[JimF22003]

@consularrider 14376 wrote:

If heading west, cheat and go up Kenmore from Shirlington Rd instead. It’s the same amount of elevation gain, just over a little more distance. Then you can fly down Walter Reed.

Good plan, but don’t fly too fast. Somebody got killed doing that not too long ago.

[JimF22003]

@off2ride 14388 wrote:

Garmin 800 is what I use. To this day, my wife doesn’t know about the price of that thing. Shhhh. It was the “bundle” purchase and It’s still a “bundle” of joy using it. So Garmin is what I recommend.

I have had a 705 for the last couple of years, but it bounced off my bike somewhere on the Custis Trail a month or so ago. I bought the 800 as a replacement. I like the display better, and having the temperature gauge. The touchscreen works OK even with fairly thick gloves. The attachment mechanism is MUCH better. Hopefully this one won’t bounce off into the weeds.

The only disappointment is that when i’m going up a REALLY steep grade, really slowly (like 16% at ~3 mph) the %grade reading stops working. It’s probably not very accurate under those situations anyway, but still I want to know how tough I am (or why i can justify riding so slowly)

[JimF22003]

@Dirt 14340 wrote:

Sunday’s fixie century:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]722[/ATTACH]

I cheated and looked at your GPS route. I’m going to say Mountain Rd. just outside of Hillsboro.

[JimF22003]

@dcv 14316 wrote:

I need help on this one, I’ve been here 3 times in the last 5 years but still don’t know exactly where this is. i love this road and want to go back, does anyone know where this is?
(hint: it’s beyond the beltway)

Those could be anywhere in multiple places in Loudon or Fauqier counties. If it’s on a group ride it might well be Airmont Road, Rokeby, Atoka, Middleburg, Landmark School etc.

You need to zoom in on that street sign

[JimF22003]

@dcv 14264 wrote:

how did you fit your bike in the port-o-potty?

I used the big one on the right.

[JimF22003]

@KLizotte 14241 wrote:

Port-o-potties at Gravelly Point?

You know your porta-potties

[JimF22003]

Looks like the Rt 28 crossing on the W&OD trail.

edit: Oops, beaten to the punch

How’s this for difficult? Hint the point of this pic was the sandbag that was placed the day before our mega windstorm last fall. I thought maybe the sandbag was to keep the “facilities” from blowing over…

[JimF22003]

I just baaaaaarely missed getting creamed under there by a bike rider crossing way over onto my side of the trail a few weeks ago.

I’m not sure the big mirrors help much (against idiots anyway.) There’s a big mirror like that on a similar underpass on the W&OD in Leesburg. I’ve had exactly the same thing happen there going both ways.

[JimF22003]

@DismalScientist 14070 wrote:

Any anti-spandex comments I make are solely directed to riders of non-metallic steeds that cost more than my monthly mortgage. Particularly if they are young and can’t keep up with this geezer on his 35 year old steel machine. And, besides that, it is all in jest.:p

You’re not helping. So now spandex is OK under certain conditions, but carbon fiber bikes aren’t?

[JimF22003]

@Marcella 14064 wrote:

Why are so many people on this forum so against people who ride for fun instead of transportion? Why is it necessary to make fun of people who are just out to have a good time and get some exercise? Newbies need to learn trail ettiquette, sure. People who don’t have experience riding in cooler temps haven’t figured out yet what clothes to wear, okay, we all have to learn sometime. That doesn’t make them inferior to you just because you ride a bike to work.

Reverse snobbery is still snobbery…

[JimF22003]

I had a flat last summer where I actually asked for and got some help. I had CO2 cartridges, but had forgotten the chuck for it. I also carry a small lezyne pump I could have used, but it’s hard to get above 80 PSI with it. Since a nice guy stopped and offered help, I asked if he had a CO2 nozzle, and since he did I borrowed it. Unfortunately there was a small hole in the tire and as soon as the tube inflated it blew out… Oh well, I ended up walking in my socks to Spokes in Vienna and buying a new tire.

I am NOT going to start carrying spare tires around. I did that in the 70’s when I was using sew-ups

[JimF22003]

I approve this RANT

[JimF22003]

I use the Serfas 500 lumen light, but on the trail I have it on the lowest non-blinky settings. I like it because the mount lets me pivot it side to side, so when I’m meeting a rider on a narrow trail, I can point it 45 degrees off the trail. I find that easier than shielding it with my hand, since I don’t have to ride one-handed in the dark

[JimF22003]

A good one early in the spring is the CASA ride out of Shepardstown. Capital 2 Capital in Richmond/Williamsburg is also an easy early-season ride. Here are a few links from rides I did last year. Some of these links are for previous years, but you should be able to find the current versions using your Google Fu. Some like Mountains of Misery and Civil War Century will also sell out early. The (!!!) ones are mega-hilly.

Tour de Carrol metric: http://tourdecarroll.com/App_Content/home.aspx
Six Pillars, Cambridge: http://www.6pillarscentury.org/
Queen City, Staunton, VA: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=10566
Cap 2 Cap: http://www.virginiacapitaltrail.org/page/Cap2Cap2011.aspx
CVCC, Boonsboro MD: http://www.bikecvcc.com/cvcc_century.html
Reston Century: http://www.active.com/cycling/reston-va/28th-annual-reston-bike-club-century-2010
Bay Country, Owings MD: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=11148
Tour de Valley, Waynesboro: http://milepostzero.homestead.com/TDV.html
CASA, shepardstown: http://www.casarivercentury.org/
Mountains of Misery, Blacksburg(!!!!) http://www.cyclingdoubleheader.com/mountains-of-misery
Charity Ride, Cumberland (!!!): http://www.ctcbikes.com/charityride.html
Civil War Century: http://www.civilwarcentury.com/
Heart of Virginia, Richmond: http://www.heartofvabikefestival.org/
Mountain Mama(!!!), west of Staunton: http://bikemountainmama.homestead.com/

I’ve got more where those come from, but those should get you started

[JimF22003]

@PotomacCyclist 13609 wrote:

Maybe the Gallows Rd. cyclist could have taken Prosperity Ave. from the Metro to the Cross County Trail, then onto Tobin Rd. and Woodburn. I don’t know what Prosperity Ave. is like but it looks to be better than Gallows Rd. for cycling. The CCT appears to be paved at that section, but I can only see one part of it on Google Maps.

I used to work in that area but I only biked there a couple times. Not really a fun place to ride.

It would be cool if he was a forum reader. I’d love to hear his story.

[Author]

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