Rumor has it that Mayor Gray is announcing the new head of DDOT today. Crossing fingers for Conan O'Brien.
- Bixi almost went bankrupt. It's not because the business isn't solid, but because a loan from the city was held up pending approval from the Provincial government.
- The Ride of Silence is today, in DC it starts at East Potomac Park. There are others in Maryland.
- Building on Jim's post from yesterday, AAA and the LAB teamed up to promote road safety in National Bike Month. Interestingly, on the LAB site they put helmet wearing at the bottom of the list and riding with traffic at the top - as opposed to AAA's list. AAA Mid-Atlantic, btw, is a sponsor for DC's Bike to Work Day.
- Another mural along the Met Branch Trail.
- Downtown DC could become better connected thanks to building above I-395. Early conceptual drawings for the project included the addition of public amenities such the restoration of D and H Streets NW above the freeway, public green space and bicycle infrastructure. DDOT is hosting a public meeting on the project on May 26.
- Dan Malouf posits that "the most stylish way to bike to work is in your regular clothes." I, unfortunately, am something of a sweater (sorry ladies, I'm taken) so that won't work for me after 4 miles, but I agree that not everyone needs to wear work-out gear.
Four miles? Piker. I'm a sweaty mess in a mile and a half. (The lycra ain't 'cause I think I look good in it!)
Posted by: Joe D | May 18, 2011 at 08:57 AM
The converse of the clothes argument is that if you're sweating that much, you should:
1) slow down
2) not go as far
3) not bike to work
Posted by: charlie | May 18, 2011 at 08:58 AM
I would also say that even when biking a short distance, I often wear this orange reflective vest. Partly for safety, but mostly as a form of peacocking.
Posted by: washcycle | May 18, 2011 at 09:46 AM
One of the best parts about cycling (or bike watching, really) is the diversity in clothes, bikes and riders.
As an aside, the first lycra I buy will be bike shorts for my wife. I draft her too much not to upgrade my view.
Posted by: Ron Alford | May 18, 2011 at 09:53 AM
AAA Mid-A is sponsoring BTW Day? Maybe they're starting to get it.
Posted by: le guy | May 18, 2011 at 09:53 AM
Anybody who is concerned about the most stylish way to get to work on a bike deserves to get to work covered in some nice stylish mud.
Posted by: Chris | May 18, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Riding a CaBi from 13th & NY Ave to the new Metro Center station or even to the Chinatown one without sweating is pretty much the limit for me. Anything further and nobody wants to talk to me for the rest of the day.
My full admiration belongs to those people who do not sweat like it's their job (to borrow a phrase washcycle has used in the past) when they ride a bike but I am not one of them.
I also freely admit that I always feel the urge to pedal hard when I am on the bike which inevitably leads to more sweating.
What I find peculiar is that there is now apparently a cycling fashion police trying to dictate what is appropriate wear. Why don't we just decide as cyclists that it is OK to wear whatever the hell we want as long as the clothes don't get stuck in the spokes?
Posted by: Eric_W. | May 18, 2011 at 10:19 AM
@Eric_W; slow down! If you're sweating, you're going too fast.
Posted by: charlie | May 18, 2011 at 10:35 AM
Actually, the most "stylish" way to bike to work is 1) in your regular clothes, 2) riding a single-speed beach cruiser, while 3) attacking (and dropping) all those dorky Lycranauts on each hill.
These guidlines are important as well:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2007/06/its-all-in-details.html
Posted by: oboe | May 18, 2011 at 02:00 PM
@Eric_W:
A simple solution would be to invest in a $300 heart rate monitor, undergo a cardio stress test to determine your V02max and HRmax, then use the monitor to remain between 65-75% of HRmax.
Works like a charm!
Posted by: oboe | May 18, 2011 at 02:02 PM
Oh, one last point: Malouff's photo in the story's sidebar, I'm not sure he should be giving out fashion advice.
He looks like the kind of guy who'd wear a Red Sox jersey to his own wedding.
(I kid! I kid!)
Posted by: oboe | May 18, 2011 at 02:09 PM
@oboe: That's a good idea. Maybe I'll combine the heart rate monitor with the purchase of a PowerTap Pro + to make it worth my while.
I just have to think about how I can come up with a good return-on-inestment story since my office building is converting the managed for-fee gym to an unmanaged free gym...
Posted by: Eric_W. | May 18, 2011 at 02:43 PM
The stylish advice...doesn't that assume that my regular clothes are stylish?
I'm the queen of comfort, and I live in yoga pants or sweatpants when I can get away with it. (Everywhere except work, in other words.) I have never been accused of being stylish.
My bike commute is over an hour. Wearing workout clothes on my commute makes me a lot more impervious to the weather. Rains? No big deal, my work clothes will stay dry. 12 degrees? No big deal, I have my layering system down pat. 102 degrees? No big deal, sweaty is just a warmer version of rain.
The people I know who wear "regular" clothes on the bike have much more elaborate strategies for dealing with all of those things. Sounds like a lot of work to me.
Posted by: Deb | May 18, 2011 at 06:29 PM
I wear jeans and flannel shirts to work in the winter and shorts and a T shirt in the summer. Never had a problem biking to work dressed how ever I like.
Of course it helps to be the boss. I:-)
Posted by: Riley | May 18, 2011 at 10:18 PM