[jpaulwhite]

There’s a piece in the Post about this http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/suspected-drunk-driver-hits-bicyclist-on-trail-in-virginia/2013/06/02/0a767e04-cbac-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html If I had been on the trail and saw a car coming at me doing 60 I would have hit the bushes too! Bananas!!!!

[jpaulwhite]

@mrkenny83 16223 wrote:

Has anyone noticed that a couple of spots of Custis REEK of Windex, or some other weird cleaning/chemical smell? I notice it daily – after climbing the ‘S-Curve of Death’ and going over the bridge (west-bound)… Once I get off the bridge – WHAM! Windex!

What on earth could it be? I assumed it WAS windex…. but found it odd that the odor wasn’t washed away in the rain.

Am I just cray-cray?

Ahhhhhh. My old friend the ‘S’ Curve. I used to pass out at the pond up top there lol…the only time I earled was at the top of this as well. At least it waited till I got across the overpass lol

[jpaulwhite]

@JeffC 15388 wrote:

What is a moment where some person encountered on your commute got the consequence of their natural actions, either good or bad? Here is an example of something I encountered this evening (2/27/12) shortly after 6 pm. The actor’s actions and the consequence followed so closely that it was impossible not to think karma when it happened. So here is how it transpired.

It is dusk and I am riding on the W&OD, headed west and I just crossed the intersection near Lee Hwy and am on that small stretch before Little Falls Street. Shortly before the wooden bridge crossing the creek near the Falls Church Fire Department, I spot a rider coming my way (so headed east) with an extremely bright light but moving very slow. I had it in my mind to say something. On my right is a pedestrian headed west and dressed mostly in black. It was not completely dark at the time and most cyclists had on flashing dim, “be seen” lights except for the rider headed my way with an incredibly over powered light. I was slowing down watching the ped on my right and the blinding light headed my way.

The pedestrian, the oncoming rider, and your intrepid author all reached a spot shortly before the bridge at the same time. Shortly before I got to the pedestrian he screams very loudly at the rider “What the F*%K are you doing!!!” Just then I realize the rider is a police officer on a motorcycle doing a trail patrol. I rode on home the remaining mile laughing to myself the whole way.

LMAO!!! I know that exact spot. But here’s another one. When I used to ride on the W&OD daily I used to see some county workers driving a pickup truck from Glen Carlin Park to Bluemont Park after dark. Right after it got dark. After I followed them one day I saw they were emptying trash cans.

Then one day I saw a county truck had tried to cross the wooden bridge right before the trail crossed under Patrick Henry Drive and fallen through part of the way. One of the tires had went through the wood and they were waiting on someone to come help them.

Too funny. Man I have had a LOT of adventures on the W&OD

[jpaulwhite]

@5555624 14801 wrote:

The peace and solitude of riding along the Potomac in the dark.

The “solitude” aspect being interrupted and driven home this morning, with two separate ninja incidents. Why anyone walking, running, or riding at 3:00 a.m. on an unlit trail would not at least wear something reflective — let alone have a light of some sort — is beyond me. (Yeah, I know, I know, why anyone would be out riding at 3:00 a.m. is beyond a lot of people, too.)

LOL…I used to be on the trail at 3AM in my younger days but normally I had a nice young lady with me too 😎

[jpaulwhite]

@Tim Kelley 14591 wrote:

Take a video of whatever you end up doing to break the lock!

I wanted to make a video but I forgot. Here’s a pic. Only took us about 1 minute to cut through it

And I’m mailing it back to Kryptonite TODAY to get another one. And get reimbursed lol

[jpaulwhite]

@cephas 14588 wrote:

Sounds like a bait bike – cops place it to arrest a bike theif.

That rminds of a show that comes on ABC called What Would You Do? The premise is that they put people unknowingly in situations and see people’s reaction. In one episode they had a young black kid trying to steal a bike and everyone that walked by called the cops or tried to stop him. Then when they had a white kid out there doing the same thing nobody said a word. One passerby even tried to help him. LMAO.

[jpaulwhite]

I actually called Kryptonite and they said if I send them the lock and a bill they will reimburse me and send me a new lock. Not sure how long they’ll take to send me a lock though, I ride my bike daily so I am going to buy me one today

[jpaulwhite]

LOL

I already thought of that. I have my receipt. Performance Bikes in Falls Church

[jpaulwhite]

OK. Felt a lil worse than normal after the ride in this morning. Drank a bottle of chocolate milk. I’ll see how the ride home goes tonight. When I wake up in the morning I can tell if my legs feel normal and they felt a lil sore but not too bad. I have been off the bike since Oct and just started back in January so I still have a few more weeks to go before I’m back up to speed.

The first week I rode 3 days, 2nd week I rode 3, after that I rode 4, and this week I rode 5. I always take the weekends off too. We’ll see how I feel the week after next. I think I’ll do the chocolate milk thing in the evenings and see if that helps.

I might try the deep tissue massage thing at Ballston too, but I’ll have to do that on my lunch breaks. Probably do it one time during the week, most likely on a day when my legs are killing me.

[jpaulwhite]

@chris_s Thanks! I wasn’t aware. Probably won’t affect me too much though. Since that bridge is at the bottom of hills (On both sides) I’m normally in the street when I cross ir

@jreanut BaileysCrossroads isn’t that bad. I’m on the sidewalk on Columbia Pike in the morning and in the evening I’m in the street but the drivers are OK. The ones on Carlin Springs are much worse!

[jpaulwhite]

Great thread. I am reading this one with great interest. Some days my legs are killing me. Other days they feel fine. I ride the same distance everyday.

[jpaulwhite]

The only time I really ride on the street slower than traffic is on Carlin Springs between Ballston and Route 50. Now that being said I have had one carful of youngsters and a female on the back of a scooter yell Get outta the way! I also had a mom in a minivan lean on her horn for about 10 seconds when I was coming up the hill on Carlin Springs towards Route 50. I ignored them all no harm done

[jpaulwhite]

@Arlingtonrider 12437 wrote:

Sorry to hear about those cyclists.

This does present an opportunity to mention that it can help in places like this to slow down and ring your bell once or twice as you go into the underpass, even though you can’t see if anyone is on the other side. (Of course, this assumes that you’ve ridden there and are aware that it presents visibility issues, and that any cyclists coming toward you aren’t listening to loud music through headphones.).

I don’t think lights would help here because the issue is the blind turns, and even mirrors might not help that much because of the distances and angles. It might be one of those places where people just have to learn to be extra careful. I think some sort of caution sign might help, provided people pay attention to it, and a more vivid center line could possibly help too.

This is what I do. There also is a bubble mirror there (Or used to be. Haven’t rode that trail in a while) Ringing the bell works for me and you have to SLOW DOWN

[jpaulwhite]

@5555624 7860 wrote:

Or just buy non-skid paint. Much of it is designed for maraine environments, so water is not a problem.

Buy that stuff they sell to paint garage floors. It has little specks in it to help make the surface rough. It can be applied to almost anything and I bet it would work here. They should just paint a sample area and see how that works.

[jpaulwhite]

@WillStewart 8524 wrote:

I also have a challenging commute, and the way around the seemingly impossible or seriously dangerous segments for me is to employ a hop on a bus (with a bike rack). The Fairfax Connector system is extensive, and all the ones I’ve seen have bike racks. Some possibilities include;

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/maps/631m.htm
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/maps/630m.htm

These are only a sampling, btw.

Great idea I do the same

[Author]

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