[KLizotte]

@TwoWheelsDC 161891 wrote:

Also, if it snows a bunch, you can get blocked in.

That’s a bad thing?!

[KLizotte]

To be clear, I have decided against condo #1 (pictured at the start of the thread) because of the staircase. It is narrower than a normal staircase (not sure how that is allowed), and I can’t change how the door works because of condo rules. Since it was a bit of a challenge managing the door and the immediate first step while I wasn’t carrying anything I’ve decided not to turn myself into origami esp since I may want to get a gravel bike in the near future which will be heavier. And they are only collecting bids on Wed and looking to make a decision by the next day so the decision time is incredibly tight.

Condo choice #2: external stairway but the risers are half the size of normal stairs so the ascent is rather gentle. Internally I’d have to negotiate two floors of stairs but they are wide, brick/hard floor, and each “floor” is broken up by a landing. I think they were designed that way to facilitate moving furniture in/out since there isn’t an elevator. It would definitely be easier going up and down despite the increase in stairs (I think).

They also offer locked cages on site for residents to store their random stuff that I will be visiting today; that may solve my problem entirely if I feel there is enough security.

Be forewarned: if you are looking for a <=$325K townhouse or "no one is walking above me" style condo in Arlington or Alexandria within an hour's bike ride of downtown DC and yet still has bus/metro accessibility and doesn't have external stairs, good luck. I can't believe how many freakin' places are built into hillsides, have Escher like configurations, and don't seem to have any ADA measures in place. I'm so glad I don't have mobility issues.

[KLizotte]

@reji 161871 wrote:

2 months ago, we sold our comfy big home in the burbs and bought a cute home inside the beltway. Now instead of rolling up into my garage with tons of space for bikes and gear, I lug my bike up and down 18 stairs between my doorstep and the street. It’s been an adjustment, but it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve even learned how where to hold the bike and how to angle it so that I can carry it up/down with a loaded pannier. In fact, the worst part isn’t the stairs, it’s the awkward contortions I have to make when holding the storm door open while getting the bike in/out of the door. :p Getting back home in rainy weather sucks too but I found that some strategically placed towels help.

Another option for bike storage inside is the Steadyrack which hangs on the wall and offers vertical bike storage. (https://www.amazon.com/Steadyrack-Classic-Rack-Vertical-Bike-Storage/dp/B004N9BUEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497872679&sr=8-1&keywords=steadyrack) They’re a little pricey but we’ve put up 3 in our “bike room” with no problems. Getting the bike down and putting it up is super easy … very important after I get home tired and I’ve already carried my bike up the stairs! Also, the racks swivel if you need to make room.

We gave up a lot of conveniences for location and found that it’s simply a matter of adapting to your new environment. When we first bought the house, we thought that we were going to HAVE to find a way to construct a path that we could use to roll our bikes up/down. Now after 2 months, it still would be nice, but not as necessary as we thought. I imagine the more time that passes, the less important that path will be. If you reconsider buying and want to “practice” carrying your bike up/down stairs, just let me know!

Thank you so much for your super generous offer. Don’t tell my landlord but in the wee hours of the morning I was in my PJs lugging my bike up and down the stairwell in my highrise apartment building. I tried with a loaded pannier (augh), with bike shoes, regular shoes, unloaded, etc. I’m sure my neighbors were seriously confused and annoyed by the noise and I had to make a mad dash to my apartment when I heard someone enter the stairwell!

I discovered that a large turning radius is required if there are landings and that without a pannier it’s not that difficult going up and down. The pannier greatly shifts the center of gravity and makes it very unwieldy. Fortunately my pannier turns into a backpack with just an unzip. I’m gonna see if I can do a trial run at the second choice condo this afternoon. Fingers crossed

[KLizotte]

@Guus 161874 wrote:

Yet another option might be to actually get a 30 pound behemoth but get one that is suitable for 24/7 life outdoors. Think weather-proof and theft-proof. Preferably a pre-owned bike so it doesn’t look to attractive to potential thieves… I totally get that this is not for everyone, but Dutch bikes have evolved especially for these scenario’s. They are heavy but robust and (obviously) weather resistant.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure the condo association won’t be pleased with my bike behmouth cluttering up the public grounds. If I do move into a more bike friendly place that I am seriously considering, I am going to start jumping up and down and asking for bike amenities (racks, bike rails on stairs, etc). I am gonna be one of “those people.”

[KLizotte]

@drevil 161869 wrote:

I know you said #1 is not a consideration anymore, but I wonder how well these ceiling mounts would work in that situation:
https://www.amazon.com/Racor-PBH-1R-Ceiling-Mounted-Bike-Lift/dp/B00006JBL3

A bike shop I worked at 20+ years ago used a bunch of these to pull bikes up to the tall ceiling for storage. It wasn’t too difficult to use when starting from flat ground with a lot of room. I wonder how that changes starting from a stairway?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15005[/ATTACH]

Another option is to get an uber-light bike (if yours isn’t already) to go with your new spiffy condo. Something sleek and 17 pounds is going to be much easier to lug up stairs than a 30 pound behemoth

I did think about a “lift” system as you show but the stairwell is steep, narrow, and the door opens up within an inch of hitting the bottom step. It’s even a little uncomfortable getting in and out of the door without a bike so I’ve had to choose between the bike and the patio and fireplace.

But yes, I definitely like the idea of getting a lighter bike though that may require going custom due to my small stature.

[KLizotte]

@dasgeh 161835 wrote:

Someone posted in women and bikes not to long ago with a contraption that stored a road bike flat against the ceiling. Would that be an option?

Or, would some sort of rail in the wall work – you would hook your bike (or a load of groceries) onto something that could glide along the rail, but didn’t stick out more than the bannister when not in use

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Hanging something from the ceiling wouldn’t work since I’d have to try to hang it up while standing on the stairs. That seems like a recipe for an eventual accident. Only other possibility is a hook that would allow me to hang it it vertically (to get the handlebars out of the way) but that would still require standing on the stairs. If only there was a decent size landing.

Because of these stairs I think I’m gonna have to give this place a pass which is super disappointing because it was perfect in every other way (walking distance to Shirlington!).

I wonder if I could convince condo option #2 if they would be willing to install a bike rail like this one for the outside stairs. They are quite wide so it wouldn’t get in the way and I already know others in the building have bikes. Heck, I’d be willing to pay for it myself. I don’t know why they show two rails, only one would be needed near the edge. I suppose if the railing is right up against the edge that might be a problem because of the handlebars. Will have to check it out on next visit.

This is the one time I wish I weren’t a cyclist. Accommodating my lifestyle is proving to be a challenge.

[KLizotte]

Anybody have any experience at the West Village of Shirlington. Nice huge condo but I’d have to go up an external flight of stairs (though they seem to have low rises) and two flights of wide stairs with two good size landings to break up the flights. The walls are brick so I don’t really have to worry about getting into trouble for any damage I may cause.

Anybody know anything about their basement storage? The real estate agent wasn’t able to get into the storage area today. There is a very small bike room in the building but I’m very hesitant to use a communal bike room (though accessible only by key) because of theft.

I wonder if I could convince them to install bike rails?! Probably wouldn’t be allowed by code.

No elevators 😡

[KLizotte]

@Judd 161865 wrote:

Do you still have the trike? I wouldn’t want to carry that up anything.

Yeah, the trike is gonna have to be sold. Despite the fact that I will be buying more sq footage my storage capacity in many decreases dramatically. I will lost a garage space and large bike room (where I store my trike). And why new properties don’t have coat closets by the front door baffles me.

I was probably going to sell the trike anyway because my knees don’t like it despite the adjustments I’ve made.

[KLizotte]

@creadinger 161850 wrote:

Aside from the hassle of carrying and messing up the walls each and every time, I think about how I’m always a hair’s width away from tripping or losing my balance while carrying a big, awkward bike up or down stairs. I’m just bad at it and it’s dangerous. And falling down a narrow staircase with a bike and all its point bits would not be pretty.

Augh. I didn’t think of that which is ironic since I broke my ankle in my current apartment just from slipping on the floor. I absolutely love this condo, top floor, completely renovated with fireplace and deck. But these damn stairs!!!!

[KLizotte]

Yeah, I was gonna go with one of the biking specific realtors but kinda got sucked into using another one because I saw a place I really liked and clicked on the “schedule a tour now” button. I’ve been biking around the area long enough that I don’t really need biking specific advice from a realtor; I know my way around well enough. A biking knowledgeable realtor would understand bike storage issues though (and no stairs!).

The new houses going up in Potomac Yard would be great location wise but wowsie, are they expensive.

To Sunyata, I was just looking at a potential place in Park Fairfax! Many thanks for the feedback. The condo looks nice but I didn’t know anything about the association and how well it is run. I’m familiar with the area because I sometimes bike through there on “fitness rides.” Happy to hear about the impending Cabi station!

[KLizotte]

Aren’t you the same guy who is completely against bollards????

[KLizotte]

^^ I’d really like to keep my bike commute under 45 minutes one way; right now it is 30 minutes and that works really well for me (I can easily add more time if I want by taking the long way home). 60 minutes is really pushing it. I’m not a morning person so like my commute to be as short as possible; taking longer to get home is far less of an issue.

Shirlington is expensive! Even those somewhat ugly condos on the other side of the stream are starting at 400K. DC is somewhat obscene when it comes to housing costs in nice areas.

Oh yeah, I have to plan for bike storage inside whatever I buy. I don’t want to have to use a bike room cause of theft/damage issues. Right now my bike keeps me company in the bedroom and I’m good with that.

P.S. The real estate agent was shocked that I could bike from Pentagon City to DC downtown. She thought it was a really long way to go by bike. The whole bike storage issue clearly befuddled her but she is going along with it.

[KLizotte]

@Judd 161607 wrote:

Will the 16X bus get you close enough to work?
https://wmata.com/service/status/details/upload/16x.pdf

During rush hour, a 16 bus to the Pentagon or Pentagon City comes every few minutes if the 16X won’t get you there.

Huh. Wasn’t aware that there are Columbia Pike buses that go all the way to DC. I was planning on taking a bus to Pentagon metro and then going the one stop to L’Enfant (my office sits on top of the station). If I don’t want to bike I’m not too terribly concerned because there are lots of buses that go to Pentagon and PC. I just hate the Pike when it comes to biking and walking.

Instead of building a wall along Mexico, can’t Trump just build a long tunnel and move the traffic below ground?!

[KLizotte]

@Judd 161605 wrote:

That is the upside. You start the morning off bombing down a hill at 25-30 mph. I’d much rather start the morning with a climb when I’m rested though.

The places on Barton are older have a lot of square footage for the price and pretty much everything that I need is within walking distance.

Yeah, I don’t have shower facilities where I work (not at HQ) and I often have to go straight into meetings so downhill in the morning is a must.

Yup, I’m looking at that condo complex that is on S Barton though I’m looking at a place on a diff’t street. They are tiny by today’s standards but cheaper than Fairlington. Walking distance to Giant plus I’m figuring the Pike will get nicer over time. Wish they were putting in a streetcar!

If you are looking to rent I highly recommend Riverhouse in Pentagon City. Not cheap but still cheaper than all of the newer development in PC. Also they have some very large studios, a large bike room, and a great location. The gyms and pools are great too. You don’t need a car here.

[KLizotte]

@Judd 161603 wrote:

I used to write the whole way up the sidewalk in the evening, which is okay as long as there is nobody else on it. The sidewalk is narrow so it’s hard to pass and there’s also a bus stop that sometimes has people waiting or exiting the bus. The back way is actually kind of nice. There’s a park with a CABI station and I like to see folks out there playing volleyball or tennis. Dorchester Towers also has a nice rose garden out back that I enjoy riding past.

If you have a federal ID you could cut through Ft Myer and double back via back roads. Riding thru the fort is really nice; very obedient drivers. But yeah, the Pike needs some serious improvements for the first couple of miles after the hill; at that point you can usually cut over to the neighborhoods. Shakes fist!

Well, I should have a better idea of my fate next week when I will have to decide whether to bid or not. Will be looking at about 8-9 properties this weekend. Frankly, the whole process sucks. I can’t believe some people enjoy house hunting. And don’t even get me started on the fact I’ll be losing my garage (useful for bike maintenance).

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