[Starduster]

@bentbike33 211152 wrote:

And if my headlight is too bright for your knees (where the beam cut-off hits), that’s probably your problem, too.

Well, we *do* have a segment of our community running 2 and 3 wheel recumbents, and they’ve always been polite to me.

[Starduster]

Do I dare stick my beak in…? :rolleyes:

I come at this from a motorsports-influenced background. Many decades ago, I was something of an outlaw and ran European Code headlights from the legendary French automotive lighting manufacturers CIBIE and S.E.V. Marchal. In defiance of the sealed beam requirements in this country at the time. For more downward range and better light distribution *without* blinding an oncoming motorist. DOT eventually allowed and adopted that technology in the 90’s. I am also influenced by the kid’s bike my Dad bought for me while we were in Frankfurt, West Germany, 1960. A 20 incher from Rixe that was unlike *anything* sold in the U.S., even from Schwinn. I am unsure if Mel Pinto ever imported one of these. Fully lugged and brazed frame, cool smoked oyster paint highlights, cottered crank, fully pneumatic Continental tires- a downscaled German commuter bike, right down to a generator powered light setup with the StVZO “squiggle” & alphanumeric approval code. Good enough to actually see the road in front of me.

So by now I am probably famous/infamous for the businesslike and powerful dyno lights I run on both my 40 year old Trek and the rescued Kettler CityShopper. The beauty of the Busch + Muller headlights on both bikes is that they are like a good automotive low beam light- usable light on the road *without* blinding the oncoming cyclist. Properly and precisely aimed of course. You may thank the German StVZO traffic regulations for this. Also powering a tail light that is bright enough to safely be a part of street traffic. My wife’s Breezer Uptown did not come wired for dyno lighting, so I installed the battery & rechargeable equivalents on hers, so we can be romantic and ride into the night safely. To me, a bike is not complete until it is set up for night work. How I roll…

On blinkies [braces for impact]… I have always, from the first VistaLites on, considered blinkies a *defensive* gesture, ranging from “Gee I hope they see me” to “See me DAMMIT!”, depending on how bright it is. I mourn that we actually *need* to have to protect ourselves on the road like this, but that’s where it is. But on the W&OD, you no longer have to worry about dump trucks turning across your bow. *You* are now the biggest meanest MF’er on the trail, and can terrify joggers if you chose (we hope you don’t). A defensive mode is no longer necessary here. I have had my share of misadventures with blinkies- when I commuted along the W&OD before dawn, an oncoming rider took exception to my B+M IQ-X headlight, even though my lamp’s cutoff was well *below* his eye level, and I was met with his flashbulb of a strobe square in my face. “Dude!” Another misadventure as a driver reminded me that blinkies are harder to gauge closing distances with. No, I did not hit the cyclist- it was simply a close call.

[Starduster]

@drevil 196948 wrote:

These Salzmann spoke reflectors are awesome, and I have them on all my wheels. I just use a couple on each wheel, 1 on each side of the tube valve. They’re relatively inexpensive, work really well, and don’t look as bike geeky as regular spoke reflectors (NTTAWWT).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20838[/ATTACH]

Excellent option. These will not throw your wheel balance off at speed. And even StVZO approves.

[Starduster]

Excellent. Someone beat me to it. The link redux: https://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/northern-virginia/2021/nine-day-closure-of-north-glebe-road-in-arlington-begins-aug-138-6-2021.asp

I will let the riders who run this route regularly share the best workaround.

[Starduster]

On a robust old cruiser with the traditional slack geometry, that mod was dangerous enough. On a much lighter road bike, almost suicidal. There are also homemade e-bike conversions out there equally, um, daring.

[Starduster]

(Behold the epic race we all missed…) [ATTACH=CONFIG]25346[/ATTACH]

[Starduster]

Pee Wee Herman’s not the only one who’s made a bike uniquely his own. We can do this!

[Starduster]

Steve O: I was about to ask you about this last Friday! A *provisional* YES for the 30th…

[Starduster]

When the entire region shut down, and I was furloughed from my traveling IT repair job, I *thought* I would be riding more. Except…Every store, restaurant, rest room on the trails were all closed. That cuts your range. Add to that a nighttime curfew and the fear of picking up COVID in the slipstream of another rider on the W&OD. Yet it brought bikes out of sheds and people out on the trails. My own riding verged more onto roads I would not normally have dared to. I must say it’s been *nice* to have the whole of Pennsylvania Ave. NW to myself, free of motor vehicles. I will miss that.

I used to lead rides for a local bike shop. That couldn’t happen. And I couldn’t hang out at the bike shop like I used to.

A silver lining- my “rescued” Kettler Alu-Rad CityShopper gained big pannier bags and finally got used for its intended purpose, as a grocery-getter supreme.

Your Independent Bike Retailer got hit with a crazy mix of feast & famine all at once. Sudden overwhelming demand for repairs and bicycles compounded by massive shortages of new bikes or the most essential consumables and repair parts, due to manufacturing shutdowns, the temporary collapse of a normally robust overseas shipping industry, to containers being badly delayed at customs. Few retailers are getting the full quantity of bikes they ordered, even now. And of course the consumer was fearful of going into the shop and store staff feared catching the virus from the customers they depend on. Been rough on everybody. Everyone had to adapt. Some have not survived. While COVID restrictions are being lifted, supply issues are still a major problem.

[Starduster]

{Edit: Fun Fact! Periodical cicadas are best eaten when they are still white, and they taste like cold canned asparagus. Like all insects, cicadas have a good balance of vitamins, are low in fat, and, especially the females, are high in protein. —I cannot personally attest to this, however!}

Soft shell cicada. On a menu near you soon.

[Starduster]

Good afternoon. Two weeks ago, I rode the Mt. Vernon Trail boardwalk section between Daingerfield Island and the old power plant- first time in a couple of months. Part of the boardwalk had dips and twisting I did not remember before, wooden piers & all. Is that section at risk of settling & falling over into the marsh?

[Starduster]

W&OD Trail, west of Mile marker 2, past Glencarlyn Park & before Rt .50.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25292[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]25293[/ATTACH]

This is a problem.

Since the spot was marked with paint, I must assume NOVA Parks know about this. What are their plans to repair?

[Starduster]

W&OD Trail, west of Mile marker 2, past Glencarlyn Park & before Rt .50.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25292[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]25293[/ATTACH]

This is a problem.

Since the spot was marked with paint, I must assume NOVA Parks know about this. What are their plans to repair?

[Starduster]

Most recent update from WTOP- https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/12/whites-ferry-river-crossing-in-montgomery-co-ceases-operations-after-court-decision/?fbclid=IwAR3KkGPxPdm1PYPncNT7DwTYSNKcvJV-sDdeW6RUl_XRP1HW08R7y63gD14

Rockland’s Farm Winery in Poolesville is NOT involved- the villain is Rockland LLC, who have the historic estate and the wedding site business north of Leesburg.

[Starduster]

I am confused. The Rockland Farm Winery is located in Poolesville, MD, well away from the ferry crossing and Virginia. Why is they relevant to this? Who has the back story?

As if we needed another reason why 2020 sucks…

[Author]

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