[SpaceJockey]

We are talking about two different crosswalks, you are showing the one to the North of the rotary, I am talking about the temporary one to the West of the rotary.

@VA2DC 182160 wrote:

As much as I dislike that crossing and agree with your assessment of enraged drivers, there is no reason that a dip in the road there should cause any driver to miss the crosswalk. While you might not see the markings on the road itself, how could you miss the neon-yellow pedestrian signs on both sides of the road with arrows pointing at the crosswalk, each now sporting a bucketful of bright orange flags on their posts? Moving the crosswalk further west would visually jumble the crosswalk signs with the wayfinding signs for 395 and 50. That would also give vehicles more time to accelerate after coming around the curve from the bridge.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18527[/ATTACH]

[SpaceJockey]

To pour gas on the fire, it’s not enough that the drivers are enraged at the bottlenecks on Memorial Bridge, I DROVE my car last night from the cemetery to the rotary and noticed that the road dips just enough that as I driver I was completely unable to see the crosswalk (due West of the rotary) I knew was there until I was almost right over the top of it. As a driver if I saw a bike there I would assume I had right-of-way until the last second. The crosswalk needs to be moved further West.

[SpaceJockey]

Must say I’m a big fan of semi-slicks for all situations and environments except for snow….why? The turning habits you develop as a semi-slick rider you can apply on treads, the same cannot be said the other way around.

[SpaceJockey]

@Sunyata 181921 wrote:

I talk to the squirrels. It seems to work 98% of the time.

Chipmunks on the other hand… I have no idea what makes sense to them. Music, bells, and talking do not work.

I road-killed a squirrel once while wearing head-to-toe RealTree camouflage T-shirt and shorts while riding my BMX near Waterfront metro. The lady walking in the opposite direction that witnessed the event had a look of shock and terror.

[SpaceJockey]

Me: Biking home on my road bike taking the scenic route around the tidal basin after witnessing a crime near Waterfront metro and unable to catch the perp.
You: Sweet blonde woman with a green/purple jersey on a road bike zooming along your business at an impressive pace.

Thanks for the draft to Georgetown and the words of encouragement while doing a big gear crawl up the hill that resulted in both of us losing our clips.

[SpaceJockey]

UPDATE 1: Police notified. Bike Serial # is BHAX8I5018. Contact police if you see this bike. Reward for finding. Happy hunting.

[SpaceJockey]

@scoot 143361 wrote:

Yes, sidewalk riding is legal anywhere in Arlington, and I didn’t mean to question your specific judgment on this maneuver. I was just surprised and disappointed that there doesn’t seem to exist a better way to get to the eastern part of Rosslyn from MVT without riding a sidewalk in a pedestrian-heavy area right near a Metro station.

Hopefully the eventual Rosslyn redesign will make things better. I think part of the plan was an extra bridge connecting from MVT to the new 18th St.

I’m guilty of this, but I consider sidewalks to also be the domain of bicycles if they ride with and reasonably around pedestrians and are not jerks (also a good opportunity to practice bike handling skills!). People can follow the law to the grave if that’s the statement they want to make, but I think all parties including law enforcement would prefer to not have a skidmark of a biker on their work day. The only time I have ever been pulled over for riding on sidewalk was in peace, love, and happiness Santa Cruz, California because they must have lost their cool.

[SpaceJockey]

@Tania 168193 wrote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/11/16/we-had-triathletes-race-all-6-of-d-c-s-bikeshare-bikes-the-results-surprised-even-us/

And then the most interesting part:

I’m very disappointed with WaPo on this one, the author clearly neglected how well the bikes performed during the run and the swim.

[SpaceJockey]

@Jason Seligman 168159 wrote:

Two mornings ago, this guy goes flying by my girlfriend and I as we are riding to work descending into Roslyn on the Custis Trail. I shout out “let people know where you are,” an he throws his two hand in the air in a big ‘Whatever’ as he hits the next drop between a wall on his right and chain link fence on his left (a place pedestrians use to access the trail from their homes).

It was totally disrespectful, so I engaged and caught him at the light and blocked him with my bike. Whats up? – He claimed he rang a bell (neither of us heard it, neither of us was wearing headphones), oh okay – did not hear that, what’s up with throwing your hands up when some one asks you to be courtous. He claimed that “he’s been riding for 15 years” that he’s “a safe rider.” I said, “well a lot of us have commuting a long time, what you did was not cool and was not safe – whats up with the hands in the air on a busy descent?!” he says, “I’m a technical rider…” a “technical” rider, I repeated in disbelief.

what a massive dork. As he goes riding on he starts complaining that I addressed him. I could not help but curse him and his motorcycle as he left (and hope he’d wipe out on the wooden bridge under the weight of his 40 pound motorized “technically I’ll claim its a bicycle” thing-a-m’bob that absolutely is not a bicycle).

My girlfriend recognized him as “The gear crusher…” yeah, real safe “technical dude.”

Looks like he got some “PRs” on his motorcycle that morning. Strava is not appropriate when sharing a multi use trail during a congested commute in my opinion, but Strava on a motorcycle is totally lame, always, everywhere, period.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3532218

– that morning:
KOM on courthouse SW
2nd overall on W&OD Broad to Gallows
5th overall on Custis Trail, Rt29/Spout Run to Vermont
and where we saw him – gosh I guess he was slowing down because he clocked a “mere” 7th Custis – Lee Overpass to Glebe.

Since I was curious about the oft-cited “Gearcrusher” with the fear that my alter-ego could in fact be the Gearcrusher (I ride a Black Cannondale CAAD 10 or a Black BMX), I took to the forums and saw someone did a speed analysis on the guy with 16-21 mph average speeds and top speeds ballpark 30-31 mph based on Strava data. I don’t see anything unreasonable about those speeds from an objective standpoint, the only caveat being that attaining those average speeds in the city is challenging to do unless you are blowing through intersections, which some of us do occasionally. Are we 100% certain that this Strava rider is the E-Gearcrusher?

[SpaceJockey]

@baiskeli 168173 wrote:

As the founder of this thread, I must say you nailed it.

Well I was simply following protocol, but I am new here so I have plenty of time to lower my standards, maybe L’il Miss SUV has a chance after all.

[SpaceJockey]

You: 30-ish blonde with glasses and a pony-tail right by the off-ramp from George Washington Memorial Parkway to Memorial Drive.

Me: Scantily-clad tearing through the whips of wind on this cool Autumn morning emblazoned by the rising sun.

When our eyes met, I could sense the attraction immediately, you crept closer and never looked away. We made eye contact up until…….. I needed to remind you that you are sitting in a mid-sized SUV and I am clipped into a road bike at high speed with the right-of-way. I’m not interested in our crossing paths again, no hard feelings, I hope this message finds you well.

[SpaceJockey]

@ursus 167032 wrote:

If it is anywhere near as cold as today, I will be wearing a Performance Bike jacket which looks like it needs cleaning. Also I will probably be wandering around trying to figure out where I can lock up my bike (probably a 2014 Trek Domane 4.3) in sight of the café, and I will be just as short as and slightly older than today.

Is anyone else thinking about being there?

I’ll see you there. A little behind on my laundry so do not know if any jerseys available, also debating the Deadpool suit for Halloween but visibility may be an issue, so I may not be able to see you after all.

[SpaceJockey]

@lordofthemark 166897 wrote:

I am thinking I might make a point of stopping for coffee at Velo this Friday, probably around 7:30AM, if anyone else comes that’s great.

I stopped by Velo Café the other day and found out they do not sell anything that I can consume since I am sweets/caffeine/alcohol free. I may make an appearance with some home-brewed tea and a snack but will not frequent the place for anything but social events until they increase variety of offerings.

[SpaceJockey]

Me: Riding into the sunset down M st SE enjoying the open road.

You: Two cars on the side up ahead and one taxi coming the opposite direction.

Maybe there is competition between uber drivers and taxis to pull in front of vacant sidewalks, or maybe you had to prove to each other you can turn left like Zoolander. In either case, just because you see an open road does not mean you all three should pull simultaneous crazy Ivan U-turns from 2 converging directions at the exact moment I am riding past……Besides, it was the bottom of the hour, you should have turned to starboard instead (Red October).

[SpaceJockey]

@streetsmarts 166562 wrote:

Nice to meet ya this morning, SpaceJockey! I could try a 7 am coffee at Velo Cafe sometime – maybe on a Monday as that’s a day that some of the forum members don’t go to coffee club (some go to Mike’s for pancakes, but I can never make that one).

Great meeting you as well! Agreed I doubt I will make it out to pancakes and Monday works great for me, when they open of course.

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