[Steve]

I knew I forgot something, and it was to mention the fact that I can’t add a bike to the arsenal, at least not right now. 800 sq feet apartments just are no ideal of having more than the two bikes currently in there (down from 3 when some baby stuff got moved in).

[Steve]

I took the roundabout way into work today, because…..well….you understand.

[Steve]

@PotomacCyclist 91305 wrote:

I posted the article because I thought it was unusual, both for that area and the time of day when the shooting occurred. I don’t ride over there too often, but when I do, it’s more likely to be a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

I appreciate the post. I consider that to be very unusual. I ride thru that very intersection on my commute, so twice a day. I find it to be a generally safe area.

[Steve]

@cyclingfool 91225 wrote:

He’s actually doing his Tommy Voeckler impersonation.

He would first have to unzip his jersey all the way.

[Steve]

Thanks twowheels, that makes sense. It was what I kind of thought, but I did not realize that people used a different chain (1/8’s name makes much more sense now), and so that lateral issue is cleared up.

Unrelated, at least somewhat, is that I noticed in other social medias that vvill uses a peanut butter jar in a bottle cage as a tool kit holder (instead of a seat post bag). It kept the clean line look of a fixie. I personally really liked it, and think I might use that, for my bike that I ride when it’s going to rain all day. That way I don’t have to take off my bag so everything doesn’t get drenched inside. Thanks!

[Steve]

I just have two quick FG questions:

1. Why is chainline so important? Is it for the slowing the bike via pedals aspect of FG riding? I mean I understand why it would be optimal to have a straight line, but geared bikes are constantly ridden without a straight chainline, so I just don’t understand why it seems so necessary.
2. Why is tension so important? Same reasons as question 1.

I ask these two questions despite having owned a FG a few years back. Shows what I knew when I bought that! But it was only $200 and loads of fun, and I could use it to run errands without being nearly as afraid of it getting stolen. I had to sell it because apartment living doesn’t always support my n+1 desires, and I wanted a geared bike that took a rack and fenders for commuting. That bike has D/T shifters, so I think it’s a close second .

As an aside, this thread could result in my divorce.

[Steve]

@Rockford10 91006 wrote:

While I can appreciate a waterproof bag, I don’t want to use one everyday. When I was looking for a commuting backpack, I went to REI and tried all of them on. Only a few fit me comfortably and the waterproof ones were heavy. My Timbuk2 fits well and is water resistant, whatever that means. All I know is that my things aren’t wet when I get home (even when I am drenched). When I carry my laptop, it’s safely ensconced in a plastic grocery bag or two in the laptop pouch and my clothes are in another heavy duty plastic bag.

There’s also always the option of simply getting a waterproof pack cover, to use when it rains: http://www.rei.com/c/pack-rain-covers

[Steve]

@Powerful Pete 90969 wrote:

drink less beer

Don’t be silly.

[Steve]

@americancyclo 90931 wrote:

If planes started landing on highways, they might.

I know I know. I just get frustrated sometimes. It’s like, why should I have to do dumb things to protect myself from dumb people? But I also realize that in reality, sometimes you do.

I just feels so similar to victim blaming. Like if a driver hits and injures a cyclist, the first question is always whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet. Now when cars are driving on bike paths, the first question is whether or not there was a concrete bollard in the way. It nearly absolves the driver from the fact that they drove up a curb cut, or are on a ten foot wide path with a solid stripe down the middle.

[Steve]

Only in cycling would we suggest creating an inconvenience to ourselves just to prevent idiots from endangering us. You think drivers would ever suggest putting roofing over all of the roadways to ensure that planes don’t accidentally land on them?

[Steve]

I’d also add that depending on the reason you want the lock, you might want to get two of them. Because my primary need for a lock is commuting, I leave my u-lock on the rack at work. That way, I don’t have to carry it with me every day (as I keep my bike inside at home). I have the benefit of it not really being a public rack, more just in front of our building, and so leaving it isn’t a big deal. It’s nice then to have an extra lock around the house in case you run out for quick errands.

[Steve]

@bobco85 90846 wrote:

That’s what currently happens along Water Street at Georgetown Waterfront Park (separated bike trail, sidewalk, and road; pedestrians using both the bike trail and sidewalk).

To me, the only way to effectively separate pedestrians and cyclists is to have a the cyclist part off the curb like with a cycletrack. The visual barrier of a curb tends to keep pedestrians on the sidewalk (although it does not keep cyclists off the sidewalk).

Agree. The bike path should be at road level, not elevated like the sidewalk. It also means the bike path is not going up and down curb cuts as it crosses streets. I would do it as road, curb with narrow strip of grass, curb, bike path at road level, curb with sidewalk, and then houses/buildings.

[Steve]

I think the problem is that people call it “Main Street.” No it’s not. You can’t just call something what you want. Main Street is the center of town, where people shop and eat and walk around. Penn is where some Government people work. It’s like saying Wall Street isn’t a good Main Street either.

To the fact that it’s too wide, or too car friendly, etc., I don’t totally disagree. But look at the other examples, such as Michican Ave in Chicago, or the Champs Elysees. Both of those are massive, wide, fast traveling, car-centric roads. The difference is in the buildings that surround it, primarily. They are multi-use, have large window storefront shopping, etc. It makes walking along the wide sidewalks pleasant. Crossing either of the previous examples equally painful to Penn.

[Steve]

@dasgeh 90604 wrote:

and probably a hair narrower than the TR Bridge sidepath.

Can anyone explain to me the low height of the guard rail on the TR Bridge sidepath? I ride my bike a lot, and nearly always feel comfortable on it, but I refuse to ride into the city on that path. It just freaks me out too much.

[Steve]

@creadinger 90729 wrote:

I’m not sure where you are describing. Do you mean the tunnel under the train tracks? With the steep little climb up to Crystal Dr.? What you mean by the on-ramp flyover? There’s an off-ramp flyover nearby, but that’s not narrow, it’s near a sharp turn going up to the MVT that makes that difficult.

For the most part the train tunnel isn’t too narrow for two-way traffic but the sight lines are so bad, it’s not a good idea to pass anyone in the tunnel. The tunnel under the GWP is a pain. I usually do what PotomacCyclist does. Now that the 4MR section is open again I don’t need to ride this section very much again.

He’s talking the same as you. Leaving CC going toward MVT, the first tunnel is plenty wide, but somewhat poor sight lines, especially with the steep hill on one end of it. I think people pass in that tunnel just fine, but due to sight lines should go fairly slow. The second tunnel you would come to is the more narrow one that goes under an off ramp.

Agree with dasgeh on most of this. The narrow underpass is wider than the Memorial bridge underpass, similar or more narrow than the TR bridge sidepath, and probably a touch more narrow than the South Cap St. Bridge sidepath. I think it’s safe for a runner heading one way and a cyclist heading the other. Two bikes is pretty tricky, and usually requires one of them to stop. I think two bikes approaching must treat this as a zipper section (one after another). I also agree with creadinger that a bike coming up behind a walker/jogger should ride behind them and not pass. It is trickier to pass someone going in the same direction than it is in opposite directions, and I don’t think it is a safe pass. It’s also not very long, so just chill out and lose 10 seconds.

[Author]

Posts