[rose_surfer]

bar mitts – i’d never even seen those before. Those are funny looking. I suppose the advantage is warmth but also dextrous manipulation of brakes and gears, etc… Do they work in the drops though?

[rose_surfer]

Yes, definitely. I’ve only ridden two days from my temp place in capitol hill and already my frame has more scrapes and dings than from the previous two years of road biking in fl. This dc commuting and getting in and out of a little apartment is rough on it for sure

[rose_surfer]

Great advice everyone! Thanks in particular to ebubar for the head start on the gravel grinder research. This forum is a great resource.

I think I’ll take the advice repeated a couple of times here to get started with what I have. I still need to figure out whether I’ll be carrying my clothes in and showering/changing at the gym, which will probably depend a lot on the distance, and that will drive the need 100% for fenders if I’m ever going to be commuting in my work clothes, along with the pannier/rack as well (I get sweaty with a pack on FAST).

Then it sounds like the rest of my decisions can wait. I’ve got 25mm bontrager hardwalls on there right now, and in about 1000 mi of riding I’ve only ever had one flat, and I’m pretty sure it was from my garage. So I may not even need to change out the tires & wheelset for now.

[rose_surfer]

@Crickey7 102562 wrote:

Disk brakes are non-negotiable in a commuter in my book.

what do you mean by this? I’m assuming you mean they are a must if I am going to commute in bad weather? That would be one factor that would push me away from my trek obviously…

[rose_surfer]

@ebubar 102588 wrote:

Which brings me to another recommendation: if you want another bike (n+1) have you considered a gravel grinder? Something like a Giant Revolt or Anyroad, Specialized Diverge or GT Grade. All have good reviews for combining speed with versatility. All have disc brakes for all weather stopping. Most easily take racks and fenders. These seem to combine comfort of hybrids with performance of road bikes. All of the above will run from 700-1000, so they’re pretty reasonably priced too!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I guess i’ve been out of the loop because I’d never heard of them, but they look perfect. When I bought my trek, I originally was tempted by cyclocross bikes but really couldn’t justify the extra expense given that in Florida I ride exclusively on the roads. But if those can really be had for under $1k they look perfect. The diverge elite A1 looks like the closest match to my 1.5 in terms of componentry, etc. After reading a bunch of the posts above, I was kind of sold on the idea of just riding my trek for a while, maybe upgrading the wheels. But those gravel grinders look awfully tempting. I really like the idea that if I need to cut across a path or a patch of grass or something, I can.

[rose_surfer]

@PotomacCyclist 102585 wrote:

If you live near a CaBi station, you could try that out and see the pros and cons of the slower but steadier ride. (One significant downside is the full stations in downtown DC during morning rush hour, and empty stations in the evening. Those stations fill up quickly on weekdays and empty out by early evening. Check the Capital Bikeshare website and the Spotcycle smartphone app for current bike/dock info.)

I lived in capitol hill a couple of years ago, and unless CaBi has seriously upped their inventory there were almost never bikes available at my commuting times and work location (Hart building). So that probably isn’t an option for me unfortunately.

[rose_surfer]

Well folks…i certainly appreciate all of the advice. 8 pages later this thread has been quite an adventure.

Appreciate the cautionary warnings on the oppressive political regimes in hong kong, singapore, north korea, and arlington :confused:. The first three are probably outside my commuting range, but I’ll probably keep arlington in the cards.

Brookland sounds interesting – that’s an area I’d never even considered. I’ll be living in capitol hill for a few months temporarily so I’ll definitely head up there and check it out. Otherwise, it sounds like my best bets are arlington, EFC, and perhaps even mclean although that might be a bit inconvenient on days that I want to bail out and drive or metro. Del Ray may be an option as well.

I’m sure silver spring would be a good option too, but having lived half my life in Virginia for whatever reason I just feel more comfortable with VA. Plus it’s that much closer living on the VA side of the city to my family in Virginia Beach, Roanoke, and Montclair.

Next thing I need advice on is my bike…but I’ll start another thread for that lest this one go another 8 pages…

Thanks again everyone, and I look forward to seeing you on the commuting routes!

[rose_surfer]

@jrenaut 97896 wrote:

Brookland is due north of Union Station. And the Red Line is just always a mess. Probably easier coming from Silver Spring than from the other side, but still, I cringe every time I think about the Red Line.

Getting into DC schools is a mess, but they are working on it. You probably do need a DC address first, but I don’t know for sure. They’ve improved the lottery process so it’s not nearly as complicated. And my understanding is it’s easier to get in at some ages than at others, though I don’t know if that helps or hurts you.

Our kids will be 2nd grade and kindergarten.

[rose_surfer]

@jrenaut 97891 wrote:

“Short commute time” and “Red Line from Maryland” don’t go together.

Have you considered living in the District? Brookland, for example, is an easy bike ride to Union Station and very family friendly and even affordable by DC standards. The public school situation in DC is a bit crazy, but you can find a good public or public charter school if you do some research.

We lived in Capitol Hill a few years ago, but it was when our kids were in preschool. It looks like there’s at least one good public elementary school in the SE, but it will be tricky to find an affordable house there. I had forgotten about brookland. Is that out there by the arboretum? I remember that neighborhood being a gem.

Schools are the big concern. I’m worried about counting on getting into a charter school. I imagine you can’t apply until you have a dc address, but then if you don’t get in you are stuck with whatever district you are in, right?

Why the reaction on the redline? Is it more crowded or prone to breakdown than the orange or yellow out if va? Or is it just the metro in general?

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