[komorebi]

@n18 191873 wrote:

There is a typo in the thread title. Yes you can fix it, click on Edit post, then immediately click Advanced, and from there you can change the title.

Fixed! And thanks for the tip. I saw the typo in the title after I posted, but I had assumed there was no way for me to fix it.

[komorebi]

Thanks to everyone who braved the heat and came out for the ride! It was great seeing you all. A few pictures:

Stopping at the pumping station and educational area at the junction of 4MR and Commonwealth Ave:

I had no idea that the building between the basketball and tennis courts on the Potomac Yard Trail is actually a pumping station that goes deep underground:

Learning about the River Renew project that will fix the combined sewer outfall problem:

Artistic toilets!

More photos on Flickr.

[komorebi]

@creadinger 191817 wrote:

Are you sure you don’t want to make this a keep up or be dropped ride and make everyone sprint between stops? Haha. Sorry. It just sounds funny that an educational tour-style ride could be competitive essentially.

That’s there mostly to reassure the people who worry that they aren’t fast enough to keep up. I’ve gotten a few questions from newer or less confident riders concerned about being left behind or slowing the group down. If there’s a better phrase or way to encourage those riders and let them know they’re welcome to join, I’m all ears.

[komorebi]

Bump! Don’t forget, the ride is this Saturday. Also, the AlexRenew team has offered to give us a special behind-the-scenes tour of one of the pumping stations. Hope to see you there!

[komorebi]

Fun fact: when you’re dumb enough to lose your handlebar light’s mounting strap (but not the light itself) while on vacation, you can use an FS ankle band and a rubber band to jury-rig a helmet mount that will allow you to bike home safely from the airport at 1:30 in the morning. Ask me how I know…

[komorebi]

It was great to see so many bike friends at the Sweet Ride and Shindig today!

A few pictures:

More photos on Flickr.

[komorebi]

Scene: Crystal City, yesterday afternoon around 6:45 p.m. An SUV driver was heading west on 26th Street South, looking to make a left turn onto South Clark Street. At the stop sign, he stopped too far ahead of the stop bar, impeding a bus that was turning left from Clark Street onto 26th Street. After getting a glare from the bus driver, the SUV driver sheepishly put his car into reverse and backed up to the stop bar. Once the bus cleared the intersection, the SUV driver crept forward again but failed to see the pedestrians in the crosswalk, approaching from his left side. When he finally did notice them, he nosed his vehicle to the right to minimize his blocking of the crosswalk (but still got some well-deserved glares from the pedestrians). All of this maneuvering left his SUV in an awkward position to make the left turn onto Clark, so he had to wait a while for both lanes of traffic on Clark to clear in order make his turn.

You: the rider behind me who also saw all of these shenanigans. You snorted and said, “Worst driver ever.”

We shared a laugh at the cluelessness of the driver and went our respective ways.

[komorebi]

@ChristoB50 191329 wrote:

Woohoo … have tomorrow off…!
So, as I keep forgetting to adjust on Wednesday and visit the Shirlington club on the way into work, I’m gonna try and drop in on the Arlington Coffee Club at Northside Social… anyone gonna be there?

Come to FCC at Swings instead! Everyone is welcome, the patio furniture is back so we’re once again sitting in the breezeway, and it’s a good chance to meet riders who live in DC and MD. Plus, if you’re got time to linger, my understanding is that the late shift usually sticks around for a while after we ordinary working schmoes have to leave for the office.

[komorebi]

Thanks for organizing the ride and booking the lockhouse, Judd! That was tons of fun. Some of my favorite parts included the turtles of all sizes sunning themselves on logs, the ducklings and goslings in the canal, Joanne doing the baby shark song, the freshly laid gravel between Lockhouse 25 and White’s Ferry, fxbooks bringing banh mi for everyone, Steve O’s brownies, Smitty2k1’s excellent work getting the campfire going, the fireflies lighting up the woods, hearing frogs and woodpeckers as I was falling asleep and waking up, Sunyata meeting us on the way back, and the feeling when I finally got home and stepped into the shower.

Some pictures — group shot on Sunday morning:

Campfire circle:

Living the lockhouse life:

reji, smb9600, and Judd rolling along the towpath:

More photos on Flickr.

[komorebi]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

True story: immediately after the WTOP article came out, one person requested a bike mentor — and two people volunteered to serve as bike mentors.

I’m amazed every day at the bike community’s generosity of spirit and willingness to help. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to be a bike mentor, stopped on a trail or road to help a stranger with a mechanical, shared the secret routes that only locals know, loaned or given away bike gear, or done any of the million other things that make this community so special.

[komorebi]

Thanks for the feedback, dasgeh. I’ll pass it along to WABA. Some responses/questions below.

@dasgeh 190966 wrote:

0. The Mt Vernon Ave Bridge is under construction. Have you confirmed how the rides will cross & that it’s family friendly? (5 mile)

The next bridge to the west, on Glebe Ave, is under construction. But the Mt Vernon Ave bridge was construction-free when I rode through last week. Is there a new project on the Mt Vernon Ave bridge that I’m not aware of? The bridge is admittedly very narrow, and I’ve recommended that WABA give some thought into how they stagger the timing of the different rides to avoid conflicts.

@dasgeh 190966 wrote:

4. I would take Military to Nelly Custis to Lorcom (instead of Military to Lorcom — it’s just more pleasant. The Military/Lorcom intersection is really annoying with a really annoying light and you have to stop on a steep kicker). (30, 50 mile)

On a typical Saturday afternoon, how is the traffic if you’re trying to turn left from Nelly Custis onto Lorcom? I’ve gotten stuck there in the past waiting to make that turn, because of the amount of Lorcom traffic in both directions. The hill leading up to Military/Lorcom sucks, but at least there’s a left turn lane to wait in and you’ll get the light eventually. That seemed to me to be the lesser of two evils.

@dasgeh 190966 wrote:

7. I understand wanting to use trails, and the W&OD, FMR & Custis will have people, but probably not be crowded. The MVT, on the other hand, will likely be crowded. I have taken smaller rides on the MVT, and it’s been an issue. Instead, I would use the 27 Trail to get from Columbia Island to Boundary Channel Drive (the Pentagon). (30, 50 mile).

I also strongly prefer not to use the MVT for group rides, but I recommended an exception in this case because (1) this is an open section of the MVT, without any blind curves; (2) using this section of the MVT avoids some of the dangerous highway-ramp crossings on the Route 27 trail, including the one that requires people to make a sharp right on a narrow platform or risk tumbling down a steep hill; and (3) thisÂ’ll show people how to ride the MVT-LBJ-Pentagon connector, which is a useful route to know about.

[komorebi]

@dasgeh 190949 wrote:

Thanks for the routes. Are you all taking feedback on them? For example, that switch back to get from the FMR trail to Potomac Ave is not cargo bike friendly.

Sure, I’m happy to collect feedback and send it to WABA. Sooner would be better than later, though, because WABA would like to finalize the routes at least a week before the event. Thanks.

[komorebi]

@Judd 190941 wrote:

Our very own Komorebi created the routes and found some great pit stop locations. The 5 and 15 mile routes are designed to be low stress and family friendly. The 30 mile and 50 mile routes add some more road riding and climbing.

I should add — all of the draft routes use bike infrastructure that members of this forum have championed, advocated for, and helped make safe for others. So come check out how your efforts have borne fruit in projects like the restored trails on either side of Four Mile Run, the Eads St. protected bike lanes, the Potomac Yard Trail, the bike lanes on King and Cameron Streets in Alexandria, and the bike lanes on Quincy and Veitch Streets in Arlington.

Also, if you don’t know where this cool piece of chainsaw art is, that’s all the more reason to sign up for the 50-mile ride:

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[komorebi]

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Where is this statue, and what’s the story behind it? Come find out on Monday! Hope to see you there.

[komorebi]

@smb9600 190620 wrote:

Anyone have a trailer I can borrow for BTWD? I have to bring a bunch of swag to Rosslyn for the DRT table, (come visit, sign up to get notified when DRT registration opens & get some sweet swag!) but would hate to have to DRIVE to BTWD!!!

I’m happy to lend you my small-ish bike trailer, but you’ll need a bike with a rear quick-release axle (i.e., not a thru-axle) for the hitch attachment. Let me know if you’d like to borrow it.

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