A Girl and Her Bike

A New Bike in the Family & the 2012 Vasa Ride

2012-03-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

Before I get started with this post, I want to remind you of the Police Unity Tour fundraiser link. It's over there to the right (FirstGiving) --------->. My goal is to raise $1700 and I need your help. Even just a dollar or two helps. We have a few more events coming up soon, and I will definitely keep you posted, but in the meantime please consider donating a few bucks to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. Its easy and goes to a good cause. Thank you!

Since I will be doing a 3-day bike tour in May, I knew I was going to need a bicycle that is up to the challenge. Although I adore each of my bikes, none of them are really suited for long-distance cycling. This meant that I was going to need a new one (darn!). I asked around for suggestions, and BicycleSPACE (a lovely neighborhood bike shop) mentioned Velo Orange. They make touring & randoneuring bikes for a reasonable price. And they are pretty too. Working with David from BicycleSPACE, we picked out the components that would work best for a bike that I could not only use on the Police Unity Tour, but beyond.

Behold: Kermit the Hulk--

Shiny!

Why Kermit the Hulk? Well, my friend Art suggested Kermit because of the green frame; my friend Kim suggested The Hulk for the same reason. So...Kermit the Hulk. It still feels like a she rather than a he though.

Hulk Smash!

Kermit the Hulk is Velo Orange's polyvalent frame with a bunch of Velo Orange components (I love the shiny hammered fenders). The pink handlebar tape was my idea, and I'm sure it probably physically pained the mechanic that had to put it on but I don't care. I like the green/pink combo.

It's taken a bit of time to get used to riding her. I haven't ridden drop bars in a long time. Not having my brakes & gears at my fingertips at all times was a very disconcerting feeling at first. Add in clipless pedals (I opted for the dual-sided SPD pedals) & shoes, and it was a big learning curve in the beginning. I rode at a snail's pace, but after a week or so it became more natural and I feel much more comfortable riding her.

I took her along the Capital Crescent Trail to Bethesda to get a feel for her outside of city riding. It was great, but it was a rainy, muddy day. I didn't head back into DC until after it was dark, so I learned real quick not only how to handle Kermit in wet conditions, but dark conditions as well. I'm proud to say I made it back home without a single problem.

(How I feel when riding Kermit)

There are still a few minor bike fit issues (The saddle position needs to be adjusted ever so slightly) and the dynamo lights & maybe a rear rack still need to be installed. Still, I look forward to training for the tour on Kermit (I still ride Betty around the city, though).

Kermit's first big test was the Vasa Ride.

From WABA's events page

I did this ride for the first time last year. That was the ride where I ended up killing my iPhone due to the rain. I really should have re-read my post from last year before doing this ride again. Although it wasn't raining this year, it was still pretty cold in the morning. My toes were freezing (note to self: invest in toe covers). Also, I overpacked AGAIN. I used my new Bailey Works messenger bag (which I love now that I've figured out how to work the strap system) and it didn't seem to put too much strain on my back or neck. About 40 miles in though, my back and neck were killing me. I think that it had more to do with my position on the bike rather than the load in my bag, although I'm sure that didn't help.

I stopped by BicycleSPACE the day before the ride to pick up some bottle cages for the ride. I *almost* picked up a handlebar bag, but I didn't. It wouldn't have helped anyway since its not big enough to hold my lock (the heaviest thing I had to carry). If I had been thinking clearly, I would have just stuffed my energy bars & ID in my pockets and left my lock at the registration site (locking it to something). But...well, the ride was REALLY EARLY in the morning and I wasn't thinking clearly. Oh well. Note to self for next year: PACK HALF AS MUCH, LEAVE THE BAG AT HOME, WEAR TOE/SHOE COVERS.

I woke up the morning of the ride wondering what to wear. The weather in DC has been very wacky the last few weeks. It was almost in the 70's just a few days ago, and the weather-people were calling for cold temps & possibly snow. Yikes. What to wear with that kind of variation in the weather? Plus, I didn't want to have another wet, miserable experience like last year. I settled on wearing some compression tights, black denim capris, a Police Unity Tour jersey, sweat shirt & hi-viz rain jacket (more for the visibility rather than rain), gloves, WABA cycling socks, my yakkay helmet & new bike shoes.

I made myself some eggs & toast & had a few cups of water to get the nutrition/water thing going. I still have some "GirlonaBike" energy bars so I threw some of those in my bag, along with my wallet, keys, tools, iPhone & charger, and my lock. The biggest thing I was worried about was getting lost. I did the ride last year with some friends that knew the area a bit, and they did most of the navigating. This year I would be on my own. I wanted my iPhone in case I got lost and needed to know where I was. I was so nervous about this that I barely slept the night before.

Then, it was time to go. It didn't feel that cold when I stepped outside. I think I managed (for once) to dress perfectly for the weather. I took the Rock Creek Trail to the House of Sweden on K St. By the time I arrived, registration was just getting started. There were probably about 40-50 people that had already arrived.

Registration area

KIND blueberry bars & some Fuze drinks were provided at the start, but I didn't have much of an appetite. I saw a few familiar faces, and met a few new people. I still had butterflies in my stomach though.

This is my "too early in the morning for this" look. Thank you WABA for the photo.

Then it was time to line up for the start. I remembered having a good time on last year's ride despite the rain, so I figured this year would be even better without the rain. HA! Have you ever heard of the phenomenon where women forget just how painful childbirth really was so that they can continue to do it again and again? Yeah. It's kinda like that. You'll see.

We started off just fine. The sun was starting to peek out from the clouds and the road was flat. We started off heading down the CCT to Fletchers, ending up on MacArthur Blvd. eventually. We passed by the Irish Inn (where The Boy and I had our engagement dinner) and Glen Echo Park and I smiled. This was fun!

And then the hills started. And they never stopped.

At least it felt that way. Funny, I don't remember the hills being such a challenge as they were this year, even though I knew they were exactly the same. I remember passing the same landmarks and stopping at the same places but...yikes, I was far more out of bike-shape than I realized! (Doing the Capital Bikeshare challenge last year must have helped!)

When we pulled up to the first rest stop, I was still feeling good even though my toes were completely numb. This is where I started to worry about my nutrition plan. As I said earlier, I had thrown a few energy bars in my bag, and I had a bottle of water & a bottle of water with Immuni-C (I'm still suffering from the sinus plague). But my stomach really doesn't like solid food when I've been riding for more than two hours. I ate an energy bar, but I knew I was going to regret it later. I should have picked up some gels or gatorade.

First Rest Stop. I think this was around mile 15?

The Powerade people & WABA volunteers working this stop were awesome! They had music pumping and they did a good job at making sure all the riders that stopped had something to drink & were motivated.

After a few minutes, it was time to hit the road again. Ugh, always the worst part of a rest stop is getting going again. Feeling the cold wind hitting sweaty clothes is not fun. It takes a good 20-30 minutes of riding to get the blood flowing again.

And then there were more hills. I think it was just about when we hit 25 miles that I started to wonder what the heck I was doing. I was cold, tired & my stomach was starting to feel like it was on fire. Only 34 miles to go....

2nd Rest Stop. This was our turning point at last year's ride.

We turned around and headed back the way we came. But this time we took Bradley Road back, which seemed like it would never, ever end. And kept going up and up and up. By the time we got into Bethesda, I was almost done. My neck & shoulders were killing me & I was starting to get nauseous. But then I saw the entrance to the CCT. YAY! We hopped on that and began riding. It was nice to be away from cars, even though the trail was clogged with pedestrians on this nice Sunday. And then it began to dawn on one of the people that I was riding with....we were going the wrong way! We were supposed to go the OTHER way on the CCT so that we would eventually end up in Rock Creek. Oh No! We were probably a mile off track by now (meaning 2 miles to get back). I stopped to stretch out my shoulders & arms and then reluctantly got back on the bike. It was at this point that this happened:

No. I was not going to ride BACK down the trail to get back on the route. No. My mind said let's go and my body just said NO. There was just no way I could do it. I was already having trouble keeping water down, and I wasn't sure if I could do the Brandywine Hill without throwing up everything in my stomach (which wasn't much at this point). Thankfully Anna (BloomingCyclist on twitter, whom I had latched onto during the ride so I wouldn't get lost. I'm not a weird cyber stalker, I swear!) uttered the words I couldn't bring myself to say: let's just keep going down the CCT anyway to the finish. YES! YES YES YES. Let's do that. We were already at 45 miles anyway. By the time we got to the House of Sweden, we would just be at 51 miles. Perfectly fine. So we did.

I arrived back in time to grab some Blueberry Soup. Which was blueberry-ish and soupy. Anna, who was much smarter, left to grab a burger. If I had any appetite left, I would have joined her.

My blueberry soup. Yeah. That was it. 51 miles for this.

Hug a Swede? NO.

After the blueberry soup, I headed over to Old Glory for the post-Vasa WABA happy hour ($5 Fat Tires!). I thought I might be up for a burger, but sadly my tummy still said no. I managed to get down some sweet potato fries (because I knew I needed something to eat), but I really had no appetite. I even had trouble drinking the beer! Yikes. The Boy joined me and helped to drink it though, so that was good.

I was not looking forward to riding home from Georgetown, but I did it. I even rode up the Calvert St. Hill from Rock Creek, so I consider that my punishment for skipping Brandywine, ha. I figure with the miles riding to and from the even, I probably hit 59 miles.

I gotta say, this was a tough ride. I've ridden 50+ miles in one shot before, but don't remember it being so tough! It is a pretty hilly course though. And the wind. Damn the wind! Next year I am conquering Vasa for sure.

I can't wait for more bike events. Yay Spring! I'm a little bummed to learn that I will probably miss out on BikeDC this year, since it is scheduled for the same day I ride back to DC on the Police Unity Tour. There's no way I can be at two places at once (or can I?). I also learned that I really need to ramp up my riding. Even a few miles a day really helps. If I want to ride a 100 miles a day, I need to step up my game. I know it won't take too long to get back into bike-shape, but I really need to get going.

View Larger Map

(The purple line is the bit of the route I was *supposed* to take, except that I got lost instead. oops.)

Did any of you do the Vasa Ride? What did you think?

Lockhouse 10, Round 2!

2012-02-29T03:27:00.000-05:00

I know its been awhile since I last updated, but I have a lot of news to share! I'll probably have to break it up into a couple of different blog posts.

First up: our return to Lockhouse 10! As you may recall, we had an awful biking experience the last time we stayed in a lockhouse along the C&O canal. Flat tires, stripped bolts...everything that could go wrong with a bike went wrong. The stay itself was lovely, but the problems with my bike made me miserable and I was determined to come back and have a better time.

Right around the New Year, The Boy and I made the choice to go ahead and book Lockhouse 10 for Valentine's Day weekend. Sure it was a bit of a wait, but it would be worth it. By the time Valentine's Day rolled around, we would be ready to get back to the canal again.

Sure enough, the time passed and it was time to get packed up again. This time I used a few of the gift cards I received for Christmas to purchase a some things for the trip. I bought a sleeping bag since I knew it was going to be cold and extra bedding would always be welcome. Plus I could use the sleeping bag for future biking camp trips. I also went ahead and bought two different camping pillows, since bringing along standard pillows takes up the most amount of room. I bought two different types so I could see which ones we preferred (review to come soon--hint: we both like the pumped air type rather than the compressed stuffing type). I also purchased a camping towel, which was awesome. Worked like a charm.

The day to ride out to the lockhouse couldn't arrive soon enough. We woke up and got ready to pack our stuff. Since this was our 3rd time (3rd time is the charm!), we had become experts at packing; enough clothes for 2 days & nights, extra sweatshirt, rain gear, towel, pillows, sheet, toiletries, pack of cards, flashlights, ALL OF THE TOOLS, Kindle, U.S Parks Passport, iPhone & charger, and a stick of butter (so we didn't have to buy a whole box of butter AGAIN. I swear we have 24 sticks of butter in our fridge from buying a box of butter every time we go to the lockhouse).

Turns out The Boy had packed a little something extra....but more about that later.

It was a COOOOOOOLD afternoon when we set off. Brrrr. I actually had to use my balaclava because it was so cold. Bitterly cold. I said a little prayer to the Bike Gods that this trip would be uneventful & smooth, and off we went.

Betty, all set to go. Much better at packing by now :-)

The Boy, cheerful as always. That's not an obscene gesture, he was just pointing with the wrong finger.

I should mention that since the New Year, our commute to work has been drastically shortened due to being transferred to a new workplace. What used to be a leisurely 2 mile bike ride has turned into a less-than 4 block stroll. Although I still ride to and from work (down the hill, up the hill)---The Boy hasn't been on a bike for a quite a bit. So the 12 mile ride out to the Lockhouse was a bit of a shock to his system. We took it nice & easy, and took several breaks to "enjoy the scenery" (let The Boy rest for a bit).

Taking a break at Fletcher's ~~Port-A-Potty~~ Cove

Lockhouse 6! We miss you and your super comfy mod chairs!

After what seemed like an eternity in the bitter cold, we finally made it to Lockhouse 10. I will admit that even I was feeling a bit tired when we rolled up. The temperatures & wind were no joke! I figured we would go ahead and unpack, relax for a few minutes, than ride out to the Cabin John shopping center to get dinner/supplies before it got too dark. The Boy looked pretty tired too.

This is why I probably should have been a bit more suspicious when he suddenly insisted that we go for a walk along the river's edge before it got dark. I was tired, hungry & cold so that was the LAST thing I wanted to do and I said so. The Boy was very insistent, which was just....weird. He was adamant that we had to do this NOW, so I said FINE and trudged out along the trail with him. I might have sighed a little dramatically too.

There is a nice little trail opposite the canal from the lockhouse where you can sit along the Potomac's edge & watch the river go by. It's a pretty little spot, and we had fun exploring it the last time we were there. It made a good distraction from me cursing at Betty's bike troubles. This time it looked a bit different since the leaves were all gone, but it was still beautiful-especially with the setting sun in the background.

And then The Boy got down on one knee and asked me a question that I was completely unprepared for, and yet already knew the answer to: Will You Marry Me?

I honestly had no words at that moment, and couldn't quite believe what I had heard. The Boy pulled out a ring and slipped it on my finger. I didn't know if I was numb from the cold or the shock, but I had no idea what to say. Of course the answer finally came to me...

Of Course I Will Marry You. (I'm pretty sure I just mumbled something that sounded similar while kind of staring oddly at The Boy; but he knew what I meant).

The rest of that evening was a bit of a blur. We did manage to make it out to Cabin John for food & beer (but not before the sun went down--weeee another night ride! This time we knew where we were going though). We even had a friend over that night for dinner to help us celebrate (the fire alarm STILL went EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE). We had a wonderful evening playing cards, building terrible things with the Lincoln Logs & just sharing stories. It was awesome.

Look at that shiny thing!

I am definitely not an engineer.

Getting ready to prepare dinner (mac & cheese & sausage)/set off the fire alarm.

The next morning came far too early. At least it had warmed up a bit and was actually fairly pleasant outside. It was a perfect sunny day. An ideal day to attempt our ride over to the Irish Inn (which we had planned to do the last time we were at the lockhouse, but bike troubles prevented us from doing so).

Betty, sunning herself on the porch. No flat tire this time!

We knew that the Irish Inn was right off of MacArthur Blvd, but we weren't sure how far down. We checked out a map and it seemed reasonable enough.....on paper. But how would it be actually riding?

Pretty easy, actually. There is a cycle track that runs from the Cabin John Shopping Center all the way to the Irish Inn along MacArthur Blvd. It could not have been more simple. It even went by Glen Echo Park, which I am still dying to check out.

Glen Echo Park during the day (I love that trolley car in the front).

Glen Echo Park at night. Gotta love that neon!

We arrived at the Irish Inn in no time at all, and it was so easy to ride to. The only thing I wasn't too happy with is that there is virtually no bike parking whatsoever (which is odd, given its a business that is located directly next to a bike path). There are a few street signs around to lock up on, but they were pretty far away. Luckily the owner let us keep our bikes out on the patio since it wasn't in use, but obviously that wouldn't work during the warmer months. Oh well. Guess that they don't get many cyclists?

Anyway, the Inn itself was wonderful! Good food, good service, good time. We happened to get in right before it got really busy (and it did get busy!) and they had a live band too. The band was awesome & we had an excellent engagement dinner. I can't wait to go back again. We stayed so long that the sun had set long before we were ready to leave. Thankfully we have lights on our bikes, so we were able to ride back to the lockhouse without incident.

Dessert. They make the ice cream in-house!

I was sad that our last night at the lockhouse was quickly coming to end, but I knew I could't have asked for a better weekend.

View from the bed. I was sad to leave :-(

The next morning arrived way too early. Especially since a maintenance guy decided to invite himself in at 7:30 in the morning. Oops! Apparently Tuesday is the day they do any cleaning/maintenance for the lockhouses...but he had forgotten that guests might still be present up until 11am (checkout time). He apologized profusely, but we were definitely not prepared for such an early wake-up call. Heh. We managed to get everything packed/clean by 11 and then it was time to head back to DC. Always the most depressing part of the trip--especially since I know I'll be heading right back to work as soon as we get in. Oh well. Its nice to know that the lockhouses are always a short bike ride away :-)

We will be back again soon (honeymoon, maybe?!).

P.S. I really want to thank WABA since it was their silent auction that got us started on these crazy trips to the lockhouses along the C&O Canal. Thank you! And I strongly urge you guys to visit the C&O Canal Trust and book a lockhouse yourself. You'll love it.

Coming up soon: A new bike in the family!

A Thank You

2012-01-30T16:26:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone that came out and made the Police Unity Tour Fundraiser a fun, successful night (and also to you that donated online). We managed to raise a total of $726.00, which isn't too shabby for a few hours worth of work. Also, a big thank you to Georgetown Cupcake for donating 2 dozen of their delicious cupcakes for our raffle. There were two lucky participants who went home happy. Also congrats to the other raffle winners! (We also raffled off some wine, some messenger bags and a few water bottles).

The first fundraising deadline has been met, thanks to you. In order to stay on the roster of riders, we had to have raised $500 by tomorrow (January 31st). I've surpassed that, so thank you!

(Also, just as an interesting aside: There are 88 riders on the roster for Chapter 4. If all 88 riders meet their fundraising MINIMUM by the ride, Chapter 4 will have raised $150,000 for the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. And that's just ONE chapter of the Tour. Your donating DOES make a difference).

I saw many familiar faces, and manged to put real faces to online names, so that's always a good thing. Quite a few of the twitterati & #DCbike people were there, as well as a swarm of fellow police. It's always interesting to see how the two groups attempt to mingle. If I hadn't been so distracted with greeting everyone, I would have remembered to take photos. Oh well, next time!

This is only our first of many activities to come, so we're still working out the kinks a bit. If you showed up early, you would have noticed that I was stuck by myself for a bit, so I couldn't get up and socialize too much. This is because the other rider doing this adventure with me (Mir), was told at the last minute that she was receiving an award (I'm pretty sure it was for "Super Cop of the Year" or something like that) so she had to go and pretend to be modest and pick up her award. HA! Anyway, I hope no one felt ignored or neglected. I think everyone had a good time. Once Mir showed up, things went a bit more ~~tipsy~~ smoothly.

We're getting ready to plan our next event (most like it will be a "Coffee & Donuts" ride of some sort, $5 a person donation to ride). We're also getting together some donation incentives. We'll hold an online donation drive in which the person that donates the most amount of money in a certain amount of time will win a prize of some sort.

I wish I could update you on our training, but my bike is still being pieced together so we haven't been able to get out for any good rides yet. Soon, hopefully. I know the parts have been ordered; its just a matter of time of waiting for the bike shop to put them all together. I'm itching to get back on the road. I still ride Betty around town, but she's not really meant for any sort of training rides; and the Jamis is still out of commission from that bike parking incident. I'll be honest-the cold weather isn't helping my motivation at all. Even though we've had a spectacularly mild winter (this time last year, we were still digging ourselves out of snowcommuteageddon), I'm still not a fan of the cold. Last year, the Winter Weather Warrior contest from Capital Bikeshare was pretty much the only thing that got me on a bike voluntarily last January & February. I say this knowing full well that I'd rather take the coldest January day rather than the hottest, stickiest August day in DC. I'm just being spoiled, that's all.

Happy Hour Fundraiser! Win prizes! Buy stuff! Drink beer!

2012-01-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

I hope you enjoyed the guest post from Liz. Hopefully we can read more guest posts in the future.

I wanted to make you guys aware of a Happy Hour Fundraiser that Duffy's Irish Pub is hosting on our behalf next Wednesday, January 25th from 7pm to 12am.

Purchasing a $10 wristband at the door will get you:

-1 free entry into our raffle ($1 per ticket if you want more)

$10 pitchers of National Bohemian and Miller Lite.
$14 pitchers of Sam Adams an Sam Adams Seasonal
$4 16oz drafts of Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal
$3 16oz drafts of National Bohemian and Miller lite
$16 buckets of Yuengling bottles, 16oz Schlitz, 16oz PBR, 16oz High Life, 16oz Coors Light.

$5 Shots of Jameson

AND

1/2 off wings until 10pm (the beer specials are good until 12am)

Also, we will be selling Police Unity Tour water bottles ($10) & buttons ($3). I've only ordered 10 water bottles because I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out: they turned out awesome! But there's only 10, so if you want one-get there early. Also, please bring cash. We won't be able to accept credit cards at this time (a check might be ok).

The profit from the sale of the wristbands & other merchandise goes to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, via the the Police Unity Tour.

There will also be some cool prizes for the raffle (you'll have to show up to find out what they are! ;-) )

For those that can't make it, but still wish to donate--you can make an online donation through the FirstGiving widget to the right----->.

I really hope that you can make it out. It will be nice to put faces to the names I see online.

As far as training has been going so far...it's off to a slow start. My bike has been ordered and is on its way. In the meantime, I've been bringing Betty out for a few rides on the weekends, since she was getting cranky at being neglected. Last weekend we hit up the Capital Crescent Trail and explored a bit of Bethesda.

A cold & sunny afternoon

Betty loves the C&O.

The best part was the ride home, because it was after dark. Riding the CCT in the darkness was spooky & exhilarating. Good thing we had lights!

I fear that I'm going to fall short of my 100 mile goal for the month...but I've still got time. We'll see.

Guest Post: Biking in Washington DC in 2012

2012-01-14T13:59:00.002-05:00

Thanks for the fundraising suggestions! I'm pretty excited for what I have planned in the next few months, and I can't wait to share with you all. As always, don't forget you can donate directly by using the FirstGiving widget found on the right side panel of this blog.

Taking a break from fundraising stuff, here's a guest article about biking in DC by a pretty cool young lady. Good stuff. NOTE: I updated this post, since the links in the article were accidentally left out the first time I posted it. Be sure to check them out, especially the Mt. Vernon & W&O trail links--they are some of my favorite trails!

Biking in Washington DC in 2012

If you own a bicycle, and you live in Washington DC, you have a wealth of opportunities to explore history, run errands, and enjoy some quality exercise time. If you live in the capitol of the US you are one of the lucky people who can guide your bike out of your garage, and head downtown to visit your favorite DC dentist. If you have a container holder on your bike, on the way back from the dentist you can stop by your family grocery store and pick up some staples to take home.

On the many beautiful days DC has to offer you might want to save your feet from the long walks, ride your bike, and visit some of the amazing places to be found here. One of the most spectacular places you can ride to is the Washington Monument, the White House, and most of the "must sees" in the area, including the many museums and places of interest.

If you have the opportunity, along with proper lighting on your bicycle, a night tour of Washington DC is well worth the planning. You will be able to see the Washington Memorial as well as the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam War Memorial flooded with lights making each one a little more special than you see it during the day.

If you are an avid bicyclist you will be pleasantly surprised with the many bike trails available. For example, the Mount Vernon Trail is an 18 mile scenic trail. It runs along the Potomac River and the destination is George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon. If you prefer a longer ride you might enjoy the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. This 45 mile paved trail spans from Shirlington and Purcellville, VA.

Riders can also choose a route to travel ranging from an all terrain area to asphalt only. The routes allow you to include optional stops. One of these is named 'The Zoo Review." This bike route has unpaved sections and it goes from Georgetown to Bethesda and allows for a stop at the National Zoo. One of the best routes to travel in the DC area is the Washington/Cumberland area named the "C&O Towpath." It is considered to be one of the best off-road bike trails in the U.S.

Visitors are sometimes surprised with the number of people they see riding their bikes to work. This is a great way of commuting. It allows you to get your daily exercise while also saving money on gasoline and doing your part to help keep the air clean. There is no doubt that Washington DC offers a wealth of opportunity for bike riders. You might choose to ride your bike for your annual checkup or take one of the long route rides. The area truly offers something for everyone.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in beauty and fashion. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives by spreading positive messages. Liz also likes shopping, hanging out with friends, reading and playing with her dog, April.

The Police Unity Tour

2012-01-11T00:33:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I think I forgot to say that before. I was pretty sick the week of New Years, so mine was a very quiet & sniffly one. It's only in the last day or two that I finally feel fully recovered. I'm not sick very often, but when I am, it always takes a major toll.

Also, thank you so much for all the tweets, emails & comments you've sent regarding the assault case. I really appreciate the support so many of you have shown. Now that it is finally behind me, I can move on to bigger & better things.

If you follow me on twitter (and if you don't, I don't blame you. I can be a bit of a chatterbox) you may have seen me tweeting about the Police Unity Tour. I'm going to apologize ahead of time because this Tour is probably going to take up a big chunk of this blog & my twitter account from now until May. It's my big "goal" for 2012. The first half of 2012, anyway.

What is the Police Unity Tour? In a nutshell:

The Police Unity Tour (Chapter 4) is a 3 day ride covering roughly 230 miles, from Richmond, VA to Washington DC. There are actually several chapters of the Police Unity Tour with various routes & mileage, depending on where they start from. They all converge in DC and ride together to the Candlelight Vigil during Police Week, where the donations that were raised are presented. The funds go to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.

This is a particularly important ride for me, as I have more than a few friends with their names etched on that Memorial.

Do you remember Jim? The officer & friend I told you about back in the summer that died of hyponatremia during training? I'd like to share with you another excerpt from his blog--one that has always stayed with me:

I had one person ask, so let me extend this to everyone. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is on my beat (and I make sure its safe and skateboarder free) so if anyone wants a rubbing and can't make it down here let me know and I can get it for you.

The following year, Jim's name was added to the Memorial. I know he still watches over it and keeps it safe and skateboarder free :-)

None of us know when it will be our time. We each wake up in the morning expecting to live through the day, but it doesn't always happen. Some of us are called to give our lives so that others might live. This is what sacrifice means.

The motto of the Police Unity Tour is "We Ride for Those That Died". It's a way to honor & remember those sacrifices, and to show our gratitude.

Besides training for the 3 day ride (which I will be blogging about), I also need to raise money for the Memorial. There is a minimum goal of $1700 by the ride, and $500 by the January 31st. I'm hoping to CRUSH that, and I need your help to do it.

If you look to the right---->, on the side panel, there is a Firstgiving Fundraising Widget. This is probably the easiest & quickest way to donate.
I will be holding a series of fundraising events from now until May. These will include:

A Fundraiser Happy Hour at Duffy's Irish Pub. The date is currently set for Wednesday, the 25th from 7pm to 12am. Purchasing a $10 wristband at the door will give you access to some pretty awesome specials that "regular folks" can't have. I will let you know what they are as soon as I find out. This will be an awesome way to meet up with other cyclists & bloggers in the area, as well as enjoy some excellent food & drink and donate to a worthy cause.
Police Unity Tour STUFF you can buy: water bottles, t-shirts, maybe even some buttons. Heck, I might throw in some bike levers. I don't know. I will announce as soon as I do.
A Charity Bike Wash. This will probably happen closer to spring time, since its a little chilly out right now.
Group rides. I have two in mind: a law enforcement "tour" ride around the city, where we will stop by the memorial, museum, crime & punishment museum & the 7 police districts; and a Formal Wear Ride where everyone dresses to the nines.

If you have any other ideas for fundraising, please share! I'm a newbie at this.

Also, if you are a local business (bike shops, I'm looking at you) and think you might be interested in being a sponsor, PLEASE send me an email. I've got tons of info on what sponsorship means for your business. There are a few perks! Including tickets to this fancy-pants gala:

Super-fancy, guys. I think I might attend (and then wear the gown on the Formal Ride). I was looking at the menu, and I'm pretty sure I had no idea what 2 out of the 3 course meals were, that's how freaking fancy this Gala/Masquerade Ball will be. You know you want to go, right? If you do, hit me up. You don't have to be a sponsor to attend, you can go just for kicks & because if you are going to give to charity, you are going to be fancy about it.

As for the actual training, I plan to share that with you guys as well. I'm doing this ride with a coworker of mine, Mir, and we'll be doing some long rides together. I've ordered a new bike (since Betty definitely won't be able to handle this ride!) and can't wait to get my hands on it.

Once it arrives, we'll start training in earnest. We'll probably be doing rides on either Sunday or Thursday mornings, and anyone is welcome to join. I'll tweet & post ahead of time in case any lovely readers would like to ride along with us.

So, that's that. Prepare for similar blogs in the future. If you have any suggestions, please share! And as I said, if you are a business and would like to be a sponsor, get in contact with me! (An email link is at the top right).

It's over. The end of the saga.

2012-01-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

This morning Judge Beck of DC Superior Court announced her sentencing decision in regards to the assault case that occurred last February.

As you can see, this case dragged on a bit and I've been pretty quiet about it since I posted my story. There were a few reasons for this.

-In the beginning, Mr. Harrison refused any sort of plea agreement. At the time he was facing 2 charges of assault with a dangerous weapon (vehicle), felony fleeing from law enforcement, and misdemeanor assault on a police officer. He wanted to take it to trial. No problem.

-While still being held in jail on these charges, Mr. Harrison made a phone call to a female that revealed he had a firearm in his residence. A no-no since Mr. Harrison was also on probation for prior drug charges. A search warrant was executed and the firearm was recovered. Mr. Harrison was then charged for felony possession of a firearm.

-Given this new charge, a plea agreement apparently sounded more agreeable. The ADW charges were dropped, and Mr. Harrison pled guilty to the fleeing, APO & possession of a firearm. A sentencing date was set.

-Before any sentencing, a meeting is held with the defendant to ensure they understand completely what it is they are pleading guilty to, and that there aren't any issues. Apparently there was an issue. I showed up to the hearing ready to give my victim impact statement (so did WABA!) The attorneys & judge discussed the possible sentencing options. Some of the charges carried mandatory minimums that probably seemed a bit hefty to Mr. Harrison. So he balked. Another date was set to give Mr. Harrison & his attorney time to discuss things. I soon learned that Mr. Harrison's attorney had filed a motion to disavow his plea.

This meant that ANYTHING & EVERYTHING I posted, commented, tweeted or spoke about could become potential testimony & evidence should the case go to trial after all. This also included anything that YOU GUYS might have commented, tweeted, etc. Was it a big deal? No. There's nothing on here or elsewhere that I wouldn't testify to in person. But it would have become a pain in the derriere. So, mum became the word.

To be honest, I was not looking forward to a trial. They are tedious & emotionally exhausting. I also had a feeling that it was going to turn nasty. When a case can't be won on facts (and he couldn't win), they will try to destroy the victim's and/or witness's credibility or integrity. It's not unheard of to have private investigators check up on victims and look for any "dirt" they can leverage.

This is why a very cryptic email I received while waiting to hear if the plea would be taken back started my paranoia ball rolling. It was just a few sentences, but this person claimed to know Mr. Harrison and to have information on what had occurred just before Mr. Harrison used his car to bully a girl on a bike. I had no idea what this person was alluding to, and I still don't. But it was enough to make me wonder why Mr. Harrison was so eager to go to trial.

Thankfully, I never had to find out. The judge denied the motion to disavow the plea, and a final sentencing date was set.

I showed up to the hearing with a prepared statement. Before I was able to read it, however, the defense attorney had announced that Mr. Harrison had written a letter about the case to the Judge. Judge Beck read it silently, and after a few moments asked that I read it as well since it contained allegations about me that I should be aware he was making.

It was multiple-page, handwritten letter. What it contained was a rambling discourse proving that Mr. Harrison had learned absolutely NOTHING about remorse or consequences for the last 11 months he's been sitting in jail.

In essence, the first part of the letter spoke about how he had learned his lesson from the last time he went to jail (did I mention he has an extensive criminal history?) and that he never wanted to go back to prison, that he already lost 5 years of his life and he's done everything he could to make sure he never goes back to that life & that he was doing really well on probation...wah wah wah. This part was laughable because its perfectly obvious to me that Mr. Harrison had not learned a single thing. The night of his arrest, one of his passengers had an active arrest warrant AND his vehicle absolutely reeked of marijuana (he's on probation for drug charges).

It was the second part of his letter that infuriated me. Long story short, he accused me of being a drunken lunatic on a rampage that night back in February. He stated that he never hit me, and even if he had, it was a simple accident and that this should all have been dealt with in traffic court, not criminal court. Oh, and he fled (IN A CAR) because he was in fear for his safety because I was in a rage (ON A BICYCLE). And when I showed up to the scene after he was stopped, other officers had to "hold me back" because I "charged at him".

Seriously? Obviously he has a very different recollection of that night than I have (not to mention my supervisors & other officers have).

1. I was not intoxicated or under the influence of any intoxicating substances. I was LITERALLY on my way home from work when the incident occurred. I left work not even 10 minutes before he assaulted me. It was so soon after work, that officers that work MY SHIFT showed up as my backup because they hadn't left yet. My own boss showed up.

2. I was not in "a rage" or "rampage". In fact, I was a lot calmer than I would have been had I been on-duty, simply because I know how much more vulnerable I am off-duty. I do not take off-duty actions lightly. It's dangerous and I don't want to escalate a situation more than necessary, if at all. The only time I raised my voice was when he sped in my direction trying to flee, and I ordered him to stop.

3. Mr. Harrison accused me of making a "vulgar gesture" at him the first time he bumped into me. Actually what I did was look back at him and shrug in a "WTF are you doing?!" manner. However, even if I had made a vulgar gesture, I'm pretty sure I was warranted.

4. I certainly did not "charge" at Mr. Harrison when I arrived at the scene where he was stopped. Nor did I say anything to him. By the time I arrived, all of the occupants were out of the vehicle and I believe Mr. Harrison was in the middle of a field sobriety test. I showed up to I.D. the car & the driver and that was that. In fact, I made it a point NOT to speak to OR overhear any statements they made to the officers. I did not want to taint my own statement.

Basically, Mr. Harrison blamed ME for the whole mess and he was just a poor victim of cop rage. Nice, right? *sigh* You can see how a trial would have gone.

Anyway, I assured Judge Beck that I was not intoxicated AT ALL, and that I refused to address any other allegations since I WAS NOT ON TRIAL AND IM NOT THE DEFENDANT. Then I went on with my statement:

My name is Kathleen (REDACTED) and I am police officer with the 3^rd District, Metropolitan Police Department. I have been a law enforcement officer for 6 years.

However, I'm not just a police officer, although it was very fortunate that I was that night back in February; I am also a cyclist.

That evening I was just trying to go home. It's only a mile & a half from my workplace. I don't ride dangerously or aggressively, I follow the rules of the road & I try to be respectful of other road-users. As a bike patrol officer, I am keenly aware of how important it is to ride carefully & safely.

Unfortunately, there are times I encounter hostile aggressive behavior from motorists that ranges from the harmless, yet intimidating (such as aggressive honking or verbal abuse) to literally being pushed around by a vehicle, which is exactly what happened to me that evening.

This wasn't an accident. This wasn't a momentary distraction that led to a collision. This was a conscious decision made by an individual to use their much larger vehicle as a means of bullying a more vulnerable person; a decision made more than likely because they believed that could get away with it.

To Mr. Harrison, I was simply another girl riding a bicycle. I was harmless. What could I possibly do to him? To him, it was a fun game, as I could tell by the laughter coming from his friends as his vehicle struck me from behind while stopped at the light. I was an easy target.

It was his bad luck that it turned out that not only was I a police officer; but Mr. Harrison had chosen to do this in MY district.

When Mr. Harrison struck me the first time, I contemplated letting it go. I was off-duty, I was alone & I didn't want to get hurt.

When Mr. Harrison struck me the second time, I couldn't help wonder what would happen if this were to occur to some other woman out there. If he was being this brazen about striking a cyclist with his car, I was quite sure he wasn't going to stop. I couldn't let it go. Because a person that would willfully hit another human being with their car “because its funny”, is somebody I don't want on the street. Certainly not in my neighborhood.

When Mr. Harrison chose to run after being confronted, it only confirmed that he knew that what he was doing was wrong.

It was very fortunate that I was not injured. The way that Mr. Harrison recklessly drove his vehicle in an attempt to escape made it a miracle I wasn't seriously hurt, or that he hadn't hurt anyone else. Not to mention that I was lucky I wasn't knocked off my bicycle in the initial assaults.

I don't take off-duty police actions lightly. Its a serious decision that can have serious consequences. However, in this case, I was left with no choice.

Mr. Harrison is sitting here today because of decisions that he made. And those decisions need consequences. The biggest problem that I see with Mr. Harrison is that he doesn't understand that his actions were not only reckless & dangerous, but they are indeed criminal

Again, I was lucky that I'm a police officer and I have the training and resources to take action. If I hadn't had a badge with me, I have no doubt that Mr. Harrison would not only have ignored me, but my confronting him probably would have endangered my safety even further. I need to know that this city considers this type of behavior serious & criminal, and I hope that it will be reflected in his sentence.

Thank you for your time & consideration.

Once I was done giving my statement, Judge Beck announced that she really wanted to take some time to consider her options carefully. I think both my and Mr. Harrison's letter gave her pause to think. She had a pretty full calendar that day, so we all agreed to come back on another date (today) to hear the final decision.

In the end: Mr. Harrison was sentenced to 36 months for the felony fleeing, 36 months for felony possession of a firearm and 180 days for the assault on a police officer, to be served concurrently. So basically, 3 years (minus the year he's already served while sitting in jail since being arrested). I am happy with this. It's the high end of the spectrum for each of the charges, and even though its concurrent, not consecutive, I feel its enough.

My hope is that maybe Mr. Harrison will learn his lesson this time. Maybe.

And maybe others out there might think twice before doing something dangerous to another human being and think they could get away with it. I am very sure Mr. Harrison had no idea what the consequences would be for doing something he probably thought was no big deal. That night, I was just another girl on a bicycle. Today, he's just another criminal in jail.

I want to especially thank Trevor McFadden, the AUSA that handled my case. He's been nothing but professional and supportive throughout this whole ordeal and worked very hard for a successful outcome.

And thank you to everyone that emailed, tweeted, & voiced your support. You guys rock.

2011 in Review

2011-12-31T12:54:00.000-05:00

2011 was a great year. I can only hope 2012 gets even better.

January:

I started off the year sick (as I am apparently repeating that pattern this year!). I began the Capital Bikeshare Winter Weather Warrior Contest. It snowed like crazy. I Resolved to Ride Responsibly with WABA.

February:

Still going strong with the Winter Weather Warrior Contest! I was absolutely sick of winter. I had the worst bike ride ever (HAIL OW OW OW OW). The Superb Owl happened (with special guest Question Mark Suit Guy), and I watched some Roller Derby. Oh, and that guy hit me with his car. (Speaking of, there is an ending to that story, and I will tell it all after the 9th, when the judge hands down her sentencing decision and I can finally breathe).

March:

Achieved perfect attendance with the Winter Weather Warrior Contest! Rode the Vasa Ride with a few friends. Well, most of it (work schedules interfered). It was a cold, rainy ride, but I had a great time. I attempted my first (and only) cupcake experiment--must do more in 2012! Rode the CCT with some friends. Experienced awesome bike karma when some random strangers helped fix Betty. I was getting excited for Spring to arrive.

April:

30 days of biking! Lots of bars & brunches. I lost my beloved kitty, Indiana Jones. The Governator & Kevin Spacey decided I was a role model, and did some biking around DC. Ok, maybe it wasn't because of me, but how do you know? Spring was springing.

May:

Bike month! Betty found her soul mate. I convinced my out of town guests that Bikeshare was the way to go. I celebrated the death of Bin Laden at the White House with hundreds of other people. I did a Coffee Crawl and was way too caffeinated. I Biked to Work. I Biked DC!

June:

I posted the full details of what happened when That Guy Hit Me With His Car. I went to Bike Fest and "won" the Weekend Along the Canal Package (a prize that led me to discover my now favorite Get-Away location: the Canal Lockhouses). I reviewed a bunch of products.

July:

It was ridiculously hot. I got to ride with the Mt. Pleasant Cruiser peeps. It was ridiculously hot.

August:

I got to ride with the I Street Social peeps. Betty got her first flat. I rode around a bit.

September:

I went to yet another hearing for That Guy That Hit Me With His Car. I didn't get to do the 50 States Ride (boo!). The Boy and I rode to and stayed in a Lock House for the first time and had an awesome time!

October:

The Boy and I rode to Alexandria for a date at Bilbo Baggins and had some awesome beer & terrible food. Then we took the Metro back. The parents came to visit and I did some sight-seeing & coffeeneuring. The Boy and I went to another Lock House and Betty had some serious bike issues.

November:

I wrapped up my coffeeneuring. I joined DCLAW and arm-wrestled for charity.

December:

I talked about bike parking.

The biggest thing that happened in 2011 was when I was assaulted on my bike. Thankfully that saga is almost at an end. It's all over except for the judge's decision, which will be read on January 9th, 2012. I fully intend to post my victim impact statement on this blog, and also explain why this took so long and why I haven't spoken much about it. I will be really glad when its all behind me.

Things I'm looking forward to in 2012:

-The Big Event I'm looking forward to is The Police Unity Tour. I registered for it a few weeks ago. It's a 3 day ride in May, approx. 230 miles. The Tour is a fundraiser for the National Law Enforcement Memorial. I will post more details in a separate post, but suffice it to say I am Super Excited!

-A new bike! I was already planning on getting a new bicycle, but now that I'm doing this Tour, it's become a necessity :-)

-Lots of rides to train for this Tour! I'm going to set a goal of riding at least 100 miles each month, for a total of 1200 miles in 2012.

-The Vasa Ride, Bike DC and the 50 States Ride. Also, The Seersucker Social & Tweed Ride!

-Bike Camping!

-More Lock Houses! (The Boy and I already have Valentine's Day weekend reserved).

So long 2011, hello 2012!

Let's talk about bike parking...

2011-12-10T00:10:00.001-05:00

...bike parking ettiquette that is.

We already know that bike parking is inadequate (or maybe that's just me that thinks that). There's never enough bike racks, and if there are racks, there's never enough room for your bike.

I am convinced there is a billion dollar idea out there for the perfect bike rack that is simple, sturdy & will accommodate any size/shape bike. Cruisers, track bikes, Cargo bikes...they all fit easily & happily. If someone comes up with that idea, I will pay a billion dollars (no I won't, I don't have that kind of money).

Currently, the most common bike rack is the upside down "U". It's simple, sturdy--and sucks. At most it can accommodate two bikes, and even then its a bit of squeeze.

On-street U-racks

If you are like me and ride a gigantic cruiser bike w/ basket & possibly panniers, it's almost impossible to fit your bike next to someone else's at these racks. That is, unless they are positioned in such a way that you can park perpendicular at the racks, rather than parallel:

bikes parked parallel to each other-SMOOSH SMOOSH SMASH SCRATCHY FRAME!

bike parked perpendicular to the rack-YAY BREATHING ROOM (p.s. handcuffs are not a recommended method of locking a bike)

This is not always feasible due to sidewalk width, positioning of the racks, etc. There have been plenty of times where I've simply given up and parked my bike at a sign or another rack in the next block, simply because there was no way I could squeeze Betty onto a rack that was already taken. No big deal. It's annoying, but I'd rather do that than risk damaging someone else's bike (or someone damaging mine) by trying to force her into a space she doesn't fit.

Don't even get me started with the ridiculous "art" bike racks that so many cities seem to be in love with. ABSOLUTELY USELESS. Yes, its cute to have a bike rack shaped like a cup of coffee--BUT I CAN'T LOCK MY BIKE TO IT BECAUSE IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

Source. You say Tomato, I say AAAAAARGH.

Of course, it should go without saying that you shouldn't lock your bike to a tree. Not only is it illegal (at a tree less than 12" in diameter), but its just not very nice. A good rule of thumb is that if you can get your U-lock around it, you shouldn't lock to it.

This tree is crying. please don't lock to me, it hurts. *tear*

Of course I realize that public bike parking means that my bike can get a little scratched. Betty has plenty of scratches from racks & other bikes. It's no big deal. It happens. It's minor and doesn't interfere with the ability to ride my bike.

A few weeks ago, you may recall that we all celebrated a fun little holiday called ~~Native American Persecution Day~~ Thanksgiving. My method of celebrating this holiday, besides reenacting that scene from Addams Family Values where Wednesday and the little geeky kid ruin the summer camp's Pilgrim Play, was to run the SOME (So Others Might Eat) Turkey Trot 5k. I figured this would be a fun way to do something Good for the Community, and also burn some of those holiday calories off.

The Boy even decided to tag along to cheer me along. He grabbed Jamie (my Jamis hybrid) and I grabbed Betty and we biked down to Freedom Plaza together to join in the fun. We were there pretty early, which was good since about 10 million people (this maybe be inaccurate) decided to participate as well. I couldn't find any bike racks (grrrrr) so we locked up to a couple of street signs along Penn Ave.

The Turkey Trot was pretty awesome. It was my first organized race in quite a few years. I am definitely not a runner (duh. otherwise this would be a running blog, and not a cycling blog) but I can put one foot in front of the other in a vaguely runnerish manner for a few miles. This is exactly what I did. I will say this: there are quite a few super-fast 3 year olds. One of them paced me, and he was in a stroller.

I would put up photos, but I can't seem to find any. I do remember photographers along the race course, but I can't find any info on how to obtain these mysterious photos.

Anyway, I crossed the finish line eventually. It was a perfect way to start the morning. The sun was shining, there were blue skies, my blood was flowing and I was high on endorphins (or still drunk from the wine the night before, kinda hard to tell). I was eager to get on with the rest of my Thanksgiving holiday by going to work and serving the wonderful people of the District of Columbia. Ok, maybe I wasn't looking forward so much to that, but I was still feeling good.

So imagine my chagrin, my rage, my crushed spirits & my dismay to find that whomever locked their bike next to The Boy's (my Jamis) had managed to do some pretty serious damage.

The handlebars & stem were turned almost completely 180 degrees. This was quite a feat, because Jamie has fenders, which makes it almost impossible to do that--but they managed it. Not only did they manage it, but they snapped the front brake cable in the process.

What. The. Eff.

This wasn't some scratch on the frame. This was some pretty serious damage that rendered the bike unsafe to ride. There is no possible scenario in which this person could not have known they seriously effed up this bike

Did they leave a note? An apology? Anything? No.

I was so angry. I fantasized about slashing the offending bike's tires (which I would NEVER do, not only because that's a crappy thing to do, but also I can't be 100% positive the bike that was locked up next to The Boy's was the offender since its possible, but not likely, someone else locked up before them and did the damage).

Now I have to pay out of pocket to fix the damage they caused. Happy Thanksgiving, right?

Guys, don't be that person. If you damage someone else's bike to the point where it's probably not safe to ride (such as snapping a cable)--LEAVE A NOTE.

Even better, DON'T LOCK THERE. If you have to lock your bike next to someone else's by jamming & forcing it there in such a way that you know you messed up the other bike--don't. Find somewhere else to lock, even if it means the next block over, or even *gasp*, across the street (there were plenty of OPEN street signs for this person to lock to directly across the street).

We all make mistakes or suffer from bad judgement. It happens. But when it does, don't be an ass. Take responsibility and own up.

Here are some bike parking guidelines:

-Thou shall not lock your bike to another bike, unless thou knowest the person to whom the bike belong-est.

-Thou shalt not turn any bike's handlebars more than 45 degrees to accommodate your bicycle.

-Thou shalt not lift any bike that is not thine own.

-Thou shall, whenever possible, lock thy bike perpendicular to the U-rack, unless to do so will interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

-If thou must lock parallel, thou shall do so in such a manner as to not damage any bikes that are already present.

-Thou shalt not lock to any tree that is less than 12" in diameter.

-Thou shalt not lock to any private property that does not belongeth to you or family/friends.

-Thou shalt not lock your bicycle to any *public* bike rack for more than 24 hours.

-Thous shalt not lock your bicycle to moving gates/fences.

-If thou accidentally cause significant damage (interferes with functionality of bike) to another's bicycle, thou shalt leave a note with thy name & phone number and offer to make amends for said damage.

-Thou, if feasible, will remove panniers from bicycle so as to allow others to park at bike rack as well. If it is not feasible to remove panniers, thou shall be considerate to other cyclists and make sure there is room for they as well.

-THOU SHALT NOT PUT TRASH IN MY BICYCLE BASKET, NOR STEAL MY STREAMERS LEST THOU SUFFER MY WRATH. Seriously guys. Guys, seriously.

Coming soon to this blog:

-Epic adventures in bicycling: The 2011 DC Tweed Ride

-Even MORE EPIC adventures in bicycling: My debut as DC Lady Arm Wrestler

-The sentencing hearing is back on! It is scheduled for December 21st. I swear I am going to post details about why I haven't talked much about it very soon.

THINGS YOU NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW: You need to purchase these awesome buttons from this awesome blog because it benefits this awesome organization. I bought two. I might buy more. I like buttons. Every time you wear one, a cyclist gets his/her wings.

Thankful

2011-11-24T20:22:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for all of the people in my life. I learn something new & see things a little differently through their eyes.

I am thankful for my health, because without it I would not be able to live the life I lead.

I am thankful to have steady employment & a decent paycheck.

I am thankful for my home and my possessions.

I am thankful for The Boy being willing to put up with my crazy shenanigans, and even participating in a few with me.

I am thankful for my bikes, because I have had many adventures with them that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

I am thankful that I live in a city that is full of so many wonderful places & people to explore.

I am thankful for every day that I'm alive, because I never know if its my last.

And I am thankful to you all, just for sharing in my adventures with me.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We interrupt this irregularly updated cycling blog to bring you....

2011-11-21T15:46:00.001-05:00

I apologize for this not being totally cycling related, but it is *me* related....

Click to enlarge

You know you've always wanted to watch a bunch of women arm wrestle each other! Indulge your secret fantasy while doing a good deed and COME ON OUT TO THE DCLAW EVENT ON DECEMBER 3RD!

Yes, that's right. Your faithful blogger has become a Lady Arm Wrestler. Meet "Capitol Punishment".

Watch me ~~struggle~~ conquer at the table! I promise that if you bet on me, your money will NOT go to waste because it all goes to the Legion whether I win or lose.

How does it work? Show up! Pay the cover charge! ($5) Buy DCLAW Bucks to place bets on the wrestlers! You can place your bets at the Bookie Table OR with each wrestler's entourage. Win prizes!! (If you bet on the winning wrestler AND you bet the MOST--you win a prize!)

Cash bar available, with very reasonably priced drinks (this IS the American Legion we are talking about here).

Where does the money raised go? To the American Legion! The Legion has hosted DCLAW from the beginning, and its time to give back. The money will go to making the building ADA compliant for disabled vets & guests--a much needed improvement.

Check out the DCLAW blog & FB page to find out more!

What other awesome ladies can you expect to compete?

The Kentucky Dirty!
Boudica!
The Jillotine!
Coco the Killer Clown!
Top Guns!
Ms. T Dynamite!
The Ohio Hacksaw!
Bo Shemoth!

Emceed by Daddy Whorebucks!

Can you think of a more awesome way to spend a Saturday evening? I didn't think so. Please come on out and place your bets (hopefully on me, Capitol Punishment)! I hope to have the space packed with fans! Plus, you get to meet me and my awesome entourage (what, doesn't everybody have one?!) And yes, I will be biking to the event (there are bike racks located next door the Legion, in front of WSC).

I am super nervous since this is my first match-so I will appreciate any and all encouragement and support I get from you guys! PLEASE feel free to say hello to me and hang out. The more "fans" I have in the place, the more I awesome I get!

Save the date!

Coffeeneuring

2011-11-16T02:04:00.000-05:00

HA. You thought this post would be about the Tweed Ride, didn't you? Well, that's coming up. I just haven't ~~finished~~ started it yet. Sorry. I also have some pretty awesome (non-cycling) news coming up too. Also an update on the sentencing hearing. That's a lot of things.

But for now, I want to go ahead and get this post out of the way since it's been sitting in my drafts folder for awhile.

A few months ago, gypsybug of Chasing Mailboxes (randonneuse extraordinnaire) posted a "coffeeneuring challenge":

Interested in the Coffeeneuring Challenge? Here’s what you have to do to play.

Ride your bike to 7 different local coffee shops from now through October.
Only Saturday and Sunday rides qualify. Weekday rides are ineligible.
Only 1 coffee shop per day counts. If you visit 7 coffee shops in one day, you may choose only one as a qualifying ride.
You must do a short write-up of your experience that includes: where you went (address and website, if possible), the date you went there, what you drank, who was with you (or state whether you were solo), total mileage, and a few details about your coffeeneuring ride.
You must take at least one photo during your ride, caption it, and submit it as verification that you actually went to the coffee shop and drank a beverage there.
Hot chocolate qualifies, as do tea beverages.
You may not combine your coffeeneuring ride with any other ride such as a populaire or brevet. You may, however, combine your coffeeneuring ride with a grocery run, ride to the gym, or other transportation/utility-oriented ride.
Your ride must be at least two miles total, but there is no maximum so yes, you could ride 100 miles for a cup of coffee.
There are no geographic limitations to the Coffeeneuring Challenge.
You have to go to 7 different coffee shops, although you may ride to multiple locations of a chain (though that is not preferred).
Deadline for submission for the Coffeeneuring 7 is November 2, 2011.
Submissions must be sent to me at gersemalina “at” gmail.com.
All qualifying rides must be submitted at the same time. That is, send me all 7 together, NOT ride 1, ride 2, etc.
Premium unknown, BUT you will be featured as a guest post on this blog. So fame is part of your premium. Beyond that, I cannot say.
During Columbus Day weekend (October 8-10), you have three days to accomplish two qualifying coffeeneuring rides.

Alas, I did not complete the challenge. I ended up getting distracted by putting together my Halloween costume on the final weekend, and before I knew it, I had run out of time to get that final ride in. Boo.

But you can still read all about it!

(I also highly suggest checking out the Chasing Mailboxes blog to read more coffeeneuring exploits)

Stop #1: Columbia Heights Coffee (3416 11th St. NW)
Date: Sunday, September 25th, 2011
Miles: 2.58
Drink: americano

Sorry for the blurry quality. Too much caffeine?

Columbia Heights Coffee is quickly becoming one of those places I stop at frequently before/during work. I decided to stop here on my day off, because I needed to drop off The Boy's bike for some maintenance at the local bike shop and I've never been able to simply sit & enjoy this place. I rode here, locked up at one of the plentiful bike racks on the block, and got myself a nice iced americano (my favorite) to sip on. Like many local coffee shops, the space is small and it was crowded inside. There are a few tables outside, so I chose one of them. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were hungry. AAAAARGH, I hate mosquitoes. They ruined what would have otherwise been a perfectly nice early afternoon. I did watch plenty of cyclists using the bike lanes on 11th. I finished my amerciano and rode off on the The Boy's Bike to the bike shop and dropped it off. I took Capital Bikeshare for the return trip.

Overall impression: definitely a neighborhood go-to coffee shop.

Stop #2: Peregrine Espresso (1718 14th St. NW)
Date: Saturday, October 1st, 2011
Miles: 2.5
Drink: americano

I rode over to the Crafty Bastard's craft fair and checked out the different vendors. There were lots of really neat things, but nothing caught my eye enough for me to purchase. I saw lots of people decided to Put a Bird On It, which made me giggle and vendors probably thought I was some crazy idiot. I did take advantage of WABA's bike valet. I couldn't believe more people didn't. I saw tons of bikes locked to anything & everything up and down 18th St. (which was a MESS to bike down, by the way--the construction is AWFUL). Maybe they didn't know it was there? It's FREE, and people will literally sit there & watch your bike for you. No lock required. Why not use it?

It was a drizzly, slightly chill day. A perfect day to fetch a nice hot cup of coffee. Which is what I decided to do once I was done browsing through Crafty Bastards. I decided to ride down to Peregrine on 14th, since I had never been there. Once again, I ordered an americano (hot) and took advantage of a rare open seat to dry off & enjoy my drink.

Overall impression: its a great place to get a drink to go, but not so much to sit & enjoy (very cramped, very few seating options). They could also use some more bike racks out front.

Stop #3: SOVA (1359 H St. NW)
Date: Sunday, October 9th, 2011
Miles: 5.36 miles
Drink: americano

It was the Season 6 opener for the DC Rollergirls at the Armory! A double-header too. I love going to derby. The only place where I spend more money than in a bike shop is at a derby game. I can't tell you how many derby t-shirt, glasses, buttons & other stuff I have, ha. Bikes, Beer & Derby: they are literally the biggest "sponsors" of my wardrobe. Anyway, I figured I might as well make a pit-stop on H St. since I would be passing near there on my way to the Armory. I decided to stop at SOVA. I've been there before, and I really like the space. It's bigger than it looks, with lots of comfy chairs & an open patio in the back. Definitely a nice place to hang around, if you don't mind all the beardy hipsters. (I don't mind hipsters, but the beards & mustaches freak me out). Unfortunately, I was running late (as usual) so I had to get my americano to go. It was a pretty warm day out, and I forgot to specify iced. The americano they gave me was scalding, eek. At least I would be able to use Betty's cup holder. I had to dump out a good portion of my drink, though, to make sure it wouldn't spill out and scald me during the ride.

getting ready to take off.

I rode the rest of the way to the Armory without burning myself or spilling my coffee. Yay! Plus, by the time I got there, it was cool enough to drink. I had an awesome time at the derby. I just wish they had better bike parking at the Armory.

I ended up having to lock Betty way on the other side of the lot to this barrier. I don't like locking my bikes to anything that is not permanently embedded in the ground.

Overall impression: I'm a big fan of this place, and I think I might make it a habit to stop here before Derby games.

I made a few more bike trips after the derby game, including a few beer stops. All in all, it was a great day.

Stop #4: Pound (621 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Date: Monday, October 10th, 2011 (*Columbus Day Holiday!)
Miles: 4.35 miles
Drink: americano

My parents were visiting, and my dad wanted to check out the Main Reading Room at the Library of Congress. Generally, that room is off-limits to the general public but they open it up a few days every year. Today was one of those days. My dad has a library card for the library of congress, and takes advantage of it whenever he visits. I decided to ride to the Library to meet them. That included schlepping up Capitol Hill. On a normal bike, that's usually not a problem, but Betty doesn't like steep hills. I managed it though, just very slowly. Unfortunately, there was a suspicious package so we couldn't get into the library until it was cleared. It worked out for me though since I was running late ;-) (Can you detect a theme? Yes, I'm one of those people!)

The library itself is amazing. I've done the tour before (do it, if you never have) but I've never been inside the reading room itself. It's gorgeous. We even got to check out the room with the card catalogs---over 2 million cards! It went on forever.

The room itself is carefully designed to reflect the evolution of human understanding.

They went on forever..they still use this as a back-up system just in case.

Afterwards, we stopped for lunch and I said goodbye to them. Then I decided to stop at Pound since I was in the area. I stopped here once before, but never got to try their coffee. It's a nice place. I still haven't explored it all. There's a back room that looks like it has some comfy spots to sit. Unfortunately, it was full of people and not an open spot was to be found. I got my usual ameriano to go, and waited outside to see if a table would open up outside (there are only two). It was absolutely gorgeous outside. A perfect early fall day. But, they didn't open up (darn table hogs!) That's ok though, I don't blame them--it was a gorgeous day outside. I'd hog it too. Perfect clear weather. Instead, I went around the corner to 8th St. and blew some of my hard-earned money in the two bike shops that are located there. HA! Another beautiful day in DC. I even managed to pick up my new bike companion, Bert. You'll see him in another blog.

Overall: Good coffee, good spot. A bit crowded on the weekends, but I didn't get to fully explore the entire shop.

Stop #5: Chinatown Coffee Co. (475 H St. NW)
Date: Sunday, October 16th, 2011
Miles: 5.94
Drink: Chai Latte

The previous night, I rode down to the E Street Cinema to catch the Sonic Transducer's production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.....only to have it sell out as soon as I got in line. Bummer. I was all dressed up with nowhere to go, so I decided to catch the other midnight show which was "Human Centipede 2". I.....I have no words. Really. I kinda wish my brain had a delete option. Anyway, in my horror/rush to get out of the theater once the film ended, I left my helmet behind. Oh no!

The next day, I rode back down to retrieve my helmet (they had it, yay!) and figured I could squeeze in a coffeeneuring stop as well. I used Foursquare's "Explore" option, and saw that Chinatown Coffee wasn't too far away, so I headed there.

I knew it a good place because I saw a fellow Electra bike locked up outside. I locked Betty up and stepped inside.

A crazy homeless man decided to demonstrate some push-ups for me as I was locking up Betty. I did not take a photo of that.

My first impression was good. It was full, but not crowded. Small, but didn't feel cramped. A good amount of tables & chairs (although I noticed most of the tables were taken up by single persons, leaving many chairs empty). A clean, industrial look & good music being played by the employees (they often changed songs if one came on they didn't prefer). The music was a little louder than I'm used to at coffee shops, but not enough to be distracting or to hinder conversation. Based on the number of bike helmets I saw being carried in & out by customers, this place seemed friendly to cyclists.

Since I wasn't feeling like my usual americano, I decided to go with a latte. I got mine "to stay" even though it didn't appear any tables were free. I just decided to wait & hope. Sure enough, after about 5-10 minutes a primo spot at the front window opened up, and I snagged it. I must have come at the right time, because shortly after a few more tables opened up and remained open.

The latte was delicious.

delicious latte-ness

So delicious, that I decided to get one to go for my trip back home.

Pound Coffee Mug. If you look at the bottom left corner, you can see a bit of Bert.

I decided that it would be a good time to fully test out the "spill-proof" mug I bought from Pound Coffee last week.

Verdict: It's not perfect, but it does the job fine.

A medium to-go cup of coffee/tea will fill the mug. You wouldn't want to get a large. Although there were a few drips that escaped the lid here & there, it kept the majority of my latte in the mug and out of my lap. I rode about 2.5 miles over bumpy dc streets, so that was pretty impressive. The lid design allowed me to easily drink from it at stop lights without a fuss. Not sure how it fares temperature-wise, however. I don't believe it's a thermal mug. Will find out as it gets colder.

Overall impression: I think I will definitely be going back there.

Stop #6: Dunkin' Donuts (2750 14th St. NW)
Date: Saturday, October 29th
Miles: 1.3
Drink: Pumpkin Latte

Ok, I'll admit it--this was done purely out of desperation. It was a miserable day, weather-wise, and I simply wanted to get it over with. It snowed! ACK! It's too early for snow. Also, I forgot to take a picture. It would have been blurry anyway, because my hands were frozen.
Anyway, I've been to this particular Dunkin' Donuts many, many times. I don't go for the coffee. The people that work there are very nice & its usually a nice, quiet place to sit for a bit. But the coffee is terrible. It's either usually burned or overly-sweetened. This time was no exception. I think it was both burned & sickly sweet with the pumpkin syrup. Oh well.

Overall impression: I go here because its convenient, not because its good.

And...that's it. I had planned on going to the Starbucks in Bethesda via the CCT, but then I found all my old goth clothes in my closet....and well, that was that.

I hope to have my Tweed Ride review up before this weekend (but don't hold me to that). I also have some news on sentencing hearing (sorry I've been quiet about that lately, there was a reason for that. I will explain all soon). Also, if you happen to have the evening of December 3rd free, keep it open--I'll let you know what for very soon!

WABA is hosting a happy hour this Thursday (the 17th) at Brasserie Beck at 5pm. New Belgium drafts will be available and its all for a good cause-you could even win prizes. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend due to work commitments, but I hope you will!

Ride safe, everyone!

Another trip down the C&O: Lock House 10

2011-10-28T03:14:00.002-04:00

The Boy and I had so much fun on our last trip to Lock House 6, that we immediately booked another one. We decided to try Lock House 10 since it also had electricity/running water & wasn't that much further out (in fact, we ended up accidentally riding to it while looking for a local store while we were staying in 6).

Lock House 10 has been restored to a 1930's feel in order to celebrate the Civilian Conservation Corps. I highly suggest reading about the CCC because its quite fascinating. In a nutshell, the CCC was part of the New Deal plan by FDR to employ people to restore/upkeep federal & state lands. It included African Americans & Native Americans (segregated from whites, but they did earn equal pay) & war veterans. There were quite a few CCC camps along the C&O Canal; they were used to help restore parts of the canal after it was destroyed by major flooding in 1924.

I wasn't sure what to expect, since the Canal Trust website doesn't have very good photos of Lock House 10. I was willing to find out, though!

This time we put a bit more thought into our packing. Since we knew there was a shopping center nearby, we didn't worry about stocking up on food/beer. We decided just to bring something to eat for lunch, and then we would go grocery shopping when we got there.

This is a general idea of our packing list:

Linens (2 pillows, one sheet & 2 towels)
Clothes for 2 days, extra undies & socks.
Coats, gloves & hats in case it got chilly
Rain gear
Toiletries
Trash bags
Kindle
Knitting
Camera
Phone charger
National Parks Passport
DVD player & fun movies
Bike tools: patch kit, tire levers, pump, multi-tool, screw-driver, wrench, scissors, knife, zip-ties.

Unfortunately, despite the best planning, things can still go wrong. *sigh* I will get to that in a minute....

We packed everything up and were excited to head out. I used these wonderful panniers that I purchased from Basil and some creative cargo-netting (plus my basket). I felt like I was riding a tortoise ;-)

Betty, ready to go. I really need to buy a camping pillow ;-)

The Boy was using a "grocery pannier" that I bought a few weeks ago. It sucked. When we placed it on the bike, I could tell that it wasn't going to be very good. The hooks were the wrong size for either of our racks. I'm pretty sure they are the wrong size for *any* rack. As soon as he started riding, the damn thing came off. Grrrr. A few zip-ties later, and we were ready to go for real. (I'll be doing a review of that pannier, plus my new Basil panniers soon. Hint: the grocery pannier is not going to get a favorable one).

The ride was pretty good, if uneventful. We took the Rock Creek trail to Georgetown, then the CCT to Fletcher's Cove, then switched to the C&O towpath. We took it slow and easy, and the weather was gorgeous. Not too hot, not too cold & fall foliage everywhere you looked.

View Larger Map

I did find two things annoying: there were too many cyclists riding abreast. No. Biking is not a conversational sport. Not on a multi-use trail, anyway. If you MUST ride next to each other, please respect other users and MOVE OVER when being passed. When you hear a DING DING, that means move over! go single file for a moment! I can't tell you how many cyclists simply ignored my warning that I was about to pass them, and almost forced me off the towpath. The second annoyance was unleashed dogs. If you are on a MUP, and you let your dog roam leash-free: YOU ARE A TERRIBLE DOG OWNER. Seriously, its irresponsible. I'm quite sure your furry "child" is well-behaved. I'M NOT. There are plenty of areas to let your doggie dog run wild. THIS IS NOT IT. (I love dogs. It's irresponsible owners that peeve me)

The red blur on the bottom is my handlebar-mounted airplane's propellor. Note annoying cyclists ahead.

More CCT.

Fletches' cove. I think I took this picture by accident.

Towpath..

Anyway, we passed Lock House 6 and waved. Then continued on until 10. Suddenly, we were there.

Approaching the Lock House. They were re-seeding the lawn.

Screened porch. Also an excellent place to store bikes.

Front door.

Another view from drive-way.

There was a man (a Quarter Master, I assumed) there trimming some weeds. He greeted us as we rode in and introduced himself as Bill. It was a good thing he was there, because we had a little trouble with the key lockbox. He was able to fix it though, and get us in.

He also showed us the basement and told us we could store our bikes down there. Unlike Lock House 6, though, I didn't find the basement area to be very inviting or useful. First, it was one of the old-fashioned "barn door" types (you can see it in the photo above) with steps leading down into it. Carrying a regular bike down them wouldn't be much of a problem, but I certainly wasn't looking forward to hauling Betty up and down those steps. Also, it's dark & creepy. The ceiling is really low, and I would not be surprised if there are bodies buried down there ;-/

Instead, we found that the screened porch was a perfect place to stash the bikes. I'm sure this probably violates some sort of rule, but the basement just wasn't gonna work for Betty.

The interior was just as beautiful as Lock House 6.

Sweet Kitchen.

Living Room.

No fires in the fireplace!

Bathroom (upstairs! clawfoot tub!)

Double bed.

Real U.S. Army blankets! (and our pillows)

Games.

Game shelf. No deck of cards tho. Darn it.

I couldn't figure out how to work the oven. The Boy magically did it for me.

Pretty kitchen table.

CCC

The layout is basically the same as Lock House 6, with the exception that the bathroom is located upstairs (yay! No trudging downstairs to the basement). There are two bedrooms. One bedroom contains a double bed (with trundle bed underneath), as well as a closet containing a couple of foldable cots. The other bedroom contains 3 single beds. Blankets are provided, but you will need to bring your own linens & pillows.

The living room is nice, but there isn't a couch/sofa. Just individual chairs (which I found comfy enough). There are scrap books with information/articles on the CCC which were fascinating. And of course, a stamp for your National Parks Passport (which I remembered this time!) & guest books. They must have only very recently opened this lock house for rent, because the guest book doesn't go very far back. Also, the entries were not nearly as creative as Lock House 6 (no poems or drawings).

The kitchen was gorgeous. It contained a mini-fridge, stovetop with 3 burners & an oven. The oven took a little figuring out, since it was from the 1930's/40's. Also, the temperature dial was broken on the oven knob, so you kinda had to guess (there is a thermometer in the oven itself so you can adjust as you go). Be advised: the oven knob is backwards--Low is High and High is Low. Also, you need to flip the "switch" on the rear/top of the oven to get it to work. There was a decent amount of cookware to work with too. But be forewarned: much of it is 1930's era stuff. You might want to bring your own can-opener. There is a coffee pot, but no grinder. Salt & pepper is stocked, but nothing else. Bring olive oil, condiments or other spices you might need.

Also, the kitchen has the most sensitive fire alarm in the world :-/ I strongly advise you to turn the stove fan on 'high' and keep the porch door open. That alarm goes off for everything! Even just heating a pan on the stove with nothing in it. (Fire alarm: OH MY GOD GUYS SOMETHING IS HOT AND IT COULD POSSIBLY CATCH FIRE EVENTUALLY EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. HEY GUYS? THE BURNER IS ON. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW. EEEEEEEEEEEEE. OH? YOU'RE MAKING SPAGHETTI? I LOVE SPAGHETTI! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE).

The screened porch is lovely. There are two rocking chairs and plenty of space. The Boy and I were debating whether we liked the screened porch or the open porch of lock house 6 better. Personally, judging by how many stink bugs I saw sticking to the outside of the screen, I prefer the screened-in version.

Like lock house 6, this house is right off of the Effing Parkway. However, it's on a slightly lower elevation, so you can't actually see the Effing Parkway or the cars zooming on it. It even hides the headlights at night pretty well too. There is a parking lot, and even a "private parking space". You can drive down from the parking lot off of the parkway to a "driveway" in front of the lock house. I'm not sure if its supposed to be used for that, but oh well. A Park Police officer did stop to hassle a friend of ours that had stopped to visit when he pulled into the parking lot. You're not supposed to park there after dark (unless you have a parking permit), but no matter how much The Boy tried to explain to him about the lock house & parking permits, it became painfully obvious that he had no clue what he was talking about and it was just easier to nod his head and have the friend simply circle back around until USSP was gone. Even though we are police officers ourselves, we know when to pick our battles. Sometimes its simply easier to nod your head.....and then just do what you were gonna do once they leave. (P.S. I do not officially endorse this method.) (P.P.S Park Police need to be educated about Canal Lock House policies).

Our plan once we arrived was to relax for a little bit, have lunch, then ride to the local store to pick up provisions. The exit off the towpath to the Cabin John shopping center (Lock house 8) is literally a two-minute ride away. Unfortunately, as soon as we set off we encountered a problem: Betty had a rear flat. And that was just the beginning...

Luckily, we hadn't gone very far at all, so I simply walked Betty back to the lock house. Since it was starting to get dark, The Boy went on ahead to go shopping while I stayed behind to fix the flat.

Thank goodness we brought a tool-kit this time. I can fix a flat on Betty. I've done it before. It's easy!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! <-----that's what the biking gods said.

I brought Betty onto the porch and turned her over so I could remove the rear wheel. I bent over to unbolt the coaster brake and promptly almost died when I brained myself with the damn kickstand. Note to self: remember to put the kickstand UP before working on the bike. I had a nice red bump smack in the middle of my forehead for the rest of the weekend :-/ Seriously, who hits their HEAD with a KICKSTAND?!

Sometimes, I really wish Betty had Quick Release Skewers.

Step 1: unbolt the coaster brake. SHAZAM. done.
Step 2: Unbolt the gearing thingy. PAZOW! huh, what are those little metal shavings coming out? Hmmm, I will worry about that later. DONE!
Step 3: Unbolt the other side of the wheel. KA---uh, damn. This bolt is on really tight. Super tight. What sort of He-Man screwed this on? Jesus H. Christ.
Step 4: Wait for The Boy to return so he can use his manly muscles to get that bolt off. Also, drink last beer & use the cold can to ice bump on head.
Step 5: Get that last bolt off and remove wheel from bike. ZING! done.
Step 6: Use tire levers to release tire beading and remove inner tube from tire. WHAT WHAT! done.
Step 7: Inspect tire carefully for any objects that may have caused puncture. YEEEAAHH. done. no objects.
Step 8: Find leak in tube. Hmmm....we'll use the bathtub!
Step 9: drink a beer while bathtub fills.
Step 10: Send The Boy up to submerge tube to find leak while you finish your beer.
Step 11: Trudge upstairs to tub because Boy complains that he can't find leak. As soon as you get upstairs hear, "NEVERMIND I FOUND IT"
Step 12: Patch that beotch. Then patch it again because you messed up the first time.
Step 13: Insert tube back into tire and put tire back on rim.
Step 14: Put wheel back on, by doing Steps 1-3 backwards.
Step 15: Discover that bolt on gearing thingy is totally $%^@%@ stripped. Well, crap.
Step 16: Decide that you don't really need gears anyway. The towpath is flat. It's cool until you can get to a bike shop.
Step 17: Inflate tire using mini-pump.
Step 18: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You really thought it was going to be that easy???
Step 19: Discover that mini-pump is worth f*ck all. It won't lock onto valve & because Betty doesn't have a washer thingy to screw on valve to keep it from slipping through the rim hole, you can't effectively put any air in the tire.
Step 20: Give up for the night and drink beer and make spaghetti (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE) and have fun with friends.

Photo is blurry because I've just been nearly concussed.

Wheel successfully removed.

Coping mechanism.

Good friends. (Note, masks added to protect privacy. They are not real. The masks, I mean. My friends are real and definitely not imaginary.)

Arrrrrr! Things got a little tense. (KIDDING!)

The Boy is not an actual pirate.

The next day, I tried to no avail to use that wretched mini-pump to get air into the tire. No go. It was apparent that we were going to need a better pump. The Boy came to the rescue. He figured there *had* to be some sort of hardware store for the local residents somewhere nearby. I googled & googled, but I couldn't find anything. He decided to simply trust to luck. And he won! He rode around a bit and managed to find Glen Echo Hardware not too far away. They had 3 floor-pumps in stock. YAY!

I used the floor pump and my spirits rose when the tire began to properly inflate. YAY! MAYBE I CAN SALVAGE THIS TRIP!

I knew something was wrong though. I could hear the tube inside the tire as it inflated. It didn't sound right. I didn't care though. Tire! Inflating! Can't Stop Now!

A few minutes later, the tire was inflated! Hooray!

Then a few minutes later my happiness exploded. Literally. KABLAMMO!!! The tube exploded. *sigh* It must have been twisted or caught on the beading--I'm not sure. What I was positive about was that no patch job in the world was going to save that tube and I did not have any extras. This could not be fixed.

I was so frustrated. This was not how I envisioned spending this trip. So far, I only managed to get one ride in, and that was the ride TO the lock house. My plan of riding to the Irish Inn and/or Great Falls began to evaporate.

It was at this point that I remembered that I was a Silver Spokes member of the League of American Bicyclists. This meant I automatically had membership with the Better World Club, which is sort of the equivalent of AAA for bicycles. I could call them, and they would come out and transport me & my bike to any location in a 30 mile radius. I knew there was a bike shop a 10-minute drive away. Unfortunately....I never received my membership materials and was uncertain as to whether I could use the service.

Thankfully, another friend of ours was due to visit later that afternoon. He had a car! One thing was for certain: Betty wasn't going anywhere in her present condition. And since we were leaving tomorrow.....she HAD to be fixed, or I was stuck. Literally.

Our friend agreed to transport Betty to the shop (in return for dinner & beer, of course). Problem is, Betty is a big girl. We ended up having to remove the front wheel so we could fit her in the car. Removing the front wheel is fairly easy. Just undo the bolts and voila. Except the bolts were on soooooo tight. Super tight. Almost impossible to unbolt. But we managed.

We brought Betty to the bike shop (an Electra dealer, no less!) and I was immediately annoyed. First, there were a bunch of ~~kids~~ employees who were just standing around outside talking with each other. Ok, whatever. I wheel my OBVIOUSLY BROKEN bike into the store, right past them (they even held the door for me) at which point we were greeted with......nothing. We literally stood around for 15 minutes before one of the ~~kids~~ employees finally came inside and went behind the counter. Then he had the nerve to ask us if we had been helped. BY WHOM?! YOU ARE ALL OUTSIDE NOT WORKING!!! I took a deep breath and explained to him that I needed a flat fix, but more importantly, the bolt on the gearing thingy (note: not the technical term) was stripped and it needed to be fixed. And of course, he simply ignored everything I said and tried to claim that it was "supposed" to be like that. Whatever. I'm used to being ignored. He would figure it out once he tried to put everything back together again. (Pet peeve: mechanics that 'diagnose' a problem without ever looking at the bike. AT LEAST LOOK AT IT FIRST).

So, the kid (seriously, he couldn't have been older than 17) got it up on the stand and put a new tube in (dang it, now that I think of it, I should have simply bought more while I was there. Dunno why I didn't think of that at the time. Silly me.) Then when he went to put the wheel on, discovered what I already told him: the gear bolt was stripped. Ooops.

He went and got (what I assume) was the manager and more experienced mechanic. He made me feel much better about getting Betty fixed. He seemed to know what he was doing ;-)

He managed to tap a larger sized bolt in. Its not a permanent solution, but it works just fine for now. I thanked him profusely. Betty was rideable again. I also purchased another patch kit and some winter gloves for The Boy while I was there.

We put Betty back into the car and did a little food shopping since we were out anyway. Then we went back to the lock house and put the front wheel back on Betty.

Except....we couldn't bolt the dang thing on. Despite bringing a toolkit, we forgot pliers. We didn't have anything to secure the opposite bolt while wrenching the other one, so we couldn't put the front wheel back on. Mother Effer.

At this point, I think I may have muttered some very nasty things. And maybe thrown a temper tantrum.

I gave up for the rest of the evening and decided to make dinner & drink beer & forget. The Boy could go back to the hardware store the next morning before we left to get the tool we needed.

(We had bison burgers, oven fries & I bought a raw cheesecake slice for myself. The fire alarm went EEEEEEEEEEEEEE.).

The next morning came way too soon. I started cleaning & packing while The Boy rode to the hardware store to get the tool. I also made bacon & eggs (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!) for him to eat before we left. When he returned, we were *finally* able to put the front wheel back on (although, there are two decorative "stays" that we could NOT figure out how to get back on, so we just left them off for now). Betty was ready to go.

I was pretty bummed about leaving. The Boy managed to get in way more biking than I did, and most of my time was spent cursing & feeling sorry for myself. Oh well. At least it was an absolutely picture-perfect day to ride back to DC.

We managed to be all packed up & ready to go by 11am (check-out time) and set off. The trails were fairly empty and we made good time. We had just arrived into Georgetown and were about to get on the Rock Creek trail when one more disaster struck: The Boy hit a curb the wrong way attempting to enter a sidewalk and blew out his front tire.

Yup. Another effing flat. At least this time we were only half a block from a bike-shop (CycleLife). The Boy took it over there while I rode on ahead--I had to be back at work and was risking being late if I stayed. I managed to make it home without further incident.

Jamie's front tire was done. The shop replaced both tube & tire, and The Boy also got some new grips installed since his hands had been hurting. He said he was very happy with the service he got there. Then he made it home without incident too :-)

So that was our trip. Not quite the success as it was the last time, but at least it was a learning experience. Oh, and guess what arrived in the mail two days after we got back?

Mustache edit to protect privacy and prevent fraudulent use.

Yeah. Great timing.

Things I will keep in mind for next trip:

-It's great to have a tool-kit, but make sure ALL the tools you need are included, and that they WORK (stupid mini-pump)
-Get a tune-up before you go to make sure all parts are in good order (cables, housing, bolts, etc).
-Crap happens. Better have a back-up plan, just in case.
-When all else fails, call a friend to bail you out (or BW club if you are a member).
-ALWAYS have extra tubes on hand.
-Bring TWO bottles of whiskey.

Note: If you are ever staying in Lock House 10, we left the floor pump & a patch kit in the kitchen closet where the cleaning supplies are located. Please don't take it from the house---we donated it for other cyclists to use. If we ever make it back to 6, we will probably do the same there.

Wordless (Long) Weekend

2011-10-12T00:23:00.003-04:00

Coffeeneuring

Making use of the cup holder.

bike "parking" at the DC Armory

DC Armory

DC Rollergirls!

At the Biergarten House

Library of Congress Card Catalog

Main Reading Room

Dome

More coffeeneuring

Aaaargh.

Betty has a new friend.

Bilbo Baggins: Or There and Almost Back Again

2011-10-04T01:34:00.003-04:00

Ever since The Boy enthusiastically embraced biking as a form of entertainment (as long as it leads to somewhere with Beer), I've decided to come up with at least one "bike date" per weekend. This weekend's bike adventure would be riding to Old Town Alexandria and having dinner at Bilbo Baggins/The Green Dragon Pub.

I had been here once before in the beginning of September. I heard it had a really great beer selection, and I decided to meet up with a friend of mine that lives in Alexandria for lunch and try it out. Unfortunately the Curse of VA* struck, and I had to have my friend bail me out. I was a little frazzled, and didn't get to fully experience the restaurant. I recall the dish I had was okay, and I never got to try any of the beers (I probably could have simply ordered a beer without getting carded, but the Goody Two Shoes side of my personality wouldn't let me).

So, I convinced The Boy to try it with me this past weekend. I warned him that the ride is slightly longer than the ride to lockhouse 6. He was still game. The day of the ride I literally had to drag him from bed. He works midnights, and had an especially long night at work. In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't simply wait until the next day to do the ride so he would be fully rested, but I had it set in my mind that we were going to do it Sunday, darn it. He was already grumpy to begin with. Then it turns out he left his rain coat at the bar, so he didn't have a coat to wear (it was chilly & drizzly out). Oh, and he didn't eat anything before setting off, either. Great combo ;-)

We took the 15th Street cycletrack all the way down to the Jefferson so we could then ride over the bridge to VA. I keep meaning to "review" the cycletrack in this blog, but I've been putting it off. Let's just say The Boy was not impressed. He was very frustrated at the red lights we kept getting stuck at. I agree with him (hint at upcoming review: cyclists will not use cycling infrastructure that is not convenient. The 15th Street cycletrack is not only inconvenient when going southbound, it also borders on frustrating). At 15th & Constitution we encountered the most annoying group of Segway tourists I have ever come across.

Tourists + Segways = Satan's Smelly Balls.

I don't care for tourists. I loathe Segways. Having them combined scares me. This particular group was about 15 people deep, and they took up THE ENTIRE 14 FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK. Normally, their guide instructs them on segway etiquette before setting off (i.e. be respectful of other users of the road/sidewalk, stay single file, keep right). Apparently they skipped over this portion of the orientation, because they were all over the dang place. I dinged and dinged and dinged my bell behind one particular offender who simply would not move to the right. At first I feared she was deaf, and I was looking like an ass. But when I called "move to the right, please" she finally looked behind her and had that blank look of "oh, you meant ME? I thought that dinging was for someone else!" and finally moved out of the way. I shot the tour operator a dirty look, but I think it was lost on him.

Finally we were up and over the bridge (am I the only person that believes it is bad luck to pass people on bridges? It is, folks. Trust me. You don't pass on bridges. If its not a rule, I am making it one right now) and onto the Mt. Vernon trail towards Alexandria.

I like this trail. I've never had a problem on it. This day was no exception. There were a few runners (most of whom looked miserable in the weather) and even fewer cyclists. Yet for whatever reason, The Boy hated it. Probably because he didn't realize how long the ride was going to be, and he was starving. And cold. And wet. He kept saying it was crowded and narrow. It didn't feel like that to me, but I've ridden it many times before.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at our destination (why does the "trail" suddenly get cut off in Alexandria? You have to ride on a sidewalk, and then over train tracks, and if you aren't familiar with the area its easy to miss where the trail part picks back up again).

We entered the restaurant and the bar area was full (it was a Sunday during football season, big shocker, right?) so we opted for a table. I will say that our server was very attentive. So there's that. I think The Boy was going to blow a gasket when the first beer he ordered was out. We looked over the menu, and immediately my stomach sank. The Boy kept saying over and over again how much he was looking forward to having a nice, juicy burger during the ride. Being a "beer" restaurant, I never questioned them having burgers on the menu. Unfortunately, I didn't see sandwiches of any type on the menu! Oh no! First, they were out of the beer he wanted, and now no burger?! He was never going to bike with me again :-(

Then I saw it. *Way down* on the bottom of the appetizer list: a burger! Sort of. It was served on an English muffin, but it was still a burger. So there was that. The Boy ordered a bottled IPA and the burger and I ordered my favorite seasonal beer (Schlafly Pumpkin Ale-On draft!) and a pasta dish since I was also starving. I'm not a huge seafood lover. I will eat some things, but given a choice of cuisine, seafood is on the bottom of my list. Apparently, Bilbo Baggins is a seafood restaurant, since 80% of their menu consisted of seafood items. I did not know this. There was nothing to indicate this. Pretty much ALL of their pasta items contained seafood. I chose the Tortellini Chardonnay because a) I wanted pasta and b) I can live with salmon & crab. The description indicated that this was tortellini stuffed with salmon & crab & dill, in an apple & ginger cream sauce. Okay. I like all those things!

Look! A little teeny tiny Bilbo. I was hoping the cast of The Hobbit might stop by, but that didn't happen.

I didn't even finish it. I took the first bite and I was put off. It was like eating gobs of glue. The flavors just did not work together, and the pasta itself was awful. I stole a bunch of The Boy's fries instead. :-/ At least he seemed happy with his burger.

Ok. Maybe dessert will be better? The description of the bread pudding looked intriguing (I LOVE bread pudding).

When it came out, it was was huge. More than enough for two people to share. So we did. I couldn't finish that either. Not because it was bad, but because it was SO SWEET. Way too sugary. And I love sweet things! I have a huge sweet tooth. I literally felt sick afterwards because of the sugar rush in my system. I had to wait at least 45 minutes before even contemplating riding anywhere. Luckily that gave me time for another pumpkin ale ;-)

The Boy wasn't too enthusiastic about riding another 10 miles back to DC in the dark. So we decided to Metro it instead. We rode through Old Town (by the way, the best time of year to check out Old Town is during the Fall, and I fully intend to do that during daylight) and we almost stopped at Hard Times Cafe- if only to get the taste of Bilbo Baggins out of our mouths. Instead, we decided to go straight home. So we rode to the King Street Metro. I was a little worried Betty wouldn't fit in the elevators, but she did just fine. The Metro ride was fine & uneventful.

Chillin' on the metro.

We got off at our stop, and rode home.

So...not the best date. I wouldn't mind stopping by Bilbo Baggins again, but only for the beer. They really do have a wonderful beer selection. I don't think I would *eat* there again, though.

At least after a few beers at Bilbo Baggins (plus the burger) The Boy was in a much better mood. It wasn't a total loss after all. Hopefully, he'll be willing to try again ;-)

Next weekend I'm thinking we'll hit the CCT and do something in Bethesda.

*The Curse of VA: I don't know what it is about crossing the Potomac, but every time I do, something goes wrong. The first time I rode to Alexandria, I brought the wrong lock (I grabbed The Boy's lock by accident) and couldn't lock up my bike, so I had to turn around and ride back home. The second time I rode to Alexandria (this time to meet up with my friend at Bilbo Baggins), I forgot my entire pannier! I even carefully packed it keeping in my mind that I brought the wrong lock the last time. Plus it looked like rain, so I packed rain gear. My wallet and I.D. were in there too. I packed it all up, and then promptly forgot to attach it to my bike when I left! Not only did I not have a way to lock my bike, but I had no wallet and no I.D.! I didn't discover this until I got to the restaurant. I was so mad, I almost cried. Luckily my friend (HI MIR!) I was meeting brought me a lock and covered the bill for me. Still, something bad always happens when I cross the bridge to VA. It's curse, I tell ya.

A weekend along the C&O Canal

2011-09-25T19:44:00.001-04:00

You may remember that back in May, WABA hosted it's annual fundraiser, Bike Fest in Crystal City VA. They held various silent auctions, and one in particular caught my eye. It was for a "Weekend Along the Canal" package, which included a 2 night stay in Lockhouse #6. I put in a bid and won. Go me! (Actually, I watched the bidding sheet like a hawk and made sure that I outbid anyone else. I didn't care that I probably way over-paid. It was a fundraiser, and I was going to "win" something, dammit, because I am rubbish at carnival games).

I finally decided to put that package to good use last weekend. Reserving the Lockhouse was a snap. The Canal Trust has an online reservation system that lets you see when the Lockhouses are free and you can book them right then & there.

I guess I should back up a bit and explain what a Lockhouse is for those of you that may not be familiar with the workings of a canal system (I grew up around the Erie Canal). Think of a canal as a highway for boats. It's a man-made system that allows for the transportation of goods along the canal. Boats would travel along the canal towed by a team of mules along the towpath which ran alongside the canal. Along the canal are a series of "locks". It helps to think of locks as an elevator for boats. Because the different segments of the canal are at different heights, you needed these locks to lower or raise the boat. At each lock, there were two sets of "paddles" or gates at either end. By opening or closing these gates, you could change the water level inside of the lock, thereby raising or lowering the boat so it could continue on in the canal.

These locks had to be manually operated by somebody, so a house was built at each lock. A lock-keeper (and usually their family) would live in the "lockhouse" and operate the lock as needed. Often, generations of families lived in these lockhouses. Families also lived on the canal boats themselves, as well.

The C&O Canal was operated from 1831 until a gigantic flood in 1924 put it out of commission. It was considered too costly to repair, especially since railroads had taken over most of the transportation needs of the country. (The Canal has suffered through many floods). It lay dormant and unused until 1954 when Justice William O. Douglas advocated for restoring the Canal after Congress (and the Post) suggested it be turned into a parkway for cars. Justice Douglas challenged Congress & the Post to take a hike along with him along the canal from Cumberland (its endpoint) back to Washington, DC to witness first-hand the beauty and history of the Canal. Luckily, they took him up on his challenge and completed the hike in 8 days. His idea worked, and opinion turned against developing the Canal into a parkway. In 1971 it was designated as a National Historic Park and many restorations were completed.

Since that time, many of the Lockhouses were used as lodging for Park Rangers and their families. Lucky them!

Today, the Canal Trust is working to restore all of the lockhouses and allow visitors to stay in them (an ingenious money-maker, I think). Each lockhouse is restored to a different era in the Canal's history. Lockhouse 6 (the one we stayed in) was restored to the 1950's era in honor of Justice Douglas's efforts in 1954. I highly suggest you check out the Canal Trust website to see the other Lockhouses.

Anyway, I reserved Lockhouse 6 for two nights (Sunday night & Monday night). The Boy wasn't too sure about this hare-brained scheme, especially since I insisted that we bike there and back (he's never really biked much further than his work commute). I assured him that it wasn't as far as he thought it was.

As usual, I procrastinated until the last minute to prepare for the trip. Included in the "Weekend Along the Canal" package was a front rack system. Unfortunately it didn't come with any directions on how to assemble it, and trying to figure it out 2 hours before we were supposed to leave wasn't a good idea. So we scratched that out. I also didn't purchase any appropriate panniers or bags to use anyway. So, I winged it. Using a combination of my Basil grocery shopper, a reusable grocery bag from whole-foods, a backpack, a bag I found in my closet & a whole bunch of bungee cords & zip-ties, we managed.

(I forgot to bring my camera, so these iphone photos are terrible and blurry. Sorry! I won't make the same mistake again).

Betty, all loaded up. Notice how the Ukulele fits snuggly in between the handles of the grocery shopper, and the 6-pack fits in the basket.

First, we had to decide what to bring. At first we thought we were only going to stay the one night, because The Boy had to work the following night. So, we figured we didn't need to bring too much. Just enough food & beer to last the night, right? Oh, and I knew towels & linens weren't included so I brought a couple of sheets & a towel. This particular lockhouse has electricity, running water & a fully equipped kitchen (not all of them do) so I knew I could whip up something quick and easy to eat. I brought two cans of Chili. If we were only staying the one night, we didn't have to pack too many clothes, so we didn't. And I brought my laptop (the only DVD player I have) and some old DVD's in case we got bored with staring at each other all night (there's no tv or internet. weee!). Basically, our load consisted of 90% beer, 10% actual useful necessities.

The ride there was fairly pleasant. We took the Rock Creek Trail, to the Capital Crescent Trail and then hopped onto the Canal towpath when they intersected at Fletcher's Boathouse. From there, it was a short ride to Lockhouse 6. All in all, it took slightly under an hour and was just under 9 miles from our front door to the door of the lockhouse. (We took it slow and easy).

Arriving at the lockhouse was the best part. It was dusk and it looked like a cottage out of some fairy tale...

We get to stay here?

Rocking chairs on the porch

Betty (and Jamie) checking out the new digs.

The house was beautiful. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath (in the basement, where you can also stash your bicycles. It's not a creepy basement at all). Fully equipped kitchen. A lovely place to spend some quiet time.

cozy kitchen

Cute "50's era" touches around the house

Those were the most comfortable chairs ever.

No fires in the fireplace :-(

It quickly became apparent that we had not packed enough to eat, however. Although I was fine, the Boy was not used to riding and he was ravenous. The two cans of chili wasn't going to be enough. WABA had also included a packet of chocolates and candy in the package as well (part of the romantic part of the weekend, I guess. We drank the bottle of wine they included weeks ago :-/), so he tore through those while I used my iphone to find nearby stores that we could stock up on food with.

According to one website, there was a shopping plaza that was accessible by bicycle around mile 8.4. We decided to give that a shot. But it was already sunset, and getting darker by the minute. We hopped on our bikes and took off down the towpath. It got darker and darker. We had lights on our bikes, and they managed to illuminate the path somewhat. We rode to Lockhouse 8 (also called the River Center) and I checked around for a path off the canal. I saw one....but I wasn't sure if it was the correct one or where it led to. And it was almost pitch black out. We saw some lights further down the canal and decided to head towards them. We rode and rode. We saw a bridge that looked like it might be the right way and followed it.....but it simply led to the Clara Barton Parkway (or "The Effing Parkway" as it came to be known), and there was no way we were going to attempt to ride THAT in the dark. We turned back and kept going. We made it to Lockhouse 10 before we discovered that we had gone too far. By now, it was pitch black out and I knew it was going to be futile trying to find our way off the canal in the dark. We turned back and rode back to our Lockhouse. (A very spooky ride in the dark, ACK!).

I still wasn't all that hungry, so I let the Boy have both cans of chili which seemed to satisfy him. We spent the rest of the evening chilling on the porch, having some beer. It was perfect outside. The only drawback (and this was minor) was that the back of the lockhouse is adjacent to The Effing Parkway, so there was the constant sound of cars driving back and forth. At least they didn't honk. At one point we watched a couple of deer attempt to cross the Effing Parkway. Thankfully they turned back and didn't get hit.

(P.S. For those that aren't cyclists, yes you can drive to the lockhouse. There is a parking lot right off of the Effing Parkway that is only a short distance away and you can obtain a parking permit so you can park there overnight).

Blanket, Beer & Ukulele. What else do you need?

In the lockhouse, there are plenty of pictures & books about the Canal and the surrounding area. There's also a stamper thing for those of you with a National Parks Passport (I forgot to bring mine, I was so mad!). I loved reading over the guest book that previous guests had signed and told their stories. Some even drew pictures or wrote poems.

I don't even know what this was supposed to be.

A poem about the Canal

Of course we left our own (un-creative) entry.

After a few hours of feeling the stress of the city melt away, we both agree that we needed to take advantage of both nights that we had reserved. But first, we would need to restock. We decided to sleep on it, and then try again in the morning.

We set out again, and this time we were successful. Turns out we were *so* close the previous night. We just couldn't see because of the dark.

Behind Lockhouse 8 (aka the River Center) there is a path that runs along behind it (NOT the stairs that go up the hill--they simply lead to another parking lot.). If you follow that path it turns into a paved road. Follow that road as it winds around in a big circle (it take you under The Effing Parkway), and it will dump you onto MacArthur Blvd, right across from a shopping plaza. It's a short ride. The plaza includes a deli, a beer/wine store, a sushi place, a restaurant (Wild Tomato) and the Bethesda Co-op. We were saved!

We bought a few sandwiches and ate them while The Boy managed to get leave so we could stay the extra night. Then we went to the Co-Op and stocked up on food & drink for later. The ride back was interesting. I saw a bunch of turtles and a skunk. Then we saw a Great Blue Heron. Did I mention The Boy is *terrified* of birds? I don't think I've ever seen him ride so fast before. He was convinced it was going to attack.

Great Blue Heron. It's a known fact that they eat people.

When we got back to the Lockhouse, we decided to explore a little. There was a trail opposite the towpath that led down to the Potomac. We followed it and were surprised to come upon a training site for kayakers, and a class going on. I wish I had taken a photo, but I didn't have my phone with me. We watched the class for a little bit and then sat by the river. It was lovely.

The rest of the stay was pretty much the same, with the occasional card game & late night movie watching thrown in.

The next day it was time to leave. Boo! Packing up the bikes was much easier since we had less to carry. Unfortunately it was raining. Not hard, but enough that the towpath was a muddy mess. We didn't have any rain-gear either. Oh well, a little bit of mud never hurt anyone.

This is what Betty looked like by the time we got home:

Yuck!

This weekend was even better than my failed "vacation" back-up plan in West Virginia. We loved it so much, that we've already booked another weekend for next month. This time we will stay in Lockhouse 10, which is restored to the 1930's era. Can't wait to see what that's like.

Thank you, WABA, for a wonderful weekend along the Canal.

50 States Ride-Retro View!

2011-09-24T01:07:00.000-04:00

Good luck to all of the participants in tomorrow's (today's, actually) 50 States/13 Colonies Ride! I really wish I could be there, but I gotta work. I will be with you in spirit, though. Hopefully, I will see some of you pass by.

If you like, you can read about my first time doing the ride last year here. I see that you will have much better weather this year than last year (I'd rather take overcast/rainy & in the 70's, than blaring sunshine in the 90's!).

Here are some tips that I wish I had known about last year:

-Bring more water and snacks than you think you will need. Last year I was expecting to be able to re-fill/re-fuel at corner markets & convenience stores fairly often, since we were in a city. Unfortunately, a good deal of the course was in residential areas where stores were infrequent. It's also an unsupported ride, so there's few staffed rest-stops.

-Ride with a friend. The cue sheet is super-long. If you are not very good at following directions, you might want to find a group of cyclists to latch onto. There are some lonely stretches & tricky turns out there ;-/

-If you have loved-ones that aren't cyclists, see if they can meet you along the course to cheer you on. That smiling face & cheer will go a long way at mile 50.

-Yes, there are hills. They won't kill you. It might feel like it sometimes, but trust me. If I could get up some of those hills (and I'm looking at you MLK & effing Alabama Ave) on Betty, you can do it too. Also, there is no shame in walking either. I did that too.

-Remember this is supposed to be *fun*. If you aren't having fun, stop! Do the 13 colonies course instead. Or go to a bar and have a beer. Either way.

-Pay attention to your body. I was getting dangerously dehydrated/hyperthermic last year. I had all of the classic symptoms of heat exhaustion: nausea, dizziness, confusion & headache. If you find yourself having a hard time going any further, stop! Rest. Don't chance it.

-Did I mention have fun?

Good luck!

Hearing update.

2011-09-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

Hi guys,

Sorry for the super whiney post yesterday. I'm feeling much better today. I don't know what my problem was. Sometimes I just need to get over myself, ha.

For those of you that don't follow me on twitter (and I don't blame you, I tweet an absurd number of times a day), the sentencing hearing for this morning was continued until October 14th. I was all set to go, the USAO was all set to go, the judge was all set to go....but the defendant wasn't. Apparently he had some issues with his plea, so he opted to review it again with his attorney.

Which is *fine*. I'd rather this be done the right way, beyond a reasonable doubt, than for someone to feel rushed into doing something they are not comfortable with. Worst case scenario: he spends another month in jail. Well, actually worst case scenario is that he disavows his plea and we go to trial anyway. Not that it would matter in the end. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I really want to thank WABA, and especially executive director Shane Farthing who showed up in person. It really meant a lot. I know this was posted last minute, so I really wasn't expecting a huge or even a small showing. It didn't help that the docket wasn't showing up on the court website & that the room got changed at the last minute. But it really was a big help. I guess I didn't really understand how it would feel to be on the "victim" side of things, since I'm used to being on the police officer side of things. I've testified in court bunches and bunches of times. I'm used to it. But I won't lie and tell you that my stomach was in knots and I desperately wanted to see a familiar face. It was a big relief to know that I wasn't alone (and I know many of you were thinking of me, since my phone kept buzzing in a most reassuring manner).

Also, I really want to thank the cyclist that showed up and said hello to me after the hearing. I really wish I had a chance to get your name and thank you. Again, it meant a lot.

I do want to draw your attention to WABA's attempt to get a bicycle anti-harassment law passed. If you click on that link, it will also take you to a link for a video in which a DC cyclist is clearly harassed and then purposely struck by a motorist. It's unfortunate that incidents like this are far too common. This is why this anti-harassment legislation is needed.

On a more reassuring note, I want those of you that either already are or especially those that are considering cycling in DC: it really is safe. It has come to my attention recently that many folks out there feel that cycling is a dangerous activity. It really isn't. It is unfortunate when incidents like mine and the cyclist's in the video happens, but it doesn't mean it will happen to you.

I ride a bicycle *every day*. For many days, I ride a bicycle between 4-6 hours a day in various parts of the city. I would say that 98.9% of the time, it is without incident. Since I have taken up cycling, my stress levels during my commute (and at work) have dropped significantly. You know who are stressed? Motorists! Drivers are disgruntled. From the impolite gestures to the impatient honking, I wonder how some of them simply don't collapse from heart attacks. Luckily they tend to aim their frustrations at each other. The best cure for a bad mood is a good, long bike ride. There have been plenty of times I've woken up & dreaded going to work--but by the time I arrived I felt a million times better. I've never, ever heard a motorist make the same claim. I can't imagine that being stuck in the morning rush hour is a mood-booster. Sure, I encounter the annoying/aggressive motorist or fellow cyclist (and even pedestrian). But they are the minority. Most of the people I encounter while I'm riding simply fall off my radar because they aren't doing anything to draw attention to themselves. Most people know how to behave. It's when people misbehave that you notice them, and it only takes one arsehole to ruin your day. The best remedy for that is to simply get back on your bike and ride.

In fact, if you really want a good idea of what it is like to ride a bicycle every day, I strongly urge you to read Tales from the Sharrows. This blog is a true, detailed account of his every day commutes to & from work in an urban environment. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out how easy & pleasant it can be.

My point is that riding a bicycle is a safe & fun activity. Sometimes we forget that, and focus way too much on potential dangers.

Hopefully, I will see you out there!

Catch-Up; Hearing Tomorrow.

2011-09-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much lately. Quite frankly, the last few weeks have been majorly sucking for me, and I just haven't had the motivation to update this. In a nutshell, 8 months of planning & savings was suddenly wiped out the other week due to circumstances beyond my control, and I'm still incredibly frustrated over it. On top of that, I have some other professional issues to resolve, and I'm not quite sure how to go about it. Vague enough for you? Okay.

Oh, and I might not be able to take advantage of my "Weekend on the Canal" package I won at Bike Fest's silent auction this weekend due to scheduling conflicts. So that's kinda bumming me out. But there's still a slight chance that I can.

On the bright side, it turns out I might be able to participate in the 50 States Ride after all! (Which is another reason which makes me thinking this "emergency" is a whole lot of smoke being blown around but that's another rant that I will never, ever post here). I'm not 100% sure yet, since I would still need to take leave; I burned a bunch of leave on my Vacation That Never Happened and am not sure whether I can spare it/obtain it. But at least its a possibility.

The biggest reason I am posting tonight is because that pesky sentencing hearing is tomorrow morning. Yes, I know this is short notice (although its really not, because its been on my blog for awhile). To be perfectly honest, I just want to put this whole thing behind me. I'm tired of dealing with it. I need to write my victim impact statement tonight, and I'm procrastinating like crazy. I really just don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't want to be that Girl That Got Assaulted on Her Bike. I just want to be that Girl on a Bicycle again. I know, whaaa, whaaa, whaa, woe is me. Sorry. I'm just being honest here.

Anyway, it's going to be around 9:30am-ish, at 500 Indiana Ave. NW, 3rd Floor. You can get the exact courtroom by stopping by the Information Desk on the lobby level and giving the defendant's name: Darryl Harrison, or docket number: 2011CF3003619

If you stop by and lend your support, great. I really appreciate it. I do. If not, don't feel that you have to. He's already been found guilty, so there's that. It's pretty much all paperwork now anyway.

So. Yeah. Whiniest, pathetic post so far. I hope that sometime soon I can go back to my usual slightly more happier self.

Ride safe, everyone.

Three Things Thursday (A Quickie)

2011-08-18T12:41:00.000-04:00

1. Don't forget that tonight is the I Street Social Ride, hosted by BicycleSPACE. Tonight's theme is Robot Rumble, so break out your tinfoil & best blinky lights (cuz that's what robots are made of, right?). Unfortunately I can't make the right tonight due to my work schedule, but luckily it happens every Thursday evening! It's a fun, gentle ride through the streets of DC. You never know where you'll end up.

2. Win up to $5,000 for WABA (or any other bike-related organization of your choice). Submit a photo of your bike and your best biking story (250 words or less), and you win a year's supply of CLIF bars & a 5K grant for your favorite bike non-profit (like WABA). Two Runner-ups will receive a messenger bag full of CLIF bars & $2,500 for their favorite bike non-profit (like WABA). Details HERE. Do it.

3. If you haven't read this already, you must. I'm generally not a fan of the City Paper, but Alex Baca knocks this one out of the park: how the Symbolism of Bicycling in DC was hijacked.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T23:45:00.001-04:00

Favorite way to start the day...(Columbia Heights Coffee)

Looking deceptively mild (Bastard Hill)

Reward for conquering Bastard Hill (view from Cardozo)

Honking Hoo Ha's.

P.S. Please be sure to check out BicycleSPACE's facebook page and "like" my photos so I can win the contest, k? Thanks.

Two Things Tuesday

2011-08-16T23:43:00.000-04:00

1. I kept noticing people riding around with very low pressure in their tires today, which reminds me that I need to check the air in all my bikes. I know my work bike definitely needs some air. Checking air pressure is something I need to make a better habit of. Along with cleaning my drivetrain. And lubing my chain. And...oh hell. I'm never going to do any of that on a regular basis. I should though. But. AIR. yes, I need some.

2. The awesome folks at BicycleSPACE answered my call for suggestions for a new bike--I'd like to get a touring bike for longer trips--and they pointed me to Velo Orange. I think I'm in love.....come mid-September I think one of those babies will be mine....

Three Things Thursday (Right Turn Rant Edition)

2011-08-11T21:17:00.000-04:00

1. I get really annoyed at drivers that do not make right turns properly when there is a bike lane present. I've noticed lately that drivers will not enter the bike lane (which they are supposed to do) to make their right turn, but will rather make the turn from "their" lane. This is WRONG. And dangerous to cyclists. I'm guessing their thinking is that they are being considerate of cyclists by staying out of the bike lane at all times; however there are times when it is safer for a vehicle to do their business in the bike lane (like turns). According to DCMR, Title 18, Chapter 22:

Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge or the roadway.

This way, there is very little chance of "accidentally" right-hooking a cyclist, since theoretically there shouldn't be a cyclist on your right since the curb is there. There have been plenty of times I've been cycling in the bike lane and a driver ahead of me will turn from their lane, essentially cutting me off. That is why there is a dotted line in the bike lane, drivers---it's so you can enter it. PREDICTABILITY, people.

2. Conversely, I get super peeved at the bike lane hoggers who position their vehicle half-in & half-out of the bike lane while they are stopped in traffic because they are going to make a right turn half a block ahead. NO. You are also doing it wrong. You move your vehicle into the bike lane at the approach to a right-hand turn. You are not approaching anything if you are stopped. And half a mile away. Stop it.

3. I get really peevey at drivers that go around me while I'm stopped at a red light so they can make a right turn on red. NO! You will just have to wait your damn turn. You wouldn't go around a stopped vehicle at a red light so you can turn right, why would you do that to a human being? If your vehicle is not positioned next to the right-hand curb/edge because there is a cyclist next to you, you shouldn't make a right turn (asshat). This should be common sense. Maneuvering your 2-ton vehicle directly in front of a human being so that you don't have to wait 25 seconds for the light to turn green is a dick move.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T23:31:00.000-04:00

(shamelessly stolen from other bloggers) (Oops, I just used words)

Five Things Friday?

2011-08-05T22:23:00.000-04:00

I guess I will do this too...

1. Even though the weather has been much nicer/cooler than it has been for quite awhile, I've been a lazy boob and haven't really taken advantage of it. I only feel slightly guilty about this.

2. Betty had her first flat tire last night. Not bad, considering its been about a year & a half since I bought her, and she's got quite a few miles on her. After the I Street Social Ride, I stopped at the local watering hole for a few beers, and when I came out her rear tire was completely flat. Oh no! And despite my own advice, I had never attempted to figure out how to remove her rear tire (it's a little different since she has a 3-gear internal hub & coaster brake). I walked her home and decided that 2am while slightly tipsy was as good a time as ever to figure it out (HI NEIGHBORS). So I fired up YouTube and went to work. Turns out it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be (it's definitely not a roadside repair though). I got the wheel off, inspected the tire, found the offending hole (although not the culprit), patched the tire and got it all back together again. I even re-installed Betty's front fender so it was facing the correct way. Unfortunately, 2am while slightly tipsy isn't a good time to judge whether the chain tension was tight enough, and as soon as I rode Betty down the street the next morning (which came way, way too soon), her chain bumped off before I even got out of the block. DOH! No chain = no brakes. So, I put Betty back inside and took Bikeshare instead (yay, CaBi!). When I got home from work I fixed the chain problem. I rode Betty up and down the block just to make sure, and it was fine, but I'm still a little paranoid about hitting a bump or pothole. Oh well. I'm sure it will be fine.

There's the hole in the tire. Whatever caused it must have fallen out.

The hole in the tube. I didn't have another one, so I decided to patch it.

Patched!

3. Apparently the best way to get me to buy a product is to slap a bicycle on the packaging. I couldn't decide which 6 pack of beer I wanted, so I went with Flying Dog's Tire Bite--why? Because there is a drawing of a dog biting a bicycle tire. I also noticed that the package of cookie dough (SHUT UP, ITS FOR A GOOD CAUSE IT SAID SO ON THE PACKAGE, A PORTION OF MY PURCHASE GOES TO KIDS WITH CANCER, EVEN IF IT NEVER SEES THE INSIDE OF AN OVEN) had a drawing of bicycle on it too.

4. I have a love/hate relationship with amateur group rides. On the one hand, it's always a festive atmosphere and its nice to have other cyclists to chat with. On the other, I tend to break out into RAGE HATE with all the weaving, sudden-braking, light-running, wrong-way going, WHY CAN'T YOU RIDE IN A STRAIGHT LINE FOR THE LOVE OF BOB cyclists that attend them. This might be my next post. It might be a post I write and never publish.

5. The VP of the League of American Bicyclists called me personally yesterday to thank me for my donation (I renewed my membership which lapsed as of June, plus threw in a little extra) which I thought was really cool & kind of them to do. Unfortunately my crappy AT&T cell service meant that she couldn't actually hear me, so it was an awkward conversation. Unfortunately, their website seems to be down at the moment, so I can't find her name. But if you are reading, Ms. VP, you are very welcome! Also, if you are looking for worthy organizations to donate to, the League and WABA should be at the top of your list. Also you can buy pre-made cookie dough that will save kids with cancer in your local supermarket.

Beating the Heat

2011-07-29T16:24:00.001-04:00

Remember Snowmageddon? *sigh*

Last week the heat index managed to make it up to a staggering 121F. Today it's at a "mere" 108F. Was I on my bike? You betcha.

How do you survive when it feels like your eyeballs might melt?

-Stay out of the heat if you can. Seriously. Whenever the heat index reaches 110, I opt to stay in air-conditioning as much as possible. Of course there are times when I have to ride my bike (commuting, work), but I keep it short, and I leave myself plenty of time to take frequent breaks. Heat exhaustion/stroke is no joke, and it can creep on you before you know it. I'm usually okay with anything below 110.

-Know where your cooling center/locations are. Whether its an "official" cooling center (like the Reeves Center at 14th & U), or that Starbucks with the amazing air-conditioning, keep in mind places that you can duck into if you get overwhelmed with the heat. Spray parks are good for this too (in my neighborhood there is a spray fountain at 15th & Girard, 14th & Girard and Tivoli Plaza). PLEASE DO NOT OPEN FIRE HYDRANTS! I haven't seen this yet this summer, so that's a good thing.

-Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion/stroke. If you experience nausea, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness, get inside ASAP and get cool. If you have stopped sweating, get chills, or feel confusion, call 911. Folks, please don't play around with these symptoms.

-Wear appropriate clothing. Light, moisture-wicking material is best. There's a reason why cyclists wear lycra. It's not just to show off their sponsors. Anything that will let air circulate on your skin is great. Keep a hand towel in your bag so you can wipe away sweat, and consider wearing a bandana of some kind under your helmet to keep the sweat from dripping in your eyes. Carrying an icepack isn't a bad idea either, although it probably won't last long.

-Hydration. I know everyone keeps saying "hydrate, hydrate & hydrate"--and that's always good advice. I like to keep a bottle of water on my bike, as well as a frozen bottle of homemade vegetable/fruit juice. (I make the juice the night before and stick in the freezer overnight. It thaws throughout the day.) You could also do that with your water bottle as well. And remember--SIP your water, don't gulp it. For longer rides or on days where I am sweating a ton, I will mix up a bottle of half gatorade/half water. Get those electrolytes in! (Coconut water is also good for that, and it doesn't have all that sugar that gatorade has).

If you have a smartphone, you can download the TapIt app that will show you businesses that will allow you to refill your water bottle for free.

However, be mindful of how much water you are drinking. Stay with me while I tell you this story:

Just over 7 years ago, I was still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I was out of college and completely lost as to what my life should be. I thought I knew what I wanted to do (criminal policy wonk), but my experience with actually working in that environment quickly disabused me of that notion (NO MOAR CUBICLES EVERRRRR). I had a good circle of friends at that time, and it was through them that I met someone that would set me on the path I am now.

His name was Jim, and he was a brand new recruit with the Metropolitan Police Department. I didn't know him very well; he was more of a friend of a friend but we corresponded semi-regularly through group emails. Jim was a very good story-teller, and it was through his stories of adventures with MPD that I figured out what I wanted to do. Jim very kindly offered to walk me through the process of joining, and even offered a referral. About a year later, I too was a recruit with MPD--although by this time Jim had long since graduated and went on to become Rookie of the Year at the 1st District.

Did I mention he was amazing? Not only did he manage to make Rookie of the Year, but he was going through law school AT THE SAME TIME. If you know how insanely time-consuming being a rookie on the Metropolitan Police Department at that time was, you would realize what an impossible feat he was accomplishing.

One of the things that Jim really wanted was to become a Mountain Bike Patrol Officer. At that time, being a Mountain Bike Patrol Officer was a coveted position. Demand was so high that training was very difficult to receive (the training class is only offered so often). Jim begged and begged and begged to get into that training, and finally got in the class.

The class is 40 hours (5 days, 8 hours each) of a variety of classroom & practical exercises including endurance & technical training. It was a training that was well-known for being very tough (the only thing tougher was ERT (aka SWAT) training, really). Not everyone that took the class was able to pass it. Jim really wanted to pass it.

It was a super hot August in 2005. I was nearing the end of my time as a recruit in the academy. Jim was starting his training class for Mountain Bike certification.

Jim posted this entry in his blog:

So today was my first of five days in mountain bike school.

It hurt.

It was hard.

It was full of rain, mud, scapes, crashes, bumps, brusies, sun burn, and pain.

And it was a damn lot of fun.

The first thing we did was the usual administrative nonsense (sign this, write that, read this, agree to A B and C etc.), then we learned how to work and do basic maintence on our Smith and Wesson bikes. Then we went riding. We tackled small hills (and at the begining, before I figured out how the gears work, I couldnt do even small hills), then long rides, then hills again. Hills suck, but the long rides were fun. I believe I drank over 7 liters of water all told... and I was still wanting for more towards the last half of the ride (Monica you thought the 3 liter camelback was to big!)

After my intial gear working issues I def kept pace with the group. They tell you when you start the class that its all mental... and it is. I refuse to fail, and so far I've been doing well. Will power and gel pads. I'm not sure when gel pads became the rage, but I found shorts with gel pads and gloves with gel pads, both of which def helped with my overall post-class comfort.

Tommorrow: Big hills.

(bold emphasis is mine)

The next day I was in the middle of learning Defensive Tactics when an instructor came into the gym and informed us that an officer had fallen ill during a training class and was in ICU. He had fallen into a coma. I didn't know at the time that it was Jim.

According to people in the class, Jim had started feeling ill half-way through a ride. Jim being Jim, he decided to tough it out. Figuring he was dehydrated, he kept drinking more water.

Another officer in the class had an accident and blew out his knee. An ambulance had been called to take him to the hospital. While the paramedics were dealing with him, Jim started to have convulsions. The paramedics acted quickly and got him to the hospital, but it was too late. Jim had already slipped into a coma. A few days later he was gone.

What happened? Jim had suffered from hyponatremia. You can read the specifics about it by following the link, but basically it is a condition where the sodium levels are too low in the blood stream causing the cells of the body (including the brain) to swell. This can occur where a person drinks too much water and dilutes the sodium in their body. This is what happened to Jim.

Why am I telling you this story? Jim was a pretty tough guy. But once this condition set in, it got him. It can happen *so quickly*. Please, please don't play around with heat illness, guys. No one is going to think you are wimp for not doing that 25 mile bike ride on a day with a 120 heat index. You are not going to gain 15lbs because you didn't run 5K during your lunch hour. Be smart. Use common sense. If you start to feel ill, STOP.

If you want to hear how Jim's death had a positive aspect, read this story. Fate is sometimes kind. I take comfort in the fact that Jim died doing something he was passionate about; an opportunity very few of us will ever have.

On a side note: Jim's was the very first line-of-duty death where I knew the fallen officer personally. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last. His funeral was amazing & devastating at the same time. I know deep in my heart that he would have done amazing things for this city. He may be gone, but he's never forgotten.

If you must ride/run, do it in the early hours while it is still (relatively) cool. That's what I did last week. It was great.

Do you guys have any tips for beating the heat? Don't forget about your bikes---the heat gets to them too. Poor Betty's tassles were melting a bit after being left outside all day last week. Oops.

**** I managed to participate in BicycleSPACE's I Street Social Ride last Thursday and it was awesome! They do it every Thursday night, so join in!

****I have a blog on the 15th St. cycletrack brewing, but I haven't been able to finish it.

***** I'm trying to incorporate more early-morning rides. I've been mostly focusing on Hains Point, but I think I might try some trails as well.

***I visited some friends at their house on Kent Island last weekend. Their house is literally on the bike/ped trail that goes all around the island. How lucky is that?

***As always, twitter is usually the best place to get updates as to what I'm doing/where I'm riding. Follow me! girlonabikedc

***Also, keep in mind that the sentencing hearing has been moved to September!

Happy Fourth, er, Seventh?

2011-07-08T00:16:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a fun & peaceful 4th of July. America, (heck) yeah, and all that. This will be a bulleted post because yet again I've procrastinated on posting and don't feel like fleshing out a month's worth of stuff :-)

-First and foremost I wanted to let those of you that are attending the sentencing hearing for my little incident that (as I suspected it would) it has been postponed to September 14th. This is why I didn't want to post too much detail so far in advance, because I had a feeling the date/time might change. It might yet again, who knows. I'll keep you guys updated though. It's perfectly fine, and it doesn't mean anything is wrong, so don't panic ;-)

-I had a fantastic time riding with the Mt. Pleasant Cruiser Bike group back on the Solstice (June 21st) and also found out about another nifty bike group: The Chain Gang (warning: it looks their website hasn't been updated in awhile-they do have a pretty active presence on Facebook though). They also do monthly rides. Of course, I forgot my stupid camera again, so have no pictures to post. It was a fun ride at twilight, with a fantastic lightning show once it got dark. We looped down around the monuments and shouted "Woo!" and "Summer!" at random people & tourists who were probably slightly bewildered and bemused at the strange group of cyclists wearing bikinis & swimsuits (or just clothes, in my case. (Guys, we rode by my Boss (that's Boss with a capital B) at one point, and I would have died if I had worn a bikini...) Definitely check these guys out when you get the chance.

-The Bike House is having a fundraiser on July 16th from 8pm-1am at 1232 Euclid St. NW #2. $10 gets you in and they will have beer! Oh, and other bikey stuff. Please do consider at least making a donation even if you can't stay for the party. They do good stuff. They need to keep doing good stuff, and they need your help to do it.

-I missed the ANC meeting yesterday, but luckily the vote was tabled anyway. If you, like myself, find it highly annoying that the bike lane in the 1600-1700 blocks of Columbia Road just kinda disappears, consider attending the ANC 1C zoning meeting (I know, zzzzzz) to show that there is plenty of community support for these bike lanes. It's currently scheduled for August 1st at 7pm at the Kalorama Recreation Center. Personally, I think its important that these bike lanes are in place to connect to the lanes/sharrows in the rest of Adams Morgan. As it stands, riding in the 1700 block of Columbia is a stressful exercise in dodging loading trucks, double-parkers, jay-walking pedestrians & u-turning vehicles, and all I want to do is get my FroYo, yo.

-If you are a twitterer, you may have noticed some ~~hysteria~~ concern over DDOT's appearance of backtracking on the L & M cycletracks. (I don't think they have backtracked, so much as they've kinda stalled). I don't bike in that area very much, so I don't have much to say on a personal perspective other than I think more bike infrastructure is better than less. As usual, WABA has a much more knowledgeable and informed opinion than I do. Is this a sign of a "bike backlash"? I don't think so. As long as bike lanes aren't being *removed*, I will refrain from weeping openly. I would love to see more lanes installed (You're welcome, Chicago), but I also understand that there is another side to the pendulum and I think this is simply a calming down rather than the "full steam ahead" attitude we enjoyed with Mr. Klein (again, you're welcome Chicago).

-However, then there is this. (Linked to via another blog because it seems the League of American Bicyclists' website is down...) I don't know how safe streets (and sidewalks) are not in the federal interest, but I guess thats why I will never run for Congress (well, that. And also those embarrassing kegger photos from college). A link to contact your reps in Congress is embedded in that link. Please contact them.

As you may have noticed, its a little hot outside. By a little hot, I mean it's effing blazing with 10,000% humidity. How do you guys stay cool in the heat?

-I take frequent breaks in air-conditioned establishments when needed.
-I take advantage of the various spray-fountains/parks around the neighborhood
-I stay hydrated. If you have a smartphone, you can download the TapIt app to locate businesses that are willing to refill your water bottle. Very handy.
-Baby wipes.
-A bandana or headband to keep sweat from dripping in my eyes :-(
-It's a scientific fact that FroYo is zero calories when the heat index reaches 100*.
-I think about Alaska and the North Pole a alot.

Accessories Review

2011-06-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that one of my most popular posts is the review I did of my Basil Mirte Shopping bag. You can read that post here. I figured I would do an update and maybe review a few more products as well.

*Note: I am not paid for any of these reviews, nor was I contacted or given any of these products by the companies. These are simply products that I bought & use myself that I think you might be interested in. Also, I am not an Amazon affiliate so the links are simply for your convenience. I don't profit from them at all.

Basil Mirte Shopping Bag

I bought this bag through Amazon last winter after a summer of suffering a sweaty & itchy back from carrying messenger bags & backpacks while biking. It was clear I needed a better way to transport my stuff, so I installed a rear rack on Betty and bought this shopping bag.

The reason why I picked this bag instead of a set of full panniers is because of how easy it is to take on & off the bike; as well as its ability to double as a large purse/bag. I really don't like leaving bags on my bikes, so having a bag that I can simply take off and carry with me while I do my errands was a must-have.

I get compliments on the bag all the time, and most people don't even realize that it is a "bike bag". Not only is it stylish, but its super durable. I used it throughout winter & snow-storms. I used it in spring & thunderstorms. And now I use it with summer & heat & humidity.

The bag does show some slight wear & tear, but over-all still looks almost like it did the day I got it.

The bag has gotten slightly saggy from the weight of things I put in it, but I can live with it.
(Yes, I know Betty's front fender is backwards. The bike shop I ordered her from did that. I've just never gotten around to fixing it, and now its become an endearing trait...)

There is a mark on the back of the bag, where it's made constant contact with one of my rack stays:

Mark from my rear rack

I would not hesitate to recommend this bag to anyone. It's paid for itself, 3 times over. I use it practically everyday.

I'm contemplating buying a set of full panniers from Basil for those occasions where I have a lot more stuff to carry and I don't have to worry about leaving the bags on the bike (i.e. a picnic or a bike trip). I think that's my next gift to myself.

It seems to me that I carry much more "stuff" during the summer than I do in the winter. Sunscreen, hair brush, baby wipes, deodorant...most of this is simply stuff to deal with heat & sweat. I keep three ziplock bags in my bike bag:

-One bag carries my bike tools (multi-tool, patch kit, spare tube, pump, tire levers, screwdriver)
-One bag carries extra clothing (socks, underwear, t-shirt, sunglasses & cap)
-One bag carries toiletries (anti-chafing stuff, deodorant, baby wipes, dry shampoo, hair ties & hair brush, sunscreen)

During the winter, I usually don't need quite as much stuff to deal with sweatiness. Here's two of the products I like:

Hoo Ha Ride Glide

Sorry for the crappy iphone picture.

I can't decide whether I actually like this stuff or not. It has a disturbing "tingling" sensation that I'm not sure is pleasant or not. It definitely works as an anti-chafing cream though. As advertised, you use this on your "hoo ha" area. Since I ride for quite a few hours at a time, I really start to feel chafed and this stuff eases my pain. Again though, it tingles. The tingling is supposed to be refreshing (I suppose). I just find it disturbing. It's not disturbing enough for me not to use it though, and I just like anything with "hoo ha" in the name.

Body Glide

Another crappy iphone pic.

Classic anti-chafing agent. Unlike the Hoo Ha Ride Glide, this isn't a cream. It's a roll-on. Actually, the most benefit I get from Body Glide is on my feet. I use it when I'm running or wearing a particularly horrendous pair of heels to prevent blisters/rubbing. It's good for any kind of chafing where you wouldn't want the messiness of a cream. To be honest, I don't use this with cycling much.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

This is another product that I can't decide whether its worth it or not. For those that have never met me in person, I have really ridiculously long hair. Because its so long, I only wash it once a week. It takes forever and I hate doing it. If I didn't mind wasting time at a salon every week, I would happily pay someone else to do it for me. Unfortunately, I despise being in a salon unless absolutely necessary (hence why my hair is so ridiculously long). This is actually fine. Hair shouldn't be washed everyday, in my opinion. It's better for your hair to let it go a few days between washing. However, I wear a bike helmet almost every day, for hours on end. I sweat. The sweat can't evaporate because of the helmet. After a few days, my hair starts to gross me out (even if other people say its just fine). I decided that I needed some sort of dry shampoo to get me through the week.

I know that you can use cornstarch with the same effect, but that just seemed messier than I was willing to deal with. I needed something quick, easy & transportable. Carrying around a baggie or container of cornstarch is not something I want to do. I checked out reviews from various hair forums, and found that Batiste was consistently ranked high among dry shampoo users. I bought the brunette version.

Using it is pretty simple: you simply spray onto hair, massage into scalp, then brush out.

My verdict: it works as advertised. Which is to say that my hair doesn't have that "fully shampooed and washed" feeling, but it doesn't feel like a greasy, sweaty mess either. It's not a miracle worker, but it does the job I need it to, and it does it easily & quickly. Downside? It can get pretty expensive. I can see how one bottle is not going to last very long (I ordered two). Will it be worth it? Time will tell.

Electra Camera Mount

I get the most comments/questions about this accessory on Betty than any other. This is an accessory you can buy directly from Electra. It should fit just about any handlebar size, and it works like a standard camera mount (there is a screw that fits into your camera, just like a tripod). I use this all the time to take pictures/video safely. I can easily adjust the camera angle mid-ride & it holds the camera pretty securely. I did have one little accident with it. I'm not sure what happened, but while I was riding the CCT the screw managed to come loose, and my poor little camera went flying. It suffered minor damage, but it was annoying. That was the only time that's ever happened though, in more than a year of usage. You do need to be careful with the screw, because I accidentally lost the part that keeps it attached to the mount. Be gentle!

And for my most favorite product lately:

Soundshell Portable Travel Speakers

I love listening to music, but I hate wearing headphones/earbuds while riding. I think its dangerous and inconsiderate. What's a girl to do? Bike speakers!

Last year, I saw that Nirve sold a set of bike speakers similar to these and I bought them. When I plugged in my iphone, the speakers began smoking & then exploded. Not the effect I was looking for :-(
I think my iphone was a little too powerful for it. I was a little hesitant about ordering the Soundshell, since it looks like its basically the same model---but they assured me the iphone 4 would be compatible.

Sure enough, no smoking or explosions occurred when I plugged in my iphone! YAY! These speakers are great. They are easy to attach/detach, the sound quality is great & I have no problem hearing my music.

Drawbacks:

-Because of the velcro straps, it does have a tendency to slip around on the frame during bumpy rides. This is easily fixed with a ziptie or some other object that you can wrap around the frame to keep it in place.
-Probably won't want to use this during rain.
-I need to get an itouch or ipod to use with this instead of my iphone, so I don't need to detach & unzip & unplug everytime I get a phone call during a ride (I don't ride and talk, I promise. I always stop and pull over).

There's also a little pocket in case you want to carry small items inside the case as well.

You can attach it to the frame or the handlebars.

I hope you enjoyed these reviews, and let me know if you try these products (or if you have any recommendations yourself!)

Sunset riding.

2011-06-14T02:35:00.000-04:00

I don't normally post much about my daily commutes because they are boring. My commute to and from work is only about a mile & a half. Nothing much happens. A commute post would pretty much read like this:

"I rode straight for a little while, then I stopped at a light & then I made a left & then a right and stopped for a few more lights and then I was at work. Oh, and there's always that guy that insists on riding the wrong way on Harvard. I don't know why he does that. It's irritating. The end."

If you like reading about interesting commutes, you should check out Tales from The Sharrows. Every commute sounds like an epic ride :-)

I decided to shake things up tonight and go out for a sunset ride. I really wish I had remembered to bring my camera with me, it was beautiful out. The weather was perfect. It was so nice to walk outside and not feel like I walked into someone's armpit.

I began my ride by using the 15th St. cycle-track. I can never decide what's the best way to reach it. I really wish DDOT would hurry up and finish the extension up to Euclid. I either have to ride down 16th St. (which is suicidal at times, and stressful at others) and then go the wrong way down V St. OR I ride the wrong way down 15th St. (which makes me feel like a dick) and chance the horrendous crossing at 15th/W/New Hampshire. Either way is a poor choice.

The cycletrack was full of cyclists tonight. It's always interesting to note the different kinds of cyclists & bikes. I wish the track was in better condition though. There is stippling of the pavement about every 10 feet in the southbound direction, which makes for a bumpy & uncomfortable ride. I also noticed there are no turn arrows at K St. & I St. This is a problem because right-turning vehicles are not always looking for cyclists coming up on their right.

Don't even get me started on the Kamikaze pedestrians (eyes locked onto their phones, earbuds in ears, oblivious to everything around them). Speaking of pedestrians, I really wish they wouldn't jump like I had tasered them when I ding my bell. I try to do it far enough behind that it shouldn't be a startling sound. And yet this one woman jumped 10 feet in the air when I dinged. I promise I wasn't trying to run you over lady, I was letting you know where I was!

I wonder if the vehicle barricade at the entrance to Lafayette square is broken. There has been yellow tape draped across the barricades for months now. I sometimes wonder if its a passive aggressive move by the USSS to force cyclists to use the sidewalk rather than the road to get to Penn Ave (and the other side of the cycletrack).....

I decided to use the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes, because I love looking at the U.S. Capitol at the end. One major design flaw with these lanes: the pedestrian islands. Twice, I had to warn pedestrians that I was coming through because they were standing directly in my path, and both times I was forced into vehicular traffic because they didn't move. They weren't wrong either. They were right where they are supposed to be. Problem is, so was I. Two objects cannot occupy the same space, no matter how hard DDOT tries. There has to be some sort of solution to this. Maybe signage on the islands warning pedestrians to watch for oncoming cyclists? I dunno. I feel like a dick plowing through them (even with my dinging)....but that's where the bike lane goes, and I had the right of way. Oh well.

I then turned onto the National Mall, and rode along it towards the Washington Monument. I was hoping the Carousel was still open, but it had shut down for the evening. It's my favorite part of the Mall. There were lots of softball teams playing on the Mall, which I'm always leery of. There's simply not enough room. I'm afraid of being pelted in the head by an errant softball. Aren't there softball fields they can play in? It's just my own irrational fear though.

I rode past the Washington Monument and decided to head over to Haines Point for a lap around the park. I love riding around there and watching the different boats on the river. I saw several sailboats and a few yachts. Plenty of people out fishing too. I wonder if you need a permit to fish there? I don't know. I would love to have a picnic there sometime. Also, ducks. Lots of ducks. I love them. I wanted to take one home and let him live in my bathtub. The Boy wouldn't approve of that, though.

After Haines Point, I wanted to ride over the 14th St. bridge to watch the sunset. It was beautiful. I really wish I had my camera. I love lakes & rivers. I grew up on the shores of one of the Great Lakes (Ontario), and along a river. I miss it.

I would have ridden further, but it was getting dark and I was starving. I took 15th street back home, and it was pretty uneventful.

And that's my bike adventure for today :-)

Bike Fest Round-up!

2011-06-12T22:56:00.000-04:00

First I want to thank all of you that have sent me your support regarding my last post & the upcoming sentencing hearing. The response has been very encouraging and more than I expected. Thank you. I will post reminders as the hearing date draws near.

Bike Fest was wonderful & fun. I hope WABA was able to raise plenty of funds! I was a little nervous about riding to Crystal City & back at night. I'm glad I did though. I've ridden the Mt. Vernon trail plenty of times during the day, but I was a concerned about not being able to see at night. I needn't have worried. Betty's lights were adequate, and the moon & surrounding lights kept the trail visible. There was one section where I had to slow wayyyy down & pick my way along carefully because it was almost pitch-black because of trees. The weather was perfect. The temperature had dropped enough that it didn't feel like I was pedaling through soup anymore. Much cooler, if still a bit more humid than I would have liked.

Before leaving work, I managed to meet up with the Mt. Pleasant Cruiser Rider group to introduce myself. They were doing a convoy from Mt. Pleasant to Crystal City, but I wasn't going to be able to join them since I couldn't leave work until 8pm. I still stopped by say hello & met up with them again at Bike Fest. I can't wait to join them on one of their group rides (Tuesday nights). The fact that they end with beer is a bonus. Woo!

On my way to Crystal City (from Columbia Heights), I took the 15th St. cycle-track. This put me almost smack in the middle of the Capital Pride Parade, HA! There were so many people out and about, and rainbow paraphernalia littered the streets & sidewalks. I dinged my bell at all the happy celebrants, and carefully made my way around the tipsy crowds. It was an encouraging start to my night.

From 15th St. I made my way around the Tidal Basin and over to the bridge. I love riding over the Potomac and watching the Yachts roll by. After that, I was on the Mt. Vernon trail headed to Crystal City. Someone chalked directions on the trail to Bike Fest, which was very helpful especially towards the end. I definitely would have gotten lost otherwise. The trail was virtually empty (except at Gravelly Point) when I was on it. It was lovely. It was still twilight out, and at one point I rode through an area shaded by trees and there were fireflies everywhere! At the exit point for Crystal City, a group of tall-bike riders stood by to direct people to Bike Fest. Awesome! I stopped briefly to chat and we admired each other's bikes. Then I made my way to the Crystal City shops. Like I said, its a good thing someone chalked the directions on the road, because I would have gotten totally turned around. But at last, I made it.

I was a hot & sweaty mess, but I was ready to have a good time. The festival area was set up in a large room with a stage at the front, and booths all around the exterior. There were games & performers & a band & food & drink...it was a little overwhelming. Upon entry, I was given an envelope containing 10 "Bike Fest" dollars to use for the games & buying drinks. Food was free. (Hot dogs, popcorn, ice-cream....typical "carnival" fare). For each game that you won, you received a raffle ticket. You could also purchase additional Bike Fest dollars or raffle tickets as well.

Bike Fest Buck

Raffles went on periodically throughout the evening. I didn't win any of the raffles (I have the worst luck), but I did manage to win one of the silent auctions! (And by "win" I mean I hovered like a deadly hawk, ready to strike should someone outbid me). There were plenty of items up for grabs in the silent auction like unicycle lessons, a preview of the 50 States ride, an Allant Trek Bike, front row orchestra seats...but the one that caught my eye was the "Weekend on the Canal". A weekend getaway? At a lockhouse on the C&O Canal? This was just what the doctor ordered. So I bid. Higher than the retail price, but still worth it in my opinion. And I won. Wooo! Serenity....here I come. I can't wait.

The games were fun & entertaining, the performers were enchanting, the band (Second String Band) was amazing. Side note: I see they have an upcoming show at Solly's. You know where I'll be! My favorite showcase was Cranky Style. Jay Hudson is an amazing artist that actually does "cruiser styling". He had a couple of bikes that he made-over for BicyleSPACE on display and they looked amazing. I especially liked the houndstooth bike. Betty might be up for a make-over one day....be sure to check out the gallery on his website.

houndstooth bike (and my blobby shadow)

People dancing to the Second String Band (notice how I stealthily hid behind a palm tree)

The best part of the evening was meeting folks that I've only known via twitter. It was great to finally put 3D faces to the names.

When the evening came to an end, I was sad to leave. But happy to hop back on Betty ride back to DC. I love riding through DC at night. The Washington Monument was absolutely stunning. I love it when the tourists aren't around.

Overall, a wonderful evening of Biking DC.

Victory (sort of)

2011-06-11T00:57:00.001-04:00

(Final update to the story here).

Remember when that guy purposely hit me with his car, and then tried to run away but got caught? If not you can re-read my post from that day here. I can finally tell you the whole story, because this whole saga is basically at an end.

But before I get to that, I wanna talk about Bike Fest. You are going, aren't you? If you haven't got tickets yet, you should still be able to get them at the gate. I plan on going (I already bought my ticket). I was hoping to catch the Mount Pleasant Cruiser Convoy to Crystal City, but I don't get out of work until 8pm, and I'm betting they will have left by then. I'm going to beg to get out of work a little early, but I'm not sure if I will be successful. I'm a little apprehensive about riding the Mount Vernon trail after dark. I have lights on Betty, but they are more for visibility than for me being able to see in the dark. If you have any tips for me, let me know! Also, if you happen to be riding from the Columbia Heights/Petworth/Adams Morgan area, drop me a line.

Anyway, back to my story. One night, back in February, I was riding a Capital Bikeshare bike home (I was doing the Winter Weather Warrior contest, remember?)

I was stopped at the intersection of 13th and Kenyon St. NW at a red light, waiting to turn left onto 13th St. Kenyon is a one-way street going west, and I was on the left side of the street, since I would be turning left. While waiting for the light I heard a car speed up Kenyon St. behind me. I could sense the car stop immediately behind me, extremely close. It was aggressive, but fairly typical aggressive driver behavior. I didn't think much of it because we were at a red light, and there was no where for him to go anyway.

And that's when I felt a *BUMP* from behind. Nothing too hard, but enough to intimidate. Now, remember: I knew he had STOPPED behind me. So this was a conscious decision by the driver to hit me with his vehicle. I could hear laughing coming from the car behind me. They thought this was HILARIOUS. Also, there was a taxi to my right, waiting for the light as well that even remarked on this behavior ("asshole" is what I think the taxi driver said).

I ignored this. Why? 98% of the time, it is not worth it to engage with an aggressive driver. At best, you end up getting angrier, at worst, you get hurt. Plus, I spend the majority of my day dealing with people like this and by the time I'm done with work I Just. Don't. Want. To. Anymore.

The light turned green and I started to proceed. And then I felt *BUMP!!!!!* again, this time a bit harder.

Oh no. No. No. No. I can't ignore this. I just can't.

So I stopped. Pulled out my police badge (yes, I'm a cop if you didn't know before. No I really don't want to talk about it, thanks) showed it to the driver and motioned him to stay right where he was.

And that's when he panicked.

Before I get any further, let me explain something to you about a police badge. It doesn't grant you super powers. It's simply a piece of tin embedded with a number. It's not magical. It will not stop bullets. It will not make people do what you want. It will not make you win a fight. I have plenty of friends that always seem to think that because I'm a police officer, I am impervious to assault, robbery & bullets and that I never, ever have to worry about these things. This is not true. If anything, I am more vulnerable. Because instead of just being your average girl, I'm a threat. I live in the fear that should I ever be the victim of a robbery, the criminals will discover my badge and decide they can't risk me living and kill me. This actually happened to a friend of mine who was shot during a robbery when they saw his badge. He lived to talk about it, thankfully--but its a very real and very possible fear.

And that's pretty much what happened here. Instead of seeing a harmless Girl on a Bicycle that he could bully with his car, he suddenly saw someone that was a threat to him. And why was I a threat? Because this upstanding citizen of the District of Columbia makes his living selling illegal drugs, which is more than likely what he was doing that particular night (you will see how I know this a bit later in the story).

All I heard was "Oh shit" come out of his mouth, and the sound of squealing tires as he and his friends desperately tried to run away.

I'm not sure why I decided to go after him. I was on a CaBi, in civilian attire, off-duty. Instinct I guess? I did though. I followed him up Kenyon where he had gotten stuck in traffic & the light at 14th St. NW. I guess he saw me coming after him, because all of a sudden his reverse lights came on (he couldn't go anywhere else), and he started driving backwards towards me. I thought he was going to try to escape down the alley, but I guess he figured it was a dead-end. Anyway, he ended up being blocked in by traffic coming up Kenyon from 13th, so he was boxed in on both sides. I decided to get off my bike and talk to him again. I held up my badge and ordered him to stop. I don't know why I thought this would actually work.

Of course me walking toward him meant for him to step on the gas and accelerate towards me. I managed to get out of the way without him hitting me, but it was very close. So close I was able to hit his side mirror as he went by. The light had changed at 14th & the traffic had begun clearing, so he gunned it and managed to flee out of the block, down 14th St. It was at this time I grabbed my radio (it was in my bag) and broadcasted a look-out and that I needed help.

(Now, I know a lot of folks out there are going to say that this guy only got caught because I was a cop. I'm not going to argue, because its a bit more complicated than that. It's sort of right, and sort of not right. The only advantage I had over a "regular citizen" was my radio--I was able to get the information out to the officers in the field directly, rather than go through 911 call-takers & dispatchers. If anything, my "advantage" is my training. I was able to give the vehicle's tag number, description, as well as the description of the occupants of the vehicle and which direction they were headed in. I've taken plenty of hit & run reports and unfortunately many victims simply don't know what to look for or what's important. It's great that you memorized the license plate number--but we don't arrest cars, we arrest drivers. Also, license plates get stolen, typically by the sorts of people that do hit & runs. Most of the time, victims cannot positively identify the driver, let alone the car. But that's just my experience)

Anyway, some officers came to my aid on Kenyon to make sure I was alright (I was. Thankfully I was not injured but it was very close). Soon after, they informed me that another officer had spotted the car and pulled it over. I would need to go there to see if I could positively identify the vehicle & driver.

When I arrived to the traffic stop, the driver & passengers had already been pulled from the car. I walked to the front of the car (because that's how I had viewed it back on Kenyon) to make sure it was the same car that hit me. It was. Also, because the doors were all open from when the passengers were taken out, I was able to quite clearly smell a SHIT TON* OF MARIJUANA. There was no mistaking that smell, and it was definitely coming from the car.

I looked over the passengers, and I was able to identify the driver very easily. He was placed under arrest at that point. One of the passengers also had a pending warrant and he was placed under arrest as well. The car was searched very thoroughly, but no marijuana could be found. It's my personal opinion that it was ditched while they fled from me. Either that, or it had just been sold because the driver also had a SHIT TON* OF CASH on him, all in a big wad.

The driver was charged at the scene with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (vehicle), Assault on a Police Officer, Fleeing & Eluding, & Reckless Driving. Needless to say, his vehicle was impounded.

I was very surprised to learn the next day that the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) had agreed to not only prosecute those charges, but also made it two counts of ADW instead of just one. I was also floored when they decided to hold him instead of releasing him (usually you have to kill more than one person to get held in jail in this city, sheesh). So, he was gonna be hanging out in DC Jail for quite awhile...

Anyway, because Mr. Harrison (that's his name) had been charged with (multiple) felonies, a Grand Jury hearing was needed to be sure there was probable cause to charge him. If you are not familiar with how a Grand Jury works in DC, its basically this:

The Grand Jury is made of a panel of 16-23 citizens, all randomly selected. In DC, they sit for about a month at a time, hearing hundreds of cases in that time-frame. There is no judge, nor is the defendant or his attorney present. Besides the Jury, there is a court recorder & the Assistant United States Attorney assigned to the case. The AUSA presents their evidence to the Grand Jury in the form of victim & witness testimony, and any other evidence they may have. Unlike a trial, the standard of proof is simply probable cause. They do not find anyone "guilty", just merely that there is enough evidence to charge them with a particular crime. In the Grand Jury, the citizens are able to question any witnesses brought before them to testify. This is the part that always gets a little sticky....

In this case, I was to testify since I was the victim. And of course it became difficult to explain that No, this was not simply as result of a traffic accident, but rather Mr. Harrison purposely hitting me with his vehicle (making it an assault, not a traffic citation), and that No, there was no "bike lane" not that it mattered at all, and No, I did not abuse my power as a police officer for a personal vendetta. It seemed (to me) that there was a slight anti-cyclist bias and a slightly more pronounced bias against DC police officers (which I always expect. It is what it is). But overall, I think I did a fairly good job explaining what happened and why this was a crime.

Apparently the Grand Jury agreed with me and the AUSA, because my next meeting was with the AUSA to discuss the trial. Although the USAO had offered Mr. Harrison a plea deal, he refused it. He even hired some fancy-pants defense attorney (my guess is that when the attorney learned it was a DC police officer that was the victim, they smelled blood & money in the water and offered their services).

I actually would have preferred him to have pled out. I really did not look forward to going to trial. If you have never been a victim of a crime, (or have experience in dealing with them), you have no idea how tiresome & aggravating our system of justice is. You are basically forced re-live the crime over and over and over and over....

First, you tell your story to the police officers on the scene. Then you usually have to tell it again to the detective that follows up on the case. Then you have to tell it again to the prosecutor. Then there are all manner of motions hearings (in my case, Grand Jury). Then when you get to trial, you get to tell it yet again, and have the distinct pleasure of a defense attorney do everything in their power to discredit & destroy you while they cross-examine you. THEN, if you are lucky, they are found guilty and you get to tell your story AGAIN at sentencing. And AGAIN at a parole hearing.....it just never ends. And depending on how traumatic the crime is, this can have a very detrimental effect on a victim.

So, yeah. Not looking forward to a trial. But, it is what it is.

And now we come to the (almost) end of my story.

Keep in mind, that Mr. Harrison was still being held at DC jail.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with the AUSA to go over my testimony one last time before the trial date next week. When I got there, he apologized and told me that he needed to run over to the court house because Mr. Harrison's arraignment was about to begin.

Arraignment? Wha? His arraignment was months ago.....

Not that arraignment---another one. Mr. Harrison was being charged AGAIN. Know why?

Because the criminal genius that he is, made a phone call to his girlfriend from the DC Jail. Phone calls which are RECORDED and MONITORED. And he asked her if she wouldn't mind hiding his drugs and gun for him.

Yeah. Super Smart.

An emergency search warrant was obtained and his room searched. Sure enough, a gun was recovered.

Remember when I told you that police badges aren't magical and they don't stop bullets? I'm very lucky that Mr. Harrison didn't have that gun with him that night. This is why its not a good idea to engage with aggressive drivers 98% of the time--you never know who/what they are. (The same could be said for hitting Girls on Bicycles too, though. I'm quite sure the idea that I was an off-duty police officer didn't cross his mind).

Anyway, he was charged with Felony Possession of a Firearm. So...yeah. Another pending felony charge. On top of all the others.

I guess Mr. Harrison & his attorney decided a plea deal sounded good after all, because at his arraignment they agreed to one.

He pled guilty to felony possession of a firearm, felony fleeing & misdemeanor assault on a police officer.

This is good. Sort of. It's good because it hopefully teaches him that you can't run from or try to run over a police officer. Even off-duty ones.

This isn't quite as good because you'll notice none of the vehicular assault charges were pressed. They were dropped. I think its just as important to show that you can't use your motor vehicle to bully cyclists on the road.

But there is still a chance to get the justice system in DC to hear that message loud and clear. And I'll need your help to deliver it.

Mr. Harrison's sentencing hearing is scheduled for ~~August 19th~~ September 14th at DC Superior Court. I want to pack the courtroom with cyclists. As the victim of a crime, I am able to present a "Victim Impact Statement" to the judge. You better believe that I intend to bring up the fact that I am a cyclist first and foremost, and that this whole saga began when a driver decided to literally push around a cyclist with his motor vehicle. It was just a matter of luck that this cyclist also happens to be a police officer as well. It is Not Okay for drivers to bully cyclists on our streets. His actions were not only irresponsible, but CRIMINAL. He didn't "accidentally" hit me--he made a conscious decision to hit a human being with a 2-ton vehicle. That is assault. These sorts of things have to STOP. I know I am not the only victim of these sorts of attacks. Read what happened to Saul Leikin when he simply tried to assist another cyclist after a traffic accident by calling 911. He was only trying to do the right thing, and he got a concussion for it. This is unacceptable. Drivers need to start being held accountable for their decisions & actions, and punished appropriately.

If you also think this is unacceptable please try to attend this sentencing hearing. Pass the word around to other cyclists. I want it impossible for a judge to ignore the seriousness of these crimes. I've contacted WABA, and they've agreed to give a community impact statement as well. Awesome. Maybe we can get the ball rollingit on change.

Well, I feel like I've blogged more in this post than in the past year, so I'm gonna end it here. Hope to see many of you at Bike Fest tomorrow night!

*Shit-ton: Technical term for a large amount

UPDATE AS OF 7/8/11: THE HEARING DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO SEPTEMBER 14TH. I WILL KEEP POSTING UPDATES SHOULD THE DATE/TIME CHANGE AGAIN (this is why I didn't want to post the exact times since I figured it might change. Don't worry, this is perfectly normal and doesn't indicate anything is wrong.)

UPDATE AS OF 1/9/12: you can read the final decision HERE.

Bike DC 2011

2011-05-31T22:46:00.000-04:00

View Larger Map

What a day! Let me say that I probably should have looked at the route before I did the ride--it wasn't until I actually crossed the finish line that I realized that it wouldn't be ending in Crystal City (as it did in previous years). Whoops! Good thing I didn't have The Boy meet me there as I originally planned. He would have been a little mad.

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, Bike DC is a birthday gift for myself. And my birthday day started out really early....

First, I got up at 5am and headed toward work to meet with some coworkers/friends who work the midnight shift (and therefore were just getting off of work) for a mini birthday party. It was a chill early-morning breakfast/get together. I hung out with them until about 7:30 and then it was off to the registration area.

As soon as I arrived, I could tell this ride was going to be overwhelming. There were so many people! I managed to find my friends and get my bib within a reasonable amount of time. By this time, most of the riders had taken off. A friend that was riding with us was worried about being able to keep up. It was her first "big ride". I told her not to worry ;-)

One thing that struck me about the route this year was the amount of "out and backs". I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that the course had to be shortened somewhat. I know that NPS had threatened to withhold the permits for this event and it was almost canceled. Therefore they stretched out the 20 miles by including a lot of out and back loops. This would have been fine, except there were so many riders that people felt crowded. One of the aspects of Bike DC I love is being able to ride without worrying about cars, and being able to ride in areas where you normally can't--this usually leads to a feeling of openness. Not this year though, ha! We were packed in like sardines in some cases, and this led to a few short tempers. I always try to remind people that do this ride of certain things:

It's a ride, not a race. If you really want to use this as a training ride (which I highly discourage), then please get to the start line EARLY and be in the first group to leave. That way you won't have to run over anyone.
There are riders of different levels & abilities. Some are folks that haven't ridden a bike in years, or this their very first time. Give them a break. They might not be familiar with basic group riding rules. Teach by example. Do you want to be the person that discouraged them from riding by being an asshole?
This is a family event. There are kids. Be careful around them. They are future cyclists too.
Pass on the left. Signal your intentions. Move to the right if you notice that you are being passed.
Be nice. Screaming at other cyclists isn't cool. If you wouldn't want a driver of a motor vehicle do it to you, don't do it to another cyclist.

If you can't tell, I encountered quite a few irate cyclists that seemed to suffer from a bit of road rage. There was really no need for it. At one point, a female cyclist literally screamed at my friend because she got pushed out into oncoming cycling traffic by the shear volume of cyclists on the road. It was unnecessary and simply made her look like a jerk. Whatev. We still had a great time.

I was a little apprehensive about riding Betty in this, but I needn't have been. It turned out just fine. I had absolutely no issues with riding any of the hills with her. I heard a lot of people complain about the hills, but honestly I didn't think they were that bad. There was one point near the Marine Corps Memorial (on the way back) that it really took it out of me, but I was able to recover quickly.

The finish line came quick! I was a little disappointed there wasn't more for us at the finish line. In previous years, there was a festival-a DJ, the traveling bicycle museum, booths....I didn't see much of that here. Oh well.

Still, it was the ride that was important. And this year didn't disappoint. The weather was perfect!

Overall, I had a really great time. I can't wait for next year, and I heard quite a few participants say they wish they could do Bike DC every weekend!

As usual, some photos:

Look at everyone!

Rolling towards the Kennedy Center

Kennedy Center

Such a beautiful day

On the highway! You can see the Pentagon in the background

Betty with her bib

I have a bunch of video too, but I haven't edited it yet.

Overall, this was a great ride, and a great start to my birthday weekend.

Bike to Work Day (2011)

2011-05-31T22:07:00.000-04:00

I know this post is a bit late, but better late than never!

I had a great Bike to Work Day. I started off by heading to the Freedom Plaza pitstop at 8:30, even though I didn't need to be at work until noon, and I work in the opposite direction ;-) What can I say? I'm a sucker for bike events.

There were so many cyclists & bikes out and about! I took a ride down the 15th St. cycletrack and the Penn Ave bike lanes to get to Freedom Plaza. They were full of cyclists of all kinds.

At Freedom Plaza were plenty of booths with cool free swag. My favorite was the DC Water booth--they were giving out free NICE water bottles (not the cheap, crappy, tastes-like-you-licked-a-shower curtain-liner bottles), and had demonstrations of their refillable water stations. Apparently they are going to place these stations all over DC, which would be awesome. I always carry a water bottle around with me, but that doesn't help if you don't have somewhere to refill it.

There were many great speakers & speeches. Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention to most of them because I was looking at all the great bikes. I did happen to hear Mayor Gray state that he wanted to make DC a "platinum" class city for cyclists.....wooot! I think we can do it.

After all of the morning's festivities, I rode the Kleinway back homeward and got ready for work. Guess how I got to work? That's right, I biked (as usual). But I like to think I cycled with a bit more dignity for Bike to Work Day, instead of my usual slap-dash attitude.

While at work, I was also lucky enough to stop by the Bike *from* Work pitstop at Tivoli Plaza in Columbia Heights. It would figure that those that biked to work, would also bike from work--and therefore would probably appreciate a little something for that trip too. Once again, lots of free swag & prizes, not to mention an appearance by WABA's Bike Ambassador. I met a lot of folks and enjoyed the beautiful evening. It was a great day all around.

Some photos...

Maybe not the best place to put the stage...

We got silver! Next stop, platinum!

Even Honest Abe stopped by!

The Bike Ambassador!

Look at all the bikes!

Pre-Ride Checklist

2011-05-21T21:16:00.000-04:00

-Put air in tires
-charge camera battery
-lay out clothes
-fill water bottle
-HRM
-Body Glide the crap out of myself
-pack bag

snacks
map
gloves
keys
wallet
tool bag (mini-pump, spare tube, multi-tool)
lock

Optional (depending on weather)

rain jacket
extra shirt, socks & underwear

I have a really long day ahead of me tomorrow. Before I even get to the start-line for Bike DC, I am meeting friends for a mini-birthday party at 5:30AM. Yes, that's in the MORNING. These friends work a midnight shift, so they can't make my party tomorrow night. Hence meeting them after their "workday". I figured since I have to be up early, I might as well start my birthday celebrations right ;-)

I plan to be at the starting area by 7am. I will be meeting some friends, and then we will be off! I will of course be using a mapping program of some kind. I might see if I can get MapMyRide's "live" mapping feature to work. I dunno. Oh, I plan on riding Betty this year. If you happen to be doing this ride, please do say hello! She's pretty hard to miss, so you should be able to recognize me fairly easily!

After the ride, I plan to hang out at the finish festival for a bit and then head into DC for brunch & mimosas.

Then it's a late lunch with the parents.

Followed by my informal birthday party with my pals.

See? Long day.

I will have my Bike to Work Day post up soon too. I had an AWESOME Bike to Work Day, and I hope you did too.

In the meantime, why don't you check out previous year's Bike DC rides?

2009's ride recaps are here and here. (Can you believe I was a smoker?!)

2010's ride recaps are here and bit of it here.

Busy Bike Week!

2011-05-19T01:26:00.001-04:00

Stuff to Do:

I'm sure many of you have heard by now (and if you haven't, listen up) that this Friday is 'Bike to Work Day' in the DC Region. Even Mayor Gray will be getting in on the action!* What is Bike to Work Day? Well, it is pretty much implied in the name. It is a day in which You get on a Bicycle and Ride That Thang to your Place of Employment. And back again, hopefully. WABA has an entire webpage devoted to it, including information on how to hook up with a "commuter convoy" in your area if you feel more comfortable riding with a group. There are also "pit stops" along the way with freebies, t-shirts, speeches & special celebrity guests (okay, I'm not sure about that last part).

*Wink, wink. Nudge, Nudge. I've badgered him on Twitter, and now I'm badgering him here! I fully expect Mayor Gray to biking around DC on Friday!

What if I don't have a bike?
No problem!
-If you work near the DC/Arlington region, use Capital Bikeshare!
-Bike & Roll does bike rentals! (AND, they include helmet, lock, maps & rack. That's a deal!)
-Borrow from a friend! If you have any friends like me, they probably have more than one bicycle. And they might, just might, be willing to let you borrow one, IF you give them a sixer of their favorite beer. At least, that's what I would do.
-Check with your local bike shop (LBS). Many of them also do rentals.

But.....how do I transport all my stuff?
Ah, the eternal question. There's actually many different options, and I'm going to try to including "commuting/cycling tips" in upcoming posts. But for now, let me break it down:

-Backpacks, Messenger Bags, and other Over-The-Shoulder-~~Boulder~~-Holders:
I used to cary a messenger bag or a backpack all the time. If you have a short distance to ride and you aren't carrying an unwieldy burden, this is perfectly fine. There are many fine companies that make many fine bags for this purpose. However, I strongly discourage you from attempting to transport a case of Corona in your backpack. If you happen to fall over because your center of gravity is askew and almost all of the glass bottles shatter as a result of your collision with gravity, not only will you have the danger of sharp shards of glass piercing your back & the clear, crisp scent of Corona all over your pants, you will also be the major FAIL of the party that was expecting a case of Corona and not two bottles of it. I'm just sayin'. If you have a longer distance to travel (5+ miles, maybe 10+) or you have a lot of heavy/bulky items to carry, you might consider:

-Rear Racks, Baskets & Panniers:
Ever since I installed a rear rack on Betty and bought a fancy-pantsed pannier to use on it, I've said a permanent good-bye to messenger bags & backpacks. Gone are the days of back & shoulder pain, sticky-itchy back sweat & slouched posture. Hello free & breezy back & shoulders! Rear racks are relatively easy to install (I did it myself!), fairly inexpensive & super useful. You can buy a fancy set of panniers or a rack bag if you like, or you can google instructions on DIY versions (a very common one is the milk crate & bungee cord version). A front basket is pretty handy too, if you don't mind looking a bit girly. Plus, a front basket happens to hold a case of Corona perfectly.

-Cargo Bikes:
These are for hard-core haulers. I don't have very much knowledge of the them, so I will leave it to the experts.

Ok, so I got my laptop, my keys, my wallet, my files & other work-stuff I must schlep to the office. What else should I bring?

This is a fairly personal decision. Some people pack everything but the kitchen sink and haul it to & from work everyday. Some people are absolute minimalists. The following list is just a suggestion and you can add & subtract to it based on your particular needs & circumstances:

-A change of clothes (or you can keep a few at the office)
-Extra socks & underwear. (unexpected downpours + wet socks/underwear=unhappy workers)
-Baby wipes (perfect for freshening up when you aren't grimy enough/don't have access to a shower. Also removes bike grease fairly well)
-Bike supplies (a multi-tool, mini-pump and/or air cartridges, spare tube, patch kit, super glue, small knife, small screw driver, and your Better World Club card)
-Body glide or other anti-chafing product.
-Gold-Bond or other talc-like product.
-Shower kit, if you are lucky enough to have access to a shower.
-Phone charger
-Flashlight & Batteries
-Mini first-aid kit (band aids, ointment, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial or alcohol wipes, aspirin, ibuprofen)
-Flask of whiskey
-Snacks (for energy or in case of Rapture-related looting)
-Rain-gear (rain jacket, rain pants, those rubber shoe-cover thingies)
-extra plastic bags (handy for covering your seat in the event of rain, as well as putting the wet stinky socks & underwear that you forgot to take home the day before. Also a shower cap is also useful for covering your seat in the rain, as well as keeping your hair dry under your helmet.)

Other things to consider:
-Helmet (in DC, if you are 16 & over you are not required by law to wear one. I still encourage it very highly. It's one of those things that is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Please. I saw someone go through a car's rear windshield last week and it was Not Pretty. Literally. That cyclist, although alive thankfully, won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon. Would a helmet have prevented that accident? No. But it sure as hell would have mitigated the injuries. I say this knowing that I'm far too often found tooling around on Betty sans helmet. I am nothing if not inconsistent. Also keep in mind that to ride many of the local trails which are under NPS's authority, you MUST wear a helmet)
-LIGHTS. Please for the Love of Gnome put some lights on your steed. A rear (red) and a front (white) light. Visibility is your friend.
-A bell or other noisemaker. A whistle even. Don't be afraid to give a toot (or ding).
-A decent lock. If you spend a good amount of money on purchasing your bicycle, then you should spend a fairly decent amount of money on a lock.
-Fenders. A good commuter bike needs them. They protect you from the urine-puddles (both man & puppy-made)
-A cycling class. WABA gives them. They are awesome. Not only will they teach you HOW to ride, but they will teach you how to ride SAFELY. I linked the adult version because I am assuming that if you are reading this blog, then you are adult. Then again, you know what they say when you ASSuME something...
-A quick look-over on your local area's cycling laws. Yes, it may surprise many of you that you are subject to traffic regulations when you operate your bicycle on public space. It is YOUR responsibility to learn them.

Hey. Did you notice how many of those links went back to WABA? That's because they are a super-awesome bicycle advocacy group that you probably should get involved with. Most of these nifty events & rides that I post about? WABA. Those nice striped bike lanes that you ride on? You can thank WABA (along with many other folks & organizations of course). The Kleinway, The Penn Ave bike lanes, hasher penalties for motorists that kill cyclists, classes, bike maps, bike repair clinics....all WABA WABA WABA. (I kinda sounded like Fozz E. Bear for a minute...)

I heard (well, not heard. Saw, I guess) someone balk about the registration price (a measly $35) for the upcoming BikeDC event on twitter the other week. Guys, $35 is an amazing price for what you get out of it. Can you imagine what the cost is to organize such a huge event? There are literally thousands of cyclists. Streets shut-down for hours. Hundreds of law-enforcement officers working OT to shut down those streets in at least 3 different jurisdictions (DC, NPS & VA). It's mind-boggling that it only costs YOU $35. (And that's only if you don't know the Not Very Secret At All Secret Coupon Code That Gets You A Discount*)

I guess what I am saying is that if you think this cycling thing is for you, be sure to throw some love (and maybe some dollars) in WABA's direction, ok?

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Upcoming DC Bike Events.

BikeDC
Arguably one of the biggest bicycle events in DC/VA. And it's coming up this Sunday. Register now! This event holds a special place in my heart because it usually falls right around my birthday (last year it was on my birthday proper, this year it is the day before). BikeDC actually used to be in the Fall, but back in 2009 (the very first year I did it) it was Miserable, Wet & Cold. And it was sensibly moved to the Pleasant & Warm spring. BikeDC was one of the first "bike events" that I ever participated in. And even though I was a numb icicle by the end of it, I couldn't wait to do it again. I don't think I can describe how awesome it is to be able to ride up & down the GW Parkway without a car in sight. Or down 395 for that matter. It's even better when you're fingers & toes aren't in danger of frostbite....

BikeFest
I am assuming this is replacing the "Bike Prom" event that was held in the past. I am just assuming, however. Usually WABA holds a fund-raiser type event in the summer, and its always well-worth it to attend. I am a little bummed that I won't be able to wear my hideous prom dress & tiara this year (or maybe I will anyway), but the BikeFest looks pretty interesting, even if it is in Crystal City (motto: We're actually Arlington). The plus side is that this is being held at night, rather than early morning, so I can actually attend! My ticket has already been bought!

As always, BicycleSPACE hosts their weekly group rides on the weekend, one of which I AM DARNED DETERMINED TO ACTUALLY ATTEND SOMEDAY.

Truly Yours,
GOAB

Cycling Tip of the Day: Assert your space in the roadway. If you are riding in a lane with parked cars, be sure to leave enough room so that you won't get "doored", which is usually a space of at least 2-3 feet. Often this means riding in the center of a lane, or in the right-side of the next lane. This is perfectly fine & acceptable, not to mention the safe & legal thing to do. Don't be intimated to do so. However, don't be tempted to ride further to the right (or left if you are on a one-way street) if there is a break in the lane of parked cars due to an alley/driveway entrance, or because there is simply a gap. ALWAYS RIDE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. If you give motorists an inch, they take a mile; and you may find that you can't "merge" back into the lane position you were in before with the lane of parked cars. A straight line is predictable, and predictable means its safer. It's tempting to yield and "let" drivers pass at that gap, but the truth is you are not doing them or yourself any favors.

Bike events tonight!

2011-05-11T16:36:00.001-04:00

-The Building Museum is hosting a discussion on cyclist/pedestrian infrastructure. The discussion is open to the public.

More info:
Click here.

-BicycleSPACE will be showing the movie 'The Flying Scotsman' at their shop tonight.

More info: Click here.

Be sure to check these events out!

Coffee Crawl Bike Ride Round-Up

2011-05-10T00:52:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I heard rumors of a coffee-themed bike ride...I thought this would be an excellent idea for a pre-Mother's Day warm-up. Plus, it gave me the perfect excuse to try out all the coffee shops that I kept meaning to try....but never got around to. Plus I got to do it by bike! Weeee!

I'm not a huge coffee girl. I have my personal reasons for avoiding the stuff (if you know me, you know why), but I don't dislike it. I actually love a good cup of coffee now and then*. Unfortunately, the majority of my experience with coffee has been with chains--Dunkin', Starbucks, etc. One of my New Year's resolutions was supposed to be to support local, small businesses and avoid corporate chains. Coffee shops have definitely been on my list to start with.

Let me tell you, my eyes have been opened. Since my first Americano at Qualia, I don't think I can ever view coffee the same way again. OMG.

Anyway, I read the details on the Prince of Petworth blog and decided to give it a go.

I woke up Sunday morning and almost didn't go. Helloooooo Social Anxiety.....I always get weirdly nervous before showing up to a group event. I am not the most socially adept person out there, and I tend to come off as a bit stand-offish. I really don't mean to. Those of you that have tried to arrange a meet-up with me via twitter can probably attest to this ;-)

Anyway, I swallowed the anxiety down and went anyway. And I'm so glad I did!

First, I want to say that the ladies that organized this ride, Liz & Laura, were completely awesome! This was the very first Coffee Crawl bike ride they had ever organized and you would never be able to tell. I thought it went incredibly smoothly and that everyone had a good time.

We started off at Qualia Coffee & The Bike House where I snagged an Americano. Heaven in a cup. Although I've heard about The Bike House before, I never knew what it actually was. Now I know :-) If I didn't have to work on Saturdays, I would *totally* be at one of their bike clinics from 12pm-3pm (3917 Georgia Avenue NW in the REAR). Totally love what those guys do.

(Did I mention WABA was there representin'? Woot!)

We then rode to Filter (Iced Coffee) and chilled out there while we waited for a cyclist that suffered a flat to catch up.

(Another reason why this ride was awesome? When someone got a flat, a bunch of people stopped to make sure she was okay and good to go!)

Then we went to Yola. (I took a break from coffee here. My heart was racing).

After Yola, we set off to Big Bear--this a place I had always heard of, but never actually visited. I foresee more visits in my near future. It was here that I met a group of cyclists that had decided to do participate in this ride as a way to "tour DC". They were from VA and figured that cycling was the best way to see DC. I couldn't agree more! Again, I decided against partaking of any more caffeine. Actually, I didn't realize until we were about to leave that they also serve BEER! I probably would have grabbed one instead ;-/

From Big Bear we headed to Sova in the H St. NE Corridor. Another area of DC that I've always meant to check out, but never actually get to. I think this was my favorite shop so far. They have a super-sweet patio area in the back complete with stage. I hear they do some bluegrass there on Thursdays. Definitely need to check that out. I enjoyed a nice iced chai latte while enjoying the gorgeous weather on the patio.

Our final stop was to Pound on Capitol Hill. As I was thoroughly caffeinated out, I opted to stay outside at this shop. Since I used to work across the street, I was already fairly familiar with the area (although its changed a bit in the last 6 years!).

I had a really good time on this ride and look forward to future Coffee Crawls. Plus, I now have plenty of options for a really good cup of quality coffee!

Again, thank you Liz & Laura!

*Yes, I know I go to Dunkin' Donuts almost everyday. But I don't actually order coffee everyday! Sometimes I go just to sit & chill.

Here are some pics from the ride:

Filter Coffee House 1726 20th St. NW

Yola 1323 Connecticut Ave. NW (rear)

Big Bear Cafe 1700 1st St. NW

SOVA 1359 H St. NE

Heavenly Americano from Qualia (with the Bike House in the back)
3917 Georgia Ave. NW

And here's a short video I took along the ride. I didn't edit anything, so its a bit rough:

April Round-Up/Lazy Post

2011-05-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a lazy photo-dump rather than a coherent post because I'm doing this out of guilt of Not Posting More Often rather than I Have An Idea to Share....

Sorry... ;-)

Saw this ~~dog~~ BEAR being taken for a walk. The picture does not do it justice..

Betty met her soulmate! That's an Electra Rat Rod; basically the same model but for boys...

We seemed to have skipped right over Spring and gone straight to the hot, humid days of Summer...

I love the Carousel on the Mall. The seahorse/dragon is my favorite.

I voted! Again!

Finally tried it. I declare it.....Not Bad.

The Boy's birthday was this weekend and he invited two of his childhood pals to visit. We were exploring the neighborhood and I suggested that CaBi was a better way to go than silly cabs! They bought it!

Bonfires & Beer.

After the news of Bin Laden's capture, I rode down to the White House to celebrate. It was amazing. Even the ride down was full of cheering and American flags & happy (and relieved) people. I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but I was pretty swept up in the emotion of things. I didn't realize how much of a weight I carried with me after 9/11 until I felt it being lifted with Bin Laden's execution. I have a lot of thoughts to share on this...but not here.

Another amazing thing from that celebration? All of the people riding CaBi to get there! I saw a ton of CaBi bikes!

I do have actual ideas I would like to share (Bicycle Parking, anyone?) but I haven't had a chance to sit down and put them in any sort of coherent order.

April's 30 Days of Biking was a success, but only in that I pretty much bike everyday anyway ;-) May is Bike Month (or at least, I heard someone say that) and I am so looking forward to Bike DC! May 22nd! Register!

The weather has been fan-effing-tastic lately, and I want to soak up every single sunshine ray that I can before the oppressive heat starts setting in.

(I know that if I simply posted smaller posts more often I wouldn't feel so guilty and overwhelmed with trying to post Epic Posts to Catch Up, but I am the Procrastinator At Heart. Sorry).

Ride safely.

TGIF

2011-04-22T09:39:00.001-04:00

Current status: Zombie. The last two days I've had some training to attend for work, and this required me to get up at 4:30 am. That used to be my bed-time. Not a morning person. At all. So I've felt a bit out of sorts & disconnected. Lots of napping.

Do this: According to TBD.com, a group of wounded soldiers will be doing a group ride around Haines Point right about...well, now probably. If you're in the area, stop by and cheer them on.

Have you registered for BikeDC yet? Do it.

Did you know BicycleSPACE does group rides every weekend? They have different rides for different skills. This weekend is supposed to be pretty awesome, weather-wise so these rides would be a good option to enjoy that weather.

State of Biking in DC: Pretty effing awesome. Its Spring. Capital Bikeshare is being expanded. Bike trails are all over the place. Even celebrities are getting in on the action.

Plus, it's Earth Day. Put the car keys down, and your helmets on!

I'm fine.

2011-04-19T21:50:00.001-04:00

Hi guys, I'm still doing #30DaysofBiking, I just haven't been able to post in awhile.

My beloved cat, Indiana Jones*, fell ill very suddenly and passed away on Friday.

It's untethered me a bit.

I've been very slowly trying to put everything back together again. It's been a reality adjustment for me, as a fairly significant and constant portion of it is simply gone.

Anyway, I will be back with inane ramblings & photos very soon. Perhaps with some good news, even.

I have been biking everyday (except for that awful, horrible, no-good day on Friday), and the weather just keeps getting warmer and more spring-ier by the day.

Thank you to those that sent their condolences on the passing of Indy. I really do appreciate it.

The Evilest Hench Cat Ever.

*I did not name her that.

Day 11 #30DaysofBiking

2011-04-11T21:46:00.001-04:00

Stunning day in DC. Temps in the mid 80's, with blinding sunshine.

I decided to wait until the evening before heading out, both for the cooler breeze & for the sunset sky.

I rode around downtown, reminding myself of why I love this beautiful city.

Days 8, 9, & 10 #30DaysOfBiking

2011-04-10T21:41:00.001-04:00

Not too many pictures this time, as my biking has been pretty boring.

Bike to work. Bike from work. Bike to brunch. Bike to bar. Bike home.

It does not help that the weather had been pretty dismal...

I keep forgetting to put a seat cover on.

I had a little bike adventure planned for today, but my riding partner lost power in her home (no alarm) so she overslept. I suppose I could have gone on my own, but I started feeling pretty awful soon after (chills, nausea, headache) so I stayed on the couch.

I started feeling human again later on, and biked down to my favorite spot for some human interaction. So there's that.

Tomorrow the temps are supposed to reach the mid 80's. Wha wha?? Can't I have a nice mild spring day? My friend is trying to drag me out of bed super early tomorrow for a ride that will be very complicated for me to get to. Normally I would jump on the chance, but I still feel like a hollowed-out shell from earlier. I think I will pass. Instead I will go out on my own later in the day and do some scavenger hunting..

Day 7 #30DaysofBiking

2011-04-07T20:31:00.002-04:00

A gorgeous spring day in DC. The type of day that a person should be glad to be out & on a bicycle.

Unless that person is me, apparently.

Today I attended a meeting with the prosecuting attorney for that incident with a car I blogged about back in February. I can see that this is going to be a very long uphill battle... I was very tired afterward, and had zero motivation to enjoy the lovely afternoon even though my boss gave me the afternoon off.

The good part is that I rode downtown to the meeting so I could enjoy the spring day for just a bit...

Obligatory White House stop.

I really like the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes, but I don't like how it sets up pedestrians & cyclists up for a battle of the right-of-way in the median islands.

This UPS truck was blocking the cycletrack, forcing me to ride into on-coming vehicular traffic to get by. This sort of selfish behavior ticks me off. At least if he parked in the vehicle lane, he wouldn't be forcing cars to have to do such a dangerous maneuver. They could simply use the other lane...

This morning I rode the 15th St cycletrack southbound during the morning rush. I think I witnessed the most rude & obnoxious cyclist behavior to date. As more cyclists take to the streets, the danger of cyclist-on-cyclist accidents rises dramatically. Be kind to each other out there, and for goodness' sakes use common sense & courtesy! Signal your intentions (use your voice/hands/bell), pass on the LEFT (not the right!), and yield to pedestrians (stay out of the crosswalks those rare times you actually stop at an intersection).

I watched one poor hapless pedestrian (who had the right of way!!) be forced to play frogger with rude cyclists that kept shoaling each other in a crosswalk, preventing her from being able to get to the sidewalk. This is why people think cyclists are all dicks, people.

I also witnessed several close calls with cyclists narrowly missing each other by making sudden, unannounced turns & lane changes.

I have a feeling that these particular riders behave in the same selfish manner whether they are on a bike, in a car or walking though...

Day 6 #30DaysofBiking

2011-04-06T19:17:00.001-04:00

Today's commute into work was much drier, if not warmer. Not bad at all. Much more like a typical early Spring Day.

And what was this fiery ball of light that was blinding me?

Although I'm definitely not a morning person at all, being able to watch the sunrise from atop a bike is pretty awesome.

The temps began to rise as the day went on, and the skies remained clear making it a very pleasant day at work.

Thank goodness the pretty sunshine-y day kept me in a good mood, otherwise I would have turned into a grumpy ogre when I ended up staying 3 hours late at work on a last minute assignment. >:-[

Luckily I had this waiting for me...

Not a bad way to end the day.

Day 5 #30DaysOfBiking

2011-04-05T18:47:00.002-04:00

I awoke to a dreary, gray, wet but still warm morning. I didn't sleep very well last night, and I learned it was probably due to the thunderstorms that passed through.

I managed to get in about an hour's ride before rain & rapidly falling temperatures drove me inside to seek shelter...

What started out as a day suitable for riding in light clothing, quickly changed...

I spent the rest of my workday indoors, not getting much done. Of course, just as it was getting time to go home, the sun & blue skies made their reappearance...

Luckily, Betty was waiting for me, ready to take me home (she had been out in the rain & cold even longer than I)...

This schizophrenic weather is very tiring.

Day 4 #30DaysOfBiking

2011-04-04T17:35:00.001-04:00

80 degrees. What a glorious day.

Apparently, I just missed running into Kevin Spacey who was tooling around on a Capital Bikeshare bike. Oh well...

Riding around today reminded me of summer; long sweltering days, sunlight, bright blue skies, clueless tourists...

Too bad it's back to being wet & chilly tomorrow. So depressing..

For now I will just keep riding and soak up every little sunbeam I can catch...

Day 3

2011-04-04T00:38:00.001-04:00

Low-key Sunday. The sun was out, but still a bit chilly for my tastes.

All-You-Can-Drink Mimosas warmed me up.

Day 2...

2011-04-02T15:42:00.001-04:00

Another cold, wet commute into work. Replenishment needed...

The sun peeked out ever so briefly. It even started to get warmer.

But the clouds came rolling back in and it wasn't long before the Rain came back and brought his friends Sleet & Hail...

And then the Sunshine came back!

For an hour. Then the Hurty Hail returned.

And the Sun again!

I give up.

I am patiently awaiting the warmer spring weather....

In the meantime, I will bike someplace warm..

Day 1

2011-04-01T21:54:00.001-04:00

A rather cold beginning. At least the sun made an appearance for the commute home...

Springish--sort of?

2011-03-31T00:36:00.000-04:00

Hi guys! How are you digging this weather?

Kinda sucks, right? Seriously, it has me down in the dumps. I am so tired of being cold. Last week was such a tease! I was so elated that I could walk outside without a coat, scarf, gloves & hat. I was running & biking up a storm...and then this week hit. Bah! Humbug! Back to hibernation mode.

I was really looking forward to checking out the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin this weekend too. The whole "cherry blossom festival" thing is something that I've never really gotten into while I've lived in DC. Cherry Blossoms are everywhere in this city, and I don't see the point in getting cramped in with a bunch of (very lovely, I'm sure) idiot tourists when I can see them from my window without being accosted by (well-meaning, I'm sure) idiot tourists asking for directions "To The Museums". Since the Tidal Basin becomes Idiot Tourist Central this time of year, and I have very little patience for it, I tend to avoid that area like the plague. But then I heard that WABA was going to be doing a bike valet service for it, and well.....now I have to check it out!

(P.S. I head that WABA is offering tickets to the Nats game on Sunday if you help staff their valet service on Saturday! I would totally jump on that, but I have to work. Poo. You better jump on it quick though-its only being offered to the first two people that volunteer!)

Some other spring events you might want to check out:

-30 Days of Biking! I first heard about this last year while I was on vacation in NC. The concept is very simple. Bike everyday for 30 days starting April 1st. Document it, share it, photograph it, whatever. Just get out and ride!

-Bike DC. This is by far my favorite bike event in DC. It was the very first biking event I ever signed up for. Now that it's been moved to the spring time, it usually falls somewhere around my birthday, so it becomes a present to myself. If there is one bike event that you should definitely do in the DC area, this is it. You get to bike around DC, sans traffic, including the GW Parkway & part of 395. It is a really awesome experience. I'm hoping to get as many friends involved as possible.

-Bike to Work Day! May 20th. There's a bunch of events going on around this day, so be sure to check it out.

Be sure to check out WABA's events page for even more bike events in the spring.

It has come to my attention that I failed to mention that the new running shoes I purchased last weekend were a result of a Christmas gift card for Pacers from the Boy. By far, its been the best & most useful gift I received. I've been able to buy a bunch of stuff that I really wanted. So, thank you Boy!

Speaking of gift cards, I want to thank each and every one of you that entered my giveaway by offering a cycling memory on my last post. And congrats to Will. I really hope that gift card gets put to good use! To the rest of you (all 3 of you), I wish I had a gift card for all of you!

Nothing really major to report about my last week of biking. Pretty standard. Ride to work. Ride at work. Ride home from work. Sometimes ride to the bar, and then back. I already mentioned my little problem with Betty's chain and the random awesome guys that fixed it for her. Other than that, its been pretty chill.

Do any of you guys have any questions? I was contemplating putting together a FAQ, but then I realized probably no one really has an questions, let alone frequently asked ones...

Bike Karma!

2011-03-29T00:58:00.000-04:00

First, I would like to Congratulate Will for winning the $50 Revolution Cycles gift card giveaway! Congrats!

Also, thank you to Capital Bikeshare & Revolution Cycles for the opportunity to give something back!

Second, for those of you that left a comment with your favorite cycling memory (even you, Erik, even though you deleted yours out of fairness!) I really enjoyed reading about all of them. Seriously. Bicycling is awesome!

The last few days, Betty has been having some issues. I rode home the other night and I hit a bump. All of a sudden, I couldn't pedal anymore! Not only could I not pedal, but I couldn't brake! Yikes! Betty's chain had slipped off. Not good! Luckily I was on level ground, and I was able to stop and fix it without crashing. I figured it was all good once I got home, since the chain managed to slip back on while I was walking her home.

Then yesterday, I was on my way to the Roller Derby match at the DC Armory when Betty threw her chain again! Oh no!!! I didn't have time to fiddle around with her this time, and I almost crashed because I lost my braking ability again. arrrrrgh! I locked her up in front of Duffy's and prayed that I would have time to fix her another time. I really had to get to Derby! Luckily a friend was driving, so I hitched a ride with him.

I had a great time at the Roller Derby (only 2 more games this season, people!) and ended up having to leave Betty locked up overnight at Duffy's.

I came back today to get her, and figured I would just walk her to the nearest Bike Shop for a fix. I was walking along V St, when a bunch of guys that were standing in front of a row house noticed my wonky chain :-( They stopped me and asked if I needed a fix--I said sure! (What did I have to lose?)

Those guys had my chain back on and tightened in 10 minutes flat. How awesome?! I offered to pay them money, but they refused. They saved me a good 30 minute walk, and who knows in labor fees. Seriously, how awesome? I believe some beer might magically appear on their doorstep in the near future.

That is a true example of bike karma :-)

So, who's excited about Spring? I know it still feels like Winter, but Spring is here. It really is! So many cool events coming up.

Who's with me?

What's your favorite Spring event?

Total Bike Karma. I have no doubt there will come a time when I can pay this favor back!

Win a gift card. And, oh yeah! Spring!

2011-03-21T21:36:00.001-04:00

Hi guys! How was your first day of spring? Mine was fabulous. I bought myself a new pair of running shoes, and enjoyed a nice, warm spring day out on the bike. I plan on doing a nice, long ride tomorrow to celebrate!

I'm sure you all remember me whining about winter....about how cold, miserable annoying it was becoming. In fact, I even signed up for some silly contest to prove that I was better than winter.

I was so tired of the shivering, the bundling, the multiple layers....just done with winter.

Yet, you all stuck with me. I rode everyday during this horrible season. And you all supported me.

Because of that support, I managed to snag a nifty gift card to Revolution Cycles. (A gift card that I could sorely use to purchase a new road bike, mind you...)

Yes, because of my Perfect Attendance during that contest, I won a prize. Because of you.

A prize that I want to pass on to you. Because quite honestly, I wouldn't have done it without you folks. I would have simply given up on the first "too cold, too snowy" day. You guys kept me accountable.

So....

If you would like to receive this gift card (for $50.00 worth of merchandise at Revolution Cycles), please respond to this post with your favorite cycling memory. Whether its from your childhood or last week, it doesn't matter...just post it.

Mine? My first bike was purple. I think I was about 8 years old. I did everything on it! Trick mounts/dismounts, jumping over ditches, riding down super-hills, I was definitely a dare-devil! I loved it. I didn't ride it to too many places, because there weren't many places to ride it to (there weren't many places to ride to where I grew up ;-)

So, leave me a comment. You have one week! On 3/28/11 I will use a random generator (to be fair) on this post to determine the winner. Please note: you can comment as much as you want, however, only one comment will be counted for the contest (to be fair).

Again, thank you so much for all of your support!

(P.S. Also, thank you to Capital Bikeshare for hosting the contest in the first place, goDCgo and for Revolution Cycles for supporting it!)

P.P.S: Stay tuned for some awesome Spring events!