[n18]

If you get one of these Shuttle Bike Kits, which converts a bike into a boat(it’s backpack-size), you can make your commute much shorter(Google Maps link).

[n18]

You: E-Bike owner that left his bike locked somewhere in Fairfax county for days/weeks with badly bent front chainring(x1 setup).

Look for “direct mount chainring” on Amazon with the same number of teeth, or ask a bike shop. You probably need special bike tools to remove the crank, it might be cheaper to let a bike shop do it.

[n18]

Undust your shorts for tomorrow. The temperature at 5 AM will be 60 degrees, dropping to only 58 by 5 PM. Almost no rain tomorrow, just drizzle, and if you are unlucky, light rain according to major broadcast networks feature cast.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.8904&lon=-77.032&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=graphical

[n18]

@W & Odie 184101 wrote:

Bummer, the price for the Spin Doctor stand is back up to $99.99 at Performance online.

In stores, it’s $77.40, and Vienna location has at least 2 as of yesterday. They also have a more expensive one not listed online that has three legs like this one, it costs $132. I paid $129 for it 2 years ago. They have 3 left as of yesterday, one of which is on display without a box.

[n18]

More tips:

Coughing = Torso too cold, go back and wear another layer.

Breathing from your mouth? Cover your nose and mouth. This warms the lower part of your head, so your nose is less likely to get congested. I use this balaclava(REI/Amazon), which can be lowered down to cover only the bottom half of the head when it gets warmer.

[n18]

It doesn’t make sense to widen a small segment with 6 stop signs. Almost everyone is not stopping or slowing down now, are they going to stop or slow down when the trail widen? Most likely we would get complaints from drivers calling for enforcement. So why widen it at all? My concern though is not the stop signs, but unsafe passes, and keeping on doing it outside the small wide segment. For FC, it’s all revenue.

[n18]

@lordofthemark 183895 wrote:

a small section in Vienna WAS widened, and IIUC a small piece of the Custis is being widened.

In Vienna case, the town of Vienna paid for the small W&OD widening as part of their Community Center Renovation and Expansion Project(See details at this link). The Custis trail gets more traffic, and was partially funded with grant from the Federal Highway Administration Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program, managed by VDOT, and in the IoD case, 20% of the grant amount comes from the county.

[n18]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

I don’t use cycling shoes, but I am trying this one, which can easily handle 20 degrees weather with thick socks, and they are lightweight. They get sweaty with light socks in the 35+ weather. I also got these winter boots from REI Outlet, but it turned out they weigh 4.0 LBS! Never had the chance to try them outside, maybe when it gets below 20.

REI has at the moment has $20 off $100 offer for Outlet items ending this Wednesday.

Edited to add: These are the thick socks I am using. Fabric Content: 85% Acrylic, 14% Polyester, 1% Spandex.

[n18]

I think Vienna or Herndon areas have more traffic. Even the Custis trail gets more traffic, but we don’t hear much about widening it. So throwing money at FC seems to be for the purpose of enhancing tourism, with the exception of the bridge over Lee HWY, which to me; the only reasonable improvement. What FC done to cyclists in the past other than enforcement?

[n18]

I was at Vienna location last Friday, the store seemed full of stuff, including clothing and bikes. It seems that the best deals would be after Christmas. Breakdown:

30% Garmin/GoPro. Left(Prices are after the discount): 3x Garmin Edge 130($140), 1x Garmin Vivoactive HR – GPS Smartwatch($175), 2x GoPro Hero 5 Black($210).
30% Oakley sunglasses.
40% Men’s clothing, Socks, and Gloves. I have no idea if this is different from their normal sales as I don’t usually buy cycling clothes.
50% Women’s clothing, Women Socks/Gloves at 40%.
50% Wheels.
40% Tires/Tubes.
30% Shimano components.
40% All other stuff: Water bottles/Cages, Shoes, Helmets, Pedals, Lights(limited number left), Pumps, Racks, Fenders, Panniers, Saddles, Bike Storage, Trainers, Bike tools, Handlebars/Grips/Tapes.

Bikes are at 20-35% from MSRP, which is not much different from their normal sales.

[n18]

Amazon last free shipping day with no minimum for non-prime members is tomorrow(Tuesday). Since I see so many cyclists with no left side mirror, I am going to suggest this mirror.

[n18]

My tips for winter time:

1 – Layers made of Full-Zip shirts are easier to remove than half-zip, or no-zip shirts, and so worth the extra investment.

2 – Many don’t dry their legs, and leave few minutes after taking a shower when it’s icy outside. If it’s below 32 F, I wait 15 minutes before leaving, or 5 minutes if I remember to dry my legs.

3 – Some advice circulating(including by me) suggest using plastic bags over socks as a wind breaker, or plastic kitchen gloves under cycling gloves. Please don’t do this. Your feet and hand will get sweaty, and if you get distracted and hit something and becoming unconscious, you might wake up in a hospital with your feet/hands/fingers amputated because of frost bite.

4 – Hot water damages skin, especially if you are older or diabetic. I use this shower head with temperature display to make it more predictable.

5 – Sometimes, I put a heater next to the bathroom to warm it to a toasty 75-80 Degrees, I actually look forward to take a shower because it’s warmer there. You could use a 24/7 Timer to turn it on 30 Minutes before you use the shower.

6 – I use this electric shaver(Bestbuy, Amazon), which shaves my beard in 90 Seconds(I have medium to heavy beard), compared to 5 Minutes with the blade method, and I get almost the same result. I can do it while on the coach, while someone else is using the shower, so both the shower head and the shaver cut my shower time by 6 to 7 Minutes. Previously I used this shaver from Philips Norelco and it took 3 Minutes to shave, but it’s not as close as the Panasonic one.

[n18]

@LhasaCM 183535 wrote:

According to the website, all stores are holding store closing sales. https://www.performancebike.com/shop/importantupdate has more information on what’s being said (centrally, at least).

They are not allowed to call it “Store closing” sale per a judge order. See this other thread.

[n18]

To add to the mix, it seems that this is the company that supplies the bikes and the stations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBSC_Urban_Solutions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBSC_Urban_Solutions#Original_developers
https://www.pbsc.com/city/washington-dc/
https://www.pbsc.com/

[n18]

@VikingMariner 183368 wrote:

You can’t expect me to read that thread from 2015.

Summary: Many objected because it’s too wide, and too fast(20-25+ MPH). It barely fits on one side of the trail, and it may not be clear on the first video you posted, but the rider often has to move the right wheel off the trail to give room to oncoming cyclists. Whether it’s legal or not was disputed, but it won’t be long before we start seeing signs like these(in other states), which prohibit E-bikes specifically. It all depends on how E-bikers behave on the trails. Some argue that there is no or limited enforcement, but the main issue with enforcement or lack off is that it doesn’t affect liability in case of a crash. The one who is breaking the rules is more liable. See this post for more details.

What I recommend instead is a regular E-bike, and one of these Cargo trailers, which is a more flexible setup and less objectionable, and certainly cheaper.

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