[Riley Casey]

As much as I like the points made on the website under discussion the topic of lights really needs to get upgraded there. Triguy is spot on – no matter how many lights you have it’s just not enough light. I’ve come to the conclusion that the only really effective way to be noticed by drivers is to look downright bizarre in a way bright enough to over come the light pollution of a dozen other cars, street lights, store windows and genuine neon. I ride with four lights in traffic including a strobing front bar light, a helmet light, a strobing rear light and a strobing down facing light to illuminate my bike frame and furiously pumping legs. That last addition seems to be effective at least in getting drivers to stare in amazement which of course is the whole point.

Now lets not even start on the guys in skinny black jeans, black sweaters and black frame fixies darting out from side streets at full speed without lights of any kind at 11 pm in Columbia Heights! 😡

@slowtriguy 74027 wrote:

“Dude, I’ve got 900 lumens on my head pointed right at you, and another 150 blinking on my handlebar, and red spoke lights on each wheel — what more do you want, neon?”

[Riley Casey]

The City tires are 700×40 and they were quite good riding thru the snow fall last week when there was an inch on the pavement. I ride the unpaved section of the CCT occasionally but generally paved paths and streets.

@dasgeh 74115 wrote:

Thanks! How wide are your tires?

[Riley Casey]

I’ve commuted on a Jamis Coda for ten years now. Bought it as an actual cross bike for recreational use and morphed it over the years into a commuter. Flat bars for maximum control with a heads up ride for car watching, aluminum frame works well in the city over pot holes and curbs, light enough to offset all the crap I’ve added, fenders, panniers, lights galore. Still rides more like a steel bike than the Cannondales that preceded it. I’ve gone down on it more than a few times, taken it on trails trying to keep up with my grandson’s new found love of mtb biking, it keeps on keeping on. Longest ride I’ve taken it on ( before changing the tires out ) was 60 miles RT to Mt Vernon from DC and it was not a bad ride. Never been a fan of drop bars for any riding that involves genuine traffic. Fine for country roads, not so much for city streets.

Running on Michellin City Tires which have been great but I gather from other posts that the quality has gone down recently.

[Riley Casey]

You like Raleighs? Oh boy, oh boy you need a new, bottomless pit of a bike addiction.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/623699-For-the-love-of-English-3-speeds

@dasgeh 73925 wrote:

…. I love the Raleigh, but I must admit, it is too small for me. It’s just not comfortable enough for the 7.5 mile commute, and I end up dreading the ride home.

So on my bike to lunch (on a CaBi), I swung by BicycleSpace to see what they would recommend for a bike I could use all the time. I was steered toward the Surly Straggler, but might consider another Surly or an All-City… Any thoughts?

[Riley Casey]

13 pages of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the cold weather today. :roll eyes: Somebody from Minneapolis is sure to out us as wimps before too long. 😮
http://www.citypages.com/slideshow/winter-bike-commuters-30229/

I will admit that I’m proud of my Jamis Tauntaun for not freezing before the first marker this morning.

[Riley Casey]

Five layers on top and two layers below worked well for my short commute. A balaclava would have been a help as the only real chink in the armor was above my glasses – my lower forehead was a bit cold when riding into a headwind but aside from that no technical attire was required. Even my hands fared well with knit gloves under hardware store canvas and leather work gloves. This evening without the encouragement of the sun may be a bit less fun I suspect. The warmth of the sun is indeed appreciated on days like this. I have read that arctic circle natives will cover exposed skin with seal grease to protect against the wind. May have to blow off some extra lip balm experimentally tonight.

[Riley Casey]

I have a three mile commute and expect I could do it in shorts and a T shirt without permanent injury. Certainly some commuters on the forum have epic journeys from the far reaches of the area but most of us are probably no further than a few hundred yards at any given point during our morning rides from hot coffee. Not sure this one day cold snap in the urban heat island of metro DC is a life safety issue for most of us. I could be wrong, often am – find out tomorrow though.

@rcannon100 73694 wrote:

If you lack proper gear and proper experience, DONT RIDE TOMORROW!

[Riley Casey]

From the WABA office? Thats low. Was it locked up outside or did the thief get inside? Sorry Nelle.

[Riley Casey]

This sounds like a gauntlet thrown.

@PotomacCyclist 73545 wrote:

Wind chill as low as -15F, and that’s if you’re standing still, not riding a bike.

A few hardy souls might be cycling on Tuesday, but …

[Riley Casey]

Having stuck my foot in the door to attend I’m doubly chagrined to not be able to attend. Other fires to put out on Friday as it turns out. I’ll be thinking of all the freezing saddles clan on Tuesday morning when the forecast HIGH is 20 degrees!

[Riley Casey]

Nice uuummmmm wheels there.

[Riley Casey]

You: the sneaky person who rifled through my panniers while I was in the bank this morning. If you were desperate enough to steal why not take the apples and peanut butter? Not that desperate then, just opportunistic?

Me: realizing that the zone of never leaving anything attached to my bike except the lock has moved out to Silver Spring

[Riley Casey]

Obviously just another Fractured Fairy Tale

[Riley Casey]

Hmmm … “Any club that would have me as a member …”:rolleyes:

@KLizotte 72012 wrote:

Riley, we would be HONORED by your presence!!!!!

[Riley Casey]

So does this mean this drunken bacchanale, err meet & greet is open to winter riders who are not competitors? Or worse yet aren’t even in Arlington?

@hozn 71984 wrote:

I will try to make it too, despite not actually being a participant

[Author]

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