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I haven’t really had bad enough experiences with any of my tires to have a preference other than price! In over 5000miles (well over half commuting) on 700x23s or 25s I’ve ridden on a pair of Vittoria Rubino 25s (2 flats – one pinch flat from hitting a small pebble, one from a bad crash in the wet), a pair of Hutchinson Fusion 23s (1 pinch flat hitting a pothole in the wet), and now I’m on one Panaracer RibMo 25 up front and one Continental Gatorskin 25 on the back (0 flats). Both those pinch flats should’ve been avoided (I didn’t pump up the tires for quite a few days beforehand). My folding bike has Schwalbe tires (Durano and Marathon Racer) and has had two also avoidable flats. Number one from being left out in the sun, and the next was the following day because the sidewall was already compromised.

I don’t see too many commuters on bikes that could fit 29×2.35s!

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Vacuum truck was still there ~4pm. Location is fairly obvious and non-threatening but it does require slowing more than usual and quite a few cyclists tend to take that turn too fast to begin with.

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Many, many awesome photos of what was an amazingly fun afternoon/night. The spectacle, atmosphere, riders, volunteers, bikes, beer and food were all great. It really didn’t feel like I was in the DC area. It’ll definitely be on my calendar again next time it rolls around. Probably no silver pants though.

@PotomacCyclist 32561 wrote:

What was going on with the Smartcar? I saw everyone getting into the car and closing the door.

There was a guy in the passenger seat who would stamp your manifest. It was worth a point (or two, I forget), but you had to first close the door and honk the horn to get stamped. The blackjack table was interesting – the first time I got there I couldn’t remember how to play blackjack, but I did win a hand later on. I was also having too much fun with the hay bales after my first lap and forgot to stop to pick up a manifest (so I rode a point-less lap). I totally missed the location of the pit crew too! My handlebars came loose before the last few laps which made the downhill turns extra dicey and I stopped a couple times to ask if anyone had hex/allen keys but didn’t realize there was a pit until long after finishing.

@PotomacCyclist 32561 wrote:

The only addition I’d suggest is a large banner above the garage entrance, like the ones that advertise events across the street from the Crystal City Metro station. I think some of the passersby on Crystal Drive were mystified about what was going on in the parking garage. The banner might bring in some non-cyclists to watch. Maybe some of them would eventually start riding themselves and even sign up for the next Diamond Derby.

Agreed. I think it’d also be helpful to post the basic rules of the races beforehand on the website. It was a little hard for me to hear/pay full attention to the announcer and it took me a little while to figure out what a manifest was (I started at the very back of the pack so was one of the last to be handed one).

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Agreed!

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@thecyclingeconomist 32528 wrote:

I have ridden gatorskins, armadillos, and then about 25 others in the “road” category from fortezza to EVOs to sewups to STANS. For commuting, I must say that the schwalbe big apples in a 29X2.35

How many frames will fit a 29×2.35?! Even my hybrid only goes up to maybe a 33mm. 2.35 inches is almost 60 mm!

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Similar thing happened to me about 12 months ago. I was told I couldn’t bring my bike up and the rack is a wheel bender. I’ve seen others bring bikes on the elevators from time to time though, so I think I could get away with it every now and then if I wanted to.

The garage parking attendant actually stopped me this morning to ask me about my lights because he wanted to get some for his kids’ bikes. I pointed him to bikeglow.com

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I got a gnat in my mouth on the way home. Spat some of it out but had to fish out the main part with my fingers.

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@jopamora 32482 wrote:

I’ve been getting motion sick much easier since I started commuting by bike. So, now you could kinda say I am allergic to other forms of transportation where I am a passenger.

Same here.

And Metro rail doesn’t count. Whenever I’ve had to go back to it, it’s taken me a week to two to get used to the stop-start of it.

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I set up some extra lights on my bike too! Will try a test run tomorrow and hope nothing falls off.

My arrangement is definitely not as pretty though.

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Spontaneous smiles.

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This one looks easy…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwKuJ9JVJho

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I have definitely planned out rides in order to help Strava challenge goals. I did a climbing challenge (Rapha) for which I did get a lovely patch, and a distance one after that already this year, so I’m not attempting to finish this one.

I think if more Cat 1/2/3 racers actually Strava’d their stuff most of the commuters like us would have no hope of placing all that high.

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Ugh

I hope some justice will be served.

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@Brendan von Buckingham 32363 wrote:

Reading threads like this makes me just want a road bike.

Go test ride one!

I never realized how different the feel of a road bike was until I bought mine.

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Sorry about your accident. That’s horrible that they quickly left you after realizing you were hurt!

I guess there is some value to riding on M St and Washington Circle in the morning. You get used to looking out for all manner of start-stop traffic – including pedestrians. The other day a saw a runner salmoning on M St (going west on the wrong side of the road)… surely there are better places to run, and then later on, a lady crossed through stopped traffic on the westbound side to the middle of street while wheeling her bike, then slowly got on her bike to start pedaling – in the middle of the left lane on the eastbound side.

These were both trumped by a runner yesterday – on the way home he was on Lynn St salmoning against traffic! Yes, in the left most lane going onto Key Bridge, where cars drive fast. Partly shaded and obscured. I almost hit him crossing (with the green light) as he approached the ped intersection. He wasn’t even looking up.

In short, wtf.

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