[wheelswings]

Sorry I can’t join you for Monday morning crepes, consular, but thanks for meeting up with my brother!! He described the traffic in Kyiv as pretty dangerous, so please be extra careful on the bicycle!! He was amazed by your stories of visiting Chernobyl.

[wheelswings]

It makes no difference what your pannier looks like so long as you can get used to the feel. You put in hardcore mileage (a.k.a. stud) and I’m sure your wife appreciates that fact irrespective of what gear you’ve got. And baby Charlie loves you no matter what…

[wheelswings]

I’m wondering whether two people can comfortably ride the same bicycle if one person is about 10 inches taller than the other? Can we just adjust the seat, depending who’s riding? We’re both built like pencils, but I’m a lot shorter.

My brother has been visiting from Sweden for a week at a time. He comes to see our mom, whom we moved here earlier in the summer. Her new home is just a few miles away from me. My brother is car-free and bicycle-free when he’s back home in Sweden because of the idyllic wooded paths for foot travel and the superb public transit (you can even take the subway to the local national park). But he’s come to realize that a bicycle would be very useful here in Arlington, so he’s asked me to find him a used one. He would only need it when he visits, every few months.

It so happens that I’m dreaming of buying another bicycle myself. I’m very attached to my 20 year old Trek mountain bike. It’s all I’ve ever had. It’s tough and reliable, and it works great. So I would keep using it for my daily commuting. But it’s a bit slow on longer rides like 50 States and Vasa, and it would be fun to try some long/faraway escapist rides on a faster bicycle (assuming I can ever find the time).

So my question is, can I buy a bike “for my brother” that’s really my size, for me…. i.e., can I expect it to pass muster for a guy who’s close to six feet tall? He only needs it when he visits, which will be every few months, and he’d likely not ride it more than 10 hilly miles per day.
Or do taller people need bigger bicycles, beyond simply adjusting the seat post?

Thanks for any advice! w&w

[wheelswings]

My colleague found a bicycle computer speedometer lying on the street in DC this morning. He thinks he picked it up roughly at 15th St. NW and T. Did anyone lose a speedometer on their morning commute? You can reply to this thread or PM me with the specs, and we’ll figure out how I can get it to you. w&w

[wheelswings]

I’ve heard there was a bicycle crash this morning in the intersection of Florida and Connecticut Ave, north of Dupont Circle. My informant said the female bicycle rider had managed to stand up but seemed disoriented. A couple of onlookers came to her aid. Apparently her helmet had come apart and she was trying to put the pieces back together as they stood in the intersection. Anyone have information on what happened?

[wheelswings]

@rcannon100 121720 wrote:

I am the slowest person out there. Everyone passes me. Always. If I pass someone, I usually stop and ask if they need help. Pregnant women riding cheater bikes up the Custis hill using electronic inhalers is not a threat to my fragile ego.

A hole six foot deep in the ground, that’s a threat to my fragile ego. On the whole, I would rather avoid descending that six feet.

Since I ride a 30 lb dinosaur — for many years with a double Burley trailer hitched behind — I’d be an idiot to try and compete with anyone, let alone rcannon or an e-bike. I’m just grateful for the reliable transportation and the joyful feeling of riding my bike.

But I think this and other Forum threads bring out some of the schizophrenic strands in the bicycling world. In some ways I sense that the emphasis on KOMs and Strava times can distort the reality of the uneven playing field. No one questions whether speedy multi-thousand-dollar bikes might somehow be “cheating,” yet in some ways it’s not so different from choosing an e-bike. There’s a diversity of bicycles to meet a variety of needs – and that’s a good thing. E-bikes are just one end of the gradient.

[wheelswings]

This evening I came upon another accident, this one on the MVT. A bicycle rider had crashed – it does not appear that there were other bicycles (or vehicles) involved. When I arrived, the cyclist was lying on the trail on his back, his face and head covered in blood. It was clear he was in a lot of pain, perhaps having broken an arm or shoulder or more. I was impressed by the caring and conscientiousness of the first responders, meaning the four or five other bicycle riders and runners who’d arrived at the scene before me. I think at least one of them had medical training. I couldn’t think how I could help, beyond giving them my supply of Wet Ones antibacterial wipes because of all the blood. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later – the EMTs were getting a stretcher when I left. I don’t know how they got him up the steep hillside to their ambulance on the GW Pkwy, but I think they called for backup help, as there was another emergency vehicle coming through as I rode off.
Does anyone have more information? I hope he is doing okay.

[wheelswings]

@vvill 121623 wrote:

Then after I crossed Lynn St trying to make sure none of the cars were going to run me over (got cut off by one yesterday), I realized there was a situation where a cyclist had been hit by a contractor van, probably on a previous light cycle. It didn’t dawn on me until I’d passed as the cyclist was standing up and talking, and I only put the pieces together when I glanced back and saw the bike on the road (the van was stopped, so it had blocked my view of the bike).

I talked with the bicycle rider who was hit at the IoD this morning. I passed through at about 9:30…probably a bit later than you. There were multiple cops directing traffic around the accident scene on the north-east corner of the intersection. The rider seemed to be okay. He was relieved that he was pushed over rather than run over. I got the impression he was an experienced rider, and he said he had lots of photos. The front bumper of the van was all marked up from the impact. When I left the cops were directing the van off the road for further follow-up.

[wheelswings]

I’m curious for what speed they’d actually pull a bicycle rider aside — or give a warning or a ticket. There’s a lot of leeway when you drive a car…on many roads the drivers routinely exceed the limit by 10 mph or more. So presumably there’s a similar margin for bicyclists?

For myself I’m not too worried on my dinosaur bike, though it’s fun to try and reach/exceed the real-time monitors on the roads …this morning I had an excess speed of a whopping 2 mph. :+)

[wheelswings]

On pretty nights like this one, the lower end of the Glencarlyn trails becomes an overflow parking lot. Sometimes I wish I could stick tickets on their windshields…or even just little pamphlets saying “this is a bicycle trail, not a parking space.”

[wheelswings]

@Terpfan 121174 wrote:

http://www.newson6.com/story/29673795/man-bicycling-across-america-killed-in-oklahoma-wreck

Ugh, “According to the trooper’s report, Wanninkhof and Anderson were riding west when a westbound 2014 Chevy driven by Sarah Morris, 34, of Cordell hit them. She told troopers she was distracted by looking at her phone when she hit the bicyclists, according to the OHP report. Morris wasn’t hurt, troopers said.”

Sickening and sad. Driving + smartphones are a deadly combination. I wonder if the cellphone industry would consider taking this problem on with a massive public campaign. Using a phone while driving should be scorned and abhorred by all. I can ask my bicycling friends at Apple and at Google, for starters.

[wheelswings]

@ShawnoftheDread 121100 wrote:

Involved an angry driver waving a large knife at me, followed by a roadside talk with Arlington’s finest. Good times.

Holy smokes. What happened?

[wheelswings]

Oops, it’s past midnight and here I am, filing my morning report. Long day at the office!

This morning on the canal I came upon a couple walking with multiple dogs on long leashes. I slowed down and then stopped to let them pass. As she was going by me, the lady scolded me for riding on the canal and told me I should get off (her husband looked embarrassed).
I ignored the lady’s less-than-friendly demeanor and responded cheerfully, “Actually biking is allowed…I’m just not sure about dogs. But I think it’s all fine so long as we’re nice to one another.”
[In truth, both are allowed on the C&O.]

Sometimes I wonder: if I came across as a more intimidating-type person, would I encounter the same amount of venomous commentary? I’m quite small — a stick figure who wears a skirt over her shorts and a big knapsack, and who rides a dinosaur mountain bike. Not exactly intimidating. Maybe I’m easy to vent on, for those who dislike bicycle-riders. Or maybe we all face similar interactions?

In fairness, I’d say that these same small-female qualities likely get me special privileges including some extra-chivalrous behavior by certain drivers and some welcome encouragement as I huff and puff my way up the hills.

[wheelswings]

@hozn 120484 wrote:

I guess the concept of conducting studies to prove what everyone knows to be true is not limited to sociology!

I like studs too. Some of you know that. We don’t need fancy research studies to prove that studs = awesomeness. Though I don’t actually have any on my tires. Maybe one day… surely I’ve gone down enough times without ‘em.

I expect we could all come up with more useful studies. But I’m just grateful these people are focused on bicycle safety. I mean, think about the millions of bucks devoted to studies like,
–what sort of department store fragrances will convince ladies to buy more lipstick,
–what bomb components will destroy more people,
–which cartoon characters will inspire toddlers to whine more loudly when they drive past a toy store –I want I want I want.

And maybe there is some merit to the tire study. The bit that caught my attention was,
“….there can be differences in performance between different types of studded tyres. A larger number of studs is not necessarily related to a better grip on ice.” Maybe there is an ideal configuration. I can ask my Swedish brother to read the Swedish study.

I imagine the studded tire industry had something to do with this research. And you can’t blame ‘em. I mean, it’s not exactly high season for studded tire salesmen, even in Sweden. They have succeeded in making us think about studs as we wring sweat from our shirts.

[wheelswings]

You must have a ton to do. Good luck with it all. Maybe you might push your flight a day later. Just sayin’. :+)

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