[vvill]

Thanks dana! I found it successfully. I also mapped my ride in advance and noted the approx mileage of the turn off, and luckily Street View also had some good vistas. Funny thing was another cyclist asked for directions on my way into DC – that always seems to happen whenever I’m somewhere relatively new.

Nice to see you, consularrider. I’ll try to arrive earlier tomorrow so we can actually chat a bit.

I got a bell, a purple t-shirt leftover from last year, a granola bar, bagel, banana and a coffee – well worth the 8 mi detour!

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@mrkenny83 19680 wrote:

This morning, I had my first passing-gone-wrong incident.
…

Ugh! Sorry to hear that.

People on the trails is one of my motivations for getting up early and beating the commuter rush. When I used to drive or metro to work, it was the same… just a different kind of traffic.

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@consularrider 19632 wrote:

Yep, that’s the one. Stop by, I’m sure they would like the company.

I have no idea where that is relative to the trail! Even after consulting a map :confused: I’ve only ridden Mt Vernon a couple times and both times I was on the wheel of someone from this forum. I’ll try to find it though… I never scoff at free bagels.

[vvill]

I have one of these at work:
http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Mobile-Fan-External-Cooling/dp/B00080G0BK
plugged into a USB port. I bought 2 of them probably 5 years ago.

I hang my stuff around it and put it on full blast. As long as I rotate my items once they’re dry, everything is ready (with the assistance of some newspaper for shoes) by the time I leave.

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Wait, the CC pitstop is open all week? I’m there! This one, right?
http://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/arlington-crystal-city-water-park-pit-stop/

Yeah it was a wet one this morning. I still need to newspaper my shoes.

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@Dirt 19402 wrote:

Welcome back, sir! This challenge is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ll be in the thick of things very soon. See you on the trail soon!

Yep! Great to see all the A team checking in now.

I’ve been trying to do a minimum of 1 mile/day just for the 20 base points.

[vvill]

I like bike infrastructure but I think I’ve had more close calls in bike lanes than going through Georgetown on M St when I take the lane. That could be anecdotal though.

[vvill]

As of this moment, all 3 BikeArlington teams are in the top 20! 😎

[vvill]

I’m no expert, but FWIW I used Duoderm last time I had a bad crash. It’s expensive but in my case it was worth it. It covered the whole area (my left hip) and I could leave it on for days at a time, and through showers. I think Tegaderm is similar. I have scarring there but I seem to scar easily anyway.

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@Arlingtonrider 19114 wrote:

Consularrider,
Not to worry. I think most or all of us will have business trips, vacations, family obligations, etc. that may interfere with our riding for a time over the course of the four month challenge. Yours just happened to be in the first few days of it. I have two week-long trips that I know of where I’ll have that problem. Be careful with the altitude, but have fun if you do get a chance to bike. I’m sure we’ll see you around when you get back!

Yep. Consularrider and Zanna had some of the highest points totals in the A-Team pre-May so I’m sure all 3 Bike Arlington teams will be back up in the running soon enough. I’m not commuting next week but will try to ride at least a few metres each day just for the 20 base points!

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I’ve never had a fit but just have to re-iterate that small changes make big differences! When I got a new saddle (my first day riding was the end of TJROW), it took weeks of adjustments and actually it’s only been a few days since I last messed with it (put it about 1cm up). If you have more than one pair of shoes, the fit will feel different even in different shoes! I wore my MTB shoes yesterday for the first time in weeks and it was a bit strange feeling as the soles are much stiffer than my commuter shoes with laces (and I slipped over a few times walking to my office).

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I rode briefly with a guy on a Tern on the last day of TJROW (he flew from SF to DC for the bike summit). He was very happy with it and quite tall too – one of the reasons he opted for a Tern he said.

I have to admit I pulled the trigger on a folder and am now commuting on 406 wheels. Wheeeeeee!

[vvill]

I would love something like this, if it worked well. It takes me close to 2 hrs to mow my lawn. I use an electric mower with a loooong extension cord, so my neighbours probably already think I’m crazy.

[vvill]

I’m planning to hit up (in order) Falls Church, Ballston, Rosslyn and Reagan (formerly Freedom Plaza). The first three of those open at 6:30am so I’ll be up early
There’s also 3 stops (Farragut, Murrow Park, NGS) well within striking distance of work but I think 4 stops should be enough.

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@Dirt 19073 wrote:

I went out and rode with some of the A-Team last night. I thought they needed a little moral support. I think they were a little downtrodden. Hopefully their spirits were uplifted a bit and they can get more points up on the board.

Thanks :p Once consularrider is back and Zanna is logging miles again we should have a fuller squad! I see Dana is already back logging.

[Author]

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