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The biking thread....

mcsluggo

By mcsluggo
in The Tailgate

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MassSkinsFan

MassSkinsFan

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3 hours ago, mcsluggo said:

was back out today, but left home at 6:30 am, so that i can leave work at 4ish... 

it was gorgeous!! the colors were in full swing, and the trails were basically empty.   The few people i DID see were dressed like arctic seal hunters, but I was perfectly comfy with shorts and t-shirt**  I just don't get it, they must've been boiling by the time they got to where they were going....right??

 

**---plus gardening gloves and one of my kids leggings on my head ----  i couldn;t find my gloves, and i am a cheap bastage to boot.  what can i say :) 

We're probably a bit further toward Winter here in Boston but I find this is one of the tougher times of year in terms of wearing the right clothing during my bike commute. I did find some nice biking pants that are light enough to wear when it gets into the 60s, but also keep me warm down to around 25F (Sugoi Pace I think). Other than that, it's layers - my courier bag has enough stuff in it without the extra clothing so it gets to be a pain. A balaclava and a lighter skull cap, light and heavy gloves, sometimes a rain coat others a light winter coat, and waterproof shoe covers. Ugh - bulky and heavy. It probably won't be an issue much longer though...

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mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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i probably won't be biking much longer.. when it gets TOO cold and TOO dark, i hang it up----- and just dance around my living room in the Bike Speedo

----------------

and i have to restate...it is GORGEOUS out there right now.   i didn;t take this picture, but this is basically my commute right now::

 

towpath-in-autumn-francis-sullivan.jpg

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Yohan

Yohan

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I pretty much ride on the weekends now, it's to dark for the evening rides now. I don't mind riding in the dark, but it worries the other half. Beginning of December, there is a Santa Ride here (everyone dresses up in holiday type outfits, including Krampus). It's more of a drinking, bar stop ride, but pretty fun.  I have the trainer ready to go, but I'm not ready for that indoor stuff yet.

 

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Yohan

Yohan

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11 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said:

The solid tire means no more flats. I haven't priced for my bike yet, because I am in VA and the bike is in TX.

Looking forward to checking it out.

I have not heard of those tires either, but please keep us informed on how they are, if you go that route.

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  • 3 weeks later...
mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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I took the metro today.... and because i have been able to blissfully ignore the situation all summer, i had NO idea that they were going to be savaging the orange and silver lines beginning today.... 24 hour single tracking, and more than 60% reduction in trains.

well.... there was frost on the ground this morning, but it looks like i am going to be learning how to cope with that?   I have been comfy enough biking in shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt when it is in the upper 30s/low 40s, as long as i have a hat and gloves.... throw on some sweat pants and another layer up top, and good down in the upper 20s?  

But I probably need to upgrade the hat and gloves!!   --- right now i use $5 "cold weather garden gloves" and a cut-off leg from some yoga-pants as a hat --- i am always the fashion king :)  

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mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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daylight savings time this weekend .....yay!    (just in time for the temperature to drop into the teens :-/   )

 

i actually biked a couple days a week all winter long this year.  it was so damned mild!   (i also cheated, and drove to Arlington and parked right by the bike path, so i wouldn't have to fight traffic in the dark coming home)

 

 

 

and finally... i am a little verklempt over this story.... my alma mater, and the town i lived in for a decade... go Davis!!!

https://www.outsideonline.com/2162436/50th-anniversary-americas-first-bike-lane

 

Quote

One morning in late July 1967, a Davis, California, public works employee loaded a marking machine, letter stencils, and big containers of white paint into a city truck and drove over to 8th Street. It didn’t take long to stripe both sides of 8th between A Street and Sycamore Lane—a distance a little less than a mile long. After the paint dried and stenciled lettering was applied, the 10.5-square-mile city had the first bike lane in U.S. history.  ....   

 

 

I actually never biked prior to moving to Davis.  My brother gave me his bike when i arrived in town , an i never looked back!! 

Edited by mcsluggo
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Voice_of_Reason

Voice_of_Reason

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1 hour ago, MassSkinsFan said:

 

Do you own a bikini?

No.  But my wife does.  

 

I do own a Trek Madone circa 2005.  I can't believe it's 11 years old.  It was awesome when I bought it, and it is still pretty sweet. And I used to ride a lot.  Before I had a kid.  Now I don't ride nearly as much.  

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mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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1 hour ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

No.  But my wife does.  

 

I do own a Trek Madone circa 2005.  I can't believe it's 11 years old.  It was awesome when I bought it, and it is still pretty sweet. And I used to ride a lot.  Before I had a kid.  Now I don't ride nearly as much.  

 

you live in Vienna?  .... where do you work?  

   

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mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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18 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

No.  But my wife does.  

 

I do own a Trek Madone circa 2005.  I can't believe it's 11 years old.  It was awesome when I bought it, and it is still pretty sweet. And I used to ride a lot.  Before I had a kid.  Now I don't ride nearly as much.  

 

if you work downtown... you should try taking the W&OD/Custis trails in to work sometime... from Vienna, its a straight shot in and you you don't have to stop once for stop signs/stoplights between Falls Church and Roslyn 

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Voice_of_Reason

Voice_of_Reason

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4 hours ago, mcsluggo said:

 

if you work downtown... you should try taking the W&OD/Custis trails in to work sometime... from Vienna, its a straight shot in and you you don't have to stop once for stop signs/stoplights between Falls Church and Roslyn 

I've done that ride a ton.  The problem is that I live more in Tysons than I do in Vienna. Though it's a Vienna address.  My 2 options to get to the W&OD trail would be to die on Rt. 7 going through Tysons/Falls Church and pick it up where the trail crosses Rt. 7, or back track all the way into the town of Vienna. And I might die on Rt. 7 or Beulah getting there anyway. Alternatively, I could drive to a trail and bike from there.

 

Not to mention that I have to drop my daughter off at school in the morning, so that puts a serious crimp in the works.  

 

I do love that ride, though.  And coming back up through Rosslyn on the Custis trail is a pretty challenging hill workout.  But also enough rolling that it's pretty fun.  

22 hours ago, Yohan said:

Funny. I ride more because of the kids.

I just don't have the time.  My wife and I used to ride together a lot.  Not so much anymore.  We're going to try more this summer, though.  

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mcsluggo

mcsluggo

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1 hour ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I've done that ride a ton.  The problem is that I live more in Tysons than I do in Vienna. Though it's a Vienna address.  My 2 options to get to the W&OD trail would be to die on Rt. 7 going through Tysons/Falls Church and pick it up where the trail crosses Rt. 7, or back track all the way into the town of Vienna. And I might die on Rt. 7 or Beulah getting there anyway. Alternatively, I could drive to a trail and bike from there.

 

Not to mention that I have to drop my daughter off at school in the morning, so that puts a serious crimp in the works.  

 

I do love that ride, though.  And coming back up through Rosslyn on the Custis trail is a pretty challenging hill workout.  But also enough rolling that it's pretty fun.  

I just don't have the time.  My wife and I used to ride together a lot.  Not so much anymore.  We're going to try more this summer, though.  

 

I live in McLean (near McLean High) ... so from Tysons going through McLean and N. Arlington to Chain Bridge, and then in on the Canal/Capitol Crescent Trail would probably be a better option.. but yeah... getting past Tysons to McLean is going to require some finessing :)   

 

once in McLean...   Old Chesterbrook Road, to Kirby Road, to ChesterBrook Rd, to Old Glebe Rd (to some small roads on the hill overlooking the river) to Chain Bridge is a nice route...

 

and the the ride between the Canal and the River in to town is awesome!  

 

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/2872638

 

 

 

where are you in Tysons?  the far side of both 123 and rt 7??

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Voice_of_Reason

Voice_of_Reason

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15 hours ago, mcsluggo said:

 

I live in McLean (near McLean High) ... so from Tysons going through McLean and N. Arlington to Chain Bridge, and then in on the Canal/Capitol Crescent Trail would probably be a better option.. but yeah... getting past Tysons to McLean is going to require some finessing :)   

 

once in McLean...   Old Chesterbrook Road, to Kirby Road, to ChesterBrook Rd, to Old Glebe Rd (to some small roads on the hill overlooking the river) to Chain Bridge is a nice route...

 

and the the ride between the Canal and the River in to town is awesome!  

 

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/2872638

 

 

 

where are you in Tysons?  the far side of both 123 and rt 7??

Off of Rt. 7, right on the west side of the 267 interchange.

 

In about 1 year, they will finish the multi-use paths and re-construction of the bridge over 267.  When that is done, I can use a path to get into and through Tysons, which will be fine.  

 

Right now, with the construction, it's impossible.  It would be certain death.  I used to bike 3-4k per year, and am very comfortable on the bike, and riding in traffic, and I wouldn't touch the current situation.  

 

Biking from my house will get a lot easier once the construction is done.  Until then, I lug the bike to a better starting spot.

 

btw, does anybody have a recommendation for a roof-mounted bike rack for a Lexus RX350?  We have the side rails, but nothing else.  Right now every time I want to move the bike, I have to take the car seat out and throw it in the back.  Looking for a roof mounted rack that is easy to use so I can stop doing that.  

 

 

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dchogs

dchogs

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33 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

btw, does anybody have a recommendation for a roof-mounted bike rack for a Lexus RX350?  We have the side rails, but nothing else.  Right now every time I want to move the bike, I have to take the car seat out and throw it in the back.  Looking for a roof mounted rack that is easy to use so I can stop doing that. 

not a roof mount, but we have a thule hitch mount rack that is awesome.  easy to put bikes on and off, easy to put rack on and off, or if you just want to leave it on, it's easy to fold down for trunk/hatchback access.

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Yohan

Yohan

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1 hour ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

btw, does anybody have a recommendation for a roof-mounted bike rack for a Lexus RX350?  We have the side rails, but nothing else.  Right now every time I want to move the bike, I have to take the car seat out and throw it in the back.  Looking for a roof mounted rack that is easy to use so I can stop doing that.  

 

 

 

I have used Seasucker.com in the past. These are suction cups, only thing I didn't care for was taking the front wheel off every time I had to transport. Kuat has some rail systems, but I am not to familiar with them, but I would recommend their hitch mounts.

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