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@thecyclingeconomist 34941 wrote:

Getting clothing right in the temps between 30 and 50 is really a tough task.

Yeah this is exactly what I should’ve mentioned in my original post. I’m looking for clothing that works in the weather we’ve been having (not midwinter). That and a lot of the return commutes these days are still > 50F and I don’t usually carry a bag on my commutes so I’m loathe to shed layers.

(I’ve figured out <30F fine. I have various balaclava type things, ski googles, full thermal jackets, etc. that work great.)

@CPTJohnC 34939 wrote:

My one question is how heavy is the windproof layer?

I have a wind-“resistant” MTB one that is very thin but lined with mesh. It was my go-to last year (but I had this problem then too) and I can wear this into the 20s with just a couple layers underneath. It has a venting “cut-out” on the upper back but I still overheat easily in it >35F or so. I’ve been tempted to make my own vents in it (I got this jacket for <$20). I also have a very thin wind vest, and a fleece lined thick wind vest. I’m still experimenting with them. The very thin one doesn’t seem to do enough and the other one seems to do too much in this temp range. I have at least 2 or 3 other shells/jackets which are not cycling specific that I’ve used as well. All have the same problems – nice wind blocking up front, too much heat building up in the back. @creadinger 34938 wrote:

Does your jacket have a full zipper? You can use that to regulate how much air flow you get. I have problems with this too. My body gets really hot (and sweaty) while my lower legs, feet and hands freeze.

Almost all my nicer stuff does have full double zips. But I can still end up riding with my zipper on both the jacket/shell and base layer/jersey half way down, with cold wind going straight onto my skin, and still feeling too warm – mostly my back/armpits get drenched in sweat.

I think I’m concluding that I either need to get a nice shell/jacket that actually vents correctly in the back/under arms while stopping the wind up front (Dirt, americancyclo, thecyclingeconomist), or I just need to forget about sweating a lot and get used to it (jrenaut). I’ll check out some of the links/products mentioned too. Thanks all!

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@OneEighth 34921 wrote:

Jump in with both feet! Go fixed.

I have attempted to at least just pedal constantly while “SSing” but I can’t help coasting. I don’t understand how you brake suddenly when you need to, or what happens when you hit bumps or curbs, etc. I always coast at least a bit before hopping over say, a bridge joint. Honestly I doubt I have the knees/legs/fitness to ride my commute fixie anyway. Pretending to SS is hard enough.

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Very nice. I wish there was an easy way to aggregate commuting miles in Strava, since you can tag rides as commutes.

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@OneEighth 34888 wrote:

riding home without switching gears because she wanted to see what it was like to have one gear…

I’ve started doing this… I think a SS bike may be next. Just can’t stop the covet.

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I have an older model Contour HD. I agree with the general sentiment about Contours.

yay

• good “value”
• good form factor, seems tough
• lots of storage thanks to microSD

nay

• adjusting camera settings via computer-only sucks
• mounts suck, are expensive
• microphone is too wind sensitive (there are workarounds posted online)

I got mine for $100 (not waterproof) and it’s mounted to a helmet using a re-purposed reflective velcro strap (sorry, not paying 30% of the original cost for a different mount… actually the helmet cost less than a mount would).

I don’t use it as much as I thought I might which I guess means it wasn’t good value in the end. Part of the reason though is I don’t have a computer that can process the videos easily.

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@TwoWheelsDC 34829 wrote:

I know! I’ve been keeping an eye out for you, but after looking at Strava I think you leave a bit later than I do. I’m sure I’ll see you when I’m out doing hills on the weekends though. BTW, I hit the lights perfectly on Westmoreland today and didn’t have to stop once between Williamsburg and Old Dominion on Chain Bridge (3+ miles)…it was awesome.

Yeah I’m on a weird schedule right now due to some issues out of my control. Normally I’d be on the road by 7am.

I love the hills around here!

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@TwoWheelsDC 34815 wrote:

Now that the detours are clear, I was finally able to properly time my new commute…30 minutes door-to-door. That’s what my car commute was when I was living on the Hill (bike commute was 1:15). I really have no excuse to not ride 5 days a week now…

I may even run into you going the other way on Westmoreland!

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@pfunkallstar 34756 wrote:

There is a crapton of Autumnal Ice on ye’old S-Curve of Doom, almost ate it twice this morning going maybe 3mph, Fluffy KITTENS!

My trip history tells me I was doing between 5-8 mph, mostly at the lower end of that. The cyclist I was overtaking looked terrified and had one leg sticking out. I felt safer once I was around him actually. Also, I was on comfy 700x32s with tread.

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Hmm, looks like they need some enforcement and better signage.

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Thanks for all these trail reports. I took it easy on the Custis – although I still overtook someone going downhill around the S-curve of death…

And then when crossing Lynn St I had a nice lady obliviously blocking the intersection (and car traffic as well) while chatting on a cell phone. The cyclist behind me vocalized my thoughts for me.

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The only thing I noticed this morning that was particularly dangerous: the layers of wet leaves on the turns between Brandymore Castle and the basketball court.

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@TwoWheelsDC 34741 wrote:

Today was the first day of my new commute, from my new house/neighborhood, and it was glorious despite the cold. For me at least, not having to deal with 25 minutes of stop lights through DC and having a ride that’s mostly on stop-free, bike-friendly roads changes the way I view my commute in a really positive way. It also helps that the distance is now about half what it was before.

Nice. One of the things I love about my commute (if I go the most “efficient” way) is the ratio between moving time and stopped time, compared to what it would be in a car or … metro.

@TwoWheelsDC 34741 wrote:

I did have a couple Sandy-related hiccups though…Westmoreland was closed at Williamsburg due to a downed tree and power lines, and up toward Haycock there was a power line stretched across the road, but cars were being allowed under it. It was a little disconcerting to ride under that thing, but I didn’t die, so it’s fine. Overall, it looked like north Arlington/McLean made out fairly well, thankfully…the only real danger for cyclists that I noticed was all the wet leaves in the bike lanes and shoulders, but hopefully we’ll dry out over the next few days and they’ll clear out.

Yeah I had that issue too on Westmoreland. I walked with my bike through it (after okaying it with one of the workers).

There weren’t too many trees down otherwise – I think many of those weaker ones were taken out by the derecho already. But we only got power back around dinnertime last night.

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I have a modified version of this http://www.swiftfolder.com/ which is also available in a mass produced build under license by Xootr http://www.xootr.com/folding-bicycle.html

The Xootr website claims you can make it fit from 5 feet to 6 feet 7 but I’m a bit skeptical of that range. One of my favourite things about it is that most of the parts are standard. Rims are 406 (same as BMX, recumbent, other folders) and the stem/handlebar, BB, drivetrain, pedals, hub spacing, etc are all bike industry standard. The seatpost and fork are not although some people have made mods that let them use road bike carbon seatposts and even 650c carbon forks. There is steel disc brake version of the frame too. http://hpm.catoregon.org/?page_id=214

The only things I don’t like about it – 1) braking doesn’t work that well (I’m using road levers on mini V brakes – standard MTB/hybrid levers would give more than adequate cable pull though I think) and 2) it’s a little harsh on certain bumps – like tree roots on the Custis, because of the small wheels (if I fitted larger slick tires, around 40-50mm, I’m sure it would be more comfortable without sacrificing too much speed). As far as a folding bike goes though I think it’s awesome. The Bike Friday would probably outclass it but it also costs a fair bit more.

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Some are one size fits most, some are available in a range of sizes. Depends on the model/manufacturer.

At TJROW I talked to a tall guy from SF on a Tern (perhaps a D7) – he was very happy with it.

Weight can also have an impact. Some performance folders have max weight limits.

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@consularrider 34571 wrote:

“Updated information regarding Washington-area federal government operating status is not expected from OPM until 4:00 a.m. on Monday, October 29, 2012.”[/quote]

Yeah it makes no sense. Maybe it’s hindsight but OPM always seems unbalanced in one way or another when deciding what to do. They announce overly conservative measures too early, or announce a needed measure too late.

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