[lordofthemark]

@DismalScientist 44271 wrote:

As the forum cheap bastard, my recommendations are as follows:
Just use street clothes. Find a reflective vest. When trying to figure your cadence, just count. And… here’s how to save on lights:
http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?1380-The-cheapo-helmet-light&highlight=cheap+light

Of course the downside is that everyone might laugh at you.:rolleyes:

I might just get a reflective vest.

Counting – so either check my timepiece every minute, or count pedal strokes for 5 minutes? I lack patience for that. And I think I will splurge on a helmet light, which is at least easy to take from bike to bike (yes I know I also need a rear light)

[lordofthemark]

thanks for all the suggestions, but Im not enthused about the new tire idea – for one I sometimes need the knobby tires (holmes run trail, Cross County trail, the trail through the park that leads up to Fairview, and the generally gnarly shoulders and service lanes of “downtown” Annandale) – and Im not keen to change tires regularly, or to take up the space. Second, since I am trying to lose weight and get more fit, dont the gnarly tires serve the same as the extra bike weight? Third I do still hope to get a road/commute bike not TOO far off.

for the clothing, Im thinking some kind of birght colored/biking focused long sleeved jersey or windbreaker as the first priority – I have some bright t shirts, but taste in long sleeves has run more to the subdued. Also it would be nice to be a bit more aerodynamic (despite what I said above)

And bike shorts, for comfort as well as visibility and aerodynamics.

Lights of course.

Computer can wait a bit.

[lordofthemark]

@Terpfan 44210 wrote:

To your last question, I think riding on the streets at night without lights is a very daring (along the darwin lines) adventure.

To clarify

The last question was about riding during the day, in sunlight. Since there are folks who do ride with lights even then.

The first post to the thread was about riding in early afternoon, on a cloudy day, with rather light snowfall.

I wouldn’t dream of riding in the street (or anywhere else, for that matter) after dark without lights. I would put my bike on the bus, and walk it home from the busstop before I would do that.

[lordofthemark]

Somedays I just hate where I live.

I will have to send thanks to delegate Kory though.

[lordofthemark]

Dear cyclist riding southbound in the northbound travel lane on Hummer Road – its good you were wearing a helmet, but you should realize there are a lot of bad things that can happen to you as a result of riding the wrong way that the helmet will not protect against (usually here in Annandale the cyclists who salmon or who ride the (far from empty) sidewalk in preference to the bikeable LRT service lanes, or who ride at night without lights, are NOT helmet wearers – so this one took me aback)

[lordofthemark]

so until i have lights and high viz clothes I should stay off roads, regardless of conditions?

[lordofthemark]

l rode the loop today. Clockwise, starting and finishing at W&OD and Columbia Pike. I took a picnic lunch along, not realizing at first how cold it would be – so I ate that at Rosslyn Metro Mall.

Some thoughts:

1. I definitely felt the uphill on the W&OD, but still a good warmup I guess.

2. Even eastbound, I found Custis challenging in spots.

3. The geese on the MVT were uninterested in my bell.

4. The last few miles, from the intersection of MVT and 4MRT to the end of my ride, there were some pretty strong winds, which somehow seemed always to be in my face.

5. I’m glad I used the 16B bus to get between Annandale and Arlington, as I was bushed at the end of my ride.

I felt pretty good about having done it, especially on a day like today.

[lordofthemark]

@KLizotte 44114 wrote:

If cars have their lights on cyclists should too. I put my lights on whenever I’m in traffic and I think there is a prayer they might make me more visible.

Of course there are some drivers who drive with lights on at all times.

[lordofthemark]

Note: The pump at the Hess on Little River in Annandale does not work. Fortunately there are other service stations with pumps nearby, but they are not free.

[lordofthemark]

@ShawnoftheDread 44016 wrote:

The ride up Hummer/Annandale Rd to Falls Church is pretty decent for a major road. The wide shoulder and wide traffic lane help a lot. At Arlington Blvd I take the service road over to Cherry St. and then up to the trail by the EFC metro. And the ride is faster than the 3A.

A. The one time I tried that I found extensive sections where the shoulder was taken up by parked cars. The travel lane was not wide enough for me to feel comfortable, given the speed and volume of traffic.

B. Its not just time, but energy. I’ve only done a couple of rides quite this long since I took up riding again last spring. And was bushed at the end of each. Yes, Im not in the best shape. It probably doesnt help that even in the spring summer fall I was not riding more than twice a month – and I have not ridden more than 5 miles on one day since early December. And I am over 20 lbs overweight. And my bike is a heavy wide tired MTB. And Im still getting the hang of this whole cadence thing.

C. Im not sure I could beat the 3A. See B.

D. thanks for the cherry street idea if I ever try that again. I tried to go through Seven corners to the ped bridge to john marshal-mckinley, and had to deal with one nasty hill south of Seven Corners.

[lordofthemark]

@dasgeh 43991 wrote:

Don’t sell yourself short — if you’ve done Cherrydale – Rosslyn on the Custis, you’ve done most of the Custis.

I agree with everyone else comments. If I were you and had the option, I’d start Barcroft Park-ish, to get a warm up before the climb up the Custis. I’d stop at Lee Heights (at the bottom of the S curve of Doom — did I see someone call it the Custis Chute?) at have a burger (BGR) or yummy Italian (Italian Store) or Mediterranean (Tarbouch) depending on what you’re up for. I’d also stop for a beer in Shirlington when you get there.

I did cherrydale down quincy to Fairfax (or was it wilson) to a stop at Clarendon (to eat brunch and watch the speech at Whitlows) then back on the bike lane to Rosslyn. It was more of a day for urban semi-transportation biking

ive done falls church to Ballston the WOD-Custis on a previous occasion. I dont think Ive ever done the Custis east of ballston.

[lordofthemark]

@rcannon100 43988 wrote:

I am not getting why you need to take a bus. Where are you coming from.

annandale.

I dislike all the routes east from Annandale. Taking them back west, when Im tired, and its getting late (Im slower than most of you seem to think) is very unpleasant.

[lordofthemark]

thanks for this post, I will try it one day – access to the CCT heading west would be useful.

[lordofthemark]

@sjclaeys 43793 wrote:

If it is now the case that SB1060 will be used by law enforcement as an excuse to ticket cyclists drafting, then I do not see why it should get any support from the cycling community.

well to be completely selfish A. I doubt that LE in Fairfax, Alex, or Arlington (the Va jurisdictions where I bike) will give tickets to cyclists for drafting B. The roads around where I live are pretty sparse in cyclists to begin with, its not like theres a lot of drafting anyway.

I’d gladly trade that for some due care by cars tailgating cyclists.

I understand that may well be different for other cyclistrs, in other parts of the Commonwealth.

And I certainly admit to having been over optimistic about getting something from this legislature. I thought the dooring bill had a pretty good chance, if only cause motorists who don’t like us to take the lane would rather we ride in the door zone.

[lordofthemark]

@bobco85 43579 wrote:

You’re right. My bad on that. My advice would work if the eastern ends get finished, but currently it is not really feasible. On the north side where the paved path ends you could continue on the dirt/hay and not have to use the roadway, but on the south side there is only a very narrow space to travel between the side of a hill and the road.

I think that the people who designed and chose those so-tiny-they’re-impossible-to-read “Yield to Pedestrians” signs should join the aforementioned traffic engineers in that level of Hell

I recently did that on foot – my mostly shabbos observant D and her more strictly observant friend who was staying with us wanted to try walking to Chabad. Walking is a bit easier since you can more easily turn in all directions to look, but of course you do not have the option of going in the road. My wife and I walked with them over 495, using the north side path. We agreed that this was at best marginally walkable – (I later drove there, and stayed till shabbat was over, and we drove back)

A. I continue to think the best routes west are either the ped bridge to the CCT, or the bike racks on the 29k bus B. I would still like to see if the Gallows bridge is any better C. I continue to hope to move somewhere that is more bike friendly (and more walkable) When folks complain about the treatment of cyclists by Arlington County, or DC, or City of Alexandria, I do not know whether to laugh or cry.

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