[GuyContinental]

@pfunkallstar 51604 wrote:

Nevermind how long ago – but some years ago – some people called me Ishmael.

That made my morning.

[GuyContinental]

@americancyclo 51573 wrote:

I think you just picked your new forum title.

Awww I get barnacled a lot more than I barnacle… does that make me a whale? Seems inappropriate for a skinny guy on a road bike.

[GuyContinental]

@Rando Guy 51561 wrote:

To the newb who hung on my wheel despite me intentionally slowing down/speeding up over several miles – I think I shall nickname you “Barnacle”.

I dunno, some days, when it’s windy and I’m wrecked, I’m pretty happy to be a barnacle… slow down, speed up, I’m just trying to survive my trip home…

[GuyContinental]

Gizmodo gets on the ebike thing:

http://gizmodo.com/commuting-is-no-sweat-on-these-swanky-e-bikes-489202445

Lot of cash to buy some of these and the performance is getting up to what I would call inappropriate for MUPs.

On a related note, yesterday I followed a Tesla Model S for about 30 miles deep in Tucker County WV… that’s a lonnnng mountainous way (150 miles+) from where I would expect to see one. Pretty cool to see that people are already comfortable with taking them on long-ish road trips. Range anxiety? Not for this dude:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2805[/ATTACH]

I suppose that he could just pull up to a windmill…

[GuyContinental]

I decided that they are vent holes for the vast underground CIA facility that we all aren’t supposed to know is in Vienna.

(A close second is some sort of Fire Department non-hydrant, hydrant)

[GuyContinental]

@Dickie 51095 wrote:

I was advised by John Nugent himself to use Phil Wood Tenacious oil on the pawls as it is slightly heavier and viscous (more similar to grease) thus less likely to contaminate your bearings.

Ah, that’s a good tip, my lube assortment doesn’t include Tenacious Oil but it probably should- my choices were Prolink, polylube or Pedro’s Syn grease and I went light for fear of fouling the pawls.

[GuyContinental]

@mstone 50921 wrote:

Agreed that a simpler restriction (no turn on red ever) would be better, but there’s no political will for that. You take what scraps you can get.

Heck, the actual danger there is not from rights on reds but from the rights on green at high speed when the intersection is full of bikes and peds. If I was the mighty hand of traffic I would red arrow on green EB and green arrow on the silly left cycle. Regardless, my original point was that the scofflaws create an extra level of confusion at an already confusing and dangerous intersection.

[GuyContinental]

@mstone 50908 wrote:

Um, the cars can’t turn right when there is a “no right turn when pedestrians are present” whenever pedestrians are present, regardless of whether they are jaywalking. In other words, if the pedestrians were simply standing on the corner waiting to cross, the car still could not legally make that turn.

Oh boy- legal semantics wrangling approaching (crosswalk cutouts anyone?)… USDOT refuses to take a stand on the definition of that particularly idiotic sign except to say that its meaning is too ambiguous (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/2_635.htm) and VA interprets it as it feels like. Frankly, it’s only relevant as another data point on that crappy intersection- ambiguity causes accidents. Riders/peds blundering into that intersection does not help, especially when they then run through SB traffic and leave cars stranded in the intersection (another thing I see daily).

I’m not exactly a relaxed rider in general, but I’ve channeled my inner Dirt and become very zen about afternoons on the WOD. Maple, Gallows, Washington/Fairfax and lights the length of Fairfax blvd in Arlington all get to run their full cycle before I’ll cross. The lack of angst is sort of liberating.

[GuyContinental]

@americancyclo 50901 wrote:

SB Glebe drivers have a red light at that point, don’t they? I thought it was customary to check for traffic before you took a right on red. Not that I ever jump this light, but I thought about that the other day as I rode WB.

Of course, but they could just as easily have a right green arrow given that the cross traffic is supposed to be blocked by the left signals, thus they are less likely to be fully alert for the crossing bike and more likely to pull an Idaho.

[GuyContinental]

@consularrider 50899 wrote:

I believe that is actually Fairfax/Washington/Lee? The most useless left turn arrow in the DC area. There are almost NEVER any cars turn left off Lee Highway and nothing moves in the intersection for 30 seconds because the Lee/Washington intersection north of I-66 has a left turn arrow for drivers heading north on Lee Highway. At best it should be an on demand arrow, afterall, W&OD trail users don’t get a walk light without pushing a button there.

Yup that one- I think that it needs a right arrow for the I66 traffic during the existing left and maybe a red arrow during the ped crossing, as is cars and peds pile up during the stupid left cycle. My problem is that WB riders/runners illegally cross and prevent an otherwise safe right on red for the cars (which becomes illegal because of jaywalking peds/riders still count under “no right turn when pedestrians are present”). Then cars can’t get through during the green cycle because of the legit crossers. Later in the walk cycle frustrated cars barely slow down for the right turn- I’ve nearly been squished because of that numerous times.

[GuyContinental]

@culimerc 50885 wrote:

Honz- what time do you guys roll through VA Ave/over 66 in the morning??

We are really predictable- I meet Hans at 6:15 at EFC Park (base of Brandywine Castle near the b-ball courts) for a normal commute and at 5:45 for CX (or sometimes Leesburg Mtn). That puts us at the base of VA ln at 6:30 or 6:00 respectively. He’s out there dang near every day, whereas, being a mere mortal, I aim for 2-3. I cut out at Rt 28 and he often joins me and then rides back to Reston. I assume that he also has a desk equipped with pedals to power his workstation and eats nails for lunch.

http://app.strava.com/activities/50773564

[GuyContinental]

@baiskeli 50883 wrote:

Saw a bike lying next to an ambulance at Glebe and Fairfax this morning. Didn’t see a car that might have been involved, just a bike, which was in the median/island, not the street. Hope our brother or sister is okay. Bike didn’t look damaged so that’s a good sign.

PLEASE don’t run the arrow at this intersection! I see it every time I go through in the afternoon (EB) and have witnessed several close calls- WB riders run the crossing when it appears that there are no EB left turning cars. SB, right turning (onto 66), Glebe drivers really aren’t expecting a bike (why would they, it’s a RED light on a MAJOR 4-lane intersection). With the new traffic pattern people are confused enough, wait the extra 15 seconds for your ROW.

(Also goes for WOD at Lee/Washington)

[GuyContinental]

@crysb 50576 wrote:

I have a 15-mile commute and I can’t imagine going into work after that without showering. Hope you find a good way to make the bike commute work for you. Try looking into doing something multi-modal, maybe? Bus + bike?

I swear it can be done and done well– my commute is 30 miles each way with 10 miles of singletrack (or 25 miles sticking to the WOD), on arrival I’m as gross as you can get AND I have a senior role that requires me to look presentable (I rarely don a suit but I do wear slacks, nice shoes and a button down shirt). At my worst, in midsummer, having fallen in a LFP mud-pit I managed to get clean with 2 Showerpills.

I’d bet that there is a maintenance closet somewhere with a nice big industrial sink and high pressure faucet. Make friends with the maintenance dude, make the closet your personal bat cave and keep a pack towel, soap and good deodorant at work. Drive once a week to re-supply.

[GuyContinental]

@brendan 50558 wrote:

Saw this on washcycle yesterday:

Link to washcycle post and too-short comment thread: http://www.thewashcycle.com/2013/04/sunday-video-removing-the-traffic-lights.html

Brendan

Whoa… looks awesome right up until you add (insert stereoscopically bad American driver here- for me anyone in Loundon or with MD plates)

[GuyContinental]

@GuyContinental 50536 wrote:

Woo-hoo another Westbound commuter! Where do you start?

Wait a sec… don’t you live like a block from me? Care to join the west-bound posse? Trains leave at 5:00, 5:30 and 6:00 depending on the route

[Author]

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