[Supermau]

Another shot of the hapless commuter…
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[Supermau]

Best bike lock I’ve seen in a while…

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[Supermau]

Love it!

[Supermau]

When I began cycling again last summer…after many years away, I began to wonder whether or not I needed any lights. One sunny afternoon I spotted a fellow on Franconia Rd with a really bright front flasher and it immediately struck me how he popped out of the scene. Without it he would have blended into the hubbub of this busy road. I ride with lights at all times. I’ve seen enough personal evidence that they make a difference.

[Supermau]

@americancyclo 101121 wrote:

Could be that the most drunk drivers are out on thanksgiving eve

As a matter of fact we passed one (pulled over) coming off the parkway into Old Town Alexandria!

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@Terpfan 100976 wrote:

I run into this issue a lot. I keep explaining I’m probably safer on the bike than otherwise. Sometimes I’m forced to half compromise and take Metro if it’s late, which is funny because it’s when I prefer being on the trails since having them to yourself is awesome.

I tried convincing my wife that I’m safer on the bike too, but she simply wasn’t having it. Virtually every commute I do is in the darkness but for some reason she was spooked about Thanksgiving eve.

[Supermau]

@dasgeh 100795 wrote:

Don’t think, just ride.

Thanks for the advice. I wound up riding and missing most of the heavy precipitation. I got stuck at work until 11 pm and my wife refused to let me ride home, using the word “insane” multiple times. I guess we’re just not on the same page about cycling. I can’t say I minded the lift home though.

[Supermau]

I don’t have to leave until 12:30. Still on the fence about riding today. I hate being on the fence!

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@scoot 100762 wrote:

Supermau,

YMMV, but I find it easier to climb that hill on Glenwood rather than Clermont. It’s probably just mental, though. On Glenwood, the steepest part is the lower half, so you get it out of the way first and then it gets flatter from there.

Thanks for the tip, scoot. I’ll try it next ride. Clermont isn’t terrible but it does kind of kick my arse sometimes at the end of a long ride. Going home is always harder, it’s all uphill!

[Supermau]

@jabberwocky 100732 wrote:

If it was skipping in the drivetrain it would be very noticeable as such. Such slipping is never smooth. If it felt smooth and noiseless, my first bet is the tire slipped (happens, especially if you get out of the saddle and lean forward, unweighting the rear wheel somewhat). I’ve had it happen on oily or wet patches on occasion.

It was smooth and noiseless, and the more I think about it the more this explanation makes sense. I’ll have to experiment again. The bike seems to perform well outside of climbing that damned hill.

Thanks for the replies everybody!

[Supermau]

Two years old is Jurassic as far as I’m concerned. Low ball ’em at $100.00. Can’t hurt.

Oh, and my Mom is growing tired of your sending these posts from her house!

[Supermau]

I think you either enjoy cycling in the rain or you don’t. I happen to like it. Get the best rain gear you can afford and go for it. Nothing sorts it out quite like experience.

[Supermau]

@Sunyata 100109 wrote:

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep your sinus cavities from freezing? I have never had this problem before, but my sinuses were aching pretty bad by the time I got to work.

A new helmet might be in order…

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Or a balaclava. I think there’s only so much one can do.

[Supermau]

Too easy.

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[Supermau]

Did my first seriously cold commute on Saturday. Left at 4:45AM with the temp at 31 and a mild breeze. I got the layering right…managed to stay warm without overheating or sweating too much. Gloves were right on. Just the toes suffered a bit, but not unbearable. Gotta work on that.

So I guess I proved to myself that I can handle it but boy it sure felt cumbersome. All my clothes are cycle-specific save for the military fatigues worn over my thermal cycle tights. They worked pretty well as an outer layer.

A month ago I would have thought that a morning like today (40* and rain) would be too much but after my slightly below freezing ride on Saturday this feels great!

Seems the more you ride the more your perspective evolves.

On a side note, my rear brakes seemed non-existent on that cold ride. I don’t think my stock pads are worth a damn!

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