[JeffC]

I could not handle surviving on tofu and veggies. Carnivorous fare (e.g., pemmican, jerky, meat chunks) goes fine in screw top tupperware containers.

[JeffC]

Wow, I’m loving the taxonomy and since I visited the founder of taxonomy’s home in Sweden (that would be Carl Linnaeus) a few years ago, I need to give a name to the Ninja style I noted a few posts ago, namely the female jogger that cannot run in a straight line so I came up with this:

Ninjus Ambulara Rapido Inibrius

[JeffC]

Speaking of beautiful things, about 7:15 am or so on Monday 12/5, I’m heading south on the MVT between the Roosevelt and Memorial bridge and on the glass like water of the Potomac is the most amazing cite: a line of ducks, some 30 in a row, swimming in perfect unison southbound on the water. I kept staring as did a jogger and another biker. It was a beautiful thing to behold. I’ve seen three or four ducks like that, but never this many. If anybody got a photo or video, please post.

[JeffC]

I rolled through at roughly 7:15 or so and only saw a police car with one car pulled over at the side. Of course that did not stop a guy from blownig past me with like 1 second on the blinknig hand. Whatever happened there got cleared up pretty quickly.

[JeffC]

I have been commuting the same route since 2007, from Falls Church City on the W&OD to Custis, to Mt. Vernon to 14th St. Bridge to the Mall. I have noticed a definte uptick this last year, 2011. There was somewhat of an uptick in 2010. My employer had to triple the number of indoor bike racks since 2007 to accomodate the increase in riders from then to now, admittedly they only had a few racks back in 2007 though.

Frankly, I kind of like it now that the joggers and fair weather bikers are gone even though it was 27F this morning. While I don’t commute all 11 miles one way to DC every day (even when the weather is nice), I can only manage one or two days per week in winter although I do ride most days the 1.5 mile to the EFC Metro where I rent a locker. I find that winter riders usually always announce they are passing.

As much as I enjoy riding, I think without more improvements, it is just overall less enjoyable when the weather is nice than now because it is too crowded. I even started taking streets in the afternoon when the weather is nice rather than the trails. I feel like the level of attentiveness I must give to avoid incidents is very high, it seriously requires almost as much attention as if I were driving a car on the beltway. It’s nice in winter to be able to let my mind wander while riding and not be focused solely on avoiding peds and other bikers.

[JeffC]

Hmm, I just saw an article in the Wall Street Journal about upscale artistic indoor bike storage. These are pricey and you would need a lot of newspapers but if you have a small place and want something artsy, you could probably use one of these and do some maintenance while it is on the stand, just don’t tell your wife.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203699404577046314252113938.html

[JeffC]

I have the cheapo $15 Nashbar/Performance stand as well. It works reasonably well when you can have something holding the front tire steady. A couple other tips for chain cleaning: 1) do it outside and 2) try out some other chain cleaners. I had the Park one but don’t like it, much prefer the White Lightning one that comes with a bottle of the cleaner. I find that it cleans just as well and requires less force to use. The Park cleaner required a lot of force to use so that sometimes I would tip over my bike, not fun. I make sure that I wipe down my chain with a clean rag every 150 miles or so and relube. Wiping down the chain before relubing keeps things clean and means that I only have to do the dreaded chain cleaning regimen every 500 miles or so.

Here is the product I mean: http://www.rei.com/product/724952/white-lightning-trigger-chain-cleaner?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-gpeLink-_-product-_-724952&mr:trackingCode=6F7A4FFE-FB85-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA&{copy:s_kwcid}=&mr:adType=pla&gclid=CP6GzsG92awCFcfv7Qodwy3yrg#tabs

I would agree with the reviewers that it is hard to use without a stand though. However, this chain cleaner combined with the cheap stand really works. I also use reqular White Lighthning with the long tube to spray clean my rear cogs.

[JeffC]

What I would not give to have a bike’s only W&OD and Custis Trail. It has gotten to the point where in the spring, summer and fall, I largely take the streets (albeit not heavily trafficked) in the afternoon, rather than the socalled trails because they are so crowded and I find myself having to stop so frequently. All the onus is on the bikers to be alert.

Most sidewalks/paths in Germany are also divided between sections for peds and bikes. I was in Boulder, CO last summer and saw the same thing there, just not quite yet here. If all the infrastructure in Virginia were like the new stretch of westbound 66 in Arlington, it would be amazing–took that last night for the first time with my family after dinner, it’s flawless for a highway.

[JeffC]

In the morning headed on the MVT south to the 14th St Bridge, I always take that intersection extremely slow, like walking slow and have not had any problems yet. In the afternoon, headed North, I have almost been rear ended by other bikers when somebody is headed down from the Bridge, I actually appreciate it when those bikers ring their bell. Nobody really stops there but just coasts through after, hopefully, looking over their left shoulder to see that no biker has the righ of way.

[JeffC]

Here is a photo

[ATTACH=CONFIG]456[/ATTACH]

[JeffC]

Around dusk in the afternoon, I tend to get what I call in my mind the “I cannot pass a sobriety test” joggers, usually female for whatever reason. They’ll start on one side of the lane and veer back and forth. I can just imagine them putting in 4+ miles daily jogging, at the end of their run and for whatever reason cannot countenance running in a straight line. The more serious joggers tend to wear some type of reflective clothing and are more disciplined at keeping right than Rick Perry. The morning joggers are more amped on caffeine and alert.

So a couple nights ago around 6:30 pm at dusk I’m headed home westbound on the Custis just near where it ends and hits the W&OD. There is a long straight away next to 66 with good visibility and sure enough a ninja female jogger ahead of me who I am sure was wearing headphones so I know I have to be loud. It was not totally dark at the time and it is well lit in that area with lights but still in my mind running at dusk one should not be a ninja. She started off in the middle of the lane and about 20 yards away lurched typsy like to and fro before setting a course straight in the middle of the path. Figuring it was my duty to avoid an accident and impart a lesson, I yelled “Passing” with the gusto of a Prussian Drill Sergeant. The jogger suddenly and emphatically lurched right and quickly looked over her left shoulder. I think I got my point across.

[JeffC]

@Joe Chapline 9695 wrote:

This might be obvious, but I haven’t seen it mentioned. I keep the handlebar-mount adjusted so that I can change the angle of the light, and I point it down when that’s appropriate. That seems easier than covering the light with my hand. I’ve never had a problem with the mount getting looser with any of the lights I’ve used.

I do that as well. It stays reasonably well adjusted but sometimes bumps can jar it a bit, better to be pointed a bit low than high. However, unless you adjust it constantly, I still think it is better to cover with your hand because subtle elevation changes can be the difference between blinding somebody (especially when you are going slightly downhill and somebody is approaching you coming uphill) or not. Think about it when you are driving a car as well, a car approaching you from a higher elevation will appear to have its high beams even though it does not. The same principle can occur on a bike.

[JeffC]

Yes Americancyclo, that is the route, I’m not so great at attaching those maps with the specified routes. Not having to do the crossings in Falls Church, except the Great Falls one where I get off but only reading about accidents on them probably gives me a bad perspective on them. I’m sure most do fine with them. I have also found that taking the same route over and over again can get tedious so breaking it up with some deviations away from the trail can be nice.

[JeffC]

I have a Planet Bike helmet light that I either set to flash or constant. It is not strong, only about 70 lumens I imagine but does shine on exactly what I am looking at. I know it will not blind other riders. At dawn/dusk I keep it flashing just so I can be seen.

On my handlebars I have a Deal Extreme P7 flashlight with 5 settings. The highest is 900 lumens but that blinds people so I only use it rarely plus it wears out the rechargeable in under an hour. I find that the medium setting at 450 lumens is just right with the helmet light providing some extra power for precisely what I am looking at.

People need to be aware of how bright their lights are. On my high setting, I quickly get drivers flashing their high beams at me and bikers complaining, justifiably so, so I hardly use it. I have complained to other bikers about their lights being too bright and possibly causing an accident thereby negating the very safety they are seeking, seems like most are too ignorant to understand that by the responses I get.

One very easy thing you can do if you think your light is too bright (or even if it is not too bright) is to cover your handlbar light with your hand a few seconds before you approach an oncoming biker/walker. At that point, they know you are there but will not get blinded. I do this almost everytime but sadly only see a few others do it in return. Thanks to all those that do this, I think it should be a rule of trail.

[JeffC]

Will,
glad you are feeling better. I have only had two accidents, both of which involved me falling and were caused my own stupidity or recklessness but even those minor mishaps can shake and cut you up, you are just so unprotected on a bike.

I know the Falls Church City/Great Falls, W&OD intersection extremely well as I live about 1 mile from there. I don’t usually take it in the morning (take Park St and Little Falls) but do more often take it in the evening. I would actually prefer for the cars to just go through until it is clear. I usually do exactly what you do, wait to make eye contact with both drivers, usually one stops first. It does get more difficult with less daylight. I usually take it going west in the evening and then turn briefly onto Great Falls and then make a right turn a block later up Virginia Avenue. I have had a few close calls there.

For those of you who really hate the Falls Church City crossings, you could instead get off the W&OD at Little Falls St, make a right on Park, left on Virginia, cross Rte 7 and then wind your way down Virginia and Sherrow through some other side streets and pick up West St briefly before headed through another residential area and then picking up the trail on the other side of Rte 7 but before the Shreve crossing. It definitely does not save time but I think it has less of those crossings. I’m not doing justice to all the turns so study a map and you’ll see what I’m describing.

[Author]

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