[trailrunner]

@BikenRound 149788 wrote:

Fairfax County completed its 2016 restriping efforts with the following improvements:

More lanes are planned in 2017 so keep an eye out for public meetings to show your support!
http://www.fairfaxcounty.com/fcdot/bike

corrected link

[trailrunner]

I bought my first pair of winter shoes last fall. They were Louis Garneau (can’t remember the name), and I got them for a good price, so I thought I’d give them a try. I wore them in the winter when it was cold, and in the fall and spring when it was wet.

On the positive side, they kept my feet mostly dry when it was raining hard. They are pretty warm in the winter.

On the negative side, they are a pain to put on or take off. I also find them difficult to get tight enough. Once they are on, the tightness can’t be adjusted while riding. I tend to be warm, so even if the shoes keep the rain out, my feet get damp from my own sweat. This hasn’t been a big deal.

Overall, I like the idea of winter shoes, but I’m not crazy about the pair that I bought. When they wear out (which will probably be in a long time), I’ll try a different pair.

[trailrunner]

I try to clip in and out equally left and right so that my cleats wear equally.

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[trailrunner]

@hozn 147393 wrote:

Hopefully it is just the crank arm (non-drive?) and frame didn’t bend, etc. If it is just the crank arm and fork you might be less than your deductible. Personally I wouldn’t file a homeowner’s claim for something that cost less than thousands of dollars due to likelihood of premiums increasing or insurer refusing to renew coverage. But I may be paranoid. I might file an auto claim, if costs were significantly above my deductible.

When my bike was stolen in 2000, I made a claim on my homeowners insurance. A year or two before that, I had also called about possible hail damage to the roof , but since there wasn’t any damage, I didn’t collect any money. But the bike and the roof counted as two claims, and my homeowners insurance was cancelled. After that, it was a bit of a hassle finding a new policy.

[trailrunner]

@GovernorSilver 147348 wrote:

Sounds like a fun problem to solve. What was the solution?

@TwoWheelsDC 147355 wrote:

Mythbusters tackled this one and ultimately concluded that running was the “drier” option.

I don’t think there is a universal answer. If I remember right (I’m going back to 1982), it depends on your aspect ratio (i.e., the relative area of your head and shoulders compared to your frontal area), and it depends on whether or not there is a horizontal velocity component to the rain (i.e., if there is a wind pushing the rain sideways).

[trailrunner]

@hozn 147277 wrote:

The problem is that if you’re pedaling faster you are also moving faster — and the wind is what makes cycling cold(er). And if your circulation is not that great (as mine apparently is not), then this doesn’t help feet or hands (though 50° isn’t terrible).

I grew up in the severe weather of a beach community in southern California, and got everywhere on my bike when I was a kid. On those frigid winter nights when it got below 50 F and I was riding home or to a friend’s house (without gloves or a jacket, of course), I often debated this exact question.

This is similar to the old dilemma of walking or running in the rain, which we actually analyzed as homework in one of my college math classes.

[trailrunner]

I don’t think I’d ever use them. If it’s cold and wet, I’ll wear water-resistant cycling pants. If it’s warm and wet I’ll wear regular cycling shorts.

The biggest problem with water resistant shells is making them breathable so you don’t get soaked with your own trapped sweat. These things are just another layer to trap moisture.

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[trailrunner]

@Harry Meatmotor 146916 wrote:

it’s the Hammer Recoverite junk that tastes horrid…

I used to drink that after masters swim workout. Recoverite and the smell of chlorine in the morning. Mmmmm.

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[trailrunner]

@dasgeh 146563 wrote:

Sounds like the infrastructure failed both of these women. Please report it so the powers that be can know that the road design is deficient.

Why do you think this was caused by an infrastructure problem? I’m familiar with that intersection and the roads in that neighborhood, and would be curious to know what you think is deficient.

[trailrunner]

I used to use Sustained Energy for long rides. Its main ingredient is maltodextrin.

http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/sustained-energy.se.html

Another choice, also based on maltodextrin, is Perpetuem:

http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/perpetuem-reg-.pp.html

Electrolytes can be important for longer rides, especially when you are sweating a lot. I liked this product:

http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes-reg-.elt.html

I tried another product (I think it was called Succeed), but it upset my stomach pretty bad. I also made my own pills for a while. You can also get your electrolytes in some sports drinks, but I preferred to take mine separately so that I could regulate it better.

A lot of sports nutrition you will have to experiment and see what works for you.

[trailrunner]

@KLizotte 146471 wrote:

You see the most amazing things during your travels bobco.

No kidding. I’ve lived in West Springfield close to that intersection for over 25 years. I haven’t seen so much as a flat tire in my neighborhood, but the first time he rides there he sees a collision turned into a positive sign of humanity!

[trailrunner]

This is a good message that needs to get out. One of my worst experiences as a cyclist was when I was riding on South Arlington Mill Drive near Shirlington. An Arlington police officer stopped his car, got out, and told me to get on the Four Mile Run bike path because bikes HAD TO use the path. When I hesitated and said “huh?”, he made it clear that he was going to pound the everliving stuff out of me if I didn’t comply immediately. I did indeed comply, and then called the police department to suggest that they better educate their officers. That was a while ago, so hopefully things have gotten better. I’ve had other incidents over mandatory bike-path misconceptions use that were less life-threatening, so yeah, this is a recurring issue.

[trailrunner]

They’re all good. Even the lowest end Shimano stuff is reliable and durable, perhaps even more than the high end stuff in some cases, and close to the top of the line components I started out with 25 years ago. As long as you don’t buy your bike from Wal Mart, you don’t need to worry too much about different brands. For a touring bike I would stick to Shimano or SRAM since parts might be easier to find if I were to ever have a problem out in the middle of nowhere.

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[trailrunner]

I have never heard of R. Herse cranks before, but I looked at the cranks on the Compass Cycle website. They look like high-end old-school forged square-taper cranks. Nothing wrong with that, but keep in mind that you have to use a square-taper bottom bracket. Again, nothing wrong with that and not too hard to do. You’d also need to ensure that the frame has the right size bottom bracket shell. Again, not necessarily hard. The thing that would concern me the most is the three-hole bolt pattern for the chainrings. I’ve never seen that before. If you ever want to replace the chainrings, you’d most likely have to buy from them.

Whether or not they have any advantages or not could be debated for a long time with no conclusion. If you’re building up or restoring a classic bike or a new old-school bike, they might be a nice choice.

[trailrunner]

A guy who works with me moved to the area in the spring. He lives in Del Rey, and would often go cycling after work on the MVT. I warned him about the trail being crowded and the bridges being slippery, but it was convenient for him. About a month ago, he had an accident, broke three ribs badly, separated his shoulder, and hit his head pretty hard. I’m not sure where he was, and he doesn’t know how it happened – he just woke up on the ground.

Back in the old days (20 years ago), two other experienced cyclist friends of mine had accidents on the MVT.

[Author]

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