[PotomacCyclist]

I really hope you and your IT guys catch these thugs. Not only do they deserve some jail time, but hopefully it could help deter similar behavior from others.

[PotomacCyclist]

Contador really doesn’t like it when the spectators get close. He did the same thing last year, punching at a guy who was too close to him.

By the way, I came across this freakish picture of George Hincapie’s legs. Well, more like a picture of his incredible varicose vein problem.

WARNING: Not for sensitive viewers. It’s not a Photoshopped picture but it might be disturbing to some people.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-5/photos/180969

[PotomacCyclist]

All I know is that my current gloves are not up to the task. They are fine for the usual winter days in the 20s and 30s. But on those few days when it dipped below 15F, they didn’t help much at all.

Maybe I’ll look into the Moose Mitts for my mtn bike. But not right now. I have some other goodies on my immediate shopping list.

[PotomacCyclist]

Yeah, I planned out a looped route that kept me close to home at all times. Even if I had stopped when I was a little farther away, I would have been fine walking at any point. I generally do well in the heat, though I haven’t done as many morning workouts this summer. I was doing some fast strides early in the run, which helped tire me out and raise my body temperature. The frozen strawberry fruit “popsicle” felt pretty good afterward. So did the bottle of chilled Gatorade Endurance that I gulped down.

I did a lot of hot-weather running last summer, often in the afternoon. I adjusted to the heat after one or two workouts.

I’m going to be running in the evening 5K tomorrow night. That is going to be insane. Probably 100F temperature at race time, with a heat index close to 110F. But it’s a short race and they’ll have plenty of chilled water and misting sprays on hand. And post-race beer and food. I ran it last year in similar conditions (98F temperature) and finished in decent shape.

Cycling is a little easier in the heat because of the faster speed and the cooling effect of the wind. Well, maybe today’s wind might not cool anyone down that much. At least it’s easier to carry more half-frozen water bottles (Camelbak Chill Jackets) on a bike than while running.

Only a couple more days of the brutal heat. Then we’re back to more normal conditions on Sunday (low 90s).

[PotomacCyclist]

How well do the lobster gloves hold up in 0F temperatures? I may have to get a pair for this winter.

[PotomacCyclist]

Many people in Arlington have the option of using Capital Bikeshare to run errands. That takes out the hassle of bringing down a bike from an apartment and locking it up at the destination. I find it convenient to hop on a CaBi bike to go to the grocery store or to head to the gym/pool in the winter.

CaBi will be expanding into Clarendon and Ballston soon, making CaBi an option for even more Arlington residents. DC will be adding many new stations this fall. That might alleviate some of the bike/station balancing issues. But that isn’t as much of a problem for non-rush hour trips to run errands.

CaBi also makes it easier for a non-cyclist to give cycling a try without making a major investment. A 5-day membership is not costly at all, especially when compared to buying even a budget-priced bike. Then if the beginner finds cycling to be enjoyable, then an annual membership could be the next step. That would still be much less expensive than buying a bike. While CaBi doesn’t work for everyone, it can work for many DC and Arlington residents. The system will continue to grow over the next year. There is also an outside chance that CaBi will qualify for a TIGER transportation grant for a large-scale expansion, but that’s uncertain.

[PotomacCyclist]

I don’t know if I’ll ride today but I did a 75-minute run this morning. Yeah, it was hot. “Only” 98F heat index at that point, but that was still bad. I had planned on a longer run but I wasn’t feeling it. Nice to see that the bike/run lane over the Humpback Bridge is now completely clear. No more construction work going on next to the lane. The crews still have to install the railing on top of the stone wall separating the bikes from the cars, but that’s merely an aesthetic detail. It’s a safe and well-designed lane now.

[PotomacCyclist]

Contador finally made a run, but it’s too little, too late. He’s still far behind the other top contenders. Even though he’s a great time trialist, tomorrow’s stage isn’t long enough to pick up that kind of time on Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans. The race is STILL wide open. It’s really going to come down to the wire. Schleck has the lead but Evans is the better time trialist. Evans is good enough that Contador doesn’t have a realistic shot at winning his 4th title.

Voeckler made a good run but the Alpe d’Huez was just too much for him. It’s unlikely that he’ll even get a podium spot now. I was hoping that he would have been able to salvage a podium spot, at the very least. He is not considered to be a great time trialist so he won’t be catching up to Evans and even Schleck. Contador might have a shot at the podium, but not first place, unless something really goes wrong with Schleck and Evans (bike mechanical problems, leg cramps).

Cavendish is getting crushed by the mountains. I think he missed the time cutoff again today. But I think Rojas also missed the cutoff so Cavendish may still be in the green jersey.

Just one real stage left, with Sunday being largely ceremonial. I don’t really get that. Why is the last stage of a hard-fought sports competition a ceremonial one? If they want it to be a coronation ride, then just make it an untimed easy 20-mile ride into Paris. No need for the charade of timing that stage if no one is going to compete that day. That’s my one criticism of the Tour de France. It’s like having the 9th inning of the 7th game of the World Series being ceremonial, or the final two minutes of the Super Bowl be a celebration instead of a dogfight.

[PotomacCyclist]

Some of the local bike stores offer free bike maintenance classes. Those usually include basics like tire repair and chain lubrication. Nothing too fancy but enough for beginners to get more comfortable and knowledgeable about bike maintenance. I’ve signed up for these classes at Conte’s (now Freshbikes) and Cyclelife USA in Georgetown. Revolution Cycles City Hub in Crystal City offers free group rides using their rental bikes. These are all ways of becoming more comfortable with cycling and with bike shops.

[PotomacCyclist]

@StopMeansStop 6192 wrote:

Link please…. I rode out to Vienna at noon today and kept thinking that this want so bad. As long as I kept moving. Having frozen feet is FAR worse than this heat.

I agree. I prefer to deal with the heat than the 0F wind chills of January.

[PotomacCyclist]

*** SPOILERS FROM THURSDAY’S STAGE *** (Don’t read if you haven’t watched it yet!)

Well, Andy Schleck revealed his cards today. He was saving himself for today, and tomorrow. Contador is down but not quite out. He’s on life support. There’s still an outside chance that he heads out on a breakaway tomorrow but given his performance today, I just can’t see it. Plus he has to pick up time on all of the other favorites. I’d give him about a 5% chance of winning at this point.

Surprisingly, Thomas Voeckler is STILL in the yellow jersey! That guy’s performance has been impressive. Every day he downplays his chances, saying that he can’t keep up with the “heads of state”, but he does. He lost time the last two days but not enough to lose the overall lead. It’ll be tough for him to hang on tomorrow, but that’s what everyone said before today’s stage.

I think it would be great for Andy Schleck to win, but I have to admit that I’m now pulling for Voeckler to win in a huge upset. I’m not confident that he can do it, but there’s still a chance. Andy Schleck might be worn out from his hard effort today. Can he go off in another breakaway tomorrow? It will be tough. But even if Voeckler hangs on tomorrow, he may have problems in the time trial on Saturday. That’s supposed to be his weakness. Schleck isn’t the best time trialist either but he might be better than Voeckler.

Great stage today. Can’t wait for tomorrow.

[PotomacCyclist]

I talk up Capital Bikeshare to a lot of people. Many people had never heard of it, or they were only vaguely familiar with a bike station or two. I think I’ve gotten a few people interested in cycling that otherwise would not be riding at all. I’ve also gotten some people to take up running. Once people become active, they become more open to running, cycling and walking in general.

I haven’t been directly involved in any of the programs listed. I’m glad they are out there even if I’m not likely to use those programs.

I also try to talk about cycling, running and exercise on non-cycling/running sites. Not in an overbearing manner, but I do try to make it clear how important it is for everyone to get more exercise. That’s where I can get new people interested in cycling and running. I assume that most of the people on this site are already interested in cycling. It’s interesting to talk about bike topics here but I don’t think of it as promoting cycling to non-cyclists. If some new people check out the forum after visiting the BikeArlington, WABA or goDCgo websites, that’s great. But I don’t know how frequently non-cyclists visit here and become avid cyclists. I hope there are some.

[PotomacCyclist]

The Washington Blvd. crossings are just as dangerous as the GW Parkway crossing. I don’t think this proposed route is an improvement over the direct route. Both are equally problematic. I actually think the Washington Blvd crossing is the most dangerous one in that entire area.

I agree that the trail design is particularly bad over there. The only good solution is a pedestrian bridge or tunnel but those would be very expensive. I can’t see either getting funded, unless there is a really bad accident involving multiple deaths. There aren’t any good spots for an alternate layout for a grade crossing. There are just too many high-speed roads and on and off-ramps south of Memorial Bridge.

[PotomacCyclist]

Thursday’s stage is likely to decide the General Classification winner. Or at least go a long way to doing so. Stage 18 will include three HC climbs, or “hors categorie”. These “beyond categorization” climbs are the toughest of the toughest. Even most of these elite riders will break on the mountains.

Tune in for some serious mountain racing action. And some seriously fast descents.

[PotomacCyclist]

@CCrew 6110 wrote:

Something tells me that you’ve never been around a pregnant woman

I have. None of them were chasing cyclists around in cars screaming their heads off like this woman.

[Author]

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