[nikki_d]

To the jack’hole* that didn’t announce your pass at 6th & Indiana NW this morning while running the red light- allowing the noise of your bike announce your pass for you is a good sign that you are in need of a tune up. Another sign? Me effortlessly passing you up the hill despite your substantial head start from said red light running. If you are too cheap to bring it to one of many local bike shops in town, at least do that poor bike the favor of learning some basic maintenance. Really, it is not brain surgery and bikes are lovely and undeserving of the abuse you are subjecting it to.

*one of my favorite contractions! Put 3 letters in the middle and you get two great disparaging words conveniently shrunken down to one!

[nikki_d]

I love this thread. I feel like I have found my tribe. 😎

[nikki_d]

@83(b) 61075 wrote:

I’ve taken to just executing an aggressive aggressive pass. That usually inspires better behavior at the next light.

Lucky you. I did that last night to the hipster fixie couple that decided to shoal me at one red light then completely not move out of my way on the green b/c hipster dude was too busy meandering the intersection on the phone. Unfortunately, I was stupidly heading toward the heart of hipster-ville so they of course caught up to me many blocks and a turn later at another red where they did it again without the slightest bit of remorse. Shoalers are like cats… absolutely no concept of guilt.

[nikki_d]

@fuzzy 60760 wrote:

I’ve done a group ride with Bicycle Space before, it was the ‘nice & easy’ ride.

We greeted each other and rolled out. It was nice.

Don’t leave us hanging… was it easy??

[nikki_d]

@Hancockbs 60588 wrote:

I stopped geocaching because the reward just wasn’t there for me any more. This however could be rewarding!

I still have some travelers out there, but stopped playing in 2003! Poor little orphans. I should login and see what they are up to.

[nikki_d]

@consularrider 60237 wrote:

Happy hour on the Grand Place in Brussels?

One day I will finally do this happy hours.

[nikki_d]

To the two DC firefighters in the MD tagged private vehicle on 6th St NW- I don’t care that you weren’t honking at me and my SO. You very loudly, very unexpectedly, and very needlessly blared your horn repeatedly at another driver that slowed down going through an intersection very close to two people on bicycles because you decided a driver “prevented” you from making the next light (which you weren’t going to make anyway… trust me, I do this every day) while you were speeding and weaving through the few cars on the road while 2 blocks from the station that was not responding to any calls- you are still a f!#$ing a@@hole no matter what “explanation” that was you were trying to yell at me as you were rolling up your window after I told you as much.

[nikki_d]

… angry at the amount of time I spend on the phone with 311 reporting vehicles parked in bike lanes and with WMATA reporting people that should not be driving at all, let alone driving huge buses with all that pent up rage directed at people on bikes.

[nikki_d]

@DaveK 59832 wrote:

And say what? Someone’s selling a bike on the sidewalk and it feels shady?

Yes, especially if the bike is not something the kid could reasonably ride size wise or is missing a seat/ front wheel. The police in DC are always encouraging people to report suspicious behavior to 911 on the listservs.

[nikki_d]

@dasgeh 59747 wrote:

If you have a second, I’d say report it to Metro. You don’t need a ton of details to report.

But it really, really helps if you have the time of day, location and identifying info for the vehicle (vehicle number and/ or tag number) plus route number and direction in the case of a bus. I make it a habit now to report the bus drivers that think it is their job to honk at cyclists and you get much better service with all of that information because then they know exactly who it was.

[nikki_d]

Since my SO is not a forum member, I will post about the nice things that have happened to him on his behalf.

In addition to not being a forum member, my SO is all about making his bike “lighter” which leads to chronic over-stuffing of the one pannier bag he allows himself on his bike. He can’t have more, oh no… that would make his bike “too heavy.” Needless to say, this conceit of his leads to much comic relief for me since I take the “Haul” in my Long Haul Trucker seriously and he is always trying to be gallant and offer to carry thing for me. Ha! (I also take the “Utility” seriously in my 4-wheeled Sport Utility Vehicle usually to the surprise of shop owners in what I have been able to haul in it… I think I need a new career hauling things.)

We live in SW, a.k.a FedGov Wasteland, and commute together in the mornings. And he insists on riding behind me especially when I point out how precariously overstuffed his bag is. At least twice this year (he will insist it has only been twice but I am pretty sure it has been at least half a dozen times now) we have had drivers of USG plated vehicles catch up with us at 4th & Penn either dangle articles of his clothing out their windows or telling him where he can go back and pick them up.

Thanks nice drivers!

[nikki_d]

@GuyContinental 57443 wrote:

It opens on the 17th so I’ll try the following week, probably during an early lunch.

They posted a Vine of it in action today- https://vine.co/v/h7YJOOj7FZm

[nikki_d]

@Terpfan 57451 wrote:

Still funny to watch people shoal who are slower, then find out their slower, and then do it again–such a selfish attitude.

I had one of those on Penn yesterday morning. She was riding a bikeshare and went in the opposite lane to pass me at a light, then cut in much too close on the other side of the intersection, when I wasn’t working hard since I knew there was no way to make the next one. Of course, when that light turned green I gave her a very sharp “passing” as I passed her. She stayed behind me for one light before she decided at every subsequent red light she needed to move in front of me after waiting behind me, get a jump on the green, and then be in my way again.Finally got rid of her on the 15th street turn, which I would have missed on that green had I hung behind her when she shoaled me again at 14th.

I just really don’t understand it.

[nikki_d]

@GuyContinental 57387 wrote:

Wow… anyone with a DC library card wanna learn about 3D printing with me?

DC and most area libraries have reciprocity so you likely qualify for a free card of your own! http://www.dclibrary.org/getacard

(As a DC resident, I know this since our purchasing budget is so low it is often the only way I ever get some of the books I want to check out.)

[nikki_d]

@GuyContinental 57342 wrote:

…is there a local maker community with access to a MakerBot or other tabletop printer? I’d love to print one for fit and tolerance testing before I spring for hardened plastic.

The DC library will have a 3-D printer available starting 7/17!! http://www.dclibrary.org/digitalcommons

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