[WillStewart]

They are now (approximately) in Vienna, heading to the Custis Trail. Here’s a better GPS link:

http://ciberquest.blogspot.com/p/online-gps-locatie.html

Destination tonight:

Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Road

[WillStewart]

They are now in Ashburn…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]341[/ATTACH]

[WillStewart]

They are arriving in DC today, I’m going to go out and see them pass by on the W&OD in Arlington after I get out of a 3pm meeting.

The realtime link seems to be used occasionally, as they haven’t always been able to recharge at campgrounds and are conserving their battery.

http://xl-network.com/en/where-am-i

[WillStewart]

Hopefully next year they will do this at a time when people are likely to be in town. Late winter might be a good time, as it could get people geared up for the riding season.

[WillStewart]

Velomobiles are recumbent bikes or trikes with an aerodynamic shell that allows much higher cruising speeds and protection from the elements (though summer heat can be an issue in the ones that are completely enclosed with insufficient ventilation). Many also have full suspension, lights, turn signals, special rain protection, etc.

More at http://velomobiling.com/

[WillStewart]

It can be a little disorienting to people, especially those who might need it the most. Why not just use a landscape pattern and give it a true East-West orientation?

[WillStewart]

@CCrew 6486 wrote:

Might want to consider trying an upgrade to something a bit more recent.. like Firefox 5. 3.6 I’m sure doesn’t support a lot of the newer formatting features for the web these days.

Yes, unfortunately I don’t control the configuration of that particular machine. Upon reboot, however, the “Post Thanks/Like” portlet comes up now.

[WillStewart]

I don’t see it in Firefox 3.6, though when firing up IE, it is there. Is there a Firefox ‘switch’ that can be thrown?

[WillStewart]

Will this now enable the ‘thumbs up’ feature?

[WillStewart]

@baiskeli 6145 wrote:

That brings up another question – aren’t most days going to be bad for particulates? The heat probably doesn’t affect them like it does ozone. I would think that unless it’s raining or just rained, most days would have particulates floating around.

Good question. If you look at the daily data over the year, it seems that PM 2.5 pollution correlates to temperature, at least weakly;
http://air.mwcog.org/index.cfm?selYear=2011&selMonth=1

Make sure Particulate Matter is selected and keep hitting “Next Month” to see how it progresses through this year (to date).

[WillStewart]

This is one reason I switched from road and hybrid bikes to performance and touring recumbents. Other reasons include;

– one can go faster or farther on the same amount of energy expenditure (not referring to the grandpa or lowest end models),
– most afford better all around visibility over road bikes (in drops). Low recumbent racers with extreme seat angles are an exception here.
– they are far more comfortable, and
– I don’t have to resign myself to a steady transition to eunuch status.

This isn’t intended to create a flame war over bike preferences, just an acknowledgement that performance can actually increase with choices that also improve one’s ability to sustain a healthy, um, reproductive lifestyle.

[IMG]http://thelazyrando.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/img_8281.jpg?w=510&h=340[/IMG]

[WillStewart]

@Brendan von Buckingham 6017 wrote:

There’s all sorts of things in urban air. Professionally I work with historic architecture and old buildings. Went to a seminar on historic masonry. When they clean masonry buildings of decades worth of grime, guess what the number one contaminant is. Rubber. Rubber from millions of tires slowly wearing away, every day.

Good point, Brendan.

“Particulate Matter, or PM-2.5, refers to tiny particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns (smaller than the width of a human hair). Particulate matter has several sources including dirt kicked up into the air on paved and unpaved roads, tires and brake linings as they wear down, smoke, vehicle tailpipe emissions, and earth moving activities. Because particulate matter is so very tiny, it easily bypasses your lung’s protective systems.”

http://www.tmacog.org/airqualityfacts.htm

Methodology to Calculate Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 2.5 CEQA Significance Thresholds

“Particles in the PM2.5 size range are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. Exposure to fine particles can also affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. Scientific studies have linked increases in daily PM2.5 exposure with increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, emergency department visits and deaths. Studies also suggest that long term exposure to fine particulate matter may be associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease.”

http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm

Wearing an effective mask while bike commuting significant distances on high pollution days is looking more and more appropriate.

[WillStewart]

This forum has been very beneficial to my quest to become a bike commuter. There have been a number of lessons learned that others shared that helped me over the hump of indecision/doubt/inertia. This also provides a means of educating new riders in the ongoing shift in car<->bike culture and how we can assist in that transition with identification of needed enhancements, interaction with drivers, and in general learning to be a force for cycling ‘good’.

So carry forth and continue to do good things, which a generation from now may be recognized as the leading edge of crucially needed change.

[WillStewart]

@KLizotte 5973 wrote:

I never realized there was so much variation in tires. The Big Apples look like a lot of fun to ride but as you said they would not fit my bike. I also realized that because I have a back rack I will need to keep clearance in mind.

As pointed out by another, the 622s are actually 700c, so it appears you are in luck. I have a rack on the back of my bike, and the tires still fit, so you might measure the clearance and see if it will fit.

[WillStewart]

I always yield to cars, unless they stop and wave me on. This ONLY works if all other lanes of cars have no traffic or follow suit in the same manner. I always give a hearty thumbs up and cheery “Thank you!” to return the thoughtful gesture.

[Author]

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