[jabberwocky]

I find I get a year or two out of them before they die. The premium soft strap one I got maybe 2 months out of, so I’m back to the old school ones (cheaper, anyway). I’d be happy to pay more for a more durable strap, but everything I’ve tried lasts (at best) the same as the cheap garmin ones, so I keep buying them.

[jabberwocky]

@hozn 103032 wrote:

I always assumed you were naming yourself after Vassago’s iconic 29er. I love that wet cat geometry. The poem is pretty awesome too.

I get that a fair bit. I first started using it as a forum name in 2003 (and was using it as an online moniker well before that), which long predates the bike though. I like to think vassago is copying me.

[jabberwocky]

Jabberwocky is a famous nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberwocky

My avatar is a piece of the John Tenniel illustration the accompanied the poem.

[jabberwocky]

@rose_surfer 102632 wrote:

I think I’ll take the advice repeated a couple of times here to get started with what I have. I still need to figure out whether I’ll be carrying my clothes in and showering/changing at the gym, which will probably depend a lot on the distance, and that will drive the need 100% for fenders if I’m ever going to be commuting in my work clothes, along with the pannier/rack as well (I get sweaty with a pack on FAST).

I missed that you already have a road bike when I originally read the post. Yeah, you’re set. Just grab a pack and start riding to work. It doesn’t need to be complicated. On a quick google perusal, the 1.5 does seem to have eyelets for a rack if you decided you’d rather do panniers. My first few years commuting, I bounced around between panniers and a rack, a backpack and a messenger bag before deciding on the messenger bag as my preferred method, but they all work and its just personal preference.

[jabberwocky]

The bottom line is that you’ll find a lot of variety to commuting setups. One persons “absolute must have” won’t matter at all to someone else. Some people won’t even look at a bike that doesn’t have full racks and fenders, others carry things in a backpack or messenger bag and have nothing on the bike. Some want discs, others are happy with rim brakes. Some ride converted mountain bikes or big heavy hybrids, others are on lightweight road bikes. Fixie vs singlespeed vs geared. There is really no right answer, so theres a lot of “what do you want?”

I’d recommend test riding some bikes and seeing if anything tickles your fancy. A bike you’re excited about is a bike you’ll ride more often. Doesn’t really matter why you like it if you do.

@Justin Antos 102610 wrote:

Fenders are also a really nice courtesy to the bicyclist(s) behind you. Don’t spray ’em!

The spray kept people from riding my ass on the W&OD, which I considered a feature rather than a bug.

[jabberwocky]

I disagree that discs are “must haves” for bad weather. My first two commuters were disc equipped CX bikes (a Redline Conquest and a Lemond Poprad), and my current is a carbon roadie with road caliper brakes. 99% of the time there is really no noticeable difference. The other 1% the difference is marginal. I honestly don’t think road mechanical discs are really that great (both my bikes had Avid BB7 roads). Put a good set of pads in road brakes, like the koolstop salmons, and you’re good.

I do look forward to the day that hydraulic discs become more common on road bikes, but they aren’t there yet.

[jabberwocky]

@KLizotte 102584 wrote:

It’s too small to read!

http://www.cyclingcartoons.com/12-days-of-christmas/

[jabberwocky]

I’d personally recommend either a road bike or a commuting oriented bike that uses mostly road components (wheels/tires/drops bars/etc). Cyclocross bikes can sometimes be good in betweens; they are largely similar to road bikes but tend to have lower gearing and clearance for larger tires (and these days, disc brakes). Lots of companies also make commuting specific bikes that are heavier duty but more road-ish than traditional hybrids (the Kona Rove or Surly Straggler, for example).

I personally commute on my carbon road bike year round. No fenders, no racks, 23mm slicks, road brakes. Carry everything in a messenger bag. The only thing that forces me off it is ice and snow, where I switch to my touring rig with studded tires.

[jabberwocky]

Yup, there are a ton of good trails up in the Germantown area. The whole MoCo epic group of trails (Schaeffer Farms, Hoyles Mill Connector, Seneca Ridge, Black Hill, Clopper Lake, Muddy Branch, Seneca Greenway and Little Bennett) are all good trails and I’d say most are beginner friendly enough too. Bit of a drive from Alexandria though. Fairland is also supposedly good, though I’ve never ridden there.

[jabberwocky]

Fountainhead got easier (at least the intro loops) but its still not a place I would take beginners, especially with Laurel Hill right down the road. A sufficiently exuberant beginner could probably manage there (and I’ve done some rides with relative newbies there who have enjoyed themselves) but LH would be a better choice for most people. If they find LH boring, take them to Fountainhead on the next trip.

[jabberwocky]

Even within cities, density varies a lot. Historical reasons, commuting infrastructure (or lack thereof), zoning restrictions, etc. There are parts of DC that would feel pretty suburban compared to the city core, and parts of Alexandria that feel quite urban. There are even parts of Fairfax that feel very city-like, despite the lower overall density. I studied planning a bit in college (I’m an architect) and have always found the suburb phenomenon pretty fascinating. Its a very modern creation.

Its worth noting that like 3/4 of the US population already lives in a major metro area. Most people, if they don’t live in a city, at least live pretty close to one.

[jabberwocky]

Arlington county is pretty dense. Its certainly more urban than Fairfax County. Its actually not too far off the density of Washington DC proper (Wikipedia has DC at 10,500 per sq mile, and Arlington County at 8,300 per sq mile). Compare that to Fairfax County at 2,750 or so, and still about twice the density of more urban places in Fairfax like Tysons (4,600 per sq mile) Vienna (3,600), Fairfax (3,600) or Reston (3,400).

EDIT: City of Falls Church looks to be a bit more of an urban density at 6,200 or so per sq mile. Still less dense than Arlington County as a whole, and the actual city is tiny (~2 sq miles).

[jabberwocky]

The old elite stems occasionally crack around the circular mounting clamp. I’ve known a few people who have had old stems crack there. Thomson is (I’ve been told) generally excellent about warranty stuff, though I have no personal experience with them.

[jabberwocky]

@creadinger 101979 wrote:

Wow! So is the trail the bit with the rocks, or do you get to ride in the space between the rocks… somewhere?

Right through the rocks.

@hozn 101981 wrote:

Is that Gambrill?

Close! Frederick Watershed, just to the north.

[jabberwocky]

It was a lovely day to be up in the mountains.

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