[wheelswings]

I was riding down the CCT this afternoon near the foot bridge. In front of me were two amateur riders teetering up the trail side by side, one in each lane. The guy who was (incorrectly) in my lane proceeded to ride off the trail upon seeing me, while the lady who was correctly in the right lane wove from side to side, clearly not in control of her bike. I rang my bell, starting far away, and announced myself verbally as well. Passing them was not a problem. But just as I was going between them, two young men wearing matching kits and riding racing bikes buzzed me in my same direction. I right away said (loudly), “Call your passes, Sir.” I know they heard me… I hope they take it to heart. There’s a lot more I would have liked to tell them. It took utter stupidity to whip through where they did, when they did, without slowing or announcing themselves in any way. I think they felt superior since they were going fast …though I bet I could make them work hard if we all had equivalent bikes and loads.

[wheelswings]

For me, some of the more treacherous signs of spring have involved extended dog leashes. Two afternoons ago I was on MVT heading north near Roosevelt Island. There was a dog on the left edge of the trail … it appeared to be loose. Then at the last moment I realized it was leashed to a large knapsack that was sitting on parking lot curb, to the right of the trail. Apparently this was the owner’s way of “walking” his dog. I managed to stop before adorning my bicycle with puppy guts.

[wheelswings]

Great list! I have more prizes to give out besides the London Bridge prize and the Drug prize. For now, please put me down for the Desperate Escape (from Housework) prize and the Crescent prize. Thanks! w&w

[wheelswings]

As usual, my Saturday riding/errands were limited to whatever could be sandwiched between my gymnastics carpools. But quite UNusual was the fact that I loved the drive just now, the reason being that NPR (WAMU 88.5) today is replaying its Limits of the Body episode, about the Ride Across America. If you missed it on the radio, you can find it at http://www.radiolab.org/story/91710-limits-of-the-body/
Parts are quite fascinating, e.g. about duct-taping your neck for support, and about using exhaustion-derived-hallucinations as an opportunity to push harder. Spoiler: there are some very sad aspects of the story, too.

[wheelswings]

I think Steve O, Steve C and others have articulated the issue well. Many of this year’s teams include folks who rarely log miles and have never said hi on the forum, on Strava, on Facebook, or in person. It would be great if more people actually engaged. I’m not sure how to solve this, though I really appreciate the ideas people are coming up with.

As for Steve O’s proposal, I’d agree with americancyclo… Actually I’d be uncomfortable with point awards for engaging in social activities, photos, etc. Call me old-fashioned, but I feel like these things should come from the heart, and to give them point values takes the fun out of it. Also I’d say that much of the homegrown genius and good humor of Freezing Saddles is not the sort of thing I’d want to quantify…. like when my teammate Snugglefestival took it upon herself to sew headbands and face-masks and distribute them at our Cap City Happy Hour (pure awesomeness). I know that my own participation could not easily be assessed in any metric either…things like ride title poems and cooking up silly prizes (more in the works). I sure as heck wouldn’t want to get points for these things. I like to do them because I love FS and because you are my friends. At the same time, I don’t do side bets or other activities ‘cause I’m a single mom who can barely keep her head above water.
However we decide to re-structure Freezing Saddles, I hope it will continue to encourage cohesion in the winter riding community but at the same time leave a lot of space for different forms of participation.

[wheelswings]

@TwoWheelsDC 135358 wrote:

Given that everyone experiences these types of inaccuracies, I think it’s probably a wash as far as BAFS scoring goes.

Dear bentbike33,
Given that you are an important member of the mighty Team 12 Cyclo-Paths, I believe it would be wise to follow Two-WheelsDC’s sage advice and refrain from trimming any of your rides.
Fondly,
w&w (your teammate)

[wheelswings]

Thanks to all who’ve been contributing to the London Bridge log. I must admit that I read this thread with fascination. Although “liking” would feel sadistic, I yearn to press an empathy button with each entry. And sometimes what you say is, frankly, painfully funny.

Believe me, I’ve been there too. Thanks for all the sharing and revelation. I know that we bicycle commuters can be a tough-as-nails lot. Freeze a few fingers, bleed some, all good, so long as we reach our destination. The London Bridge thread suggests that occasionally we can be vulnerable too. And that some of you may have future careers in stand-up (or fall-down) comedy.

At times we might even learn from our crashes. In January, for example, I cut a commercial driveway lip at too narrow an angle. There was a car behind me and one beside me, so I thought I’d be safest entering the driveway near-parallel to the edge instead of veering out into traffic. Of course my tire slid on the lip and my skin slid on the concrete. I will never ever do that one again.

In any case, thank you for sharing. I hope there’s nothing more to report on this London Bridge/ “I’m goin’ down” thread. But if there is, please keep those reports coming. Be safe. Hugs to each of you. w&w

[wheelswings]

Great to see you (or at least to hear your voice behind the layers!). Sorry I couldn’t stop — now racing off to a gymnastics competition in VA Beach. w&w

[wheelswings]

Firstly, I’m good with any additional metrics…it is fun to see the data. This is my first winter with an iphone and thus electronically-recorded Strava information. It is totally cool.

Second, like some other commenters, I’m wary about the quality of the temperature/weather data coming from National Airport. Their conditions do not always seem to reflect my experience on the roads and trails.

Third, like some others, I sense that the new metric does not really capture my riding habits so well. For example often I leave work when it’s light out and then detour for groceries and an eldercare stint on my way home. Then I return through the woods late at night. When I left work it was pretty nice out, but when I return home it’s not.

Fourth, I agree that we want to reward hard-core winter riding, but I think we also want to encourage sensible, year-round riding for everyone. It’s an incredible way of life, not just a crazy-fun wintertime game. One way to ride smart in winter is to push the commuting times to take advantage of the warmer or lighter parts of the day. This is not always possible, as we all face a range of work/family scheduling responsibilities. But I don’t think we should penalize these more common-sense choices….especially for those of us for whom goofing off is a rare luxury.

Fifth, just to emphasize, I am delighted with any and all new metrics or bits of information. I feel really spoiled by hozn and others who invented such a data-rich system for Freezing Saddles. And – not insignificantly – my children enjoy the FS site too. They’ve learned all our funny team names and ask me questions like, “What ever happened to 8 Ballin’?” They’re always checking the charts of elevation, distance, and other variables. A huge thank-you for all this awesome data!

[wheelswings]

The sign says Dead end. So “Killer” seems perfectly apt.

[wheelswings]

Friendly Reminder – please join us for Happy Hour at Cap City Brewing Co. in Shirlington tonight.
This is for all teams including (but not limited to) the mighty Cyclo-Paths. Everyone please come… it does not matter what team you’re on. w&w

[wheelswings]

Yes indeed, team 14 and all teams are welcome to join us. The more the merrier. I think we have about 10 RSVPs so far. Please come.

[wheelswings]

Thanks extremely much for all the suggestions… I mapped it out and tried to follow every suggestion this morning. The recommended portions worked out well. It was great to ride on the back streets.
Other bits were more tricky. In particular,
–Getting down to Chain Bridge, I took the path labelled “Bike Detour.” It is freakin’ steep and covered with wet green algae. I wimped out and walked the bike down that small stretch. I don’t want to win my own London Bridge Prize again! Is there a more gradual alternative?
–There were still some snow piles in the walkway around Chain Bridge.
–I searched for the short-cut through the woods up to the neighborhoods (along the north side of Canal Road). No luck, so I back-tracked.
–Riding on the C&O was a snowy, slushy mess.
–I carried the bike up the steps and crossed over the pedestrian bridge. The Capital Crescent Trail was a joy! I wonder if it’s better just to take Key Bridge and CCT to get to Van Ness…? Maybe that depends on the weather/snow conditions/time of day or night. Good to know the options, in any case…
–The backstreet route worked out great. I took Manning Pl>(R)Macomb St>(R)Glenbrook>(L)49th>(R)Van Ness St.
–From Van Ness, I didn’t love riding down Connecticut Ave. to Dupont, but it wasn’t terrible either. Just lots of speeding cars, stalled vehicles in the right lane, construction, and police closures for an event at the Reagan Hilton.
Will keep trying to refine the routes and learn more options. Additional ideas always welcome. Thanks for all the suggestions!!! w&w

[wheelswings]

@consularrider 133872 wrote:

I will have to defer on definition to W&W who created this Pointless Prize. I think a fall should include both the bike and the rider hitting the ground/snow/pavement.

What constitutes a “fall” for the London Bridge prize?

To me it means you don’t catch yourself with your feet and stay upright … you actually go down in one way or another. I have no interest in getting lawyerly and technical. If you feel it was a fall, and you live to tell the tale, that is good enough for me.

I don’t care about your bike… I mean, I do care, but not for this prize. If your bike magically stays upright in a snowbank while you topple over the handle bars, then that counts too (and I’d love to see the video ).

I hope you do not get hurt… I hope everyone falls into nice deep fresh snow! But I know a lot of us are getting banged up, bruised, scraped, cracked…. It all counts.

Be safe! Happy riding. w&w

[wheelswings]

The happy hour for Team 12, friends, and soon-to-be-friends will take place this Friday evening 5 February 2016. Please join us from 6 pm onward at Capitol City Brewing Company in Shirlington. Our prior HH got snowed out, but this Friday will be sunny in the 40s, practically Mediterranean. All teams are welcome. Please let us know if you can make it. w&w

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