Ride In 3/18

The weather couldn't be nicer for biking. A lot of people on the road, too. Finally, the "seasonals," a totally non-pejorative term I use to describe part-year, nice-weather-only bike commuters are on the roads full-force. How can you identify a "seasonal"? (You know, not because you want to make yourself feel even more self-satisfied about riding through the winter, but just because you're curious and stuff...) There are a few ways:

• They have clean shoes. Either sneakers or bike shoes. 
• They have a cable lock or no lock at all. I'm highly skeptical of people on bikes who don't have a lock with them. Maybe it's locked up at work or maybe they bring their bikes into their offices, but more likely, they're just riding in a big loop and heading back home. The head-back-home crowd includes the super-biker, lycra types.
• They're pedaling too hard. It's not a race, dude.
• They don't ride with traffic. I don't mean in traffic, but with traffic. One of the things you get used to after bike commuting a lot is how to interact with, and not totally avoid interactions with, drivers. It's the little things you can do, like making eye contact or using hand signals or knowing where to position yourself or whatever, that help more easily integrate you into the flow of traffic and make for an easier and safer commute. Less experienced riders tend to stick the bike lanes or sidewalks, even when moving into the travel lane makes more sense and is actually safer. 

Anyway, it's nice to have more people on the road because greater bicycle volume makes the roads safer for all users. Huzzah for safety! (I have that tattooed across my back in Carolingian miniscule).
Runaway wheeled garbage can came down the hill at Oak and 18th street. First time I've ever seen that.
Quiet ride through Georgetown and Glover Park. Thanks to local bike luminary, Mark Blacknell, I was able to borrow a "helmet cam" and record my ride up Tunlaw and New Mexico. I'll put that up that in a separate post later.
Such a beautiful day and I'm already looking forward to the ride home. Also, I saw this. Sorry, Tom.