runbike
Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
runbike
ParticipantI know it has come up in the past, but can we make the e-bike meetup a reality this spring? I think it would be great for those e-bikers among us to meet and for non e-bikers to have an opportunity to check them out/ask questions.
ParticipantI love, love, love my e-bike (Stromer ST1 Elite). When I first bought it I was taking the bus to work and spending an hour and 50 minutes each day in round-trip commuting time. The e-bike lowered that to only 50 minutes for a roundtrip 14 mile commute. I now work in Rosslyn, and even though the commute is only 5.2 miles each way it is reliably much faster than driving (~30 mins in car vs. ~18 mins for bike). The only problem I have now is people stopping me on the street who are REALLY interested in the Stromer and want to ask a zillion questions (this happened twice yesterday on the way home!). I’ll need to factor these delays into my overall commute time
ParticipantOn the whole, Custis wasn’t too bad this morning. The only treacherous spot I encountered was the rollers near N. Adams; the low point of each was filled with solid ice. Let’s just say that I had trouble staying upright while walking my bike through that mess. Unfortunately even the higher daytime temps won’t help too much as that area gets ZERO sunlight at this time of year.
ParticipantTo the westbound cyclist on the WOD between Patrick Henry and Ohio around 6:15 this AM – thanks for covering your light as you passed me during my morning run. I don’t think you heard me since we simultaneously thanked each other in passing (me thanking you for the light coverage and you thanking me for wearing my reflective vest), but I appreciated the gesture and it was a nice, convivial way to start the morning. You must be a member on this board, right?
Participant@JFF 68611 wrote:
Why no blinkies? My ride takes me down city streets, dedicated cycle tracks, multi-use trails and back on roads again…all on the way home in the dark, lit and semi-lit areas. I’m not about to stop and swivel my messenger bag’s blinkie and then my seat post blinkie to change settings time and again. I always shift my handlebar lights down/right when facing runners/cyclists, but it seems to me back facing blinkies don’t blind anyone coming up behind me.
I’m open to being wrong, tell me more?
I fully agree. The low-powered blinkies (ie: planet bike-type) hurt no one. I do think that high-powered strobe front/tail lights are the real problem. I did my first night commute ever this evening (I only started bike commuting this past summer) and the only light-related annoyance I had was with someone’s high-powered tail strobe while waiting behind them for a safe pass. That was just annoying. Had no issues with anyone’s front helmet or bar lights, even the high-powered ones. Like someone else on the forum said, just keep focused on the side of the trail and it’s over in a matter of seconds.
ParticipantThis video helps to prove that point – man gets ticketed for NOT riding in bike lane…in response decides to film self crashing into various objects that often block bike lanes… hilarity ensues.
Enjoy – http://unlooker.com/man-gets-ticket-riding-bike-lane-films-crashing-things-bike-lanes/
Participant@TwoWheelsDC 65783 wrote:
You win the internet for the day. Also, hi neighbor!
Way cool! I’ve entered so many times but never won before. And a neighborly hello to you as well!
ParticipantAh but here’s a key factor we’re all missing – what those runners/joggers are doing cannot even be considered running/jogging. It’s actually the ritual mating display of the species known as “Clarendon Male”. You see, no self-respecting runner/jogger/whatever would choose to run more than a block along Wilson. Too many cars and people and running is not enjoyable when you’re choking on exhaust and/or dodging pedestrians on the sidewalk the entire time. That’s why most runners will stick to the trails on quieter side streets. However, for “Clarendon Male” the whole purpose is to get out there, run really fast for about a mile, and try to gin up as many craigslist missed connections as possible.
Clarendon Male is easily spotted if you know to look for these distinctive features:
– Running in the bike lane (makes sure that the greatest possible number of people can see him and his awesomeness).
– Frequently shirtless (sun’s out, guns out)
– Wears long mesh lax shorts, virtually guaranteeing that he is able to run no more than a mile and a half.October 3, 2013 at 1:26 pm in reply to: "I saw this deal, and thought someone might like it" thread. #982793ParticipantTech.Woot is selling a wearable HD camcorder. Looks like a pretty good deal ($65 less than amazon) and the camera has decent reviews.
http://tech.woot.com/offers/panasonic-fullhd-pov-lifestyle-camcorder#read-more
Participant@CPTJohnC 62577 wrote:
Forgive my ignorance, but I’d like more info on the Key Blvd route — is this an alternative to the Custis for someone transiting from W&OD to MVT? I’d love anything that avoids the custis, as it is crowded and fraught with hazards, esp. the segment along Lee Hwy past Rosslyn. I ride up the hill on Lee Hwy most days just to avoid the crowding, but I’m open to even better options!
Sort of. It replaces a 2.7 mile stretch of the Custis trail from Washington and Lee High School all the way down to the intersection of doom at Lynn/Lee Highway. There are a million different permutations, but the link below shows the route I’ve been taking lately and I’m very happy with it. It’s about .3 miles longer than if you were to stay on the trail and does involve a few intersections/lights.
Note: the section between N. Rhodes St. and N. Scott is a little-used pedestrian/bike trail that includes a very short, steep uphill as you head towards DC. It then ends in an apartment complex parking lot where you link up with N. Scott St.
Participant@dasgeh 62442 wrote:
My initial point was that I usually commute a bit later, and had not understood the “go out of your way to take Key Blvd” argument. Now I do.
Not to take this thread even more off topic, but I gotta admit that I’m loving the Key Blvd. route. The traffic restrictions in place (no cars can enter Key from Jackson 7-9 AM, and from Veitch 4-6 PM) result in a relatively car-free experience. In fact, I’ve yet to be passed in the AM by a car going downhill and more often then not I’m on the brakes behind a slower car that can’t navigate the roundabouts as quickly as I can. The Key/Highland intersection 4 way stop is only a minor annoyance on an otherwise pleasant ride. I went back to the Custis one day last week and immediately regretted the decision – the blind corners, ELITES, clueless joggers, and just general traffic all reminded me why I made the switch. Come on over dasgeh; it’s so easy to get to from Cherrydale!
Now, back to the topic…my morning commute sucked since I took the bus.
Participant@Steve 62284 wrote:
Is it one of the forum folks that rides a red and black (Specialized, I think) e-bike? I’ve seen that one out a few times, and think it’s pretty sharp.
Did it look like this? [ATTACH=CONFIG]3578[/ATTACH]
That’s the new Specialized Turbo. It is pretty sharp, and about as stealth as you can get for an e-bike. Range has been noted as an issue however…
Participant@lordofthemark 62220 wrote:
I’m confused. Personally my biggest issues are on hills – I would love something that gave me a power boost on the hills but was so light it didn’t effect the rest of my ride (lets not discuss gearing right now). Sounds though like due to weight, these don’t help on hills – but mainly make it easier to keep going at moderate speeds on flats for longer than some folks would otherwise be capable of?
I think you need to test ride one; they definitely help on the hills. The best way I can describe my e-bikes’ hill climbing ability is that it flattens them. I don’t know about other e-bike users, but hills are where I pretty much do all of my passing. On the flats and downhills I’m only average in terms of speed on the trails. So I do sympathize with those who have been “buzzed” by e-bikes going uphill. From experience, I can easily maintain 13-15 mph up the Rosslyn hill vs. 7-10mph for purely pedal-powered bikes. Personally I always slow down before passing on the uphills, since I know most aren’t expecting to be passed by a bike at greater than 5mph speed difference.
In the past few weeks I’ve actually stopped riding the Custis altogether (except for a short section between W&L HS and Abingdon). Even though it might be a minute or two slower, I prefer to take Key Blvd where my e-bike is more at home and where, on the downhill section at least, I’m able to maintain a pretty constant 25mph. Thanks gravity!
ParticipantSeriously, can we make this E-bike meetup a reality? Perhaps we can designate an upcoming coffee club (II? since many e-bikers are in NOVA) or Third-Thursday HH to bring our sweet rides out for show. I can offer Stromer test rides!
-
AuthorPosts