and south again to the W&OD

[gtmandsager]

I’m also going to ask about those Grails (tubeless?), but one step at a time…

[gtmandsager]

This morning’s commute was to Barcroft for tumbling! Kids have started sitting down in the box, sometimes they’re on their stomachs peering over the top.

[gtmandsager]

@baiskeli 96185 wrote:

– if someone posts a video about it and asks for opinions from a forum, one shouldn’t belittle him for thinking that getting bumped by a stranger is no big deal and he’s a hothead for even caring about it (independent of the level of his reaction), or call him sexist or misogynist (not referring to you complaint about his language) without a shred of evidence

Since this last bullet seems written for me, I’ll just say I agree with you, though I imagine we’d disagree over how much (or little) your hypothetical applies to this thread. I’d be happy to talk more about it over a beer. I’ll buy.

[gtmandsager]

@baiskeli 96105 wrote:

No effect?

None. Other than his road rage, I guess. Sore vocal cords? This thread? What do you have?

@baiskeli 96105 wrote:

So if someone actually made contact with you while you’re riding your bike in a crowd of people taking unsafe risks, and just rode off and didn’t even acknowledge their transgression, you’d blow it off because you didn’t actually fall down?

Many times. Lets also remember that she says she did apologize and if she got squeezed by the guy in the Australia jersey it’s not clear that she’s the transgressor. Which is why I choose not to yell.

@baiskeli 96105 wrote:

There is an huge difference between blowing past someone and actually HITTING them. I think any reasonable person would make such a distinction.

You’ve never had your front wheel taken out by someone chopping a corner have you? I think the riding in video #2 is far more dangerous.

[gtmandsager]

@baiskeli 96090 wrote:

She’s the only one he tracked down because she is the only one who bumped into him!

Which had the exact same effect, none, as the dudes blowing by at 20+ mph through the corner without pausing to see if he was going straight. How many of them showed the OP respect or demonstrated remorse?

[gtmandsager]

I’m glad that nobody got hurt, but I can’t get past the drastically different ways you chose to respond to dangerous behavior and am concerned that are others who say they would have done the same.

I get that the woman bumped your handlebars, I can’t tell from the video by how much, or how close you were to falling. Did you notice that she was squeezed between you and the rider to her left? Or that you may have drifted a little to the left at :37, though I can’t be sure because of the camera angle? It looks like the group, who called their pass, was trying to keep the left lane open for cars and the guy in green/yellow didn’t give her enough room to get by you. It sucks, but she has no incentive to run into you, she easily could have gone down herself, but everyone obviously stayed upright. I even hear, at :40 (after “what the hell are you doing?), something that sounds like “sorry.” Maybe she didn’t say it, but you make it clear that you don’t care because she didn’t do it right.

I’m more struck by your response than her bump. Despite the fact that “the group” passed you way too close, you focused on her, demanding that her fellow riders make her apologize, and then chasing her down yourself. Once you got up to her, you cut across the group, literally putting her to heel. You didn’t make an issue of her riding, you didn’t remind her that she could have crashed you out or that as a fellow road user you’re deserving of respect and space. In your fury, you focused on mansplaining a proper apology. I’m surprised you didn’t tell her to curtsy. And then to the guys who pass by, you say that it’s all okay but keep her in line next time.

That sh*tty right turn in video #2 could have caused some serious harm, I’ve talked to people on these rides about how crappy and dangerous it is. Where’s the outrage? Despite the group slowing in front of you after the turn, I don’t see you cranking it up, as you did before, to berate the offending riders, or demand of others who go by that they shame their fellow riders or “tell them to apologize.”

The outcomes of both videos are the same: some riders put you at risk but everything turned out okay. Only the woman in video #1 is on the receiving end of your loud and humiliating outrage.

[gtmandsager]

It’s been a couple years since I’ve done it, but on Thursday evenings there is an impromptu “sprint” practice popular amongst local racers, typically around 6 or 6:30. Someone mentioned it, but the sprint point is one of the yellow signs along Ohio drive before that stop sign. As someone who races and participates in these sorts of mass group rides on public roads I find the behavior you’ve described as reprehensible. I see some names I recognize on the Strava fly-by, including a couple teammates who I would never think were the ones who were so rude and unsafe, but I will reach out to them.

FWIW, long before this post I decided I’ll never do the Thursday night again. It collects a decent number of newer racers and boneheads who don’t know how dangerous they are when traveling at 30+ mph and there have been a number of pretty major crashes in recent memory.

[gtmandsager]

Rule 5. [ATTACH=CONFIG]5148[/ATTACH]

[gtmandsager]

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[gtmandsager]

There are two rides that leave from the Bicycle Pro Shop in Georgetown on Sundays at 10am, led by my team, District Velocity Racing. The rides both head north up Macarthur and into Potomac, there’s a fast tempo 60 mile ride and then a more mellow 40 miler that leaves 5 minutes later. The 40-mile ride is no-drop, there are a couple regroup points after hilly sections, and I would guess we go 19-20 on the flat sections. If you’re interested, PM me and I can give you more details and try to meet up for the ride.

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