[Steve]

@DaveK 50573 wrote:

More cost effective, yes, but pedestrian overpasses are terrible things for streets. People don’t use them if it’s physically possible to cross the street at grade, even if that means scaling a fence sometimes. They kill the life of a street and give drivers another visual cue that they are on an expressway, not an urban street. They really should be an absolute last resort.

Perhaps. Though I believe in the development that I pictured above, the shopping, cafes, etc., is all done at the pedestrian plaza level. I guess it partially depends on the location and what you’re trying to accomplish. Memorial Circle is a thru traffic route, not an urban street, and so separating the two grades is great IMO. Some places in DC you probably are looking for much more of a shopping/dining community area, a much more urban environment, and so I think you’d be right there in terms of hurting the street.

This is the one I was looking for earlier when I found the other. It’s clearly a bit more suburban, and so I agree that it is probably a better solution in these environments, not the urban ones necessarily.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2778[/ATTACH]

[Steve]

@jrenaut 50565 wrote:

How about making the cars go underground so that plaza in the middle is welcoming and inviting rather than an island in a sea of pavement?

My dreams can only get so greedy.

While that is fair, I would think building a pedestrian bridge up is more cost effective than building a road down. It certainly is less attractive, but I tend to sympathize with the fact that budget decisions are extremely hard to make, and I’ll take safe over pretty.

[Steve]

I pray in my head sometimes that Memorial Circle could look like this (the elevated ped circle, not the skyscrapers). I’d imagine you feel the same way as some of the circles in DC.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2774[/ATTACH]

[Steve]

Same as everyone else, showers being huge in my opinion. Other likes:

1. Policy that allows bikes inside offices/cubicles, particularly in inclement weather.
2. Hanging space/locker type cubicles. This is probably not a building manager thing though, prob just the renter of the space. Our cubes have a locker type part that can hang a good 3 pairs of pants and 3 dress shirts. Most people use it for coats but for me its a little closet. This is really helpful.

BTW, major credit to your building manager for reaching out and asking such a question. That is a VERY good sign!

[Steve]

@dasgeh 50276 wrote:

What’s holding the Cervelo up? Or the question I’m really asking – is there a good solution for parking a road bike with no kickstand in the middle of say, a garage (i.e. not near anything that it could lean against)? Extra points if it’s something we already have around the house and don’t need, like law books.

I’ve got a few extra stands like this: http://www.cheapbikeparts360.com/products/willworx-super-stand-bike-stand/

PM me if you want one.

[Steve]

@consularrider 50013 wrote:

This morning’s commute was over before it started. I was switching the bike I was going to ride and coming down a step, I caught my foot and twisted my ankle. At the ER thry told me the x-ray shows an avulsion fracture, and that I’ll be off the bike for six to eight weeks.

Get well and back on the bike soon!

[Steve]

@KLizotte 50027 wrote:

Unfortunately biking through the Army Navy country club is not allowed.

I think you are technically not allowed to, but I’ve never had any issues when cutting thru, and I don’t think it is enforced at all (and possible not enforceable).

@dasgeh 50024 wrote:

Also, coming from the cemetery/Memorial Dr (which you would with bobco’s route) you don’t have any grade crossings of the Parkway. The crossing right before the bridge is not bad. (good sight lines, drivers slowing because of the curve, merge, etc)

I always find it funny how some places bother some people and not others, and vice versa. I come up Memorial Drive every day and make all 3 crossings to the MVT. I find, BY FAR the worst crossing to be the first one (the one you must cross to get to Memorial Bridge). The second one is one lane now, which is very easy, and the third is by far the least traveled in the morning (because most people are heading into DC and aren’t staying on the Pkwy), and has really long sight lines.

I do agree that cutting thru base is the best option. It’s really beautiful ride thru ANC, and pretty easy on the way back too, as long as you can get on base. I assume when you rode this that the return trip is thru the Wright Gate?

[Steve]

@TwoWheelsDC 49885 wrote:

Don’t forget the Raleigh Roper. Sometimes I kick myself for not trying one out. REI carries them, so you can get a bike and a dividend rebate!

http://www.raleighusa.com/archive/2012-steel-road/roper-12/

I’ve been meaning to go test ride one for a while. It seems like a pretty cool bike. Too bad the ’13 Roper is more of a rust/brown color. That ’12 one is really sharp. The only complaints I’ve read are that 1) it is very heavy (as vvil mentioned) and that 2) it isn’t spec’d as well as the Disc Trucker (brakes and maybe steel quality specifically) for a similar price, though I realize it’s not a total 1 for 1 comparison on a touring bike, nor am I smart enough to say if these are valid concerns.

[Steve]

Just a really, really great article and very inspirational. Thanks for sharing with all of us.

[Steve]

@GuyContinental 49770 wrote:

If ever there was an argument for a fat-tire bike…

Or against balance bikes: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/07/bicycle-mod-lets-you-ride-streetcar-rails/2569/

[Steve]

Great time last night! I enjoyed meeting a number of new folks and seeing some familiar faces. Thanks Kathy!

[Steve]

@Dickie 49379 wrote:

I will be hitting the Rosslyn Pit stop first thing and then heading west, perhaps hitting the Ballston stop as well… any of you folks want to join up and ride together? bbearman could meet me in Rosslyn, ride over to Ballston to collect Steve, and then pick up culimerc for a while in Falls Church… thoughts? I will be getting off at Gallows and heading south towards Merrifield.

Unfortunately, I’m heading the opposite direction as you.

[Steve]

@rcannon100 49346 wrote:

Third Thursday makes a special Friday appearance???

I want to put a bid in for 5-7 a.m. instead of p.m., to begin the Irish Coffee Club.

[Steve]

@GuyContinental 49367 wrote:

Huh, that’s a new one (for me) the app looks pretty cool but do you have to whip out your phone to shoot the segments (while riding…) or can you upload a video file from say a contour?

You have to pull out your phone, unfortunately. Most of the shots I got were not while riding. Basically you just open the app, and when in record mode, touch the screen to record. Once you stop touching the screen it stops recording, until you have 6 seconds of recording, which is the length of Vine videos. It wasn’t too hard, because you can just lock the phone, not exit the app, which means when you unlock you are still in the record mode.

At least now I know exactly how my phone will break.

[Steve]

Beautiful morning! I Vine’d it: https://vine.co/v/bF3rv7vgF0b

[Author]

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