[vern]

there are also arrows that point to manhole covers and similar utility stuff…so, in general, the arrows mark for utility workers where access points are adjacent to the trail, however, I prefer the conspiracy oriented theories.

[vern]

I ride from Reston to Crystal City, so I could connect with you on the WOD in Reston @ Wiehle if our times match up reasonably well. I ususally leave between 5:30 and 5:45.

[vern]

Thanks for the tips. Turns out most of the problem was in the rear, and getting that right took care of most of the chain rub on the front, with only a few tweaks needed. Since I don’t have a proper workstand, I had to suspend my bike from the basement ceiling joists with ropes tied around the seat post and handlebar stem. Not the steadiest platform, but I made it work.

[vern]

Me: Westbound on the WOD midway between Vienna and Hunter Mill.
You: Mid 20’s guy eastbound, 100 yards distant, madly texting with both hands.
Me: Somewhat alarmed since a phone grabbing rider almost crashed into me at the same spot on Wednesday.
You: Swerving wildly into the far side of my lane.
Me: Totally alarmed!
You: Still texting, correct the swerve only to veer back into my lane right in front of me.
Me: A quick push right and “Put the phone away, dammit!”
You: “Shut up!”

Yeah, you got me there…

[vern]

someone was doing a similar thing at Gallows and WOD. I wonder who that was (light changed so I didn’t ask)?

[vern]

Lots and lots of bikes on the trails on the home commute which was really good to see. Even better is that with the enhanced numbers, most were considerate of both their fellow riders and other users of the trails. And the warm temperatures were kind to my old bones.

[vern]

@mstone 84638 wrote:

when the apocalypse comes, the four horsemen ain’t gonna be on horses–they’ll be in black SUVs with Maryland plates

A black SUV almost took me out on Eads this morning. I didn’t catch the plate.

[vern]

Is it just me, or are the cracks in the W&OD between Little Falls and Washington expanding in size by the day?

[vern]

Nah, not stupid. Most of my miles in general, and for commutes, have been on my “light” road bike (or nowadays, my other drop bar 700c bikes). It’s more efficient to commute on than a hybrid/MTB, and I think it made me better at learning to spot/react to potholes, bumps, etc. and how to ride in bad weather. Especially after I crashed and broke my elbow.

I think that’s true for me, too. Awareness is definitely up, and I’ve found the wooden bridges on the W&OD seem like ice when wet riding the Fuji. I can feel the bike sliding horizontally in those situations, so I’ve started to slow way down when, like this morning, those bridges are wet.

[vern]

The sun was rugged this morning on an eastbound commute.

[vern]

For a post-Christmas present I bought myself a Fuji SL-1 road bike. It’s carbon, and probably stupidly, I’m using it as a commuter bike. I got it for pennies on the dollar because it’s a 2010 vintage, but new out of the box. It became my numero uno bike, taking the place of my 1997 Trek 1220, which I want to winterize for this coming winter. I’m pretty happy with the Fuji so far, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around how light it is and how it handles. It’s really, really different from the old Trek, but I’m starting to feel more as one with it.

So my wife said to me the other day…”You’re going to get rid of your old bike, right?” Are you crazy?!

[vern]

I just joined. I’ll be manually entering my miles.

[vern]

It’s been said, but now way this guy was undercover. He wouldn’t have turned on his lights and he wouldn’t have made such a scene. More likely is that he was simply waiting for someone, and blew up at you to make you go away. A cellphone photo of his license plate and him, if you could get one, would have served to file a complaint. This really needed to be reported.

[vern]

I can see this being akin to texting while driving with cyclists giving rapt attention to their devices as their bikes veer over the center line into an on-coming bike. Or, maybe I’m just a Luddite.

[vern]

It’s amazing the difference made by taking a little wobble out of the back wheel. The ride this morning was so much quieter and smoother and shifting was so clean, both front and back. Add that to a beautiful, crisp morning and it makes for a good, fun ride.

[Author]

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