[Tania]

I compete in Weightlifting, which has weight classes so I cycle mostly to help me maintain my weight. I used to do a lot of crossfit competitions but I was getting my butt beat my women who had 50 pounds on me (plus…it’s crossfit) thus about two years ago I started wl-ing exclusively. And now I just get my butt beat my women who weigh the same as me.

Both sports/endeavors are exceptionally welcoming to beginners and women (weightlifting especially).

[Tania]

I prefer to use AND hear a bell only because most of the time you have to be actually passing me for me to hear your “on your left/whatever” in which case I kinda already know you’re there… A bell gives me some advance notice when you’re behind me and out of my peripheral vision.

But I try to always thank every cyclist who announces their pass.

Oddly enough, before I started commuting into work (and just went for the random w&od weekend ride) I used to loathe hearing bells. It took one ride home from DC in nice weather among throngs of runners/pedestrians/casual cyclists before I changed my mind.

[Tania]

Definitely take Emm up on the offer if you can. I had seasoned escorts the first two or three times I biked into the city and it made a huge difference in my comfort level.

[Tania]

@scoot 116490 wrote:

And the flip side: if you’re going to pass somebody, it’s way more gratifying to do it while they’re actually moving!

Unless they’re cars stuck in traffic, of course

I’m still all warm and fuzzy from the time a guy in a full racing kit blew past me as I waited patiently in line with the cars at a red light on Gallows Road – he ran the light but I caught up to him (from a dead stop) and passed him less than a quarter mile later. While wearing baggy shorts, regular tee-shirt, camelback and commuter/mtb shoes. Now that was awesome.

[Tania]

I think the reason I’ve gotten better on hills/faster in general is because I usually get shoaled at most stop signs/signals (because, you know, I’m a GIRL and clearly we’re slow). Which just makes me want to pass you going uphill that much more. 😎

[Tania]

@Geoff 116355 wrote:

Looking at it as someone who gets passed a lot, I find most cyclists give no warning at all. It is tempting to crowd the center line, because that seems to encourage people to call their pass.

THIS.

If I’m passing at speed, I’ll use the bell (and sometimes more than once). If I’m passing slowly for whatever reason, I’ll call it and usually chit chat (“beautiful morning, isn’t it?”) with the person I’m passing. Sometimes I get nasty looks, sometimes people are nice and respond.

[Tania]

True…but I can bike a half mile to the gelato place. They’re open late too.

[Tania]

Will sleeze rides help much? I can’t bike to work every day but I can get on and do laps around my block to get in a mile.

[Tania]

You had me at “It’s not really a race…”

I know that hill too, I’ve run up it many times. Thanks for the info!

[Tania]

Can you all give me more info on the Sunday challenge please? I see it’s 15km per lap and you can do as many laps as possible from 7-10am. How packed is it? How hilly? It would be my first bike race.

[Tania]

I’d just be echoing what everyone else has written here about Mosaic, Merrifield, WFC, EFC and Ballston.

Thanks to Matt, Dread and Boomer for riding in with me and then thanks to Dickie for the company on the way back west and for suggesting we stop at EFC (u-lock!!).

(The Bikenetic crew really are crazy. And…boisterous.)

Adding a thanks to Brian from Bikenetic for fixing my cross chaining. Now I’ll be as silent as a leaf on the wind.

[Tania]

Thanks for being my rabbit up Custis. I PR’ed the full WB trail by more than 3 minutes. See you Monday for pancakes!

[Tania]

I’ll only do Key Bridge through G-town if I’m in a group and even then (a) I’m terrified and (b) they usually drop me because I just don’t feel safe going that fast through that kind of traffic. I hate every second of it.

TR Bridge.

[Tania]

How can I find out which pit stop I registered for? There’s a placeholder for it in my confirmation email but it’s blank. I’d like to think I registered for Merrifield (since it’s right by me) but somehow I think I chose one of the falls church stops.

[Tania]

I desperately needed a rest day today and decided not to ride my bike, opting for metro instead.

I’d say “bad decision” but I’m back at home (and back in my pajamas) on my couch, teleworking.

[Author]

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