[jrenaut]

It’s not that I can’t get the tires, it’s just that I’ll be back to my LBS because they do free lifetime maintenance, and because they’re right on the way from home to work. And they’ll judge me for defying them.

[jrenaut]

A good bottle of gin is almost worth finding out your schedule and route . . .

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 10145 wrote:

Gonna try out some cheap gin as a chain cleaner/solvent.

That’s alcohol abuse.

[jrenaut]

I hadn’t thought about the side effects of carrying a helmet, but I agree, it should help cycling in general.

[jrenaut]

Finally, I have fenders. Crud Roadracer MK2. I’ve had the front one on for about a week, but the bike shop just put the rear one on after I gave up.

Can’t wait for the rain by thetejon, on Flickr

So far, so good, though I only rode about a mile with the rear one on.

[jrenaut]

So, my LBS doesn’t recommend the Armadillos. They like the Panaracer T-Serv. This does not come as a big surprise, as they have these tires on the rack, and don’t stock Specialized. But they also recommend the Gatorskins that PrintError derided so vehemently.

I hate to go in to the LBS, ask for advice, then come back in with something they recommended against, but I also never want to change a flat tire again.

[jrenaut]

How do I know what size tires to get? I’m getting sick of the flats, and I’m thinking about upgrading to the Armadillo Elite. Currently I have 25s. I assume I can do a 23 or 28? Why might I do that? Would my fenders still fit with 28s? I’ll probably be at my LBS this week and can ask them, but I don’t think they carry Specialized, so they won’t be able to talk as much about the Armadillos.

[jrenaut]

@DismalScientist 9935 wrote:

If this were true, it would be illegal to filter through traffic if the cars were moving at all.

I don’t know the laws on filtering. I had always assumed, if filtering was legal, then they were carving out an exception to the car law specifically for bikes.

[jrenaut]

@Roscoe 9925 wrote:

So according to this, on some of the roads where i live in MD near the DC border……..cars can NEVER legally pass cyclists, since they would always have to cross a double yellow line to do so ? That sure doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me. If that’s the case, as an avid cyclist myself I would strongly advocate forbidding cyclists from the road. Anyone ever seen Jones Mill Road on a weekend ? It’s pretty lame right now, the way the cyclists show no respect for the traffic. I can only imagine what it would be like with traffic backed up and slowed to 15 mph IF EVEN THAT for the entire day.

Yes, it is always illegal to cross a double yellow line, even if you’re really really inconvenienced. You are free to advocate for forbidding all cyclists from the road – that’s one of the wonderful things about living in a democracy. But I think you’d be better off taking your own advice and learning to share the road.

[jrenaut]

In order to pass legally, the car must fully leave the lane, and only when the line is dotted. If the bikes are riding legally while the cars are driving illegally, I’m not sure how one could conclude that the cyclists are being rude.

[jrenaut]

Regardless, love the photo. Wonder if the wife would like me to get a pair of those pants . . .

[jrenaut]

Nice composition of the photo while riding. And the way the trail disappears into the glare is really a nice effect. I don’t know much about shoving U-locks in one’s pants, as I don’t tend to do it much or ever, but this is a really nice photo from an artistic standpoint.

[jrenaut]

@Roscoe 9875 wrote:

And when they DID pass, they had to swing nearly fully into the oncoming lane to stay away from the cyclists.

That’s why they’re two abreast – to make sure drivers have to leave the lane completely to pass. The law in DC is three feet to pass. If you’re passing a bike without leaving the lane, there’s a good chance you’re breaking the law, and an even better chance you’re coming too close to the bike. The profanity is still uncalled for, but we’ve all been passed too close enough times to know where it’s coming from.

[jrenaut]

Which is more dangerous, a car or a Marine?

[jrenaut]

Well, I got my fenders sort of half on. The front one is on. But it rubbed against the tire all the way to work this morning. It did help keep water off my feet, so that’s good, but this is clearly not a long-term solution unless I can get it adjusted properly. It is clear I was not meant to be a bike mechanic.

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