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@Steve O 182632 wrote:

Here’s a route to the Giant in Bailey’s that still requires climbing (seriously steep) but avoids traffic pretty much altogether.

Interesting. Here is the flattest route I could find, which is what I actually use to visit Giant/REI(I come from Vienna and use the W&OD). Google says it would take 36 Minutes, but the return trip is all downhill and takes 7 Minutes.

[n18]

Just got REI newsletter in the mail. The sale starts this Friday Nov 9 till Monday Nov 19. 20% off one full-price item(In stores/online), and 20% off REI-Outlet(Online only).

Cycling specific sales:

25% Off Pearl Izumi Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories.
20% Off Cycleops Bike Trainers and Accessories.
25% Off Garmin Varia Rader 2 Bundle Rear Lights($300, Amazon $199)
25% Off All NightRider Bike Lights
25% Off All Ortlieb Packs, Bags & Panniers.
20% Off All Yakima Racks, Roof Boxes & Rack Accessories.
$60 Bonus Card when you buy GoPro Hero7 Black($400-$60)

No bikes in the Ad this time.

[n18]

I will probably use the new trial heavily, since I am in Fairfax, even maybe just for rubbing it in. Cars exhaust is not that of a big difference than what you experience with roads with bike lanes, since you are next to cars anyway. Noise is higher, but the biggest issue maybe road debris. I think there are many would be cyclists in Fairfax that would start cycling since the new trial offers more options, and there will be more demand for better infrastructure after it opens.

However, there should be some social media/news campaign(or better yet, banners over I-66 bridges) directing athletes who drive(who would be new cyclists) to a specific educational site or forum like this one, so they become aware of any issues before getting something too big, not allowed on some trials, or not the best product for the planned commute. One example, SolarBikeCar bought something before becoming aware of this forum, and instead of being hailed for going green, and making a healthier choice, he was vilified. I see this as a communication failure.

So prepare for the Fairfax Wave. It will be slow at first, but it’s coming!

[n18]

@SolarBikeCar 182441 wrote:

What consensus is there for limits on visibility markings? I run lights during the day and some cyclists cover their eyes in some sort of “your blinding me” pantomime. When I stopped using lights in response the safety patrol motioned to turn them back on. My 2 lights are mounted about 12 inches above the ground and are each 4 1-watt leds for a total of about 700lm. These aren’t bright enough to hurt anyone’s eyes even if they were to look directly into them at point blank range at night. Perhaps some people prefer a softer yellow light and these are a harsher high temperature white. Are there other reasons why some might engage in so much drama over lighting? Absent a reasonable concern for retina damage or even reduction in night vision, I’ve assumed it is simply a round-about way to protest electric-assist vehicles.

Last fall is the first time I ran into you at night(I don’t go to Reston area often, and I have seen you three times during daytime). Seeing two headlights coming at me, I assumed that a car entered the W&OD by mistake, it took me few seconds to realize it was you. You were going faster than the average cyclist at the time, so I assumed a car. A new cyclist would probably freak out. So expect more issues in the days ahead since it will be dark by 5 PM. If you get a single light, it would be easier, but others would assume a narrow bicycle/vehicle. Using an LED strip might solve this problem.

Your biggest issue however is liability. If you hit someone, the one who’s breaking the rules gets more liability. My/Your/Others interpretation of the laws don’t matter. The one who matters is the judge presiding on the case. That’s when most people know that interpreting laws based on the way they were enforced is irrelevant in court.

If you have visited this forum before buying a multi-modal vehicle, my advice would have been to buy a cargo E-bike, or an E-bike with a trailer carrying extra batteries that you would disengage mid-point and store somewhere, like in a bike room. Local authorities should build extra bike storage rooms in strategic locations to support those who have long commute. I know there is one at Wiehle Metro Station in Reston, and there is another one at Stringfellow RD in Fairfax county. They require fees to use. We need more.

[n18]

I am a big fan of internal gear hubs with belt drives. The biggest deterrent for drop bar users is that Rohloff hub comes with twist shifters, but according to the article below, there is an after market part that allows Rohloff hub to be used with drop bar shifters and any other shifters. The catch is that you won’t be able to use all 14 speeds, just the same number as the shifter supports, and you wouldn’t need Ultegra when 105 has the same speeds.

https://www.cyclingabout.com/gebla-rohbox-road-mountain-shifters-with-rohloff-hubs/

Here is the part that they talk about:

http://rohbox.com/

And where to buy it in the US($253):

https://www.cyclemonkey.com/gebla

[n18]

@ginacico 182361 wrote:

So I’m busy specking out a new bike, and referred back to this thread thinking about drivetrains. The dilemma still exists.

Because I’m a problem child, I want one bike that does everything. On my Vaya (now totaled, sadly) I had achieved near nirvana by swapping out the rear cassette to 11-36 with a long-cage 9-spd derailleur, and keeping the stock triple and Ultegra 10-spd shifters. It got me about 22 gear inches (feel free to check my math) on the low end, which was adequate for getting me up almost any hill even loaded. But I didn’t lose the average range for commuting and roads.

Now I’m trying to decide between an Ultegra 11-spd double or SRAM, as I’m not interested in Di2 or belt drive options. Triples are out of fashion (for good reason). The good news is, I’m working on the bike with Co-Motion who well understands the dilemma, and hopefully they can come up with good suggestions.

Curious, has anyone built up a touring bike recently? Tell me about your drivetrain!

Last December, I upgraded my hybrid from 3×7 to 3×10, which costs me about $200. I had to learn what’s compatible and what’s not. The main site that I used is this one, which is posted by a member here, also Shimano site. If you buy incompatible parts, they may not work together and no amount of screw adjustment would make them work. The most troublesome parts are the front gears. You can’t mix road shifters with MTB front derailleurs and vice versa. In the rear, you can mix them with an exception for Shimano Dynasys, which is a different animal. With that said, here is what I recommend:

Your former bike: Salsa Vaya Travel, size: 54 cm, Front crankset: 30/42/52, Cassette: 11-36.

Your requirements:

– Dropbar shifters.
– Disk brakes.
– Front crankset: 30/52
– Rear: 11-36
– Gear inches: 21.14(Based on wheel size 700×23 with Gatorskin tire, or 25.36″ Total wheel diameter)

I couldn’t find a road front derailleur that supports 30/52 gears(22 Tooth difference), only 30/50, or 32/52(20 tooth difference max), but the rear derailleur supports 11-42, so you get even wider ratio if you want. However, my recommendation is to get a bike with 2×11 speed with 34/50 or 36/52 on the front, so the only thing you need to do is change the rear derailleur and cassette. This recommendation is based on the fact that you can use MTB rear derailleurs(except Dynasys) with road shifters.

Rear Derailleur: RD-M8000-SGS
Make sure that you select the “Long cage” option.
Minimum rear sprocket size: 11T
Maximum rear sprocket size:
40T(3×11-speed)
42T(2×11-speed)
46T(1×11-speed)
This rear derailleur has a huge total capacity of 47T, so it can handle wide gear ratios in the front and rear. It also features sealed bearings.

Where to get it:

1 – REI: $80, and if you add 2 more full price drivetrain components, you get 10% off, and that’s in addition to to the 10% back in store credit, or 19% total discount, so your total cost is $64.80. They usually ship the next day, and you get it in 3 days total. They don’t have it in stores, unfortunately.

https://www.rei.com/product/895589/shimano-xt-rd-m8000-rear-derailleur-11-speed

2 – JensonUSA: $63:

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-XT-RD-M8000-11SP-Rear-Derailleur

– Cassttee: Any 11 Speed silver cassette will do.

Gear inches when using 52/36 in the front:
11-40: 22.83″
11-41: 22.27″
11-42: 21.74″
Gear inches when using 50/34 in the front:
11-40: 21.56″
11-41: 21.03″
11-42: 20.53″

[n18]

n18 has also reported this item.

Reason:

Quote:

SPAM.

[n18]

It took me a while to figure out where the floor is, it’s to the right of the picture by checking the floor pump.

[n18]

@lordofthemark 181838 wrote:

That appears to be the long awaited Vesper Trail.

See

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/walk/projects/vesper-trail

The Tysons Metrorail Station Access Management Study (TMSAMS) identified necessary transportation improvements to enhance multimodal access to and from the Metrorail Stations in Tysons. Vesper Trail is one of the identified improvements, connecting pedestrians and cyclists from Vesper Street to Spring Hill Metro Station. The trail is an approximate .4 miles and runs primarily within Fairfax County Board of Supervisor property.

Thanks, it appears from the other side that it would take longer. I would say at least 10 days:

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[n18]

Here is a list of 142 Sears/Kmart stores that are closing. Kmart near Springfield Mall is one of them. Sears at 7-Corners is not closing:

https://www.businessinsider.com/sears-kmart-stores-closing-list-2018-10

[n18]

@KWL 181902 wrote:

Me: JRA
You: $%*^%# crazy squirrels

I have had more success with making Tsk-Tsk sound rather than my bell. The idea is that squirrels treat cyclists as predators because we are silent and zooming in toward them(+-10 Degrees). A predator doesn’t announce itself, and so by announcing yourself, it knows that you are not a predator, and gets out of your way. Somehow bells make them confused as it sounds artificial, so you have to use natural sound.

[n18]

@lordofthemark 181862 wrote:

No tires I was interested in (looking for slick 28’s)

REI has $20 off if you order $100+, last day today. I have been using this tire, which is the same as Gatorskin, but I am hoping that I get more mileage. Mine has 1800 miles on it(Size 25mm), and still has few hundred miles to go, possibly 500+. Gatorskin gets me 2200 Miles, but it peels off like banana peel at the end of its life. I am hoping this one would last more.

https://www.rei.com/product/793101/serfas-seca-survivor-tire-700-x-23-25-28

The 23 size is on sale for $23.95 for those who are interested without spending $100, otherwise, it would be $19.16 for orders $100+. Last day today as well. If you don’t know what to buy, you can always buy chains, and drive train parts.

[n18]

@lordofthemark 181862 wrote:

So I was just in the Annandale K Mart. Hoped to maybe find a brightly colored light rain jacket really cheap. All the outer wear was big puffy coats, and about 5 sizes too big for me. Indeed, most of the mens clothing was XL or bigger.

There were a few bike related odds and ends left – mostly tires. Don’t remember the prices. No tires I was interested in (looking for slick 28’s)

Sorry if I made you waste a trip. Most of what I bought 2 weeks ago was base layers and white T-shirts(paid about $60, less than their $75 threshold to get $20 back, but I seem to have gotten it anyway). Base layers were $7 each instead of $10. Most of what was left at the time medium/large 4-each, and larger sizes. If the one near Springfield Mall closes, then I suggest to stock up on base layers. Also, 2 Mondays ago I ordered $46 worth of stuff online and only paid about 50 cents after 2x$20 coupons and $6 in points. Shipping options tells you when the item arrives, and mine arrived on time. They have many $20 off $30 to $50 per department at the time online. Here is their website for both Sears and Kmart: https://www.shopyourway.com You need to set your browser options to always accept 3rd party cookies, otherwise you can’t log in.

[n18]

Not a happy news. Sears/Kmart just filed for bankruptcy. They are closing 142 stores, out of 866 stores total. If the remaining stores don’t do well in the holiday season, they close for good. They employ 70,000 people.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-retailer-sears-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy-050851495–finance.html

[n18]

The Container Store at Tysons only is having a 30% off of everything moving sale. They are moving across the street next to Best Buy. Last day is next Thursday Oct 18. If you buy from them, they give you 15% off to use after Oct 20th. The only bike stuff they have is wall and ceiling mounts.

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