[trailrunner]

Matching socks are definitely required to be a true kit.

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[trailrunner]

I’ve been doing the occasional multi-modal commute lately, riding my bike to and from the park and ride and riding the bus to and from there to work.

Tonight I was riding home from the park and ride. It’s only a couple of miles from there to my house, but I have to cross the Fairfax County Parkway. There’s a lot of traffic in the evening, and since the intersection is in a small valley, the cars coming downhill from both directions have a lot of momentum. I cross this intersection legally, and tonight I pressed the button and waited for the crossing signal. When I got the signal, I proceeded across. Before I started I think I did my usual cross-scan to ensure that traffic really was stopped, but as I was about 40 percent of the way across, I looked left to see a large box truck blowing through the intersection. It passed behind me, probably a lane behind me and close enough for me to see the driver with a “sorry – I messed up expression.” I had actually been a little late in starting to cross and the traffic had calmed by the time I started, so at that point I don’t know how this truck could have made it through the stopped cars and into the intersection. But geebus.

Yeah, it’s a little ironic that we have a local newscast talking about scofflaw cyclists running red lights, and something like this happens.

[trailrunner]

@Kitty 145049 wrote:

Has anyone had any experience with bike theft and renters/homeowners insurance? What happened? Did they cover the value of the old bike?

My bike was stolen in July 2000. I made a claim in my homeowners insurance, and they gave me a very fair settlement. I documented what a comparable replacement would cost, and compiled a detailed list of every accessory I had added. I took that list to a bike shop. They printed an invoice of what all of that would cost, and that was the basis of my claim. I also sent in a photo of me on my bike, for whatever that was worth. However, note that some insurance policies will cover replacement cost, and some will cover the value of the lost item taking into account depreciation. It depends on what your policy says.

Although the insurance company gave me a fair settlement, it caught up to me. Around the same time (a couple of years before or after, I forget), there had been a bad hail storm here. A lot of roofs in my neighborhood had been damaged. I called the insurance company and asked them to look at my roof. A guy came out, looked at my roof, and said there was no damage. I was fine with that since I wasn’t trying to milk the system or anything – I just to ensure that my roof wasn’t damaged. However, shortly afterwards, the insurance company cancelled my policy. According to them, I had made too many claims and was a problem customer. This was also around the time of the recession (early 2000s), and insurance companies were taking a hit because their big reserves of cash, which were invested, were taking a hit (caveat: I’m not a financial person so I may have this wrong, but this is what I understood was happening), so they became very selective on who they were going to insure, and I didn’t make the cut. After that, I had a bit of trouble getting another policy, because I was marked as a problem customer. Hopefully this won’t happen to you.

Good luck. Bike thieves suck.

[trailrunner]

If you really want to ride faster, then you have to transition from commuting to more serious training. That includes volume and intensity. And if you’re really serious about going faster, ride with other serious people. When going fast was important to me, I used to do a fair amount of group rides, including the Tuesday – Thursday Wakefield ride. I’ve rarely pushed myself harder than I did on those rides, when I determined not to get dropped. I also had a good friend who was the same ability to me, and when we rode, we’d constantly be pushing each other.

[trailrunner]

What’s wrong with mountain bike gearing?

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@americancyclo 144487 wrote:

For some perspective, I regularly commute on a 20 lb carbon road bike since it’s fun and I have super secure parking.
Occasionally, I’ll have errands to run and commute on a 13 year old aluminum rigid fork 30 lb mountain bike. It’s got slick tires, but they are supremely heavy.

Over my 13.5 mile commute here are my times:
48 min: carbon bike
55 min: heavy mountain bike

I save seven minutes on the carbon bike. It may ‘feel’ faster, but the average speed is barely 2 mph faster over the length of the ride.

You should get a nice ‘fast’ bike if that makes you happy, but I wouldn’t count on a lot of time savings on the 8 mile trip from old town to DC.

My experience is similar. I commute on three different bikes: a 25 year old mountain bike with slicks, a new touring bike that’s built like a tank and weighs as much, and my 15 year old Lemond Zurich (a nice steel road bike). On my 12.5 mile commute, my times are similar. My road bike feels faster and is indeed faster, but when I need to bring stuff in to the office or if it’s raining and I need fenders, I ride one of my other bikes and enjoy the extra time.

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[trailrunner]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I work at the Mark Center and would also like Beauregard Street to be more bike friendly. My building has good bike commuting facilities (shower, lockers) but the infrastructure to get to and from here could use some help.

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[trailrunner]

I recently bought a pair of these:

http://www.rei.com/product/892626/pearl-izumi-x-alp-seek-vii-mountain-bike-shoes-mens

I’ve always used traditional bike shoes (usually Sidi), but I decided to get these to walk from the bike rack through my office building until I get to my office and put my dress clothes on. They are the most casual bike shoe I’ve ever owned. They might be what you are looking for.

[trailrunner]

I came across two boys lost in their phone on the path on my way home today. My loud warning that I was passing them surprised them. I presume they were playing this game.

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[trailrunner]

+3 I installed a hitch on my wife’s Highlander. It was easy – just bolt it on to the frame. It was a bit heavy and hard to hold, so it would have been easier with two people, but I managed to do it by myself.

[trailrunner]

When I used to work on the west side of Alexandria, I’d run at lunch. Over the years, three times I almost got hit by a bus making an illegal turn.

Each time I diligently reported the incident to the city, but even with the number of the bus, the location, and the time of day, they did not care one bit.

[trailrunner]

@OneEighth 138788 wrote:

Betcha no hands on the handlebars gets ya a reckless riding ticket.

When I was young (14 years old maybe?) I received a ticket for riding with no hands on the handlebars. True story.

[trailrunner]

One time I was working on the front end of a mountain bike. I forget exactly what I was doing, but I had a pair on thin needle-nosed pliers up there trying to get something free. Maybe I was trying to take the grips off the handlebars – I’m not sure. I was pushing real hard with the pliers, and with my other hand I was holding the handlebars steady, when suddenly the pliers broke free and the the sharp pointy end stabbed into a finger of my other hand like a solid apple corer, puncturing it neatly and deeply.

I think the dried blood is still on my basement floor. That one hurt like a sumbitch.

[trailrunner]

Here is the route through the Clermont Connector from Cameron Run into the neighborhood on the south side of 495:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6828954

From there, you can work your way west or wherever you need to go. Note that the neighborhood on the south side of 495 is pretty hilly.

[trailrunner]

I had a very similar thing happen to me in Fairfax County. I immediately called the police and waited for them at the scene. When they arrived, they tried to blame it on me several ways. I gently pushed back and convinced them that I was 100 percent legal and in the right, but they still didn’t care. I even tracked down were the driver lived (it was in my neighborhood, so it was easy), but they still didn’t care. I followed up with supervisor, but he also didn’t care. So at this point, I personally wouldn’t bother reporting it. We are on our own out there.

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