[Riley Casey]

O jeez, I was never a believer but this?!?!? Is it the end of days after all?:p

@acl 45765 wrote:

To the young man who passed me going up the hill from National Harbor to Oxon Hill Road. Yes, I know I don’t really ride up hills all that fast even when I’m trying, and I know at the time you passed me, I was not trying. I was lollygagging, enjoying the weather, not putting much of any effort in at all. I know, I know. Still, I’m pretty sure there’s supposed to be some sort of universal law of nature that says that joggers DO NOT PASS cyclists!

[Riley Casey]

Not sure the forum could survive this thread were it to continue on this path indefinitely http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/07/nation/la-na-nn-paul-broun-evolution-hell-20121007 but then the republic has survived for quite some time in this state of affairs http://www.twainquotes.com/Congress.html . The only significant difference being the number of zeros in the amount on the checks they write.

@creadinger 45270 wrote:

Mr. Orcutt is in the running for dumbest ever, but sadly I think this guy takes the cake….

[Riley Casey]

Exceedingly bummed that I missed this but didn’t finish working til 7:30. 😡 When are you posting the vids? 😮 Seriously I bet another round of this in DC or MD would be a hit. I can volunteer a space near the SS end of the CCT if needs be and a workbench of generic tools ( nothing bike related but a bench vise & drill press if you really want to do some damage). Glad it went well.

[Riley Casey]

It turns out that I’ll be working later than anticipated on Wednesday and having to drive ( acchh, driving to a bike maintenance class, oh the ignominy :rolleyes: ) from Tysons Corner. How long do you imagine the class to go ?

[Riley Casey]

Wheaton has the continental divide that is Georgia Ave. If you are west of Georgia there are side street routes that funnel down to Rock Creek Park and there all the way into the city but with a fair amount travel on the road way with the car commuters until well into the city. It also dumps you out well west of the Verizon Center. East of Georgia side streets can be found to arrive at Sligo Greek Parkway which does have a side path into Takoma Park. At Maple Ave in Takoma its a reasonable ride up to the Takoma Metro and from there down to 5th St with a jog along Park Rd at the reservoir, back onto 5th past Howard U and then west over S St to 6th St to the Verizon Center. That route is fairly low traffic ( by my standards but then I’ve lived in the city for decades ) until south of Rhode Island Ave. Grant and Sherman Circles are very nice as is LeDroit Park. As always a weekend test ride is a good start.

[Riley Casey]

There’s a shirt for that

http://carsrcoffins.com/

@Greenbelt 44516 wrote:

… sitting in traffic lines sealed in a glass enclosed proto-coffin, …

[Riley Casey]

Mao! should meet Yao Ling our fierce office watch cat maine coon.

Maybe run for office or something. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0M0r-dNEH38

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2418[/ATTACH]

@Dirt 43607 wrote:

The rain, cold and resulting bulky gloves were not conducive to photography during this morning’s ride. I was also rolling very early to be in the barn for a 6:30am meeting. As a result, my photo for today is one of my first call of the day when Mao! helped me communicate with colleagues in Asia.

[Riley Casey]

I’m almost embarrassed to say that mine is less than four miles each way which I can stretch to six or seven if I include some grocery shopping. All urban and near suburban with a choice of hilly side streets, busy urban rush hour raceways or a couple of miles down the scenic Sligo Creek trail for the shopping run. Upside of a short route is being able to ride every day (almost) without regard to the weather with plain old street clothes and sweaters.

[Riley Casey]

Took my grandsons on a ride up the C&O to Harpers Ferry a few weeks ago. Every few miles the youngest would ask ” is there a stripe up my back yet?”. Grandpa’s fenders are plain jane SKS P45 and have served well on my Jamis Coda commuter. I do secretly covet a set of totally impractical bamboo fenders though.

@DismalScientist 43553 wrote:

Fenders?… Bah…. Rule # 5. :p

[Riley Casey]

I’d +1, +2 and +3 the suggestion on hand signals for turns. Nothing says I love you to a driver, to other cyclists and pedestrians like clear and ample hand signals. Maybe they convey vulnerability, humaness, what ever but they seem to disarm the crankiest of drivers.

“Lots of lights, blinkies, reflective bits at night are a must.” Another item to +1. Even cyclists get annoyed at other cyclists riding in the dark without lights and so often in dark clothes hrummph.

[Riley Casey]

Simple rules of thumb for city cycling :

1 – Everyone gets home safely.

2 – Every motorized vehicle is out to get you

These to me means doing the safe thing in any situation regardless of the rules. If it means getting on the sidewalk ( which is perfectly legal in all but a small portion of the city core ) to avoid interacting with a large truck then that is the smart thing. If it means rolling thru a stop sign ( assuming I can see the intersecting street well enough ) to stay ahead of traffic that might be gunning for me then I’m all for it. I’m not a road cyclist of course, don’t own a single item of spandex so I can’t answer for them but I have been a cycle commuter for more than a decade. I ride from Takoma to downtown fairly often even though it’s not my daily commute. I do it on or near the routes you describe and I enjoy it too. Love Grant and Sherman Circles. Been doing it for more than ten years and survived with only self inflicted wounds for show for it.

Don’t snicker at the ” out to get you” rule. If you act as if it were true it will serve you well. At the mass and velocity differentials involved between cars, trucks and bikes and more importantly the indifferent amount of attention to their task this armor affords drivers acting as if they really are out to get you could add years of health and well being to your life.

Oh, and watching for potholes is up there as well ( that covers the self inflicted wounds part ).

[Riley Casey]

Captcha or no, how is it that fluffy pink hamsters can post anyway? Sorry, just feeling bummed that the best I could muster today in the 70 degree weather was ten blocks downtown on a CABI.

[Riley Casey]

Of course this asks the question ” Why doesn’t Google have this data updated in 5 minute increments just like the automotive road traffic?”. Why should cyclists have to roll their own? Hrrrumph. :rolleyes:

Cool idea though. Is there a way to make entries self expiring like the 2010 flooding?

[Riley Casey]

So I guess this means I should contribute the next time the Spam Police Benevolent Association telephone solicitor calls . :p

[Riley Casey]

Thrilling photography right off the bat. Thanks for the link.

[Author]

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