[TwoWheelsDC]

A year ago, I started with CaBi for recreation (it’s a gateway drug!) and then moved up to a Coda Sport and started also using it for commuting, so I think I’m in a position to offer some thoughts

I don’t want to turn this into a bike review, but my thoughts in a nutshell…the Coda Sport is a fine bike, but I think it’s overpriced for what you get. The 2011 model had a pretty lousy mix of MTB components (Deore) and super basic generic Shimano stuff. Also, the cables and stuff seemed to corrode at the very mention of rain or high humidity…so it has some drawbacks. Shortly after getting my Coda, I convinced my fiance to get a bike and we picked up a Fuji Absolute 2.0 for her that is, IMHO, a much better bike for the money…full Tiagra road components, disc brakes, adjustable stem, and just a higher quality feel. I think it was a decent amount cheaper too. Maybe the 2012 Coda models are better though…I noticed they went with a steel fork over the previous model’s carbon one, so they’ve definitely made some changes.

Once I got started on my own bike, I was totally hooked and it wasn’t long before I was salivating over proper road bikes, and my hybrid made me feel like that dorky kid whose mom wouldn’t buy him name brand shoes (true story of my life, actually). Of course, that’s just my ego, but I did find the Coda to be limiting once I started taking longer and faster rides. Eventually, I bought a used aluminum road bike for fun and a steel cyclocross bike for commuting and sold the Coda. Anyway, I’m not saying you should go buy a road bike or anything, but try to think ahead a little rather than focusing on how you plan to use the bike right now…if that makes sense.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Just signed on to C team with 449 points (I didn’t track my mileage at all this winter, but now I’ve got my Garmin, so every mile will count from now on). We’ve got some catching up to do!

[TwoWheelsDC]

It’s also important to remember that cycling isn’t a club where you have to recite some oath and pledge to uphold the rules. It can seem that way in the echo chamber of the forums and among the relatively small group of advocates, but most people on bikes are just that and you can’t assume that everyone on a bike is aware of or even cares about etiquette, advocacy, or best practices. And just think, statistically, most of the a-hole drivers we all complain about also own and ride bikes, meaning most people on bikes also are a-holes. Totally sucks for the minority who are trying to make change happen, but that’s life…things will get better though as cycling becomes a more normal part of the streetscape.

[TwoWheelsDC]

That’s part of my ride home…I always walk up the path, but I can get up the street okay…but I’ve got a triple with a decent granny gear

[TwoWheelsDC]

@DSalovesh 18134 wrote:

Otherwise, it’s not my favorite answer, but: take the lane. That was the situation before the cycletrack, and it’s still the situation wherever we don’t have one.

This. I’ve found that if you time it right, you can a decent break in traffic and get to Constitution before cars really start jockeying to get in the right turn lane. And that stretch is relatively easy to keep up with traffic, so I haven’t had too many problems. Although drivers will try to pass you, even if you’re keeping up with traffic…I guess maybe it’s emasculating to drive behind a bike?

[TwoWheelsDC]

Similarly, if cars were given a dedicated “right turn only on green” arrow, that would give them a chance to clear the intersection without conflict with peds/bikes and keep them from getting antsy at having to yield. Maybe?

[TwoWheelsDC]

I took my bike out run a few errands and it was barely sprinkling, so I wore my rain coat and jeans. Decided to ride from Capitol Hill to the mall to check out the Reason Rally (meh) and on my way home the skies opened up and I got absolutely drenched. I think my pants soaked up a couple gallons of rainwater…but it was relatively warm and I was close to home, so it was actually kinda fun.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I agree that cyclists face an uphill battle to get our share of the roads…to that end I try to be safe because it gives drivers one less reason to want to run me off the road. I generally stop and wait at lights, use signals, and yield when necessary. These are the same types of behaviors i exhibit when driving…because it makes me safer.

that said, what I really think is that this scofflaw talk is a bunch of BS and is an excuse to keep cyclists off the road. “you gotta be safe to earn your right to the road”. What a load…why aren’t drivers held to this standard? Why do cyclists get singled out as this menace? It’s not because we make the roads less safe, it’s because drivers don’t like to take their foot off the gas for half a second. It’s because drivers see cyclists hop a red light and wish they could do it too. I think we’ve also adopted this macho mentality, that now has become a subconscious thing, that driving=power/affluence and not driving is a sign of weakness. How else do you explain why some people drive a half mile to the store to buy only a carton of milk or whatever?

I think the only thing that is going to get cyclists more respect is for more drivers to become cyclists…that will be driven partly by necessity (high gas prices, weight loss, etc…) and partly by advocacy. But just stopping for red lights or stopping at crosswalks is never going to get us anywhere…drivers always will just find more excuses to run us off the road.

[TwoWheelsDC]

As an alternative, but maybe for when you get more comfortable with traffic, try Clarendon down to Lynn, then across the Key Bridge, then M st. and Penn all the way across town. I did it the other night on a CaBi (although I went all the way to Cap. Hill) and from Courthouse to Reagan Building took maybe 25 minutes. Traffic in the morning shouldn’t be too bad, but M in the afternoon can be a challenge. Again, it may not be the easiest route traffic-wise, but it’s fairly direct and sticking to the street helps avoid tourists, so it’s a good route to at least be familiar with.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Is this stuff like normal road paint? I’ve had too many close calls on slick paint to look positively on the idea of being stuck on a bike lane that is covered with it.

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