[KS1G]

The OP said he was preparing for the CWC. About 7,000 ft of climbing over 105.6 miles (at least that is what my Garmin 500 says it was last year). I would go ride some hills. Haines Point may be fine for training raw FTP, pacelining (and dealing with squirrley pace line mates – a useful skill!), and toughness in the face of boredom, and may well help for the relatively flatter last 20 miles “CWC sprint to the finish“, but it’s not going to help as much for the starting climb, Gapland, Ritche Rd, or Jacks Mtn Rd to name a few. I’d find a long hill and do repeats. I’m not as familiar with the climbs close in to DC, but have seen MacArthur Blvd and the Great Falls Park entrance road mentioned, and North Arlington has lots of shorter hills. Further afield, there are some short climbs in Reston, to/from Belmont Ridge Rd in Ashburn, Woodburn (w or w/o Harmony Chapel) & Thomas Mill (out & back unless you like descending on gravel!), Dry Mill Rd, and a few more off the W&OD, and of course, Taylorstown & Stumptown Rd north of Waterford. Plus Mount Weather and Skyline Drive and the roads going up to Skyline. Likely many good climbs nearby in Maryland, I just don’t know them.

[KS1G]

Welcome, Maverick. Before I changed job sites and my commute, I would sometimes have to drive E-W through Reston. Could easily take 15+ minutes at rush hour just to get past Whiele, Reston Parkway, and Town Center Parkway. The path to the W&OD from RTC starts at the top of the pedestrian bridge, just east of the bus station. It’s all downhill, just mind your speed and the tree root damage, plant (and human) debris, and the occasional walkers & riders. There is a hard left turn at the bottom onto the W&OD, across from the P&R lot. About a 1/4 mile east and you’re at the Reston Parkway tunnel. My preference vs. “frogger”. Or, line up with the cars and cross with vehicular traffic (assuming someone is turning left and trips the light sensor – I do not know if the cars turning right trigger a full green).

I prefer riding clipped in – more stable attachment to the pedals and I can apply power over more of each revolution. Nice thing about SPD is the shoes are at least semi-walkable (recessed cleat) and the pedals are 2-sided, so easier to clip in from a stop.

At road crossings, I assume the drivers do not see me until I see ALL lanes (Whiele Ave!) come to a stop. It may be more efficient for us to wait for vehicles (it *is* safer for us!), but if a driver decides to stop and wave me through (and it’s otherwise safe to proceed), I’m giving him a thank-you wave and going. At the very busy light-controlled crossings (Elden St, Maple Ave/123, Gallows Rd), I use the crossing button and wait for the light.

Don’t worry about panniers and your laptop – use a well-padded sleeve and I think it’d be OK, and I believe some companies make panniers/sleeves specifically for biking. Do get panniers with good rain covers or that are waterproof – road and wheel spray can soak through the cloth and puddle in the bottom. When I use a pannier when commuting, I usually just use one – I think I’d have to stuff it with much more than I’d want to pedal to notice a significant impalance.

If you need bike-related stuff during the day or along your commute, you have Bike Lane in RTC (up street from Fidelity), Performance off Sunset Hills Rd near Whole Foods, Spokes Etc and Bikes@Vienna off Maple St in Vienna.

Ride safe, have fun!

[KS1G]

I dislike glasses-mounted mirrors, handlebar mirrors can’t be aimed, and many of the helmet-mounted mirrors are semi-permanent (double sided tape), don’t fit some helments (or at least those I use), or they don’t hold up (same issue reported above for 3rd Eye).

My helmet-mirror-of-choice is the Hubbub – a commercial version, I believe, of the “Chuck Harris”. I own two. Nigh-indestructible (one of mine survived a 20mph crash) and seems to fit about anything. Hubbub sells replacement mirrors, too (reflective ‘silvering” wore off my older mirror after several seasons of year-round use). Costs a bit more (initially) but I can easily move it to another helmet and it-just-don’t-break.

[KS1G]

My mostly non-MUP/path route stays out in the suburban wastelands of Fairfax, so I don’t see too many bike commuters. Today, just 2 of the regulars I see heading the other way. No unusual ped or driver interactions, and made most of the lights/seemed less stop time than normal. One SUV driver decided they wanted to use the same (of 3) mail box at the post office as I was using so had to wait (their bad) while I remove pack, find letter, mail letter, put pack back on, clip in and leave.

Stupid critter siting: Deer (large juvenile or doe) trying to get through a backyard with 6′ fence. Got hung up on fence – I saw it clamber/tumble over as it exited the yard, land on it’s side, scrambled to feet, bolt across a 4-lane road, and proceeded on it’s way.

[KS1G]

Regular commuting means I deal with the same bus routes, kids, drivers(?) fairly often. I may encounter up to 3 school busses (lucky me!). General rule: SLOWLY move up along stopped cars until I reach the bus, then behave like a car (while trying to avoide inhaling bus exhaust!) until the bus turns off lights and proceeds. Under NO circumstances pass the bus while the stop lights are on – I have seen teens (middle & hs bus routes) run for the bus while oblivious to all else. Virginia code is quite clear on this – go read the rules for passing school buses and the one defining a bicycle as a vehicle. If you get caught behind the same bus for several stops, use the opportunity for sprint interval training

At one bus stop (busiest of the 3), I stay further back where I can be in or easily merge into the line of cars – the bus driver sometimes stays pulled off to the right and waves the traffic past.

This becomes mostly moot for ~10 weeks after 6/22 (Arlington County school calendar) and 6/15 for Fairfax County.

[KS1G]

sent you a PM.

[KS1G]

@FFX_Hinterlands 16561 wrote:

I will be behind a FABB table at the Herndon stop all morning. Come by and say “Hi!”

I’ll try to remember to do that!

[KS1G]

Where in Chantilly? I get onto the W&OD further east and registered at the Herndon stop for B2W day. I usually take Centerville Rd or Van Buren/Monroe to head south.

[KS1G]

Work is under the Dulles runway 1C approach, so we had a good view of all 3 passes (2 fly-bys and landing) to 1R. I heard Rt 28 and 50 were pretty much at a standstill (good day to bike!).

[KS1G]

Just be happy NVRPA is responsible for maintenance and does something. Winter of ’10-’11 they plowed; I saw a truck heading east out of Sterling blowing leaves/debris off the trail yesterday morning; and at least they have a budget to repave. In contrast, some combination of Fairfax County and VDOT is suppossed to take care of the Fairfax County Parkway path and does not seem to have any money to maintain it. Frankly, the parkway shoulder and the detour section onto the shoulder just south of Fox Mill is in better shape than many areas of the path.

[KS1G]

I think I found my min temp yesterday afternoon for arm warmers + vest (jacket & winbreaker were in backpack and wish I’d worn them instead for ride home – yes, I’m stubborn and didn’t want to stop!).

[KS1G]

I’d stay off 29 SW of Manassas – CC’s right, and I drive that route often enough to think about it wistfully and what it could be with a little help from a grader and a lot of asphalt. I do see some bike route signs here & there, so there is something criss-crossing the area. Just don’t know where it goes. Maybe some researching ridewithgps, mapmyride, garmin, etc., and ask on the PPTC email list or @ DC Raddoneurs for suggestions.

[KS1G]

+2. I’d let the metro police know and give them as much info (location, time, description) as you can. (who knows, it might keep someone else’s bike a little safer this time)

[KS1G]

What consularider said. Main, Old Wheatland, Milltown. Mind the stop signs & village speed limit in Waterford. Not Loyalty – the pavement on Loyalty has been a mess for years, I only ride it to get to some hill climb suffering on Taylorstown & Stumptown.

[KS1G]

This seems to be the applicable Virginia laws: Summary (IANAL): The driver must move as far right as possible, even if this means crossing the bike lane. A cyclist (with or without a bike lane) is allowed to pass on the right of the car, so could be in the bike lane to the right of the car when the car crosses. The driver of the car is suppossed to yield to any traffic in the bike lane before changing lanes or turning. While “I never saw him, Officer”, is not invalidated as a defense, the cyclist would have the law more on their side if they were in the x-walk (unsure if they have to dismount) but that will only help their heirs. 😡

Observation – I think that most drivers (including myself until I read the rules) would assume they stay out of the bike lane and cut across it when turning. Exception when there is a dedicated turn lane to the right of the bike lane. The bike lane on Dranesville Rd (Rt 228) between Herndon and Rt 7 is dashed approaching cross streets; cars are to cross the lane at those points to merge into the right turn lane. Signage (what hasn’t been knocked down or stolen) indicates the merge points. I do not recall if the Lawyers Rd lane (Reston) is striped like this for right turns.

Links & excerpts I think are applicable:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-846 1. Right turns: Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-803 “Except as otherwise provided by law, when crossing an intersection of highways or the intersection of a highway by a railroad right-of-way, the driver of a vehicle shall drive on the right half of the roadway unless it is obstructed or impassable….”
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-835 “Notwithstanding the provisions of § 46.2-833, except where signs are placed prohibiting turns on steady red, vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal, after coming to a full stop, may cautiously enter the intersection and make a right turn. Such turning traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic using the intersection. “
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-905 “4. When avoiding riding in a lane that must turn or diverge to the right;” (this one is going to get me hurt or killed someday – commute includes an overpass with an exit-only lane)
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-907: “A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or scooter, or moped may overtake and pass another vehicle on either the left or right side, staying in the same lane as the overtaken vehicle, or changing to a different lane, or riding off the roadway as necessary to pass with safety. A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or scooter, or moped may overtake and pass another vehicle only under conditions that permit the movement to be made with safety.
A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or scooter, or moped shall not travel between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, except where one lane is a separate turn lane or a mandatory turn lane. “

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