[huskerdont]

@bobco85 133815 wrote:

I was very happy to be able to wear shorts this morning (my cut-off for shorts on my commute is 40 degrees). That said, the meltwater splashing up on my legs was quite cold!

My cutoff for tights is 32 degrees, but I wore them anyway to keep my legs clean so I wouldn’t have to shower at work. There was as much water coming up off the surface as there would be after a rain, and it was salty, so I was glad I did.

I did take the CX today because I wasn’t sure how much ice would be left. Only had one patch about 12-feet long, so tomorrow I’m taking the single speed with faster, thinner tires.

[huskerdont]

@huskerdont 133797 wrote:

That cut in the sidewalk on Custis above Quinn has been patched.

I received an email response from Arlington Parks letting me know that a temporary patch was made and that a more permanent solution was possible. I kinda love Arlington.

[huskerdont]

@Boomer2U 133789 wrote:

I went and did loops tonight around the Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna (4.8 mile circuit).

I had no idea that credit union branch was that large (and I’m a member).

[huskerdont]

That cut in the sidewalk on Custis above Quinn has been patched.

[huskerdont]

@S. Arlington Observer 133692 wrote:

Yes, by day’s end I was aware of that. I think some of us experienced transient mid day squalls. I thought it was a sustained change. Sorry.

Nah I thought it was a decent enough headwind, not generally being a fan of them. I was being a bit facetious. Dry sense of humor comes across poorly online.

[huskerdont]

@S. Arlington Observer 133637 wrote:

Hello Stalwart Commuters!

Heads up. I went out for a short midday ride and the weather has changed a LOT since this morning. The wind is much stronger (and about blew me over at one point).

Those of you heading west or northwest are in for quite a slog. Those heading east or southeast….just unfurl the sails and go with it.

Also, while it is a drying wind, it will probably drop the temps below freezing fairly soon after darkness.

Good luck.

You call that a wind? Didn’t even blow me off me bike going back across Key Bridge. It’s not a real wind unless I have to put a foot down.

[huskerdont]

@dasgeh 133605 wrote:

I rode in today. Custis -> Key Bridge -> M -> PA Ave. What everyone said is true. I’ll add: DO NOT TRY TO USE THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE OF THE KEY BRIDGE FROM THE CUSTIS. You can’t cross Lynn unless you can scale a berm with you bike, and then the sidewalk is an unclear mess. I believe this is NPS land, but I still think it’s an Arlington fail.

In fact, I think the clearing on the Custis is at best a B-. The lack of treating the bridges is a D.

PLEASE REPORT THIS STUFF. I’ve been reporting what I hear, but it’ll be better coming from more people. And from multiple people. I reported stuff days ago that hasn’t been addressed. The form is pretty easy.

The broken Custis is a huge danger, both because it’s covered in snow/ice (reported via snow removal site, above), and because of the concrete (report to trails@arlingtonva.us). They need to at least make that spot visible – cone on the side, sign, florescent paint, something!

I have reported the Custis trail break as well.

The downstream side of Key Bridge is actually not bad all the way across; it’s only that little portion that has some ice on it. The obstacle they’ve plowed up is typical of the whole region. I understand it’s been a difficult situation and perhaps the first day or so after a storm they may need to plow things onto sidewalk cuts to get the roads clear for emergency vehicles, but almost a week later it’s rather pathetic that these remain.

[huskerdont]

The ice was marginally better on the overpasses on the Custis, so I gave it a shot over Lee Highway. Ended up on the ground, and of course there was a witness. So over Spout Run I didn’t try it. Seems like the CX tires, while better on snow, are worse on ice.

That sidewalk cut at Quinn is bad. I can ride across it on the CX bike, but I think it might flat a road bike. Someone unaware of it going downhill fast in the dark could get hurt. Has anyone reported it? I’ll probably report it myself anyway.

[huskerdont]

Rosslyn was actually worse today than yesterday. They finished clearing the roads and pushed stuff across the trail, leaving big snow boulders that you really couldn’t bike through. All the pedestrians and cyclists I saw went out into Lee Highway (against traffic) at the corner of Ft. Meyer to avoid it. I know there’s a lot of snow and things are difficult, and doubtless they’ll fix this today, but this was really a boneheaded move.

The bridge over Spout Run was about as expected. Pure glaze ice and difficult to even walk on, at least with my mountain boots.

Other than that, it was pretty good, considering the hard freeze after all the melting.

[huskerdont]

@chris_s 133262 wrote:

Keep telling the County Board you appreciate it. I have it on good authority they are being bombarded by cranky folks who don’t think “bike trails should be getting plowed before all of the residential streets are clear”

countyboard@arlingtonva.us

I just wrote them; wrote them last year as well. Plowing the trails is good transportation policy, good for safety, and good for the county’s image. Plus I’m selfish and like getting to work without having to ride on Lee Highway if I can.

[huskerdont]

@dcv 133355 wrote:

Custis all clear this morning except the Spout Run overpass and the Rosslyn Monolith

Yes, it was puzzling that Custis was in such good shape *except* in Rosslyn, where more people use it. I assume snow had been plowed onto it from the street after it had been cleared? But overall, pretty decent out there. Thanks again, Arlington County, for clearing the trail.

I spoke with a cyclist at the intersection of doom who said not to go along the MVT, which he had just slogged up. Not that I would have tried. I was just grateful that Key Bridge was clear on the southeast side so that I didn’t have to ride in the lane on my slow mountain bike.

[huskerdont]

You can change the cog on a single speed to make riding up hills easier if needed. I put a 17-tooth cog on my Fuji Feather to replace the 16 to make the hills back into Arlington a little easier on the old knees. If I remember, the original ratio for it was about 2.75 (44/16); you can do a quick-and-dirty calculation on your geared bike to find a ratio that’s comparable to whatever single speed you’re considering and try it out, and you can always change it later. Single speeds are a lot of fun, but they are work on hills, and some days you want your gears. I’d only do one as my only option if I lived in the city.

[huskerdont]

I think it was just an excuse to buy this bike. Which is beautiful.

[huskerdont]

Or maybe a cross or gravel bike instead of the mountain bike (since you say you’re not a mountain biker). Those bikes would be faster and require less effort but would still give plenty of performance in iffy weather.

[huskerdont]

@Tania 132827 wrote:

How exactly do you clean it? Do you use any special kind of lube over the winter?

I don’t have access to a hose or have a private garage and my bikes don’t fit in my tub. So far this hasn’t been much of an issue because I don’t actually really clean my bikes! I took my old cx bike to a friends to hose it off before I sold it (he did most of the drive train) and I used baby wipes once on the warbird…But, I actually really should clean my bikes.

Sometimes I’m lazy and use a bit of cut-off hose I have in the back, but when it’s cold enough to freeze or if I want to do it right, I’ll use a rag or a sponge with some (preferably soapy) water. I usually use a dry lube, but when there’s road salt I switch to the wet lube. If there isn’t time to do anything with the frame, at the minimum I’ll do the drive train–perhaps a bit of extra lube but making sure to wipe it off. All my bikes are steel, so I also treat them (once a year) with Boeing’s T-9, inside and out.

Edit: Rag w/soapy water is for the frame; degreaser on the drive train.

Writing is hard.

[Author]

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