[txgoonie]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324798904578527592558673764.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

A bit of an antidote from the WSJ. Taken with a grain of salt, of course. But a practical solution offered to calm the debate: Just get on a bike.

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 54286 wrote:

But Strava will know…

Nothing is sacred.

http://road.cc/content/news/84868-digital-epo-smash-your-strava-times%E2%80%A6-cheating

[txgoonie]

You only have to do a super-duper, mineral spirits soaking cleaning every once in a while. I used my handy-dandy Park Tool chain cleaner once every week or two, and that holds off the need for deep cleaning quite nicely.http://www.parktool.com/product/cyclone-chain-scrubber-CM-5-2 I also wipe and re-lube my chain between every ride or two.

One of my teammates who specializes in 100-mile MTB races swears by chain waxing. I haven’t gone that route yet, but it sounds interesting.

[txgoonie]

@4st7lbs 54146 wrote:

Thanks for the heads up. I usually ride in traffic when I do my long rides so this is going to be a nice change for me since there won’t be any stops. Being over 350lbs I’m still kind of leery about making it through the whole three and a half hours but if this hill isn’t that bad I’m sure with plenty of rest the night before, water, Stinger waffles, and short breaks I’ll do ok since it’s not stop and go.

The good thing about the hill is that it’s right before the water stop. So you’re expected to slow down/stop right after it to catch your breath anyway. Then you go right back down the hill, which is super fun! It’s one of those things where sitting at the bottom of it, you think “oh crap,” but once you’re actually on it, it really doesn’t seem so bad.

[txgoonie]

@Dirt 54131 wrote:

Hahaha. They all said thank you as they sprinted past me to cross the line ahead of me. I’m a lover, not a racer.

No way! What poor form. Even racers don’t pull crap like that. They all shouldda pushed you across the line then bought you a beer!

[txgoonie]

Absolutely stellar work, Pete! Huge congratulations to you and Sean.

[txgoonie]

@PotomacCyclist 53937 wrote:

Actually, the old Revolution Cycles City Hub space is set to become the 2nd location for the Crystal City Wine Shop. 300 different wines and 150 types of beer will be available. But I don’t think it’s recommended to carry all of that or drink all of that just before a ride.

http://www.arlnow.com/2013/05/07/crystal-city-wine-shop-to-open-second-location/

Well, this dulls the pain of the loss a bit Exciting things happening in Crystal City!

[txgoonie]

That’s why I’m a happy convert to the bell. Seems to be more successful in cutting through the music than a spoken pass call. I also seem to get more waves of confirmation of having heard it from both people with earbuds and those without.

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 53909 wrote:

start out towards the back, stay out of the passing lane and watch any of the tight turns.

This applies to everyone, btw While this isn’t a race, there are people riding for time and some pretty swift-moving pacelines out there, so observing group riding rules keeps everyone safe and moving well. Stay right, pass left. Hold your line. Check behind quickly before you change your line. If things are a little tight, pointing left or right to indicate your intention to move is always welcome. If you draft off someone, make sure they know you’re back there. Basically, just stay aware and use common sense.

[txgoonie]

@4st7lbs 53890 wrote:

Those of you that did it last year – can you recommend a good spot for your support person to hang out at that’s shady? My wife said she wants to cheer me on and be my support person but didn’t know if the shady area over by the water fountains in Crystal City would be open or not for spectators. Anyone remember what the crowd was like for the race last year?

It’s not a huge crowd draw quite honestly since it’s non-competitive. I actually remember some people doing exactly what your wife is planning to do in that spot. The roads will be closed to vehicular traffic, of course, but pedestrians shouldn’t have any trouble getting around. Just please make sure you’re actually off the route if you choose to stop. It’s not a huge hazard at the water fountain b/c the road is relatively wide there. I just remember people creating their own little impromptu pit stops right on the road, which really isn’t the safest thing to do.

[txgoonie]

@consularrider 53880 wrote:

That’s it? I could have sworn the supersonics were out, maybe it was the crowd?

Well, that’s of the people who uploaded their ride to Strava. Doesn’t mean there wasn’t someone going faster.

[txgoonie]

I imagine they meant neighborhood street.

“Puppy paws?” Did they totally make up that term?

[txgoonie]

@hozn 53534 wrote:

I investigated the SodaStream option, but it didn’t seem any cheaper than $1 2L bottles from Shoppers.

Even if the costs were exactly the same (over time it does actually pay for itself, although slower than your DIY) I’d still use it to avoid putting plastic bottles into the waste stream. The amount of packaging we use for beverages makes me nuts. One a related note, we have totally acceptable municipal water, so I refuse to buy bottled.

[txgoonie]

@jrenaut 53468 wrote:

If you want missed connections, you can’t do much better than this. My old realtor lived on 26th St N and it took me half an hour to find her house for the first time. Click that link and see how many roads, places, or streets named 25th you can find that don’t connect to each other.

I used to live on 12th St. S.http://goo.gl/maps/TF0LL The 12th St. S that intersects with Columbus St. Not the one that connects with S. Frederick. And continuing West…not the one that connects with Quincy or S. Glebe or Courthouse Rd. or S. Queen or S. Hayes or S. Eades. Between Rte. 7 and the Potomac you could hit a dozen 12th St. Souths that I didn’t live on.

I could not get food delivered.

[txgoonie]

I ride the MacArthur Loop semi-regularly, as well, and don’t personally notice a correlation between no calls and aerobars. I do, however, find the overall instances of pass calls abysmally low. I really don’t care if it’s a Strava segment or a known TT area. If you’re going over 25 mph and passing within inches of another individual (or group of individuals, which is when it’s actually more important) on a bicycle on a 2-lane road with no shoulder, you say something. Anything. A “left” — however breathless or curt it may be — is all it takes. It’s safer for everyone. And this is just me, but I really appreciate nods or hellos from other cyclists when I’m out there suffering. Some camaraderie wouldn’t kill ya!

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