[ImaCynic]

@SurlyTed1187 170603 wrote:

I know this is a repeated topic, but I want to hear from fellow FS riders facing these harsh early winter temps.

Last year was my first year with FS, and I was kind of let down by the few days we had with truly below freezing days.

This year, we’re plunging right in with the sub freezing temps. I’ve been struggling in keeping my feet warm. I’ve tried various thickness wool socks. I’ve tried wearing a thin pair of socks under a looser pair of wool socks. I keep the Velcro straps on my shoes loose so as not to constrict my blood flow. I wear neoprene shoe covers to try to keep the wind out. I wear wool leg warmers to keep my legs warm. But I still finish my rides with ice toes.

I just don’t know where else to go aside from dropping a few hundred bucks on a pair of winter cycling shoes.

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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Two suggestions: 1) Minimize heat loss from your head; insulated skull cap that covers the ears, insulated/wind proof helmet cover. 2) Cut out any caffeine before the ride as it constrict capillaries, perhaps even an aspirin to keep the blood thin and slippery.

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[ImaCynic]

@Dewey 167868 wrote:

Sigh, giving cyclists a bad name. Bad form mooning drivers and pedestrians alike.

Wardrobe malfunction?

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[ImaCynic]

@lordofthemark 163349 wrote:

. …It’s not surprising to find that many people get tired of waiting or don’t realise there’s even a button to press, instead taking their chances by crossing against the light. And once you’re crossing there’s no guarantee that motorists will respect your right-of-way…”

I think “press to cross” button has become quite ubiquitous around here. If the button doesn’t do the trick, giving the Heisman usually does.

[ImaCynic]

Overly cautious drivers can be just as bad as those that do not stop IMO. I suspect this is what LCPD is trying to address.

Please! Stop calling it a “beg” button! It is NOT a button to ask for permission!

[ImaCynic]

@dasgeh 163334 wrote:

This is just horrible. Hopefully the Commonwealth’s Attorney (Jim Plowman, apparently) can talk some sense into them. There’s no way a ticket for stopping when someone is crossing holds up.

It’s an RRFB, like what’s on Virginia near the Kennedy Center. I don’t think there’s any way for the person crossing to know whether the lights are flashing.

I don’t htink the problem is the characterization, but the button itself, that sends the wrong message.

and what is that message?

[ImaCynic]

@Tania 163318 wrote:

The title is slightly misleading. The police aren’t saying “don’t stop,” they’re saying only stop if cyclists are already in the x-walk, meaning the cyclists should wait for a break in traffic before proceeding.

But wait, isn’t there a beg button there now? I read an article about this the other day and I feel like I read there was one installed now. My experience with the beg button at the crossing on Virginia Ave near the Kennedy Center says that some cars only stop when you dare them to hit you, flashing lights or not.

I do not like the “beg button” characterization as I think it sends the wrong message.

[ImaCynic]

Nicely done. Here are some more wireless 911/E911 tips:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/911-wireless-services

[ImaCynic]

@hozn 162318 wrote:

Yes, I was gonna say something similar. Definitely sign up for the 14mph; you might find it to be too slow, but then you’ll know!

Aero is a huge factor, though. This AM the HP laps were running 27mph into the headwind (southbound) and 29-30mph on the inside stretch. That was really tough / I couldn’t hang on so I dropped off after 4 laps. Similar output after that (by myself) would maybe push me to 22mph. I mostly just cruised and enjoyed the perfect morning, though

OTOH, folks at HP are probably riding a lot closer together than those riding a 14mph group ride, but even just hanging out in the middle of a large group (and not right on a wheel) will be a lot easier than riding by yourself.

One point I like to make is that first priority in a group ride is knowing how to ride in a group, and not how fast to ride.

[ImaCynic]

@TwoWheelsDC 162317 wrote:

While I do not advocate riding recklessly on trails, time yourself around the Arlington Loop at an effort that is roughly as fast as you can go while still being able to make it home (and maintain PAL status, of course). That’ll give you some idea of your true speed potential. So if you can do 14mph on the loop (which is pretty fast for the loop), you can probably hang with a 14mph group ride.

That said, there are so many variables that using average moving speed as a primary gauge is almost useless. My average commute speed is something like 13.5mph over 12 miles. That seems pretty slow, but I have to average like 200 watts (a decent amount of power) for the last half to maintain that average speed because it’s uphill and with some gravel. Also, distance plays a big role too. Riding 14mph for 30 minutes is a lot different than riding 14mph for 50 miles…not just because of the distance, but because of wind, hills, stops/starts, etc…

Yes, there are many elements that influence a ride, but at end of the day, it simply comes down to how long does it take to cover certain distance and that is “speed” by definition (average, of course).

[ImaCynic]

My computer automatically pauses when I stop, and starts again when I start moving, so I have descent confidence with the numbers. Strava added autopause feature not long ago, but if you stop somewhere and walks around with your phone, Strava can sometimes misinterprets that and skew the average.

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[ImaCynic]

Most bike computers provide average speed reading, and that is usually a better gauge of one’s true pace.

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[ImaCynic]

I believe when folks talk speed, they are referring to the average speed rather than the fastest one can ride for any brief period.

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[ImaCynic]

>>Different groups on weekends?
Absolutely. In fact, I try to avoid trails on weekends for this exact reason.

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[ImaCynic]

@ginacico 161898 wrote:

My other bike is Campagnolo. So I’d be adapting to a third shifting technique :rolleyes: and the Shimano would go away. But hey if SRAM is easy to live with, I’m teachable!

I found switching between Campy and Sram is far more challenging than Campy and Shimano. All my bikes are Campy shod, and had to ride a Sram equipped bike on a ride and found it to be completely counter intuitive to the Campy scheme. I suggest that you try doubletap first before committing.

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[ImaCynic]

@Judd 161747 wrote:

I almost always give a slow or stopping call when I have to get hard on the brakes. I hate doing it around peds though because it freaks them out which makes it harder to predict their movements. I also don’t like that it seems to sometimes make them step off of the trail if I call out “slowing” behind them, since they have as much right to the trail as me.[/QUOTEI]

I think a loud bell is the best weapon against peds. It can provide some hint as to what they might do and how to react. As the saying goes, bell, don’t leave home without it. Given that vast majority(75-80%) of braking is done by the front brakes, I’d argue that it is safer to signal and warn those behind than to be concerned about using both brakes.

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