The next DCBP is this Saturday, October 27th. We’ll be meeting at the DuPont Circle Fountain at 8:30pm, and we’ll take off at 9:00 sharp. We’ll be making a pit-stop at the Oak Hill Cemetery, heading down Pennsylvania Avenue to Chinatown before heading to Duffy’s Irish Pub to put the party in DC Bike Party. We are encouraging everyone to wear a costume.
Dear PoPville,
I’ve been noticing new bike lane markings around the city. The attached picture (above) is looking East on Columbia Road from the intersection of 18th Street, NW, and shows a neat new green bike lane marking. I like them. As a car driver, I find these marking much more useful in identifying bike lanes from my vehicle.
My questions: Why is the lane marked only up about 30 feet, or will the lanes be only close to intersections? Will all lanes be marked like this throughout the city? What are the stripes for at the beginning of the other end of the marking?
From the Brookland listserv:
Last night on my way to Chinatown I got clothe-lined (or something) as I was blazing down the metropolitan branch on my bike. 4 kids, probably 13-19 were on either side of the trail and decked me good before fleeing the scene. The incident was at the intersection with T St., at about 4th. I think they mostly just wanted to cause suffering for fun, rather than steal anything. I also think they were surprised I wasn’t out cold after the crash. In fact, I got one of their shoes.
I talked with the cops afterwards. Advice from me and them to y’all:
*Instinct is good. U turn it if you see folks idling on the trail, looking to pinch you between two or more other people. If it looks really fishy, call the cops.
*Time doesn’t matter. Muggings happen day and night the same.
*Bike/commute in groups. They go after solo riders.
*Call the cops immediately. They had been waiting for these guys and they were scouring the whole area in <5 minutes: bikes, patrol cars, etc. The response was pretty impressive.
We last spoke about safety on the MBT here.
Dear PoPville,
I was going walking past the Columbia Heights IHOP last night with a friend and saw a guy stealing a sea green Bianchi bike. Only the front wheel was locked, so he removed it via quickrelease. He had brought his own wheel to replace it, and put it on in the parking garage next to the IHOP. But since the new wheel didn’t fit, he had to carry the bike down the street. We both took a photo, called the cops, and followed the guy for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately he disappeared but we managed to show the photo and give a description to the cops (who came after about 20 minutes.) The guy was quite short, about 5 feet tall and a few inches, black, bearded, and stocky. Just wanted to put this out in case anyone has any other information. Sorry for the owner of the bike!
Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw
From an email:
The Bike Rack is offering free coffee for bicycle commuters Wednesday morning, October 17th from 7:30 to 9:00. We will be at the corner of 14th and Q, NW handing out free cups of Perregrine espresso as you make your way into work or wherever you may be headed. Look for our banner, stop by and have a cup of joe on us!
Some serious commuter bikes. Seen in Adams Morgan.
Courtesy of the Embassy of Sweden:
A reader writes:
“I saw this wild motor/bicycle up in Tenleytown the other day. The name on it is “Il Velociraptore”.
905 U Street, NW
Off Road Indoor Cycling will have an open house this Sunday. From a press release:
Off Road Indoor Cycling opens on October 15 on U Street as a state-of-the-art cycling studio with a wide variety of instructors and classes for anyone looking for a great workout.
Off Road is the first specialized cycling studio in DC to offer virtual rides and features the newest line of bikes equipped with monitors to track riders’ workouts. In addition to a large variety of cycling classes, Off Road is committed to challenging students with some of the most innovative and proven fitness classes such as TRX and boxing.
“We provide a place that anyone can drop in, workout, and have fun,” said Off Road’s co-owner Tammar Berger. “From triathletes to busy Washingtonians looking for a great workout that fits their hectic schedules, everyone will work up a sweat and know they got an amazing workout.”
WHAT:Off Road invites the community to an open house on October 14 in advance of the studio’s October 15 opening. Instructors will provide free 30 minute sample cycling classes throughout the day, available on a first come basis, for individuals to become familiar with the diversity of classes, top-rated instructors, and latest bikes.
WHEN:October 14, 9am-5pm
WHERE:Off Road Indoor Cycling 905 U Street NW
Seriously sweet but actually maybe not the best name for a bike in DC…
From H Street, NE.
From Connecticut and R Street, NW. An improvement?
