[KS1G]

What did your OB practice recommend? Diet changes? Medications? My wife’s OB practice included a nutritionist as I recall from when we were at that stage of our lives. I know for cancer patients undergoing chemotherpay, oncologists may recommend a combination of diet, supplements, and drugs to boost blood factors as required to offset the effects of chemo. I would be very cautious of any specific recommendations provided on this forum as we are mostly not physicians and have no idea of the particulars of your situation. Plan B – have your husband provide a hand or some other non-critical object for you to squeeze on if you do have to have a non-medicated delivery (recommend he provide his non-dominant hand and you file down your nails beforehand just in case!) Good luck!

[KS1G]

Sometimes a song gets stuck in my head during a ride and it’s good, and there are times when I want to find something to run into and I.JUST..WANT…TO….MAKE….IT….STOP! Last weekend’s CWC was mostly good (exception – “Gilligan’s Island” theme while the storm was blowing through Gettysburg). On a C&O trip, the tune that WOULD.NOT.DIE! was a pop remix of “These Boots are Made for Walking” (I could have handled the classic version, but not this). I don’t sing them out loud – air used for singing takes away from air available for pedaling.

I’m saving “Country Roads” for PPTC Back Roads. And C.W. Mcall’s “Convoy” if a pace line I can hang onto forms.

[KS1G]

Didn’t see any of the forum members. Managed to leave early (6:40-ish) and made decent time to the Fairfield rest stop. Rode through leg cramps on the Jacks Mtn Rd climb. Caught my 2nd wind and was beginning to make better (for me at least) time. Got caught by the storm just inside Gettysburg Battlefield park. Spent about 10 minutes (per my Garmin) sheltering in some woods with 2 other riders. When the winds let up and I resumed riding, I saw a house about a 1/2 mile later that must have had 100 riders who’d tried to get out of the storm. Rest of ride spent dodging all the small debris and trying not to drink other rider’s rooster tails! Finished in 7hr 4 min moving, 8:16 total.

2wheel’s photo does not do the storm justice – it was an INTENSE several minutes. Kudos to everyone who rode, and to creadier for his brevet – I think I saw a few radonneurs out doing a different ride, as well as several on the CWC.

I was very glad I brought my vest & arm warmers – needed them for wind protection after the deluge [Didn’t bother with the shoe covers]. And the fenders (Crud Road Racer Mk2’s) worked fabulously.

I’m now 2 for 2 this season on centuries with epic weather events (Reston, CWC). Followed by GREAT weather the next day. I’m hoping PPTC Back Roads breaks the string. Or you can all assume I am cursed and plan accordingly.

[KS1G]

I share your optimism, hopefully the fenders will just be ornaments. And, bells rock! Maybe I’ll move it from the commuter…. Have a great & safe ride tomorrow.

[KS1G]

Yes. Riding behind anyone quickly became problematic! Like following a perpetual water fountain or sprinkler. Fenders don’t fit the roadie cred, or many road bikes. I don’t see many raddoneur rigs on area century rides, either. I did CWC my 1st time (2009?) on my commuter (removed rack, lights, kept the fenders) and the people who passed me (there were many!) appreciated I left on the fenders. I bought my 1st set of crudbusters for 2010-11 riding, picked up a set of Mk2’s for 2011-12 but never needed to take them out of the box. Very glad I have them for tomorrow, wish I’d thought of it for Reston.

So forum folks can look for 2 bikes with crudbuster fenders, and one rider in their Bike Arlington jersey. Still haven’t decided which jersey to wear (I’m beginning to sound like my wife!), although I won’t use the Google Android one my son bought me as a present – took 2 washings to get the dirt out after Reston! No white, darker colors this time (but vest is screaming yellow-lime).

[KS1G]

Rain gear – if it rains much of the day, or just gets heavy for a while, you’re going to get wet anyway. My goal is to maintain warmth where I need it and try to keep the places where rain water is most annoying dry as long as I can. What worked well enough for Reston & I’ll pack for tomorrow: water repellant (not proof) ultra-light vest (packs nice and small), Endura shoe covers (waterproof on top, water can get in through cleats and seepage down leg), arm warmers, cycling cap under helmet. The vest won’t keep me dry, but it will help prevent chilling, especially on the descents. Shoe covers are more psychological than physiological – I hate riding in wet socks. I mounted a set of Crudbuster Racer Mate Mk2 fenders night – they will help keep road spray off me and the bike and I know anyone following me will appreciate it.

Bike is an all-black November, I’ll have multiple superflash-style lights going in the back. Haven’t decided if I’ll leave my Exposure Joystick + Flare on the helmet or not. Haven’t decided on jersey yet. Hoping we get an earlier frotnal passage so the wind shifts when I’m somewhere between Gettysburgh and the last rest stop.

[KS1G]

@TwoWheelsDC 30371 wrote:

I thought about using my steel CX commuter for the ride, as it has fenders and a comfy Brooks saddle, but it’s just too damn heavy and slow for a ride with so much climbing. So I’ll stick with the road bike and hope the rain misses us…seems like the forecasts lately have been so ridiculously wrong, so I’m still optimistic.

1st time I rode CWC, it was on my commuter (broke rear derailluer brifter 2 days before the ride). Was thankful for the fenders and the 34×32 low gear! Was not happy about my mal-adjusted canti brakes!

@TwoWheelsDC 30371 wrote:

Weather aside, I’ve been in a bit of a panic this week…this will be far and away the biggest ride I’ve ever done as far as elevation goes and I keep feeling like I’m not ready. But I did a ride in NC at the start of the summer that was 6.3k of climbing in 57 miles, so I’ve got that going for me. Problem is that, the big climb (about 2k+ feet in 10 miles) came at the end and I was pretty well spent by the time I reached the top…I think rest stops will help though, as will the amount of riding I did this summer. Still scary though!

You’ll be fine. If you have low gearing on your bike, use it and try to spin your way up. The nasty climb for me on CWC has been Jacks Mountain Rd – twice I’ve cramped and had to stop, last year I was able to keep going through a combination of sitting, standing, and lots of cursing depending on which muscles were giving it up (quads, hams, all!). “Shut Up Legs!” may work for Jens Voight, but not for me. Enjoy the ride, do whatever prayer, sacrifice, and penance you think will appease the weather $DEITIES, be safe on Saturday.

[KS1G]

Now I can count riding in the Reston Century downpours (and getting knocked over during the 2nd) as prep for CWC! My ride plan is becoming leave even earlier (assuming no Tough Mudder traffic backups), spend even less time @ rest stops (good luck with that!), pedal faster (on those descents in rain???). Maybe I have time to install the crudbuster fenders I was saving for winter riding. Or switch to my commuter (already has lights & fenders). With my luck, I’ll get to experience climbing Jacks Mtn Rd in a storm. At least I know my rain gear will keep me sufficiently warm (evaporative cooling on a descent or right after a rest stop is not fun) even after it’s ceased keeping me dry.

Oh, it’s not obsessive until you are checking the forecasts for Thurmont, Shaprsburg, Boonsboro, Ft Ritchie, Gettysburg, and Thurmont taking into account estimated arrival times and direction (wind).

Everyone have a safe ride Saturday and remember it’s more important to return home in one piece than set a new Strava PR.

[KS1G]

GH gives away free slices and also sells cookies and other baked goods. So still worth a stop IMO (Sundays & Mondays excluded – closed). They have another store in Vienna a block south of the W&OD (just past Bikes @ Vienna).

DQ is OK for quick snacks, Breeze is a sit-down place with decent food (primarily Greek & Italian themes). Not sure what the other place is. There are more restaurants around the corner on Elden St, and a bunch more (mostly along Elden) in either direction from the bike trail crossing. Mix of sit-down and take out and a few fast food eateries.

Your other convenient venue for food near the W&OD is Reston Town Center – several places are take-out and would be cyclist-friendly.

Steve

[KS1G]

I have several Dinottes and (after reading a post by Dirt last winter) a helmet-mounted Exposure Joystick (recently added the clip-on auxiliary tailight). For commuting, I like having 2 lights for more control over illumination, options (one steady, one flashing), ability to aim at or away from people & stuff as the case may be, and as a backup if one light fails. For tail lights, the cheap blinkies are not sufficiently visible to overtaking drivers. My minimal suggestion for tail lights would be Planet Bike Superflash or the rough equivalents from Performance and I think Portland Design has one as well. After subjecting them to the deluge Sunday (Reston Century), I can say they do hold up in the rain! And info – the cheap knock-offs from Dealextreme are NOT water resistant (fortunately, the knog-clone I had on my handlebar as minimal “be seen” light failed on and seems to be sort of OK after disassembly, cleaning, and drying out). If you want to be really visible to overtaking traffic, Dinotte’s tail light is visible for at least 1/2 mile, and the Exposure products appear equally visible. Reflective gear is also useful, and required in Virginia (reflective bits on clothing and tail light don’t count unless DOT-approved).

I thought about cost – Dinotte and Exposure are not cheap (but watch for their sales), and even cheaper lights add up over time. OTOH, the medical deductibles for one incident cost a lot more. Let alone lawsuit-avoidance. Anecdote – around 6-6:30 this morning, I encountered an abundance (counted over 10) of runner ninjas on the W&OD with no illumination or reflective gear other than the bits on the BACK of their shoes (therefore useless when I have to move into the oncoming lane to avoid their ninja budy who’s occupying the side of trail I am sharing with him). Several were wearing black/dark clothing to complete their attempt at invisibility and stealth. The TWO runners I encountered with lights/reflective gear thought they were nuts, too.

[KS1G]

Herndon (MP 20) – ice cream shop (Dairy Queen) across from the caboose, and a Great Harvest bread store around the corner on Station St. Excellent bbq @ Ashburn Rd (MP 27.5) Carolina Brothers (formerly Partlows). Trail is now paved all the way to Purcelville (I understand it was gravel until the mid 1990s?).

[KS1G]

For future reference: What jabberwocky said. Reston Century uses this route (2-3 years ago, the same direction) on their northern loop. The pavement on Loyalty has been good as far as Stumptown (it has been a mess further north to Taylorstown) , and Stumptown was repaved a few years ago to repair the construction vehicle damage on the west side of the crest. Watch speed descending – it’s a little narrower and twistier on the east side. Then a nice flat run-out to Lucketts. Except for possibly a water fountain in the rear of the Waterford Elementry School, there are no services between the convenience store @ Rt 9/Clarke’s Gap Rd and Lucketts. Rt 15 as JimF said is unrideable north of the White’s Ferry turnoff, unless you have a blocking escort of very large trucks fore and aft. Maybe not even then.

[KS1G]

Not much to add – my commute from Herndon to Chantilly ends a bit west of your destination – I usually use Centerview Dr, Sullyfield Circle, and Brookfiled to Willard and across Rt 28. I’ll sometimes stay on Centreville onto Walney as far as Willard, so I can’t say 1st-hand how bad it is for riding. You can shorten your route a bit by exiting the W&OD somewhere on east side of Reston (several options – Hunter Station (if you like a short steep hill climb) or Sunrise Valley Dr probably best; get over to some combo of Glade/Lawyers (bike lane begins west of Staley Rd), McLaren, Viking, Pinecrest to the Fairfax County Parkway MUP.

Crossing 50 can get, ahem, interesting. There’s no ped x-walk button @ Centerview Dr, so I’m dependent on cars tripping the detection loops or playing frogger during 50’s left-turn-only segments (VERY tricky!). This is sometimes a problem during my AM commute. While busier, Centreville Rd get more frequent traffic light cycles and I think has a ped button. Stringfellow is also busy enough to get regular light cycles.

[KS1G]

The info in the FABB post is good, but a little dated. According to Google Maps, the extension of Sterling Blvd over Rt 28 is open, resulting in this route to the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) trail. http://goo.gl/maps/mwXu Old Ox Rd (Virginia Route 606) has an unpaved shoulder and fast traffic, especially at AM & PM rush hours. This route avoids it entirely. Sterling Blvd also has heavy traffic heading away from Rt 28, but the section near 28 should be manageable. I modified the default route to get into the adjacent industrial park and use a paved side trail that connects to the W&OD (with about 10-20 meters on the adjacent unpaved horse path) just east of Sterling Blvd. If you prefer the FABB route – here is the modification on Google maps http://goo.gl/maps/E7RI That section of 606 is newer and better for riding vs. the one east into Herndon. Once on the W&OD, you will pass through several towns and have many opportunitities for side stops for food, water, etc. At about Mile 4, you can switch to the Custis Trail, paralleling Interstate 66, into the Rosslyn section of Arlington and over the bridges into Washington DC.

I do not know if the bus service from the terminal uses buses equipped with bike racks. If they do, the routes will go to areas with good bicycle access to the W&OD and surrounding roads. The other option would be a short taxi ride or hotel courtesy shuttle that would take you and your bike, just to get away from the airport and into a more rideable community.

If you have the opportunity and interest to visit the Smithsonian Institution’s Air & Space Museum Annex at Dulles airport, the museum is bicycle accessible from Centreville Rd, Wall Rd, and Air & Space Museum Parkway. There is no direct access from the airport other than via Rt 28, which is not rideable. Also, most of the boundary roads inside the airport property that appear on Google’s map are not open to the public and do not connect to the surrounding road network. The highway entrance and the route via Airport Dr & Ariane Way are the ways available to the public.

Have a great trip!

[KS1G]

Chiming in a wee late but whatever. Second what Mark B suggested in #5. I’ve had mine for over a year (March 2011). 50 cm, sizing/fit very similar to Trek’s, at least IMO. I bought the built-up bike, deciding it’s about time I deserve a complete bike properly assembled (at least when new) vs. my DIY ebay, et.al, project bikes. I didn’t think I could come close to the delivered price scrounging each part at a time. Bike frame is well made, *I* at least like the flat black finish, and the owners are very reachable by email and easy to deal with if you have questions, need something different (had to change the seatpost to get it low enough for me), etc. Downside was the wait from November to March, although they may have some inventory on-hand for a little more $. Also harder to find one your size to test ride – I was able to meet someone who rode a 50cm before a group ride and “test sit”; after that, it was extrapolate/compare from bikes I had ridden. Worked out for me. They also have a nice line of carbon wheels, no 1st-hand experience other than what came with the bike (basic aluminum rims).

Bike rides and handles crisply but remains stable, I can ride it no-hands (usually don’t). Bike is race-oriented – no rack mounts (and p-clips would just be wrong), and 25mm is as wide a tire as it will take (tried 28s for a pavement + gravel ride, the rear wouldn’t fit, which the boys at November told me would happen. They were right). It “feels” like it just wants to go, and is reasonably light for the price. Drivetrain on mine is SRAM, 50×34 compact cranks, and I like that I can easily swap in an Apex derailluer and 32t cassette for really hilly rides. It has been a great long ride and century bike. I do use it commuting with a backpack (~12 mi 1-way) and installed a tri-style dual water bottle holder for long summer rides and a Topeak adjustable bottle cage to transport my morning coffee thermos safe/secure/hot.

[Author]

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