[GuyContinental]

Wow- now I understand those CX tires. That is one heck of a variable terrain commute with a LOT of narrow roads and some nice trail sections.

I honestly don’t know if I’d do a long bike commute if I didn’t have the WO&D to keep me away from cars. I get scared, really scared some days on my 1.5 mile of major road- your roads don’t have the volume (and where they get close they have bike lanes) but they probably still have the driver-distraction, sun and weather-related issues.

[GuyContinental]

@DaveK 16496 wrote:

+1 for the same. I try to keep up with my VFFs but they do get pretty bad. Vinegar + washing machine fixes it, and if it works on my feet it’ll work on your hands.

Also just in general – if you can smell your stuff down the hall at work, just toss it. Preferably in the garbage outside. At least leave it outside of the office somewhere. Your coworkers will thank you.

I finally dragged them outside and attached ’em to the wipers of one of my work vans. A little sun, a little fresh air should make them tolerable enough for the ride home.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]829[/ATTACH]

[GuyContinental]

Excellent- I might try soaking them in vinegar then washing… Also bought the “Atsko Sport Wash”- same formulation as Penguin, fewer negative reviews on ye-olde Amazon. While I was at it (and to get free-shipping…) I bought a bunch of “Shower Pill” body towels… yes, between the gloves and my self I’m pretty self-conscious about stink today…

[GuyContinental]

@RESTONTODC 16324 wrote:

I bought a ContourROAM Hands-free HD last Christmas for $85 and it’s in the box. I need to mount it on my bike so I won’t miss any action. To bad, it has wide angle lens and won’t able to read the tag.

Can you set it to overwrite when full? I like the idea of constant recording but only “messing” with it when something bizarre and/or beautiful happens.

[GuyContinental]

I’ll vote for the WO&D corridor as well- the trail is extremely well maintained if a bit crowded in the warmer months. I live in Arlington (and love it) and commute semi-daily to Sterling (25 miles- 23.5 of which is on the WO&D), it’s a pretty solid commitment (170 minutes a day) but compared to a 100-150 minute driving commute in DC-hell traffic it’s a no brainier. Herndon – DC is about the same 25, Reston – DC is about 22 and both are a legitimately nice ride. The areas are a bit soulless but have good schools, nice amenities and lower rent. There are also commuter buses that would truck you right downtown, and someday there will be a metro connection in Reston.

Don’t get me wrong- Arlington is great, but it’s really expensive- depending on your needs and your desire to be “urban” the farther out areas might make sense.

[GuyContinental]

@acc 14969 wrote:

The best commute in the world won’t work if you aren’t happy with the school system. I’d look at Falls Church City (in Virginia) first.

Good luck.
ann

Emphatically, yes! There are many good schools in the area but also some problem-children schools in DC, S. Arlington and Alexandra. N. Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church and Bethesda (MD) are all good bets but are priced accordingly.

[GuyContinental]

I love the idea of a Wiki and would happily participate.

Some quick comments (as I sit in my office smelling a little funny from my 90 minute morning ride- no showers around here…)

1. Clothes options- you hit on the one-way commute (usually my MO) but an alternate is the Monday drive where you take in your week’s worth of clothes. Personally, I hate carrying anything when I ride and manage 100 miles/week without a backpack.
2. Clothes choices- Some folks (me) have real problems keeping their nether regions and belly warm when the temp is below freezing. Runners use a product called “wind briefs” that essentially have a wind-barrier “cod.” Bib tights are also a pretty good bet. In general, folks need to remember the impact of wind chill- 20 mph riding at 30 degrees is an effective temp of 17! That’s eyeball freezing cold!
3. Snowy trails- the frozen bike rut problem and studded tires for the truly hearty
4. CX bikes- unless you are on mixed terrain that includes some gravel (e.g. G’town branch) you probably don’t want CX tires- you’ll wear them out very fast and you don’t gain much int he pavement traction department. A nice fat 35mm on a CX will do most people fine
5. Bike Maint- specifically rinsing (yikes!) In a word, don’t do it unless you are planning to fully dry the bike and re-lube everything. Derailleur pulleys, cables, brake linkages, chain, cassette and pedals will all suffer premature wear from frequent washing. The problem comes when you let it go for too long and a simple wipe won’t get the grime off. I’m as lazy as the next guy but I keep some rags in my office for a quick wipe down and re-lube bi-weekly. Every two months I use the White Lightning chain cleaner and do a thorough cleaning. As a result I get 5K (+) out of an Ultegra chain.
6. Headphones- might want to mention the hazards of headphones on self and others. Personally, I listen to Pandora or NPR but only in one ear and never at high volume
7. Smart phone devices- I use a $5 iPhone app called “Cyclemeter” and think that it’s the best thing since sliced bread- it tracks route performance based on best, median and worst and whispers your relative performance in your ear after automagically lowering the volume on Pandora. I love it for training but also keep track of my annual mileage and map rides

[GuyContinental]

@jabberwocky 12382 wrote:

I do pretty much what GuyContinental does, except I use homebrew lube for the soaking (2 parts mineral spirits to one part motor oil). Much cheaper than prolink, though I do use prolink for intermediate lubing. I also have a bin of mineral spirits I use as a degreaser for especially nasty chains/cassettes prior to throwing them in the sonic cleaner with some dish soap.

EDIT: Oh, and to agitate the lube into the chain, I just set the jar with the lube/chain in the ultrasonic for 5 minutes or so.

I’ve never thought of using a homebrew for the Prolink soak- what weight oil do you use? 10w 30? It pains me to burn up good lube this way- I keep it alive for a round or two by letting it settle and then filtering.

Regardless, the ultrasonic cleaner is my secret weapon, I’ve even been known to dangle a bike from the ceiling to soak a nasty-but-not-nasty-enough-to-remove rear derailleur. You just have to be really serious about re-lubing afterwards. I bought mine (in the link above) for $39 at Harbor Freight.

[GuyContinental]

Oh boy- I’m going to sound like the OCD one in the crowd but I HATE nasty chains. For all my bikes I do some version of the following every 10 or so riding days

1. Use a powerlink- some people sweat the strength of them, I use them even on MTB SS chains and have never broken one but YMMV
2. Measure gap (toss and check cassette if stretched)
3. Dump in sonic cleaner with (choose your poison)- dish soap works surprisingly well but I’ll use Simple Green or once a year a diluted solvent.
4. Run with heat for 15-20 minutes (while putzing with something else)
5. Remove, let dry
6. Place in mason jar of ProLink on top of vibrating appliance for 24 hours +
7. Retrieve excess (expensive) ProLink by hanging over jar
8. Wipe, remount, ride…
9. Wipe and relube every couple of riding days (as others said, clean less more often)

The soaking in ProLink (with agitation) is key- it’s really hard to get the chain bushings re-lubed when you go to the extreme (sonic cleaner…) and you’ll actually wear the chain out faster. However, if done right you’ll have a fantabulously clean chain and keep your drive train alive considerably longer- I get 5k+ out of Ultegra Chains/Cassettes.

[GuyContinental]

Don’t forget wind chill when you are thinking of your layers! Dress for Wind Chill at your expected sustained high speed not average- This is particularly important for those of us with longer commutes (1 hr +) but shouldn’t be neglected. A 25 degree day quickly becomes 11 degrees at 20 mph. That’s fine for a few minutes but a big deal over 10+…
NOAA Wind Chill Index

My kit when super cold (for a 25+ mile 1-way commute) is

Head
Balaclava

Torso
Patagonia SS base T
LS layer
PI windproof convertible Jacket

Legs
PI Tights
Summer riding shorts

Hands
Liners
PI Windproof Gloves

Feet
Smartwool socks
MTB shoes
PI windproof covers (not durable…)

I still suffer in the “man-bits” and belly region and will occasionally use some extra smartwool socks (not kidding)- would like a AmFib bib set or at the very least some wind-proof briefs but Mrs Santa has already been generous with bike parts this season so I’ll probably have to wait until the spring sales.

[GuyContinental]

Ninjus Slackerus Teenagus

Best dispersed by yelling “COPS!” like a deranged lunatic…

[GuyContinental]

Ninjus Cyclus Brokenus Squatus
Seen last night smack in the middle of the WO&D on the WB downhill from Vienna to Hunter Mill- Guy was sitting in the middle of the WB lane changing a tire- he had a small LED headlamp but it was focused on the tire and completely invisible from a distance. I stopped to help (was heading EB) and politely suggested that he scoot off the trail… he declined to do so.

[GuyContinental]

Another new one this morning- I’m on a taxonomic roll!
Ninjus Scootus Smallus
Frequently accompanied by Ninjus runnerus babystrollerus this agile, scooter-equipped ninja glides silently and (of course) invisibly at knee level and has been known to make random changes in direction ranging from 90 to a full 180 degrees (See Ninjus Runnerus Crazy Ivanus). Most likely of Ninja sub-species to take reflective handouts if offered.

[GuyContinental]

New ninja species spotted last night:
Ninjus Cyclus Bancheeus
This rare ninja rides in complete darkness until confronted with an oncoming cyclist or runner who has crossed the center line while overtaking. While remaining virtually invisible, this ninja will let loose a barrage of piercing blasts on a hand whistle in order to unsettle and perhaps disable the oncoming cyclist. This species should be considered rude and extremely dangerous and their whistle should be forcibly removed if sighted/heard.

[Author]

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