[vvill]

@Megabeth 32155 wrote:

Tip: Do not put your arm out to break a fall else you break your arm and wrist and have to be whisked off in an ambulance.

Good advice. I did that on my commute last year and then rode the last couple miles to work before deciding the pain was a bit more than my regular ol’ RSI and checking into a hospital. My “upside” was getting to ride metrobus + rail to work for a month afterwards.

I wouldn’t mind doing the Seagull one year but it’s a bit far away so it’s never seriously been on my radar.

[vvill]

@eminva 32178 wrote:

All in all it was a success. I would recommend bringing hard copies of the policy for station attendants, though.

Liz

Good to hear! Sounds like GuyContinental’s advice was well-founded:

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?3027-9-18-bring-your-steel-umbrella&p=31313#post31313

[vvill]

I would guess there’s quite a bit of variation in the Chinese/fleabay lights. Mine are machined aluminum and work okay for the $ I think, although the mounts I bought aren’t quite stable enough. I picked the model based on a recommendation on a forum somewhere.

I read somewhere once that harborfreight’s suppliers vary all the time and it’s mostly based on whoever wants to sell cheap to them/has excess stuff to unload so the quality varies a lot. No idea if it’s true or not.

[vvill]

@consularrider 32059 wrote:

Something I heard is that potatoes have about as much potassium as bananas, that staple of cycling rest stops.

Interesting. Maybe that explains why I was craving more when I rode last year. I ate 2 or 3 I think, and I’m normally not a big fan of potatoes.

[vvill]

I got back from DC (via bike) a little after midnight last night, so I was dragging this morning too. I also decided to run oh, maybe 1 mile yesterday. Random parts of my low leg muscles ache.

[vvill]

Watts usually measure how much power the light needs to run, whereas lumens are a measure of light output. Manufacturers’ claimed lumens aren’t necessarily accurate.

I think somewhere in the range of 250-600 lumens is high enough for most urban commuting. What works depends a lot on what sort of beam your light produces. I have a flashlight that does quite a few lumens but it’s bascially a straight beam which isn’t that useful, so on early mornings in winter I’ll often run two so I have a wider beam.

I believe most lights sold these days are based on LEDs rather than say, halogen bulbs.

[vvill]

I don’t have a smart phone. I do have a Contour though (it was $100 after rebate).

[vvill]

Oh and as for the real question about training etc, I don’t know. I’m sort of in the same boat re: not wanting to do intervals/structured training/stop eating pizza etc. but wanting to ride better. But I think I’ve sort of exhausted what I know/can do on commutes without reading up more on it. Boo. Effort.

I would say, very generally, based on my limited (in)experience/(un-)knowledge, that the more intensity you ride for longer the better you’ll get. But that doesn’t include building up endurance. Any rides past 60 miles are rare for me.

[vvill]

@Certifried 30271 wrote:

Saw this comment on the link for the Strava HR issue. LOL

Strava Suffer score is “TRIMP”, which is based on TSS:

http://djconnel.blogspot.com/2011/08/strava-suffer-score-decoded.html

One of these days I’ll play with the Strava API (I think there’s one) and do some of my own metrics.

@TwoWheelsDC 31845 wrote:

I just picked up a Garmin 800 (wife wanted a Garmin too, so I gave her my 200 and upgraded ) and now that I have a unit that’ll link up with a HRM (I got the standalone unit, not the bundle)

Sweeeet!

[vvill]

@KelOnWheels 31847 wrote:

THREE DAYS IN A ROW! (and Coffee Club!)

Possibly the only thing keeping me from quitting my job today and becoming a hobo.

At least you’d be a stylish hobo on a bike. And you could still go to Coffee Club.

[vvill]

Welcome to 6 days ago.

[vvill]

@birddog 31808 wrote:

Me: Following right behind you on the MVT at a pretty quick pace (22-24)

Not that I haven’t gone > 15 mph on the MVT, but this doesn’t sound like a good idea for a crowded trail like the MVT on a morning commute…

And after what that rider did past that group, I would not be following, both for safety and because I wouldn’t want to be associated with them.

Glad to hear the collision was only minor.

[vvill]

@consularrider 31814 wrote:

…

^ this. Also, last year I used a helmet with a visor but after a few months the visor would come off too easily.

The cap I have is 100% Polyester and very thin. Just too small.
http://www.hincapie.com/products/menswear/sale/50511M/

[vvill]

You can ride any bike you like. Saw a couple of guys on fatbikes, and a few MTBs.

@Dirt 31758 wrote:

That may be why y’all have sore backs. I definitely suggest mixing it up on long climbs like that just to give your muscles a break. When you’re out of the saddle, roll your hips back over the saddle to keep the rear wheel weighted so the rear wheel holds traction. I used 4 different positions on the climbs

Yeah this is something I need more experience with – riding on dirt/unpaved sections for decent stretches of time. Although I didn’t have a back issue myself, I did feel like I wished I had more variation in body position generally.

Same goes for tire width. With more experience I’d probably be fine with the 25-28 range but as it was I felt a little thin.

[vvill]

@Tim Kelley 31722 wrote:

He was in the Buff! http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?2986-What-to-do-about-the-hair&p=30887#post30887

Just “a” Buff. Btw, I probably would’ve gotten your joke during the ride if I wasn’t half dead already and just trying to survive.

The main reason I wear it though actually is because it looks really stupid if I don’t do something with it. I’ve seen photos of myself with my hair all over the place mid-ride and it looks like a wind sail or something. Probably not very aero either.

@Dirt 31720 wrote:

Reason #17 why I hate vvill. He’s the only person I saw at the end of the Alpine Gran Fundo that had PERFECT hair after 104 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing.

Ivanka Trump was right.

[Author]

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