Jacques of all Trades

Ups and Downs of this morning’s commute:

- I was sad to leave this guy after an awesome 2-week vacation.

- I was happy to get back on the bike after the same amount of time.

- I was reminded that January riding is colder than December riding, or at least colder than I remember December riding, and I will have to dig out the balaclava and add an additional layer to adjust accordingly.

- I was thrilled to ride with my new Chrome Soyuz backpack, a Christmas gift from Liz, and lights (Bontrager Ion 1 and Flare 1), a gift from my sister, Elise.

- I was mildly disappointed to reacquaint myself with rush hour car exhaust and vehicles stopped in the L Street cycletrack. (At least this time it was just one garbage truck…). 

buzzfeed:

And you thought your morning commute was tough.

Rainy day bus ride. Sad not to be on the bike today.

This would be even better than bike commuting.

pulmonaire:

by Geof Kern

(via black-and-white)

I drove into work this morning, which was a change for the morning commute—necessary for potluck chili transport.

I felt rather closed-in compared to biking, but on the upside, I didn’t have to deal with exhaust fumes.

Morning thunderstorms=no bike=sad commute.

Tidbits from the morning bike commute: Union Jacks and bike lanes

• This week has definitely seen an uptick in the number of bicyclists I’ve seen on my morning (and yesterday’s evening) commutes.  Well over 30 this morning, and almost 100 last night.  As I passed the Wisconsin Avenue Exxon featuring $4.39/gal regular unleaded, I only expect those numbers to climb.
• The British, American, and DC flags lined the posts on Pennsylvania Avenue today, as Prime Minister Cameron arrives, and before he and POTUS head to Dayton for some March Madness action.
• Tried out the new bike lanes on NY Avenue, east of the White House from 15th to 13th (at least, that’s how far I rode, though I think they run longer). They’re a smooth-riding great addition, but I would put a continuation of the lanes onto H Street NW into my personal bike infrastructure wish list.
• This weekend marked my 250th Capital Bikeshare ride. It’s hard to quantify how much my quality of life has improved by becoming a regular cyclist, first on bikeshare and now primarily with my own bike. But one easy number is that I weigh almost 20 pounds less now than I did when I began riding in October 2010.  That counts for a lot in my book.

I hate when you drag yourself out of bed and into work, only to find that the office is operating on a 3-hour delay.

Rain, rain, go away…

I’ve become so used to bike or bus commuting that it feels strange to be in a Metro station after the work day.

It was chilly this morning, but wound up being a gorgeous morning for a ride into work, as I biked along the Potomac, which was still except for the rowers, and the Kennedy Center which glowed in the predawn moments like in this photo (sadly not mine).    I didn’t see any other bikers on my route, but there were couple dozen joggers out, and a couple of military units, including what looked like an Army or Marine K-9 unit 20-strong, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

In general, a quietly inspiring ride, and a great way to center myself at the beginning of the work week.  

(Photo via)

Bike commuting patterns, by US city, and by gender.

utnereader:

Urban bicycling is generally becoming more popular in American cities, but there are a few smaller trends that complicate the larger narrative. A new infographic designed by Bike League for the website Visual.ly breaks down the demographics of bicycle use across the country—and there are a few surprises.

Keep reading …

(via npr)

A rainy Wednesday on the Circulator bus.