[Sunyata]

@Tania 187943 wrote:

Rode this last night and really enjoyed it. There’s a nice hill and for me the section of the W&OD between the normal custis entrance and Brandywine Castle is a real slog so I may make this alternate way my normal route.

I hate that section of the W&OD, especially coming westward on the way home. I may try this detour on the way home tonight and see how it compares.

[Sunyata]

@DismalScientist 187838 wrote:

Last time I looked, the closed signs were moved next to the trail, not on it. I hope this wasn’t the work of some rogue cyclist. After all, the members of the Arlington County Sign Movers Union need to be paid.

I think the signs were moved over the weekend, but not sure by who. When I went through there yesterday morning, the signs were still on the side of the trail. When I came through yesterday afternoon, the signs were back up with orange netting completely blocking the trail on both sides.

[Sunyata]

Trail was “closed off” this morning, but you could see tire tracks and lots of foot prints in the snow since it had not been plowed. Since the detour off the trail was plowed, I opted to go that way instead. BIG mistake.

The roads were fine, but once you got back on 4MR Trail, nothing was plowed, and it was an icy, slushy, rutted mess.

So, ArlCo, if you are going to detour a normally plowed section of trail onto other trails, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please plow the detour. Especially if it goes over wooden (ICY) bridges.

[Sunyata]

@sjclaeys 187665 wrote:

If an e-bike counts for Freezing Saddles, why not a ski bike. Isn’t this all about getting people outdoors?

Oh! In that case, can runs count? Asking for a friend.

[Sunyata]

@n18 187436 wrote:

I just visited both Vienna and East Falls Church Metro stations. Vienna metro looks the same as in the previous photo. There is another poster at Vienna metro that says it would take 1.5 years for the parking lot to complete from November 2018. See this link.

At East Falls Church Metro, the Bike and Ride facility looks close to completion, see the photos below of EFC bike room. The “2019” in the sign is a sticker with same color as the rest of the text. The one at Vienna metro doesn’t have that sticker.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19422[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19423[/ATTACH]

Hmm. I will have to actually look around when I am at the Metro station this afternoon (since it is going to snow tomorrow, today was my “run to work” day – via the metro). Once I actually see it, I will make a prediction.

[Sunyata]

With a month until the end of Freezing Saddles, I thought I would remind those who have not walked dogs yet how fun and rewarding it is. Plus, there is still plenty of time to get up there in the rankings!

Now, get out there and play with some puppies!

[Sunyata]

@strumke 187522 wrote:

#17

Last one for tonight. Missed packet pickup but got an imperial stout at Hardywood anyway. Goodnight.

I am very interested in seeing your route for the Richmond brew tour.
I have been to several of those breweries, but never by bike.

[Sunyata]

@awitt 187592 wrote:

Nothing broken, lots of hand bruising and a puncture wound where my hand hit the bolt for the v break. Pretty bad back muscle strain. Some minor cuts and bruises on my face. I think that face shield i made protected my face. My new wind jacket is now a vest. Could be worse.

Glad to hear nothing is broken, but that hand bruising could take a while to heal, especially if there is anything torn in there.

Definitely glad it was not worse, but OUCH. Rest well and heal up.

[Sunyata]

It also could be that the bead on the tire did not completely seat. There is a line around (most?) all tires that should be equal distance away from the rim around the entire circumference of the wheel. Sometimes when you unseat the bead to change a tube, the tire does not re-seat exactly right. I have had that happen and it does make the tire feel wobbly and a little soft if it is on the rear.

[Sunyata]

@smb9600 187381 wrote:

I accidentally rode to Gordon Biersch on a sleaze!

[Sunyata]

@zsionakides 187336 wrote:

This whole policy discussion is about e-bikes going on trails, and 20mph is too high safety wise. For riding ebikes on the street, you can make them as fast as you want, though I’d highly recommend motorcycle safety courses at that point.

Class 2’s on trails basically means the trail is a commuter highway and not a recreational trail. It’s a slippery slope that turns the MUPs into roads that become about how fast one can go safely and not about enjoying the park. My advocacy on the W&OD is not for high speed commuters, but for people walking, running, or out with small children. Class 2+ ebikes that are basically small motorcycles don’t fit in with a recreational park.

I try hard to keep out of these controversial threads. However, I would like to point out that 20 mph is not that fast in context with many sections of the W&OD. I wish folks would remember that the trail is 45-ish miles long and many parts of the trail are very flat and very sparsely populated. On Sunday, I went out for a “recreational” ride (i.e. not exactly commuting) on my gravel bike (i.e. not an e-bike, but definitely not a road bike) and hit 20 mph easily in many sections and it was perfectly safe. I ended up passing a few folks on e-bikes as well. No big deal.

The W&OD has many purposes. For me, it is a safe and easy way to get places (whether it be to work, to a brewery, or out to LoCo gravel). I never use the W&OD to “enjoy the park”. The W&OD is not a nature trail. It is a multi-use trail that is used for recreation, commuting, and exercise. While on the trail, I have had bad experiences with pretty much every mode of user, including pedestrians, clueless dog owners, runners, cyclists, and e-cyclists. Banning e-bikes is not going to make the jerks go away.

So, instead of banning e-bikes or putting in useless speed limits (seriously, who is going to enforce ANY of this?), I think we should just put big signs up about Casey’s Rule #1: DO NOT BE AN ASSHOLE. (If you have ever been on a group ride led by me, you know the drill!)

[Sunyata]

Sunday was supposed to be the nicer of the two days this weekend. So we went mountain biking Saturday and decided on a long-ish “training” ride out to Leesburg on Sunday to meet up with some friends for a short gravel loop.

Well… If anyone was outside yesterday, you know that the forecast was WRONG. I never saw the temperature on my Wahoo read anything more than 34F. And it was surprisingly breezy. So, Dane and I rode 85 miles in the cold and biting wind. And we only stopped for one beer. Mostly because someone *cough*Dane*cough* forgot lights.

I always enjoy going to Beltway. Especially after a long ride, since after beer, there is only 15 miles to get home. YAY!

I had the Resilence IPA. Apparently this beer was brewed as a fund raiser for those affected by the Camp Fire in Butte County, CA. I earned a fancy new limited badge on Untappd for it, too!

Anyway, the beer was pretty good, nice with a bit of a hop and a slight floral note. And it got us out of the cold wind for a half hour or so.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19391[/ATTACH]

[Sunyata]

After that quick stop at Crooked Run, I got back on the bike and froze my fingers off the three miles to Old Ox.

I quickly changed clothes and then had a beer. I honestly can not remember which beer it was, I was just happy to be warm.

After our first set, I finally had my wits about me and was able to get another beer and properly check it in to Untappd. I had the SchwarzenKegger, which was quite tasty with a nice malty backbone.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19389[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19390[/ATTACH]

[Sunyata]

I had to go to Old Ox Friday evening for an event. It was 60 degrees when I left my house in Falls Church. It was NOT 60 degrees when I made my way through Sterling. Even with a 20 mph headwind and declining temperatures, I made good time and had a couple of extra minutes, so I swung by Crooked Run (Sterling location) and grabbed a pint of their Social Gambler.

For an unfiltered IPA, I was surprised at how… bland it was. I was kind of disappointed because I normally really enjoy Crooked Run’s beer. However, I will say that ever since they opened the new location, their beer flavour and originality have diminished. *sigh*

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19388[/ATTACH]

[Sunyata]

@Judd 187101 wrote:

I would both recommend it and not recommend it.

I think Chris W is somewhere past 4 years. LhasaCM also has a streak that I think is well past a year. Not sure if Casey is still on her streak.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, I am not quite sure yet), my streak ended at day 976 due to failure on my part to pay attention to the clock when hosting a pre-baby party for some friends back during the summer. Whoops.

I was actually really upset about it for two days, then I realized that no one except me cared about it and that I did not lose anything by letting it go. So now, I ride my bike because I want to (or need to in order to get to work), but if there is a day that it is raining and gross outside, I do not HAVE to go out and ride. It is pretty nice.

[Author]

Posts