Windy Run

Wednesday Oct. 8th is Walk and Bike to School Day. Arlington has taken great strives towards safe routes to school and supporting cycling transportation. Arlington schools have abundant high quality bicycle parking and those parking facilities are full! Washington & Lee High School has a bike club and many local students participate in the National Capital Velo Cycling Club. Arlington Police has participated in traffic enforcement in order to help support safe routes to school.

Bike Arlington Sez:

When: @ 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Where: Schools around Arlington
Who: Arlington students, families and neighbors
Fee: None!

What: Each October, Arlington Public Schools (APS) and the County's WalkArlington and BikeArlington programs join forces to take part in this international event. Part of a month-long celebration, the event encourages students to walk and bike to school while teaching the health and environmental benefits of walking and biking. Walk and Bike to School Day also raises community awareness about the importance of pedestrian safety education, safe routes to schools, well-maintained walkways, and traffic calming in neighborhoods and around schools.
Arlington will celebrate International Walk and Bike to School Day on Wednesday, October 8 this year. Throughout the entire month of October, many APS staff and PTAs will incorporate activities focusing on biking and walking into the curriculum.
Click here for more information

This promo video is from last year's Bike to School Day

My day at Schaeffer Farms did not go well.

Schaeffer Farms is potentially the best mountain biking park in our area. Located in the hinterlands (out beyond Gaithersburg), Schaeffer Farms is a park that is a farm that is a mountain biking course. 15 miles of rolling trails wind their way through woods, creeks, farmland and cornfields, giving cyclists different levels of terrain and difficulty. The average grade is 2.8% (a bit more than train grade) while the steepest grade is 8.1%. Trails wind and climb through creeks, bridges, boulders, and trees, giving skilled cyclists ample opportunities to crash.

The trail network in Schaeffer Farms was built by Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (aka MORE) in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources. The MOCO Epic mountain bike race starts and finishes at Schaeffer Farms.

Excited for a day on the trails, I attempted to turn my "hybrid" Cannondale Bad Boy into a cross-bike, swapping on 33 nobbies for my 700 wheels. Well guess what…. they didn't fit. Even though the Cannondale is a "hybrid," simply moving up to 33s was too fat for the bike. Apparently, "hybrid" means I can put on mountain bike tires if I drop down to 26" wheels. Well.. great.

I wasn't going to give up on the day, and by cycling partner had already hit the trail with his new crossbike - so I attempted to mountain bike on my 700 x 28c tires. The Bad Boy is a good bike made to take abuse, and abuse it I did. I did a good route over the river, er creeks, and through the woods. It was an excellent ride and I am proud to say I did not crash into any trees. However, the terrain clearly dictated riding on nice soft balloons (mountain bike tires). Afraid of damaging my rims, I called it a day.

My cycling partner, however, had skillfully failed to avoid the tree that leaped out into the trail in front of him.

Schaeffer Farms is an excellent mountain biking park. Time for Rule #12.

Sources:

MORE: Schaeffer Farms
MTB Project: Schaeffer Farms Grand Tour
MTBR Trail Reviews: Schaeffer Farms

The Fall Equinox brings shorter days. Shorter days brings darkness. Darkness brings bike lights.

Celebrating the Fall Equinox, the Washington & Lee Generals Bike Club, in cooperation with Bike Arlington, recently decorated student bicycles parked in front of Washington & Lee High School with lights and reflective give aways.

One of the truly incredible things about this the tremendous number of bicycles you see in front of W&L every day. APS recently installed a new bicycle rack in front of the school, increasing the parking capacity at that spot by approximately 50%. And already the new rack is full every morning. Cycling to school at W&L is booming and growing.

The Bike Arlington program of giving away bicycle lights and reflectors is an excellent investment in promoting safe cycling in Arlington. Commuting home, I regularly see these lights on bikes, turning invisible "ninjas" on the trails into PALs. Giving lights to students is great way of promoting safe routes to school.

Nice job W&L Bike Club!

The Arlington County Board in its meeting this week reportedly approved of an easement from the Navy along Washington Blvd in order to accommodate a new multi use trail for pedestrians and cyclists. From the Board's agenda:

Deed of easement amendment 001 for public recreation, pedestrian and bicycle path on property owned by the United States Government and located on the Naval Supply Facility, Arlington, Virginia, RPC #34-013-001.

C.M. Recommendation: Approve the deed of easement amendment 001 (attached to the staff report) for public pedestrian and bicycle path (amended deed) on property owned by the United States Government and located on the Naval Supply Facility, Arlington, Virginia, RPC #34-013-001. In addition, authorize the Real Estate Bureau Chief, Department of Environmental Services, or his designee, to accept, on behalf of the County Board, the Deed of Easement attached to (the) Board Report as Attachment 1, subject to the approval as to form by the County Attorney.

Board Report #26

Photo by BankBryan (cc Flickr)

This is an important connection between the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor and the Pentagon City area going North-South. This clears the way for the construction of the trail to be placed out for bid, with a potential completion date for the trail of the summer of 2015.

ArlNow recently reported that the path of the trail had been realigned in order to avoid the removal of multiple mature trees, but also necessitating the acquiring of the easement.

This will be a tremendous addition to the Arlington trail system. The Arlington Loop (the MVT, the Custis, and the WOD) has created a heavily used beltway of cyclist transportation along with a recreational opportunity for joggers, dog walkers, skaters, and pedestrians. When bike commuters are polled where they come from, they predominately answer from along the trails. Smart infrastructure leads to smart cycling transportation.

What is missing - badly missing - is a trail through the center of the county along Washington Boulevard. A North-South trail will be another huge step forward in Arlington's cycling infrastructure, making access to everywhere in the county easy by bicycle.

When last these two candidates met in an election, we asked them a series of questions about cycling in Arlington. You can read their responses, linked below.

This election, we have asked them a simple question: How would you fix the intersection of doom?

Here are their response tweets so far:

Photo by Alyson Hurt (cc Flikr)

Alan Howze || Previous Response

long-term reroute. Short-term implement adopted changes + signal changes (NPS/VDOT) so cars not turning right into bike/ped +

+ enhanced enforcement + detailed data collection on incidents across Arlington tinyurl.com/nv5s86t

+ safe streets across all of Arlington - not just trails - safe routes to school, work, etc - much more we need to do!

as a bike commuter I am very familiar with the intersection and its dangers for cyclists, pedestrians and runners.

John Vihstadt || Previous Response

Thanks for writing. @ArlingtonVA staff working to improve @RosslynVA #IntersectionOfDoom. Asked for update. Will report back.

The Intersection of Doom has been a problem for decades. 1000s of cyclists and pedestrians go across this intersection daily. Because the infrastructure is terrible, they get forced out into the street, they get hit, and then they get ticketed by a callous NPS cop who cant figure out that its not a pedestrians fault when the infrastructure is terrible. In other major urban environments, a dangerous or congested intersection would have a traffic officer assigned to facilitate traffic flow. For as long as I have lived in Arlington, the County has promised that solutions are on the horizon. Meanwhile, crossing the Intersection of Doom is a form of Russian Roulette. Arlington County claims to be going for the gold certification for a Bike Friendly Community - they even - almost ironically - constructed a cycling totem pole at the Intersection of Doom spending piles of money on a counter instead of spending piles of money on risk mitigation and safety.

We are Arlington cyclists. We are frustrated. We want to know: How will you fix the Intersection of Doom.

Candidates, we will be glad to post any updated responses.

The C&O Trail many of us know. The C&O Trail is the towpath to the C&O canal, running 184 miles from Georgetown through Harpers Ferry west to Cumberland. It is simultaneously a wondrous experience to explore the nature along C&O and Potomac river, and near death-by-vibration. The C&O trail surface is hard pack dirt, clay, rocks, roots and whatever else might be available that, while relatively flat, can come very close to a mountain biking experience.

Photo by Jason Pratt (cc Flickr)

The C&O canal made it as far west as Cumberland, and that is where the Western Maryland Railroad picked up, serving the iron, steel, and coal industries. As those industries closed, and the costs of the railroad became unsustainable, the Western Maryland Railroad merged with CSX, and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) line was abandoned. The first section of this rail line to be converted to a trail was a 9 mile section near Ohiopyle (a recreation mecca and near Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water). The entire trail was completed in 2006, with the last 9 miles opening at Cumberland. In total,GAP trail takes willing wheelmen 150 miles to Pittsburgh with approximately 1300 feet of elevation change.

I started my short journey along the GAP from Cumberland. This is a town that understands and has benefited from bicycle and recreational tourism. At the center is the old trail station and a nice park with a bike shop, many good restaurants, and hotels. Departing Cumberland, the trail is in far better condition than the C&O. I rode comfortably on 28c tires at 100 psi over the surface of crushed limestone and asphalt.

The trail out of Cumberland involves climbing a steady steady less than 2% grade climb for 23 miles. The grade is optically deceiving; you cant necessarily tell that you are climbing other than you feel like you are dragging a sack of concrete behind your bike. I actually got off of my bike to make sure my brakes were not rubbing. As much as the climb up the hill can be a grind, the ride back down is a throw-back to childhood (its like flying down the neighborhood hill on a Big Wheel only the ride is 30 minutes long).

This is a journey into a wondrous land of imagination. After mile 5 you will come upon the Brush Tunnel, and further along you will pass the Cumberland Bone Cave where bones from 41 genre of mammals were uncovered. The Great Western Railroad will follow you up the mountain until Frostburg (if you want to cheat, you can take the railroad up to Frostburg, get off, and start your ride). After Frostburg comes the Borden Tunnel and the Big Savage Tunnel, which is the longest tunnel along your journal at 3294’. At about mile 23 you will cross over the Eastern Continental Divide. You will wind through the mountains, bridges and along farms. Your companions will be many other through-cyclists and hikers, and cows.

There are plenty of services along the trail and businesses that cater to recreational tourism. The trail meanders through small towns about every ten miles where lodging may be available, or cyclists can pack and camp along the trail.

Sources:

Bike Washington: C&O Canal Bicycle Guide,
The Great Allegheny Passage
Scenic Western Maryland Railroad
Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage

Once again it is election time in Arlington for the Board. In the past I circulated to candidates an interview of questions on how they support cycling. But these candidates have already answered that survey.

So this time, I asked both candidates one simple question: how they would fix the Intersection of Doom. (and dont be like other poseur candidates who did not even know what the Intersection of Doom is)

Initially only John Vihstadt responded. His response was to punt and say county staff were studying the issue.

Today I asked both candidates again.

Howze just answered "Upgrades adopted this year for 2015 completion - infrastructure and signaling. Open to your suggestions?" He too attempts to punt by flipping the question, indicating that he does not have a clue.

Candidates.... we await your answer.

Sez the Arlington BAC

Since we didn't have a regular September meeting, the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee decided to hold a Happy Hour event.
We'd love you to stop by and chat all things Arlington biking! Bring friends...bring family...bring your bike!
Chevy's Pentagon City6:30pm - 8:30pm
Fiesta platters courtesy of Bike Arlington. Bueno!Happy Hour specials courtesy of Chevy's who will be extending them into our event space.
Since it's only a short ride away be sure to check out Arlington's first protected bike lane on S Hayes St between 15th St S and S Fern.
More details on the Facebook event page.

Who/What is the BAC?
The Bicycle Advisory Committee, with roots in the community, helps focus continuing attention and resources on the role of bicycles and bicycling for transportation, health, and the enjoyment of parks and other public facilities in Arlington County, a national leader in urban planning and livable community design.
The BAC advises the County Manager on issues that affect cycling in Arlington County, including, but not limited to: safety, education, community involvement, awareness and promotion, and the development, operation and maintenance of on- and off-street bicycle transportation and recreation facilities.
Regular BAC meetings occur the first Monday of the month from 7:00 - 9:00pm at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.
Learn more: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/b...ory-committee/

The Arlington Fun Ride is Saturday October 4, starting at Crystal City. The full bike route follows the 16 mile Arlington Loop. There is also a kids route in conjunction with Arlington Kidical Mass.

Time: Adult & Youth Ride Starts at 8am. Kids Ride starts at 10am.

Where: Crystal City: 18th Street and Crystal Drive

Cost: $10 for individuals, $25 for families (up to 4 individuals) and includes a technical t-shirt for each individual. Additional shirts are available at $10 each (supplies are limited)

The Arlington Fun Ride is a scenic, family-friendly 16-mile ride taking you on the paved multi-use trails that make up the Arlington Loop. There will be multiple pit stops with snacks along the ride and at the start/finish there will be health and fitness information and activities for all ages, including music, games, a kids bike rodeo and a short family ride for parents with small children.

Cyclists spend long hours baking their epidermis in the sun. Skimpy kit makes for exposed arms, neck, and legs. One of the great forgotten bits of cycling equipment is sunscreen.

Back in the day when I was younger, I played ultimate frisbee. A doctor friend always showed up to play with a brimmed hat, long sleeves, and plenty of sunscreen. It was one of those moments when it occurs to you, "If he ~ who is infinitely wiser than I in the ways of medical health ~ is taking these precautions ~ perhaps prudence dictates I follow a similar course."

Of course there is something to being middle aged and no longer giving a damn about how you look. I bought myself a fine large brim beach hat and some nice high-viz long sleeve shirts. I also bought several tubs of sun screen. One sits on my desk at work ready for the ride home and the other sits by the door at home.

Another doc said we should always apply sunscreen twice. Why? Because most of us do such a lousy job the first time that it requires two coats of paint.

Oh yeah, and remember, even the "sports" sunscreen only lasts like two hours. Buy some small tubes and throw them in your saddle bag for use in Purceville.

When I bought my Cannondale years ago, it came with V (rubber pad) brakes but was upgradable to disc brakes. As a 100% bicycle commuter, 12 months a year, I found that V brakes were a bit of a problem. As a large guy, going up and down the Arlington hill, in all types of bad weather, I was wearing through brakes like Chiclets. And if I was wearing through brake pads, I was also wearing through wheel rims!

At the hounding of a cycling friend, I caved. I bought Avid BB7 disc brakes for front and back. I have replaced rubber brake pads before, but I have never installed new brakes and I have never installed disc brakes. It presented a certain level of anxiety as you have to align the whirling disc inside of the brake, without it hitting as it goes flying by. This certainly cant be easy.

But in fact it was. It's a bit hard to describe: first you get the wheel relatively in line, which should make the disc relatively in line. Then you squeeze the brake so that it clamps onto the disc, and tighten the brake bolts so that the brake lines up with the disc. After this, there are some adjusters to make minor fine adjustments. It didn't take long before I could adjust the brakes on the fly as needed.

Disc brakes offer clear advantages over V brakes. First there is the "not wearing out your expensive wheel's rims" thing. The disc brakes give me better feel; there is a greater difference between lightly applying the brakes and a full squeeze emergency stop. In addition, disc brakes are less affected by water, dirt, and mud ~ all those wonderful conditions that come with off-road cycling and which will chew up a rim if you use V brakes.

Disc brakes started on mountain bikes. They have moved into the Cross Bike category and you are now even seeing them show up on road bikes (even though they do add extra weight).

So what's the take away? After several months of riding with discs, I love the responsiveness and I love the fact that I am no longer destroying my rims or replacing my pads near as often.

Sources:

John Allen, Disc Brakes, Sheldon Browns Bicycle Information
Kevin Tisue, Should I Get RimBrakes or Disc Brakes, About.com Mountain Biking
Buyer's Guide to Mountain DiscBrakes, Bike Radar

Buyers and Vendors!

Come to VéloCity Bicycle Cooperative's Second Annual Bike Swap Fund Raiser to sell or buy anything cycling-related.

Saturday, June 21st - 9 am to 1 pm - 2100 Block of Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria (the lot next to Bean Creative).

Admission for buyers is $3; Kids 12 and under free!

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Vendor spaces are $20 in advance or $25 day of and includes admission for one seller per space (vendors can prepay at the coop or via the Donation Tab on the website)
- vendor spaces are approx 10x20 feet
- vendors should bring their own table or tarp to display items
- all items for sale should be cycling-related

Kidical Mass Arlington leads casual group bike rides for families and people who like families throughout Arlington County. This Sunday, in honor of father's everywhere, Kidical Mass Arlington is going to ride to ice cream! This time it's, North Arlington style: meet at Hayes Park, ride through Ashton Heights and Lyon Village and finish at Larry's Homemade Ice Cream in Clarendon. **To sweeten this incredibly sweet deal, Larry's is offering us HALF OFF ice cream. Hooray for Larry's!**

When: Sunday, June 15, 2014 5:45pm (roll out 6:00pm - come early with a picnic!)

Meet: Hayes Park - North Lincoln Street & 15th St N, Arlington

End: Larry's Homemade in Clarendon - Wilson Blvd and North Highland Street (an easy mile from the start via this route).

Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4927969

Details: http://kidicalmassarl.blogspot.com/2014/06/fathers-day-more-ice-cream-615-545pm.html

Happy Father's Day!

Last night I have heard that there was a serious accident on the Custis.

I went through the Custis from Rosslyn to Lyon Village just before 7 pm. At that time, a jugging club was FLOODING the trail with participants. It was CRAZY. They were jogging three wide. They were jogging on the left, into oncoming traffic. They were not heeding passing calls.

In any transportation artery, there is a point where the amount of traffic exceeds the capacity of the artery. Last night, that jogging group was dumping more traffic on the Custis than the Custis could handle.

This needs to stop. The Custis (and the WOD, and the MVT) are narrow trails. They pretty much afford one lane in both directions, and a center passing lane. On the whole, most people on the trails are very well behaved. But when the trails are overwhelmed, a serious accident is all but inevitable.

And this applies to everyone: joggers, cyclists, dog walkers - who ever. No group should be permitted to have "events" on the trail that overwhelm the trail. There is a safe maximum capacity to the trails and when it is exceeded, someone is going to get hurt.

I have worked with a volunteer group that used to do 5Ks on the WOD. And no matter how hard you coached people, and no matter how many event marshals you used, with a crowd that large there was always people who did not follow good trail etiquette, creating extremely dangerous situations.

Arlington trails are a marvelous and vital resources. They are shared by walkers, joggers, cyclists, skateboarders, and others. Any time one group floods the trail with traffic, they create a dangerous situation for everyone else.

This needs to stop.

Answer: Decades.

This map from the National Park Service 1990 DC Trails Plan was recently posted to the local bike forum. It shows that by 1990, the Intersection of Doom was well established as a dangerous intersection. I moved into Arlington in 1989 and I remember biking through the Intersection of Doom on the way into town. The Intersection of Doom has been marked on the local bicycle map as a "dangerous intersection" for as long as I can remember.

I'll admit it. A LOT of the identified problems on this map have been fixed. Thank you NPS. But it also indicates the situation. Where NPS was the only jurisdiction involved in solving the problem, the problems have been generally addressed. At the Intersection of Doom, we have five - make that four - jurisdictions (Arlington just bought out the private land owner) involved in solving the problem and nothing has gotten done.

Meanwhile, recently a woman hit by a car at the Intersection of Doom reportedly had insult added to injury when a NPS officer came to her hospital bed - not having witnessed the accident - and issued her a ticket for not being in the crosswalk.

Let's be clear where fault lies. It doesnt lie with the cyclists. It doesnt lie with the pedestrians. It doesnt lie with the car drivers.

It lies with the local governing authorities including Arlington County, VADOT, DC, and NPS who have identified this as a problem for decades, have been lobbied by cyclists to fix this for decades, and whose idea of a solution is to blame the victims.

Fix the Intersection of Doom!

Do. It.

Phoenix Derby

Tomorrow's forecast is not promising. NOAA is calling for high winds, heavy rain, and lightning.

I have to admit. I am pretty much a 100% bicycle commuter and I bike straight through the winter. But it doesnt mean being stupid. Here are some tips about biking in bad weather:

Weather services are wonderful - lots better than way back in the day. Pull up the local weather radar and see where the storms are. If a storm is coming, I will change my schedule to miss the storm: leave early; leave late; or shoot the gaps between the storm fronts.
Use good gear. Wear clear eye protection to keep the rain out of your eyes. Use good bags that keep your stuff dry. Make sure your brakes are in good working order. Use fenders to reduce the spray on yourself and others.
Be visible. If cars had difficulty seeing you before, they certainly will have trouble seeing you with rain messing up their windows. Wear high viz colors and lights.
Surfaces may be slippery. Some cyclists use different tires in different weather conditions. This may also increase your braking distance. And heavy rains may wash debris onto your route.
Have an exit strategy: Can you hop on the subway or a bus if it gets bad? Can you lock up your bike and stop in a coffee shop to ride out the storm?
Dont ride during lightning.
Be careful of flash floods. Many trails in my area dip down next to creeks and are regularly flooded during strong storms. Do not ride through floods.
Be careful that what looks like a puddle on the road might be a pothole.

Follow Rule #5: Dont be stupid. If you feel uncomfortable with the weather conditions, either delay your trip or dont cycle that day.

Clean your bike off when you get to your destination to avoid rust.

Sources

10 tips for riding in the rain, Active.com

Cold Weather Biking Tips, Bike Arlington

Cycling in icy conditions and bad weather, Bikeradar

Bang! Avoiding Lightning on Your Bike Tour, Traveling Two

Just in time for the ABCs of Family Biking (an excellent event put on by Kidical Mass DC and friends), Kidical Mass Arlington has a schedule for 2014! Details, as usual, at our website: kidicalmassarl.blogspot.com ,

It's shaping up to be an exciting year: Taste of Arlington, Father's Day, Tour de France, Arlington County Fair, Clarendon Day and joint rides with Kidical Mass DC and the newly formed Kidical Mass Alexandria!

For the 2014 Spring-Summer-Fall season, we're generally riding on the third Sunday of the month, with some bonus rides thrown in, and some adjustments for some special events. Here's the plan, with the usual caveat that things happen, and you should check the website for details and confirmation.

Sunday, May 18 – Taste of Kidical (a ride to the Taste of Arlington)
Sunday, June 1 – Kidically Spring
Sunday, June 15 – Daddy Kidical (Father’s Day Ride)
Sunday, July 6 – Tour de Kidical (Ride to watch the Tour de France)
Sunday, July 20 – Kidically Arlandria – Joint ride with the newly formed Kidical Mass Alexandria
Sunday, August 10 – Fairly Kidical (a ride to the Arlington Fair)
Saturday, September 27 – Kidically Clarendon (a ride to Clarendon Day)
Saturday, October 4 – Arlington Fun Ride Family Ride

Don't forget to double check the website right before the ride to confirm details.

Recently I have been volunteering with a local youth organization leading Saturday rides. The kids in the program are riding bicycles that might be referred to as "vintage" or "refurbished." These are bikes, and bike components, that have seen some wear. The first ride that I went on, we saw one flat tire and two busted chains. We also have had cranks fall off.

Ideally, these are things to be avoided. A good habit to get into before you go for a bike ride is your ABC check: air, brakes, and chain.

Check your air: Mountain bike tire pressure can be around 30 to 50 psi, hybrids can be 50 to 80 psi, and road bikes can be 80 to 110 psi. Good floor pumps come with gauges. You should also come to know when your tires are properly inflated simply by squeezing them. On bicycle rides, I always carry tire irons, a patch kit, a portable pump, a spare tube, and tire boots (and have used them many times). I also carry a wrench for those bikes without quick releases. You should also check the tire for wear.

Check your brakes: both front and rear brakes should be in good working order. Most modern brakes have adjusters in the lever to increase the braking power as the brake wears. Never ride with worn out brakes. I carry a multitool that includes allen wrenches that can be used to make adjustments.

Check your chain, cassette, and crank. Your chain should be properly lubed and clean. Without lube your chain will not move properly, can rust, and jam. Too much lube and it becomes a dirt magnet. Too much dirt and the chain will not shift properly, and may cause "chain suck" where it fails to properly come off the flywheel. Depending on weather conditions, I clean my chain everyone one to two weeks. This can be as simply as wiping it down with a rag. I also carry a chain breaker and a few quick links.

It is good to teach new riders to deliberately go over a quick ABC check of their bike. After a while, it becomes instinctive. Walk up to a bike, give it a quick look over, squeeze the tires, squeeze the brake lever, and go.

Source: The ABC Quick Check, NHTSA (crediting the League of American Bicyclists); Basic Bike Check, League of American Bicyclists; ABC Quick Check, Bike Collective.

The Phoenix Derby is around the corner! Perhaps one of the zaniest bicycle races in the area, it involves a course that flies through the garages of Crystal City, includes hopping bails of hay, people dressed in unusual outfits, stopping and playing quick games of cards, and all types of mayhem. It is a festival of the bi-zar.

The Crystal City Phoenix Derby is a unique cycling event that combines speed and high-energy fun in a cool urban environment while showcasing the D.C. region’s only youth-oriented bike nonprofit organization. We invite riders of all abilities to test their skills on our race course designed and built in an underground parking garage. The Crystal City Phoenix Derby features a variety of race formats including a non-competitive open course ride, a head-to-head stationary sprint race, team relays, and a special kid’s course. The general public is also invited to try out the course or just watch the action from the chic confines of the Phoenix Lounge, a display area of bikes build by Phoenix Bikes youth and bar built in the center of the action!

There will be all types of races, including kid races - and lots of volunteer opportunities.

The Phoenix Derby helps support local youth cycling organization Phoenix Bikes.

Arlington County said that fixing the Intersection of Doom was not in the Future of Rosslyn Plan because no one had brought it up in a while. Besides that being baloney with a slice of pickle, it appears prudent to document any known Doom incidents.

Today at ~5:45 pm a woman was standing on the west corner of Lee Hwy and Ft Myer Dr. The cross walk light turned white, indicating her turn to go. She stepped into her peddles and proceeded into the intersection not but barely. A station wagon going south on Ft Myer ran the red light several seconds after it had turned red, swung right, and proceeded west on Lee Hwy. The station wag missed the cyclists by not but barely.

Every cyclist and every pedestrian standing on the corners yelled at the station wagon which sped (and I mean sped) away.

Arlington: Fix the Intersection of Doom

Virginia Tech Cycling Classic

Join the VT Cycling Team April 5th and 6th for a weekend of great racing in SW Virginia! Come race with us on Saturday in the open RR categories and watch the Virginia Tech Cycling Team take on the rest of the ACCC.
Saturday 5th April:
Road Races with OPEN CATEGORIESCollegiate Team Time Trial
Sunday 6th April:
Collegiate Criterium races at the CRC in Blacksburg

Learn more about the ACCC

From Arlington Libraries

When:	April 19, 2014 @ 9:30 am - 1:15 pm
Where:	Central Library (Quincy Side Doors) 1015 North Quincy Street Arlington,VA 22201 USA
Cost:	Free but registration required
Contact:	ArlLibBikeTour@gmail.com
Categories:	FEATURED EVENT FITNESS GENERAL
Tags:	@ Aurora Hills @ Central @ Cherrydale @ Columbia Pike @ Glencarlyn @ Shirlington @ Westover

The Seventh Annual Tour des Bibliothèques is an Arlington Public Library staff and community volunteer bicycle tour of seven of the county’s eight library sites (Plaza Branch Library is closed weekends).

It’s a great way to cap National Library Week.

The tour will start at Central Library. For safety purposes, registration is required and the tour group will be limited to 25 riders. Helmets are required.

To register, email ArlLibBikeTour@gmail.com

Meet on the Quincy Street side near the front doors at 9:30 a.m. Ride begins at 10 a.m. The total circular route will cover some 30 miles and take between three and four hours but there will be several options for riding shorter portions.

PLEASE NOTE: The bicycle tour will not be held in the event of bad weather.

"Join other families and students to learn more about how to safely bike in Arlington. The event is a Bicycle Show & Tell and will be a great opportunity for both experienced and inexperienced bicyclists to learn more about bike safety, bike maintenance, and the wide variety of choices when it comes to bikes. Among other things, we will have: --Bike display to show off your own bikes --Bike swap to exchange bikes and other gear for more properly fitting gear --Bike maintenance lessons --Bike safety lessons --Bike and gear displays from local bike shops --Safe Routes to School information --Bike registration with Arlington County Police Department --Pre-event Kidical mass ride. Where: Washington-Lee Cafeteria When: Sunday, April 6, 12-2 PM For more information visit www.apsva.us/Domain/4329"

At this past Tuesday's Arlington County Board meeting, Arlington cyclists suggested that the Realize Rosslyn plan lacked a solution to the Intersection of Doom, and this was a problem. Arlington Cyclists called on leadership from the Arlington County Board in addressing this problem.

Arlington County apparently responded that the reason solving the Intersection of Doom was not part of the Realize Rosslyn plan is that no one had brought it up recently.

Really?!? REALLY?!?

Let's go to the video tape.

The Intersection of Doom is on the County Bike Map as a known dangerous intersection.

Arlington County Board Candidates get asked how they would solve the problem of the Intersection of Doom. Here is the statement of Alan Howze and John Vihstadt.

Last summer, the Document Arlington project at AIM produced a video on cycling in Arlington. Libby Garvey was interviewed. Jay Fissette was interviewed. Chris Eatough was interviewed. The Police Chief Douglas Scott was interviewed. Charlie Denney was interviewed. One of the questions they all received was about the Intersection of Doom. Chris Eatough discusses the Intersection of Doom. Min. 4:12. The Police Chief blamed the Intersection of Doom on the cyclists speeding. Min. 4:52. His advice is to "slow down through that area." Chris Eatough says that Arlington Police are aware of problems in that area. 5:22.

Other cyclists have posted youtube videos about it.

Bloggers have posted about it. And another. And another. And another.

The Arlington BAC has listed it as a priority concern.

The Bike Arlington Forum has "Fix Intersection of Doom" as its largest tag (until the tags were reset).

This is a map of bicycle accidents in Arlington, from 2010 to 2012. It clearly shows a problem at the Intersection of Doom.

There was a Greater Greater Washington article about it.

Arlington, can you please tell me how we have NOT BROUGHT THIS UP RECENTLY?

Phoenix sez "Don't forget, the Big Bear Bike sale is just around the corner and so is spring...we hope! It is, don't worry. In addition to the refurbished bikes, we'll have some new accessories for sale. Floor pumps, u-locks, cable locks, locking wheel skewer sets, hand pumps, tire levers, patch kits, light sets, and inner tubes. If you have a special request, give us a buzz or drop us an e-mail and we can order in time for the sale. We'll have a limited supply of the items mentioned above, so remember, the early bear catches the salmon!"

I move in Arlington in 1989, 25 years ago. I moved into a group house of ultimate frisbee players in the Ballston area. One of the big features of moving into a house in Arlington... I could bike to the Ultimate Frisbee games on the Mall.

A lot has changed in 25 years. You would not recognize Ballston and Clarendon. One thing hasnt changed. One of the worst cycling intersections in Arlington has always been The Intersection of Doom. For at least 25 years (that is, as long as I can remember), cyclists have proclaimed "Fix the Intersection of Doom!" And for 25 years, nothing has happened. Every now and again, someone gets our hopes up with false claims of solutions. But nothing gets done. Arlington paints more bike lanes, paints more sharrows, puts up more bike signs - in its quest to be certified as a Gold Bike Friendly Community - but it doesnt fix one of the greatest problems facing Arlington bike commuters.

Photo by Tim Kelly

So what is The Intersection of Doom? Chances are, if you are reading this, you know. Last summer my son worked for Arlington Independent Media making a documentary about cycling in Arlington (a documentary AIM never posted to YouTube). The AIM kids working on the documentary asked a leader of the Arlington Police if he knew what The Intersection of Doom was. He did not. Yup, there lies the problem.

The Intersection of Doom is the intersection of N Lynn Street and Lee Hwy, with four lanes going north over Key Bridge, and three lanes going west off of I-66 onto Lee Hwy. Two of these west bound lanes can turn right onto Lynn St towards Key Bridge. They can do this "Right Turn on Red" even though there are lots of pedestrians present and even though this is a known dangerous intersection. The area of this intersection is controlled by Arlington County, VDOT (the Commonwealth of Virginia), the National Park Service, the District of Columbia (due to the old boundaries of Arlington), and a private land owner. These FIVE jurisdictions have created a quagmire where no solution is viable.

There is a tremendous concentration of car traffic and cycling traffic in one spot. The design of the intersection is poor, forcing conflicts between cars and cyclists (and between pedestrian and cyclists, cars and pedestrians, and cars and cars). Accidents at this intersection are common. For as long as I can remember, this intersection has been marked as a dangerous intersection on the Arlington Bicycling Map (which Whole Foods used to decorate its store ~ so you can look up at the wall at Whole Foods, see the maps, and be reminded of the intersection that Arlington will not fix). The problem of the intersection is not the cyclists and its not the cars and its not the pedestrians. The problem of the intersection is the design, that it does not safely accommodate the traffic that traverses it.

The Intersection of Doom is inexcusable. Is it hard to negotiate with five jurisdictions? Yes. But that's what political leadership is called. We dont elect our leaders to do easy jobs ~ we elect them to resolve difficult and challenging jobs. The fact that this is a hard problem is just no excuse.

Now comes along "Realize Rosslyn," a major planning effort currently underway to guide Rosslyn's development for the next 20 or so years.Rosslyn has been studying, discussing and planning with a great deal of effort and has produced a draft Plan Framework. It's a pretty great plan.

What it doesn't have is any policy about fixing the Intersection of Doom.

That is insane.

That needs to change.

A fundamental need for Rosslyn, and for Arlington, is to Fix the Intersection of Doom. How bad is the problem? Check out the tag cloud from the Bike Arlington cycling forum. Arlington cyclists want this fixed. Until Arlington gets the political muster to fix one of its most dangerous cycling (and pedestrian) intersections, it should not apply for or receive the Gold Bike Friendly Community certification.

PS: This is an excellent article on the Intersection of Doom by Chris Slatt in GGW

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The Seventh Annual Tour des Bibliothèques is an Arlington Public Library staff and community volunteer bicycle tour of seven of the county’s eight library sites (Plaza Branch Library is closed weekends).

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Monday, March 17, 2014