[invisiblehand]

@Mark Blacknell 10038 wrote:

Been thinking about cyclist education, lately, and some challenges in delivering it. It’s been observed that lots of us say we are in favor of it, but when it comes to actually taking a class, it turns out that we really meant that we were in favor of cyclist education *other* people. While that sounds like a phenomenon that extends beyond cycling, I wonder if there’s a way to better sell the benefits of it.

So – what could make *you* think that a class would be worth your time? Taken a class and been disappointed by it? Taken a class and been impressed by it? I’ve got my own answers to these questions, but I’d like to hear from others, first. I’m speaking of both classroom and street instruction, fwiw.

I think a hands-on class about panic braking — i.e., braking in the shortest distance possible — would be worthwhile. For what its worth, my guess is that if you have never practiced it, you probably suck at it … something that is generally true about (almost) everything. Presumably such a class would include practice setting up various brakes as well.

[invisiblehand]

That was a long survey. Of course, it might have been long since we commute so many different ways.

With regards to widening I-66, I thought that one of the major restrictions was reconstruction of the bridges that cross it.

FWIW, when the boss and I tested out various commuting options after dropping the boy off at his school, we found a relatively small absolute difference between traveling on I-66 carpool versus taking Lee Highway. And most of the difference occurred in Rosslyn with the multiple traffic lights and several lanes of traffic heading over the Key Bridge. So while I concur with DismalS that there is some distortion onto local roads, I suspect that it’s effects are moderate.

It isn’t clear to me that we can assess the effect of HOV and a narrow I-66 on growth with simple aggregate figures of the number of commuters. You really want a counterfactual where you see the number and type of commuters with different strategies especially since there is a general trend of growth in the area. I’m not saying that the question is impossible to answer or at least get a grip on the effect, but it’s hard to do off the cuff.

In regards to why people don’t live closer to where they work, I think that there are several reasons for this. One, the amenities of neighborhoods close to work could inappropriate for one’s family. For instance, DCs services for children with disabilities is broadly considered piss poor … whether true or not is another question. IF you have a child with special needs then you’re likely better off elsewhere. Two, people change jobs for several reasons. Moving involves a large amount of costs which make it infeasible to live close. Three, there are a lot of two-worker families. Find a good match for both workers as well as the rest of the family is likely a hard problem. Four, there are income constraints to living in a lot of neighborhoods.

[invisiblehand]

@rcannon100 8093 wrote:

I am thinking about getting a helmet camera. I am leaning towards the GoPro because I think its more versatile. I could see using it while hiking as well, attaching it to backpack straps.

Did a quick search and did not see a previous discussion. Any thoughts or recommendations?

Here are my thoughts from a little more than a year ago.

http://washingtonwheelman.blogspot.com/2010/06/looking-for-helmetbike-cam.html

An important consideration is your specific purposes.

In my case, I’m nursing an injury and not really riding much. Consequently, I’m no hurry since technology is making things much better and cheaper.

[invisiblehand]

@eminva 7233 wrote:

All right, I’ve got to ask the opposite question . . . how do you know when your tires are worn out if you AREN’T getting flats? My tires have 3900 miles, show no bald patches like Pete’s photo, although they are sort of “flattening” in the middle like in Pete’s photo.

The number of flats, as Dirt writes below, is probably the first signal. I generally look for tread, bumps, or other irregularities in the tire.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#replacement

@Dirt 7241 wrote:

1) Many unexplained flats.
2) Visible flat spots, lack of tread or casing showing through. Dry rot on the tire is another sign… cracks in the rubber or casing.
3) The tires start to feel really slow. There is definitely a point where I can feel the tires holding me back. It kind-of sneaks up on you, though. It is a gradual thing. Slight inclines that usually are a breeze to power up become more labored.

I’ve always found worn tires roll better since the tread is smoothed and the casing becomes more flexible such that rolling resistance decreases. In fact, there are people that shave their tires to “wear them out” faster.

http://janheine.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/summer-2011-bicycle-quarterly/

[invisiblehand]

@acorn 7193 wrote:

I keep getting flats in my bike’s rear tire. The tire itself seems fine, but the tubes keep getting holes. I even replaced the rim tape. What could be going on? I don’t think I’m over-inflating. What should I check?

(1) ** Read what Sheldon has to say. **
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html

If that doesn’t help, here is my quick list …

(1) Are the holes on the outside (facing tire) or inside (facing rim) of the tube?
(2) Are they “snakebite” flats? http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/snakebites.html
(3) If outside, note the place on the tire where the hole occurs. If it occurs in roughly the same place, look very carefully for some sharp object on the inside of the tire. Sometimes this can be a piece of the tire — wire or other material.
(4) If inside, note the place on the rim where the hole occurs. If the rim tape is cheap, I’ve noticed that the tape can sometimes slide when people use a lubricant to seat a tire.
(5) If you’re desperate, I would check the outside of the tire looking for anything embedded in the tire. I’d remove the debris with a pin or something similar.

[invisiblehand]

@terpdsp 7342 wrote:

I think this is a call to action for WABA.

Yes, it would be.

@DaveK 7362 wrote:

The rule’s been in place for a long time but they started paying more attention to it recently.

Have they been enforcing it lately?

[invisiblehand]

@acc 5865 wrote:

I’m with you, these numbers are incomplete at best, reinforce negative stereotypes, and except for the list of locations, not useful.

All cycling statistics need a good model to interpret the data in order to identify effects. Otherwise, one can interpret them in a myriad of ways to come to virtually any conclusion. General skepticism is good. Selectively being skeptical — this is not an accusation — is not so good.

[invisiblehand]

@Mark Blacknell 4253 wrote:

Aside from the occasional incompetent cyclist who buzzed me, never really found a warning useful (tho’ I usually tried to acknowledge them with a wave). Don’t really understand how a lack of a warning can inspire so much annoyance.

That is because you experience both sides of the issue. In short, people get surprised a few times by some combination of silly choices and it becomes a mantra.

Nonetheless, it’s polite to announce one’s presence.

FWIW, I find that a bell works noticeably better than calling out.

[invisiblehand]

@HillCycle 3662 wrote:

Hello, I’ve decided to upgrade from my current bike, an entry level hybrid to something a little faster. I’d keep the old bike for commuting and use the new bike for longer/faster rides. I’ve been primarily focused on a Trek 1 or 2, Giant Defy Series, etc. but am starting to get interested in the Surly Cross Check.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Thanks!

Are you getting Surly’s build or building one up yourself?

In short, the Surly Crosscheck or Long Haul Trucker are better do-it-all bikes than go fast bikes. There are things in-between such as randonneuring which a “fat tire” or old-fashioned sport-touring road bike would be a better fit than a “go-fast” bike.

[invisiblehand]

@Allen Muchnick 3035 wrote:

In response to Tim’s initial suggestions, I don’t think it’s a good idea to install BMUFL signs for short (e.g., one block or shorter) pinch points between two segments of bike lane or where the bike lane on Fairfax Dr ends at N.Wakefield St at the I-66 entrance ramp. Installing sharrows in the center of the travel lane should be adequate for such segments, whereas the BMUFL signs would confuse both bicyclists and motorists.

The BMUFL signs should be reserved for longer road segments with sharrows and perhaps where a bike lane has been (inappropriately) installed along a long and relatively steep downhill segment (e.g., Clarendon Blvd between Courthouse Rd and Rhodes St). It would be better to first replace such bike lanes with sharrows.

I’d love to see sharrows installed in the center of the curb lanes of Columbia Pike, although frequent BMUFL signs on this street would contribute to, and be lost in, sign clutter. Within Arlington, the Columbia Pike roadway is eminently bikeable by experienced vehicular cyclists, and sharrows there might provide useful guidance and assurance to gutter bunnies and sidewalk riders.

I concur with Allen.

I would like something done with the narrow bike lane on Quincy connecting Military Road to 15th ST N just north of W & L which — note I have not run out there with a ruler nor measuring tape — is often filled with debris and or in the door zone. My bike with kiddie trailer can’t ride in the bike lane without either …

(1) me riding smack in the door zone or
(2) having my kids partially in the through lane.

-G

[invisiblehand]

Front/Rear

20×1.50/26×1.50
or
20×1.75/20×1.75
or
700×35/700×35

Note that I did not respond to the poll since I was unsure whether you would take each response and given them 1/3 weight or so on.

[invisiblehand]

@PrintError 2493 wrote:

Clearly you haven’t seen my bike after the winter commuting.

Do you ride with full fenders? Typically, that helps a lot.

If the final call is that you can’t bring your bike inside, it is the case that relative to another bike that fits you the same way with old components, the difference in speed will likely be negligible since you’re riding solo and not trying to stay with the peloton or paceline.

http://tinyurl.com/27w39hl
http://tinyurl.com/378n5n6

So perhaps investing in an older bike and taking the uber light off the bike when parked at work will alleviate some anxiety. If there are racks there, I typically leave a u-lock at work so carrying it back and forth is not an issue.

[invisiblehand]

Tim Fricker — new owner — is a great guy at Bikes at Vienna.

I commute with a recumbent; although I have no worries about carrying the bike nor getting it onto a bus rack. You originally eliminated trikes … which I have little experience so I can’t tell you much. There is a steeper learning curve with a SWB relative to a LWB recumbent, but like anything else you will get the hang of it with a bit of practice. For manueverability purposes, I prefer the SWB setup. Note that despite the label, a SWB recumbent is still pretty long. My experience is that this length can be problematic when spaces get tight.

FWIW, I think that it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise regiment particularly if you have some concerns. While getting an electric bike might make traveling faster and done with less exertion, note that the bike will be considerably heavier. So you might be trading off one risk for another. And, as you probably already figured out, electric assist is pretty expensive. Presummably repairing it is expensive too. Perhaps an alternative strategy could be to drive to a mid-point and bike the remainder to Ballston and vice-versa. I knew a few people in Albuquerque that did that regularly. You could use a human powered (only) vehicle and still make your trip in a reasonable time. As your fitness improves then the different options with the bus and longer riding distances would become more resonable.

There are a few alternative folding recumbents.

HP Velo Grasshopper
http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/ghp/index_e.html

ICE B1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMXVM52BwM

Tim had a B1 at the shop over the summer. I don’t care for the hamster bars. But there are alternatives.

I read about a Baron Optima folding low-racer. But I have never seen one in person.
http://www.recumbentblog.com/2010/04/29/optima-baron-folding-bike/

Anyway, you have a lot of options. Although if you have not ridden recumbents before there is a learning curve. My advice is to head to a good shop, your choices are Bikes at Vienna (Tim Fricker) or Mt Airy/College Park Bikes (Larry Black), and test ride for a long time. Really … spend several hours getting used to the bikes and perhaps make a few trips out of it. Nothing compares to real experience for a big purchase like this.

[invisiblehand]

I assume that you’re not looking at carbon fiber.

Always check where the top and down tubes connect to the head tube for evidence of a crash. I always check for alignment of the rear dropouts.

I always found it near impossible to tell if a bottom bracket is crunchy without taking off the crank. BBs are typically an easy fix anyway. Hubs are much easier.

Checking the cables (fraying?), brakes (springs and pads), and tires are straightforward.

[invisiblehand]

For $300 you can find a decent used road bike.

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