[KLizotte]

Shave man, shave!

[KLizotte]

^^^^I would have to buy new knees!

[KLizotte]

Ha! I have a 44 frame with a sloping down top tube so the diamond is insanely small. I can’t even use regular size squeeze bottles. Once you factor in bottle cages there isn’t any room left to throw an arm through. It sucks to be short.

[KLizotte]

On the first train heading north it looks like you could only fit one bike???

[KLizotte]

I could have used something like this recently when I was trying to portage across the stepping stones along FMR. I had to turn back because I couldn’t get a good grip on my bike and felt insecure walking in slippery bike shoes.

[KLizotte]

^^^Ohhhhh. You’re not planning on riding her and getting her all messed up are you?! I think you should hang her in your living room. Great job!

[KLizotte]

You can just use your phone in your back pocket if you are interested in tracking your miles and joining contests. No special gadgets req’d. Check out Strava and RideWithGPS. The latter allows you to plot out routes ahead of time and will provide you with a map, directions and your location as you ride. Both services are free. I upgraded to a service contract with the latter and now I get turn by turn instructions in my earbuds while riding which is seriously cool and allows you to concentrate on biking instead of figuring out where to go. You may not need any of that if you are just bopping around downtown DC where you know your way around. I often head to areas I have never been to before for some exploration.

I strongly suspect that once you get your own bike you will start riding further and more often. Riding your own bike is a lot different than riding a Cabi; much more comfortable, lighter and you can carry more stuff. Once you’ve biked to Bethesda on the Capital Crescent Trail you will never want to go there via metro. There are only two road crossings and it’s really pretty (and downhill on the way back!).

A more upright bike will allow you to continue wearing your nice work clothes. The more sportier bikes make that more uncomfortable but it’s not impossible; plenty of people simply repurpose their gym clothes and change at work.

Nashbar.com is a good place to pick up name brand stuff for less than the LBS but I would buy the bike from an LBS because they will continue to support you for necessary adjustments and repairs. Visit the various shops in the area; each carries different brands. Take notes on how each bike feels because they will quickly all get “smushed” together in your head. Trek makes some really decent mid-range bikes. You may wish to check REI too since they carry a lot of commuter specific bikes under their house brand (Novara).

Lights, definitely. You will want a bright flashy one for the back that also has a non-flashy mode for riding on the trails. The one on front should allow you to see where you are going; not be just a “be seen” light. The LBS and online reviews can help with that.

A helmet is a must; if you want to save money buy a Capital Bikeshare branded one. I think they sell for $15 (they are being subsidized by the company). Go for one that is highly vented; it gets hot here in the summer. I also highly recommend a helmet mounted mirror. Yes, some consider them dorky but they make biking a lot safer and easier to navigate the city streets. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012OKA6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would highly recommend a bike specific pair of fingerless gloves. They will absorb sweat and help you avoid road rash if you do have a spill on the pavement. They are machine washable so you really only need one pair. Nashbar or Performance brand are fine and reasonably priced.

Lastly, a pair of sunglasses or photovoltic (spelling?) glasses are really helpful for keeping pollen, grit, crap out of your eyes. Again, what you have lying around the house are fine.

I expect you already have a lot of this stuff since you are familiar with riding around DC. Like I said, you will almost assuredly start riding further to explore and for errands.

Oh yeah, there is a Facebook site for Washington DC’ers who bike; the site is mainly used for people selling their unneeded bike stuff; it’s a safer place to buy used bike goods than Craigslist. Search for “DC Used Bicycle Marketplace”. I’d check there once you have nailed down what you want/need.

Please, please plan on storing your bike(s) inside your apartment. Seriously. Bike theft is rather rampant in DC and the thieves are bold and clever. A very sad fact of life. Also, it would be far better to lock your bike up inside a bike cage at work or take it into the office. Leaving a bike out all day at the same place day after day on the street is just inviting the thieves. Stick to the name brand U-locks like Bulldog or Kryptonite and check out the “Sheldon method” for locking up (it shows you how to lock up so that you protect your backwheel and make it hard to remove the lock).

All of this advice probably sounds overwhelming. Keep it simple: lights, helmet, gloves and lock to start. That will be all you need if you don’t travel much beyond a two mile radius from home. If you decide to start venturing farther afield, a rack and pannier or basket may be useful (some folks prefer backpacks). Plotting your routes ahead of time may start becoming necessary. Bike or gym clothing may be warranted if you start getting really sweaty. Some folks here have every gadget and bike add-on imaginable; some are really minimalist. Focus on finding the right bike for now; everything else will fall into place over time as you get to know the bike and how to get around the DMV area. To start you won’t need much more than what you were using to Cabi.

Oh yeah, and meet some of the folks here at one of the forum’s coffee clubs or happy hours!

Good luck!

[KLizotte]

@bentbike33 159190 wrote:

Again?!? This seems to happen disquietingly often at this spot; this is the third such incident of which I’m aware. Maybe NPS needs to extend the concrete-block-and-field-stone-facade wall from the TR Island parking lot south to the bridge over the inlet.

A Trump inspired wall along the GW Parkway would be a fantastic idea. Heck, I’ll contribute the first dollar.

[KLizotte]

^^ That’s a good idea. I’ll have to check the next time I use the stand.

[KLizotte]

I have a park stand and my biggest gripe about it is how unstable it is. It has three legs and has a tendency to tip towards the bike side due to the weight imbalance. The one pictured above looks like it wouldn’t have that problem though one will have to be mindful not to trip on the legs.

[KLizotte]

The very last wooden bridge before heading up the hill to Mt. Vernon is especially slippery year round and very treacherous. It’s always highly shaded and you hit it at a curve from either direction. I wiped out on it years ago and broke my thumb and got a black eye. If you look carefully, you can see a lot of skid marks into the railing, esp if you are heading south. I’ve seen tourists on non-Cabi rental bikes wipe out there. I really wish the NPS would replace that little bridge with a concrete one.

It’s also possible your friend wiped out on a hill due to a slippery trail. We’ve had a lot of rain and damp so some shaded areas get slick from algae and muck. After my spill, I now treat the MVT with a heck of a lot more caution, esp the southern end.

It’s quite possible that your friend will regain his memory of the event in time. Glad to hear he wasn’t too badly hurt.

[KLizotte]

I strongly suspect they are shutting it off early just so they can head home that much sooner. Not only are people with disabilities inconvenienced, but those with strollers, bikes, crutches, etc.

[KLizotte]

@annoyedindc 159053 wrote:

There are sidewalks on either side of this intersection with curb cuts. Neither side of the street has marks for crossing Cherry St. though. So, if it isn’t a cross walk then there’s no way to cross Cherry St. at all.

VA law says you don’t need a crosswalk to legally cross a street so long as it is at an intersection of some sort (2-way, 4-way, whatever). About the only thing VA law forbids is crossing mid-block without some sort of pedestrian light (like a hawk signal) or crosswalk. I’m too lazy to find the actual text.

[KLizotte]

I suspect they didn’t bother checking registrations since the weather was poor. They probably figured half the people registered wouldn’t show up which appears to be the case.

[KLizotte]

A natural experiment would be to compare longevity and overall healthiness of the Dutch with a country of similar genetic and socioeconomic makeup that doesn’t bike. Or, compare the biking Dutch against non-biking Dutch if the latter truly exists.

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