[GuyContinental]

Out of curiosity, is anyone else tracking climbing? I hit 18K in May (a personal high) but did only one N. Arlington tour that could classify as a “Hill Ride”

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[GuyContinental]

I used to do Clarendon Custis – CC – GTB to Silver Spring and do miss it. It was a super pretty and interesting way to get to work even if the GTB gravel sections resulted in a filthy bike. I never liked my last miles into/out of Silver Spring on E/W hwy, often resorted to the sidewalks!

[GuyContinental]

@vvill 21016 wrote:

Yeah not to mention the gravel/runoff that’s often there. Someone on the forum here I think broke a bone falling there.

Yup- I think this is one for the “My ride would be better if…” thread. I usually terminate my trail pm ride at that Lee exit and navigating the crazy roots at the top, braking hard through the gravel and then navigating around the bollard, onto Lee and across the I-66 entrance is one of the more interesting sections… Or are you talking about the steep ramp on the CVS side of Lee? If so, the curb cut at the garbage cans (75′ up) is fine and not on a blind corner.

[GuyContinental]

@JimK 21005 wrote:

On my road bikes I have Speedplay’s Frog pedal/cleat. The cleat is recessed, which is essential for me when communing (I have nearly killed myself walking on tile floors with protruding cleats). Also, the Frog has great play and holds up well. In my experience the pedals last forever. I usually replace cleats every 3-4 thousand miles (replacement cleats are about $30). Lubing the cleat and pedal helps to prolong the life of the cleat. The Frog also is self cleaning (for the most part). They are more popular among mountain bikers, but they work well on road bikes or hybrids.

Although I don’t use them (I use Speedplay X2 and Eggbeaters) I think that Frogs are probably one of the best commuter pedals out there- lots of contact with the cleat, no complicated parts, free float, ability to use a MTB shoe. I think that I said this in another thread but a stiff carbon MTB shoe plus a MTB pedal will give the 95%+ of the power and stability of a traditional road shoe/pedal combo and be a heck of a lot easier to clip into and walk on. Obviously, if you are a racer, the reduced ground clearance and small loss of power makes MTB pedals nearly a breaker, but for the rest of us they are fine.

That said, there is a HUGE difference between a stiff shoe and a floppy shoe. I’ve had great luck and lots and lots of miles with the Specialized Comp Carbon series (both MTB and Road) and they aren’t ridiculously expensive ($150)

[GuyContinental]

@OneEighth 20894 wrote:

Just in case…
I wouldn’t recommend riding a single speed with a freewheel—you completely miss out on the control and feeling you get from adjusting your speed with every pedal stroke. Because you are still reliant on your brakes, you will end up riding the same way you do on a geared bike but without the benefit of the gears. Waste of time in my opinion unless you are just going for a look or ease of cleaning/maintenance.

Looks like I get to be the sole SS freewheel defender…

As a C1 paddler (that’s a whitewater kayak paddled like a canoe) and telemarker I respect the “other way” appeal but I dislike fixies. Even after a few hundred miles I thought I was going to rip my knees off and the whole not being able to stop thing wigged me out. It’s superficial but I also get a bit annoyed with the faux San Fran hipster scene that goes along with it (brake-less Bianchi Pistas with stupid narrow chest constricting messenger bars).

I think that it’s important to note that fixed vs SS are basically different sports. In my experience you get the tactical challenges of climbing and speed conservation from SS and add the “one with bike” thang with fixie. I ride SS MTB exclusively and love love love the simplicity, the silence, the added challenge and required attention to detail. I describe it as riding like a joyful little kid on a BMX. I set my wife up with a SS MTB and her skills went through the roof- all of a sudden it was commit or walk and hating to walk, she committed and became a much better rider.

I’ve been considering setting up a SS CX bike for my commute specifically because it forces you into a interval mode on climbs and just makes life a little more interesting. Sure I’ll miss out on some of the zen thing but it’s unfair to say that it won’t be a challenge and add to my ride or that it won’t make me more intimate with my bike. You keep your fixie, I’ll chase up the hill like the crazed hamster that I am; we’ll both be happy.

[GuyContinental]

@dasgeh 20937 wrote:

The new house is in Cherrydale, I still work near the State Dept, so my route is down Lee Hwy from Oakland to the (horrible) ramp up to the Custis at Spout Run/Kirkwood. Then Custis to MVT to TR Bridge (and lots of prayers that no one is coming the other direction) and down Virginia Ave. Home is the reverse. I welcome suggestions (especially if they help me avoid the TR bridge). Generally, it’s a lovely commute, though I miss the hill in the cemetery (my old commute was through Fort Myer, ANC then across Memorial Bridge).

Congrats! We’re sorta neighbors- I live in Lyon Village

Can’t help on the TR bridge but if you are comfortable elsewhere on Lee you might consider skipping the Custis EB and just staying on Lee until Nash. The hill ending at Quinn is one of the only places that I can routinely break 40 mph (just watch out for the morning Rt hook!). That’s clearly not for everyone but a heck of a lot of fun…

On the top end, you could always join the Custis at the top of the S-turn (Irving off 22nd) but that only makes sense if you are on the N side of Lee. On the S. side of Lee you can get on at 18th and Johnson and avoid Lee entirely.

[GuyContinental]

@brendan 20854 wrote:

The part of the diagram labeled “Extreme: 3.7 quarts”? That’s me.

Brendan

I thought that the bit about the salt volume in sweat was really interesting- I never used to have the eye-burning sweat thing (even riding in Phoenix); now I do and it really sucks. Hopefully when I acclimatize I’ll cease having to dump precious agua in my eyes in Vienna…

[GuyContinental]

@KLizotte 20800 wrote:

In that case, I’ll use the unrecorded May trips for when I’m on vacation at the end of June and not riding.

Alas, Cascades ends tomorrow. Just do a few Leesburg to DC WO&D runs today

@KLizotte 20800 wrote:

Being a spreadsheet person, I have everything recorded anyway.

On a side note- if you are an iPhone user, Cyclemeter is a fantastic and utterly pain-free app for tracking miles and routes. It isn’t perfect (at least not without ANT+ sensors) but the price and the convenience can’t be beat. I track every commute, MTB ride, kid-haul and leisure ride mainly because my phone is always in my pocket.

[GuyContinental]

@eminva 20807 wrote:

Okay, what way was the wind blowing? Others are complaining of a headwind, but I felt like I had a tailwind.

I love the hot weather. I never complain in the summer — I save all that for the winter. Once a Gulf Coast girl, always a Gulf Coast girl. . . .

Liz

There was a pretty stiff headwind on the WO&D EB between Sterling and Reston but as Dirt said it became a cross wind by Vienna and then seemed to swing around by Falls Church. Heat wasn’t that bad but I find wind pretty dispiriting at the end of the day…

[GuyContinental]

@pfunkallstar 20766 wrote:

Bike Commuter Pirate Hats – let’s make it happen.

As you wish- LINK. Might be warm for summer…

[GuyContinental]

Clearly we need some sort of secret signal for Bike Arlington recognition- I nearly yelled Freeedommm(!!!) at Dirt this morning but he looked kind of surly and was in his aero bars so I decided that it wasn’t the moment to make friends…

[GuyContinental]

@essigmw 20698 wrote:

@KLizzotte

honestly I would spread out the miles that you couldn’t log over this week. Who cares if you end up with 100 mile days this week, we will know the truth.

-Mikey

Yup- we are ineligible for prizes anyway. Might as well.

[GuyContinental]

Don’t forget about the Cascades challenge (nudge nudge Klizotte- post yer miles)! The Arlington Loopies are 6th out of 1600 teams (and Ccrew is 8th out of 12K participants)

[GuyContinental]

@Tim Kelley 20490 wrote:

The “body” of the Skuut can be turned upside down so it slopes downward. That’s how little McKenzie is able to ride it at just over a year and half old! (Granted, she comes from tall genes and is in the top 5% for height at her age…)

I actually tried that- my little dude had problems with the slack headtube that resulted… maybe he’s just uncoordinated (entirely possible)

[GuyContinental]

@chris_s 20474 wrote:

My little guy’s 2nd birthday is Today and he’ll be unwrapping his push bike as soon as I get home from work

Different brand though.

My 3yr old has a Skuut and loves it now but if I were to do it over again I’d do a Strider. It’s more adjustable and has a place for the little guy’s feet. With the Skuut he was too short until he was a week shy of 3 (and he’s not a small kid) where-as I’ve seen young 2 year olds rocking the Strider. Regardless, the balance bikes rule- in about a day he was going as fast as I can run.

[Author]

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