bike commute
Mon Jun 8 22:10:20 EDT 2015
Two Mondays in a row it has rained on my bike ride home. There was a pretty intense thunderstorm (tornado watch) that blew through when I would have been leaving work today, so I stayed later. I decided to take the all-paved route home, instead of the canal towpath. (I rode the towpath in today, and there were only a few mud puddles left after last week's rain.) It started raining again as soon as I got out of the parking garage, and I waited that out in a little cover against building. It started raining again when I was about 2/3 of the way home, and I waited out part of that under an overpass, and then rode most of the rest of the way home in light rain.
I can't decide what I think about the big blinker I put on the back of the bike. Sometimes I think it's not any better than the other lights I've used, and sometimes I think it looks ing amazing. When I got home tonight, I parked the bike in the driveway and walked across the street - damned big/bright blinker. I walked across the other street (we live on a corner) - still damned big/bright.
So what is it with the drivers who don't change lanes to pass until the last minute? Do they think it can't be a bicycle, because the light's too big? Myself, I always move over to pass anything I'm overtaking. It doesn't matter what it is, so why wait? But clearly I don't do a lot of things the way other people do, and I don't think the way they do (although possibly that's because many of them don't think).
Tuesday 23:52
When I got home tonight I looked at the big-ass blinker again next to the various blinkers on my old bike. The big one blew the others away. I need to get fresh batteries in all of them for a fair comparison and take some pictures.The White House press briefing room was evacuated mid briefing on Tuesday after a bomb threat was called into the Metropolitan Police Department.
Well, that explains today's detour around Lafayette Square (north side of the White House). There's still dozens more (hard to go 2 weeks without one) that are mysteries, though.
Thursday 23:48
I've ridden up most of the big "impossible" hill the last 2 nights (paved route the previous 2 nights), so I think that's getting consistently into the "I can do that" category, no longer "impossible".
The big-ass blinker tonight was back to the point where it dims noticeably immediately after it's turned on. I looked at it again from across the street after I got home tonight. It's not crazy-ass bright, but it's still very noticeable. I can't see what the deal is with drivers who are reluctant to just move over and pass me. I'm going to charge up the batteries again overnight.
Friday 19:30
You've got no clue about the weather in this basement. NWS (http://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/KDCA.html) says today was hotter than yesterday, but now it's cooler than this time yesterday? That seems odd. The temperature dropped 12°F/6.7°C in the last hour - that seems odd too. OH - Thunderstorm. Yeah, there it is on the RADAR, already gone by. It's cooler, but the humidity went from 47% to 74%. Things look fine on the webcam of the Capitol - that's the closest outside view I've found so far, plus it's got some flags giving an idea of the winds, and some trees with branches that sway a bit. And no ads. ☺
I wonder whether the towpath will be muddier? It's Friday; Georgetown will be a zoo. I'd much rather go underneath the Whitehurst freeway and take the Capitol Crescent Trail and the towpath.
Friday 23:00
The towpath was less muddy than on my commute in, so the afternoon's drying out exceeded the rain - if the storm even caught the towpath.
There was someone walking across Chain Bridge last night who asked for directions to Georgetown. I told him it was to the right on the other end of the bridge. He probably already knew that, but just wanted confirmation. I suggested that he take the canal towpath instead of the road. He asked whether that was safe. Most nights I don't see anyone else, so it's hard to see what ill might befall someone. (I did pass a couple walking a dog tonight.) I don't recall Canal Road having any sidewalk; I would not want to be walking there, particularly on a Fri/Sat night. He didn't have a flashlight, but I think there's enough light spilled over the canal from Canal Rd to see on the towpath.
I think the test for my blinker's batteries is to look in my mirror for reflections of my light off the road signs behind me. Fresh batteries light up the signs a block away. If I can't see anything, it's time to change the batteries.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/745978.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
Two Mondays in a row it has rained on my bike ride home. There was a pretty intense thunderstorm (tornado watch) that blew through when I would have been leaving work today, so I stayed later. I decided to take the all-paved route home, instead of the canal towpath. (I rode the towpath in today, and there were only a few mud puddles left after last week's rain.) It started raining again as soon as I got out of the parking garage, and I waited that out in a little cover against building. It started raining again when I was about 2/3 of the way home, and I waited out part of that under an overpass, and then rode most of the rest of the way home in light rain.
I can't decide what I think about the big blinker I put on the back of the bike. Sometimes I think it's not any better than the other lights I've used, and sometimes I think it looks ing amazing. When I got home tonight, I parked the bike in the driveway and walked across the street - damned big/bright blinker. I walked across the other street (we live on a corner) - still damned big/bright.
So what is it with the drivers who don't change lanes to pass until the last minute? Do they think it can't be a bicycle, because the light's too big? Myself, I always move over to pass anything I'm overtaking. It doesn't matter what it is, so why wait? But clearly I don't do a lot of things the way other people do, and I don't think the way they do (although possibly that's because many of them don't think).
Tuesday 23:52
When I got home tonight I looked at the big-ass blinker again next to the various blinkers on my old bike. The big one blew the others away. I need to get fresh batteries in all of them for a fair comparison and take some pictures.The White House press briefing room was evacuated mid briefing on Tuesday after a bomb threat was called into the Metropolitan Police Department.
Well, that explains today's detour around Lafayette Square (north side of the White House). There's still dozens more (hard to go 2 weeks without one) that are mysteries, though.
Thursday 23:48
I've ridden up most of the big "impossible" hill the last 2 nights (paved route the previous 2 nights), so I think that's getting consistently into the "I can do that" category, no longer "impossible".
The big-ass blinker tonight was back to the point where it dims noticeably immediately after it's turned on. I looked at it again from across the street after I got home tonight. It's not crazy-ass bright, but it's still very noticeable. I can't see what the deal is with drivers who are reluctant to just move over and pass me. I'm going to charge up the batteries again overnight.
Friday 19:30
You've got no clue about the weather in this basement. NWS (http://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/KDCA.html) says today was hotter than yesterday, but now it's cooler than this time yesterday? That seems odd. The temperature dropped 12°F/6.7°C in the last hour - that seems odd too. OH - Thunderstorm. Yeah, there it is on the RADAR, already gone by. It's cooler, but the humidity went from 47% to 74%. Things look fine on the webcam of the Capitol - that's the closest outside view I've found so far, plus it's got some flags giving an idea of the winds, and some trees with branches that sway a bit. And no ads. ☺
I wonder whether the towpath will be muddier? It's Friday; Georgetown will be a zoo. I'd much rather go underneath the Whitehurst freeway and take the Capitol Crescent Trail and the towpath.
Friday 23:00
The towpath was less muddy than on my commute in, so the afternoon's drying out exceeded the rain - if the storm even caught the towpath.
There was someone walking across Chain Bridge last night who asked for directions to Georgetown. I told him it was to the right on the other end of the bridge. He probably already knew that, but just wanted confirmation. I suggested that he take the canal towpath instead of the road. He asked whether that was safe. Most nights I don't see anyone else, so it's hard to see what ill might befall someone. (I did pass a couple walking a dog tonight.) I don't recall Canal Road having any sidewalk; I would not want to be walking there, particularly on a Fri/Sat night. He didn't have a flashlight, but I think there's enough light spilled over the canal from Canal Rd to see on the towpath.
I think the test for my blinker's batteries is to look in my mirror for reflections of my light off the road signs behind me. Fresh batteries light up the signs a block away. If I can't see anything, it's time to change the batteries.
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/745978.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]