[GuyContinental]

@DismalScientist 26642 wrote:

What do you mean by lower lumen?

I’m a fan of cheap Chinese mini-flashlights with cheap handlebar clips bought on ebay.

As in not the 300ln of my MTB lights but enough to fill in some shadows. ~75-100 ln? I’ve had no luck getting one of the cheapo LED lights to survive so much as 2 charges- any that you’ve used to good effect?

It looks like the newest Tika headlamps can put out 70ln, maybe that’s my answer…

[GuyContinental]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1409[/ATTACH]

This could be lots of places, but the hint is that it was at the start of my WO&D mid-commute CX detour.

[GuyContinental]

@OneEighth 26601 wrote:

*Lack of evidence by way of a photo due entirely to prohibitive compatability issues related to operating an iPhone in rush hour traffic while wearing full-finger gloves.

As a full-finger glove aficionado I’m amazingly good at working my phone with my nose. (yes, there are some negative side effects of that and no, you really don’t want to borrow my phone in fall/winter)

[GuyContinental]

@DismalScientist 26467 wrote:

If you want to take the bus, you can ride the 5A all the way to Rosslyn or L’Enfant Plaza. Just stick your bike on the rack in front.

Blaspheeeemer! Perfectly good trail only a short trip through some of the worst cycling infrastructure in the state and you recommend a bus all the way in!!!

(Kidding- 5a is a good bet)

[GuyContinental]

@KS1G 26458 wrote:

I do not know if the bus service from the terminal uses buses equipped with bike racks. If they do, the routes will go to areas with good bicycle access to the W&OD and surrounding roads. The other option would be a short taxi ride or hotel courtesy shuttle that would take you and your bike, just to get away from the airport and into a more rideable community.

This is a pretty good suggestion- just getting away from the terminal might be an adventure otherwise. The “Dulles to Dulles Connector” bus leaves every 45 minutes M-F from curb 2E on the lowest level (LINK to schedule) and will be a short ride to within a easy mile of the WO&D trail. Not positive that you can take a bike on it though A cab to Sterling Blvd and the WO&D would cost under $10 I’d think.

I cross Sterling Rd on the WO&D every day… it never actually crossed my mind to RIDE on that thing yikes… doable, but maybe not the best idea fresh off a plane with jet lag and in Loudoun County (shudder… what an intro to American driver/cyclist interaction!)

[GuyContinental]

@jrenaut 26444 wrote:

Do you already have a bike for your son? If not, I’ve always thought the Weehoo was cool, and even stopped at a light to chat with a woman riding with her son in one to ask her about it. They were out for their first ride, so she couldn’t tell me much, except that so far it was working great.

I have a WeeHoo- my 3 y/o loves it… now all I have to do is teach him to pedal forward…

[GuyContinental]

I found this (but it’s a bit different):

http://www.biking.com/buy-bike-accessories/tow-bar.html

If you figure out what it actually is, please post!

[GuyContinental]

Stickers are cheap & easy and if they are reflective they are even useful. Personally I won’t have anything dangling off of me (luggage tag, reflective band, whaddever)…

Maybe a poll with the various pdt ideas would help?

[GuyContinental]

@Mark Blacknell 26281 wrote:

1) Managing a custom jersey order is expensive and time consuming. I’ve done it twice, now – never again. I say that mostly in the hope that folks will moderate expectations/demands for what they want (if there is one). $80 is cheap, considering.

2) Pearl Izumi? Primal? Oh, my children, there are so many better things out there in the world . . . As with bikes, you tend to get what you pay for. If you’ve got the dosh, try something from Castelli or Hincapie’s mid-lines. Pactimo’s jerseys are great, too.

Couldn’t agree more on both counts- I’m managing a Pactimo order for my grad school alumni and pulling from previous lessons learned we went with the highest end kit and took a volume hit by sticking to our guns on pre-payment, style variety and art- you had 1 chance on art input during a defined period and the kit was one style (bibs and full zip jersey) but in whatever size you needed. Don’t like it? Get yer own order together…

[GuyContinental]

Hmmm bummer pass- he clearly should have waited… but given that the dude actually had a bell and used it (albeit late) puts him in the 90th percentile as far as trail users. Calling the pass on top of the bell puts him in the 95th. Not a whole lot of “elite” pathletes who do either. Just sayin’. His fault, but if this sort of (very common) thing stresses you out you might want to mitigate the idiocy of your fellow man by using a mirror.

As for the “stealth” bike… not sure what to say about that- I have a wheelset on my CX that is completely and absolutely silent and most fixies are always in stealth mode… I’m not going to rebuild the wheel just to make noise- that’s why I call passes (well in advance).

[GuyContinental]

@jopamora 26220 wrote:

I’d rather work on a secret handshake, but a jersey is cool.

It needs to be compatible with 30-40mph combined trail passing speed lest our “secret sign” be a hand cast…

[GuyContinental]

@TwoWheelsDC 26155 wrote:

Something like socks

+1 I can never have enough socks. Also a small (seat-tube sized) sticker would be cool. I’d sport that for sure.

[GuyContinental]

@DaveK 26107 wrote:

Ride on, yes. Damage, no.

Have you SEEN Dirt’s tires?

Also, I can point to several divots in Arlington pavement that look suspiciously like parts of my body

[GuyContinental]

I’m a pretty big fan of supporting thy LBS but Nashbar has two dang good deals right now on a generic steel 105 touring/commuter
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_522412_-1___203588

and a generic Force (or Rival for less) road bike
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_533290_-1___203588

You’d have a hard time buying that Force group (new) for that…

[GuyContinental]

@TwoWheelsDC 25926 wrote:

Very good point, I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose you could increase/decrease the tax based on fuel economy tiers or something. Either way, it’s going to be pretty complicated…but I find it encouraging that political leaders are at least trying new schemes to tackle the problem, even if it takes some trial and error to figure out.

Don’t get me wrong- the tax is a good idea but IMO this is a super-problematic and complicated way to go about it when you already have a mechanism available (i.e. the gas tax) with the right incentives built in. I’m not well-versed on the subject but the only reasons that readily come to mind for a miles-based system are the political impalatablity of a gas tax (even in CA) and the need to make the tax less regressive (you could simply exclude certain income levels from the tax).

Also, some Silicon Valley start-up is salivating over the chance to install, maintain and track devices on x-million cars.

[Author]

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