[PotomacCyclist]

Take lots of pictures. HD would be preferred. So would a fast shutter speed. And post some of the best pics here! Enjoy the race.

[PotomacCyclist]

I should have said Vuelta a Espana, not the Giro.

[PotomacCyclist]

I doubt it. There’s no space on the road to widen the trail so the only alternative would be to cut into the bridge structure. Unless engineers determined that cutting out a section wouldn’t weaken the bridge, the only alternative would be to rebuild that bridge. I don’t think that’s going to happen in the near future.

I just treat it as a single lane. If someone is already coming through in the other direction, I wait until that person has come through completely before heading onto that trail section. It’s not wide enough for two bikes at the same time so best not to even try that.

Most of the regular users understand how narrow it is. So most people will let someone through before heading under the bridge in the other direction. If someone tries to squeeze by, I’ll give them a frustrated glare. If there are walkers or runners on the trail, I won’t try to pass them. If they are coming in the opposing direction, I’ll slow down to a crawl as I pass them.

As long as you keep the speed down and use common sense, it’s not too bad. It’s not an ideal trail/tunnel, but it’s manageable.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Brendan von Buckingham 7187 wrote:

Me too. It goes without saying that when I was growing up in 1880’s East Jabip Kansas, there was no such thing as a bike lane for me either.

Still cycling after more than 120 years? Wow!

(kidding)

[PotomacCyclist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3KCjIAhSPc

[PotomacCyclist]

Many of those weaving drivers are probably talking or texting on their cellphones. Or websurfing on a smartphone.

[PotomacCyclist]

I can’t find any provision stating that runners are prohibited from using bike lanes in the District. There’s a blog post on the Internet that some people cite as some sort of official source, but it’s merely one guy’s opinion. The DDOT site doesn’t say anything about the topic.

***
Runners are not running for their own “entertainment”. Many run for exercise. Others run because they like it. Some people actually do run as transportation, especially in urban areas like DC and Arlington. All the same reasons why people bike.

The softer surface of the asphalt is one reason to run in the bike lane. Another more important reason is that many sidewalks are poorly maintained. They simply aren’t that level or smooth. Walking on them usually doesn’t pose problems, but running on them might. It can be hazardous to run on many sidewalks. The risk of twisting an ankle can be very high. It can also be difficult to run on crowded sidewalks. A faster runner might be moving anywhere from 7 to 11 mph.

I do think that runners should run with traffic if they are using a bike lane. And if they are running for exercise, it might be considerate to run in off-peak hours. But that may not be convenient if they only have a limited window in which to run.

The conflicts over bike lanes are similar to the issues between car drivers and cyclists in road lanes. But in the case of the bike lanes, the cyclists are the faster group. It helps to think through the situation and avoid vilifying entire groups of people.

I bike and run frequently. I get annoyed by different situations and groups, depending on whether I’m cycling or running. It helps me to realize that no group is perfect. It also makes me realize that there are a lot of inconsiderate and distracted people in all groups out there, whether it’s car drivers (texting while driving, speeding, aggression), truck drivers, runners (earphones), cyclists (speeding on the trails, passing on trails and forcing oncoming traffic to move aside), walkers (earphones, taking up entire sidewalks and even road lanes out at Hains Point), dog walkers (long leashes that cross road lanes), roller bladers or sightseers.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Tim Kelley 6677 wrote:

I wouldn’t worry about getting a special seat post if you are just getting into triathlon. I’ve done many 100+ mile rides on a stock road bike with clip-on aerobars. And in races, I’ve passed plenty of people with time trial bikes, fancy wheels and helmets.

The most important thing is having a comfortable setup on which you can do plenty of training, because if you can’t be comfortable in aero, then you won’t develop your legs and cardio engine.

And practice your swimming and running.

The need for a forward-facing seat post will vary from person to person. For some people, it’s a necessity. Without that post, they will strain just to reach the aerobars. For other people, they can get by without the special seat post.

[PotomacCyclist]

@TDB 6739 wrote:

I’m actually an avid cold weather fan, and am now contemplating a polar bear plunge / triathlon collaboration. Sounds dangerous.

A cyclocross race would be a better idea. At least for me. I hate swimming in cold water.

[PotomacCyclist]

The Pershing/Washington Blvd. location received a lot of votes, 3rd most on the list. I hope one of the stations is installed there.

[PotomacCyclist]

Besides the cable/bar wrap issue, if you’re putting aerobars on a road bike, you may also need to get a forward-facing seat post. The geometry is different between a road bike and a tri bike. Road bikes are not designed to have your torso as far forward as you will need to be in aero position. The forward-facing seat post can take care of that problem.

Test out the new set-up. If you find that you have to stretch out too far to get your elbows on the pads and your hands on the aerobars, then you may want to get a new seat post.

[PotomacCyclist]

I think the Washington Area Bicyclist Association offers beginner bike riding classes, along with confident city riding classes. You may want to look into that.

Other than that, I would just suggest that you stick with it. Maybe start out riding in a large empty parking lot until you feel more confident about your bike handling skills.

Balance drills and core training can improve your general balance, which will make it easier to ride on the bike.

[PotomacCyclist]

I vote no on clamping anything onto a brake/shifter cable.

My tri bike was already set up with aerobars. The cables are routed around the clamps for the aerobars. Those clamps have to be on fairly tight. I would think that if you put the clamp on top of the cables, that you might actually cut through the cables. That wouldn’t be good.

[PotomacCyclist]

I did hard VO2 max hill repeats yesterday. Tough workout, but I could really feel the benefits. I’ve been doing a lot of hill training in general this year. I found that my climbing ability was a glaring weakness in my triathlons last year. So I’ve been addressing the issue. I think I’ve made a lot of gains since January.

So I recommend the hill workouts too, as long as people ease into them gradually. It’s important to give your legs, especially your knees, time to adapt to the new stress.

[PotomacCyclist]

I stretch after I run and after I do strength workouts. I don’t always stretch after a bike ride. But if anything feels tight, then I’ll stretch.

I follow a routine that I’ve pieced together over the years from various sources. I also modify some stretches so that I can do them while standing up. This makes it convenient to do the entire routine anywhere. I don’t need to find a mat or soft surface.

Most IT band stretches involve lying down, raising a leg and lowering it to the other side, across your body. I modify it so that I’m standing up. Then I cross one leg over to the other side and prop it up on a bench or concrete planter. Then I stretch the IT band. I do the same thing for inner thigh stretches, using the same bench or planter. Likewise for hamstring stretches.

I do calf stretches (bent-knee and straight-leg) while leaning into a wall or concrete post.

I try to cover all the major muscle groups when I do stretch:

quads/shins, plantar fascia/bottom of foot, calves (gastrocnemius and soleus), hamstrings
hip flexors, top of hamstrings/lower back, inner thighs, outer thighs/IT band

Then torso/lower back, and a few different shoulder/arm stretches to cover the pecs, lats, deltoids and triceps. Forearms and neck/upper back too.

It doesn’t take that long once you get used to the routine. As soon as I cool down from a run or ride, I can go through the routine, holding each stretch just for a few seconds. I figure that it only takes me a couple minutes to do all of the stretches.

[Author]

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