Commuting - Worst commute ever.

I crashed going around a downhill switchback on the Custis trail, which ejected my Garmin 705 into the undergrowth. It's gone.

Then I got hit by a car in Georgetown.

****ing sucky start to my day.

I crashed going around a downhill switchback on the Custis trail, which ejected my Garmin 705 into the undergrowth. It's gone.

Then I got hit by a car in Georgetown.

****ing sucky start to my day.

That's terrible.

Is the bike damaged? Are you damaged?

If your garmin is on (or was) you can get it to beep by bringing the heartrate monitor in and out of range. You should be able to locate it that way.

Totally bummer. Let me guess, you crashed at the steep S shaped switchback near Spout Run behind the strip mall with the Giant/Italian Store/Big Wheel Bikes etc.? I crashed there too about 3 weeks ago. That area is treacherous since the pavement stays wet and there are lots of leaves on the ground. The painted strips dividing the bike path there is thick and very slippery when wet--I wiped out when my front wheel hit it.

Be extra, extra careful going down that switchback, it's the worst spot on the Custis Trail IMO.

damn shame about the Garmin. I lost one on the trail before. I wonder how much gear is out there?

I searched for it as long as I coulD but had to get to work.

JP; that's the spot. I hate it.

I'm banged up but ok. Same with thE bike.

We need to come up with a detour around that hated S shaped switchback or else just get off the bike and walk for a bit. I noticed right before you hit the overpass that crosses Lee Highway there is an exit to the street, I may check out if that goes to the sidewalk so you could just avoid that switchback.

Very glad your ok BD. Sorry about the hardware loss though :)

Good. Lord.

I hope everything's OK.

I searched for it as long as I coulD but had to get to work.

JP; that's the spot. I hate it.

I'm banged up but ok. Same with thE bike.


Was it the very last left hand turn switchback as your coming downhill? I've witnessed two people crash there right in front of me. Did the Garmin shoot to the left in the brush? I'm heading up that way this afternoon and can take a look for a minute or two.

Just goes to show that you are one tough bugger. Glad that you are okay and able to come on here to post about it. Take things easy for a while. :o

Was it the very last left hand turn switchback as your coming downhill? I've witnessed two people crash there right in front of me. Did the Garmin shoot to the left in the brush? I'm heading up that way this afternoon and can take a look for a minute or two.

that's the one. I appreciate any help but doubt that thing will be found. Thanks in advance though.

Sorry about your commute, man, that is absolutely crappy. Hope your day gets better, if I was in Arlington today I'd have to buy you a beer.

That switchback is, indeed, absolutely awful. Since it's obviously a deathtrap, I've always taken it at 10mph or less. And even that slow, I wiped out when my front wheel (25mm) hit something I couldn't see, right when I was at the apex of the upper turn. Combine tight turn+steep downhill+tree debris+shadows and it's pretty much guaranteed disaster for roadie tires.

Based on our collective experiences crashing there, I wouldn't ride it again with less than 28mm tires at any speed, maybe even 32mm.

I'm with JPCowan, I think I'll be dismounting there from now on. It might be a good idea if there was a sign to that effect - "folks with skinny tires need to dismount". Also JPCowan - please do report back if you find a good detour to that S-curve.

BDCheung, welcome to the "I wrecked the Custis switchback" club. We should get jerseys printed. ;)

I crashed going around a downhill switchback on the Custis trail, which ejected my Garmin 705 into the undergrowth. It's gone.

Then I got hit by a car in Georgetown.

****ing sucky start to my day.


Sounds like a dangerous commute. Is there an MUP you can use? Or do you prefer danger?

Sounds like a dangerous commute. Is there an MUP you can use? Or do you prefer danger?

Swiiiiiing and a miss on that one, Denny.

bd, here's hoping you recover that Garmin. On the bright side, you're still here to post and not hurt badly, which is a good thing. :D

We need to come up with a detour around that hated S shaped switchback or else just get off the bike and walk for a bit. I noticed right before you hit the overpass that crosses Lee Highway there is an exit to the street, I may check out if that goes to the sidewalk so you could just avoid that switchback.

My work to home commute is all on the Curtis Trail/W&OD. Home to work in the early A.M. I get off at Ballston and ride down Fairfax and Wilson. You can turn left on Lynn St in Rosslyn and pick up the trail again at Lee Highway. It does cut off a bit of distance and lets you skip the switchback and few uphill climbs on the Curtis trail. I've been going that way for a few months and it works great. Something to think about.

I wiped out at the last turn too. Your inclination is to veer inside on the pavement when coming out of the last turn but when you do that your front wheel may hit the paint and if it is wet you can lose control fast, that's what happened to me. Any one ever try to pester Arlington County to send a crew to blow or spray the leaves out of there every week?

We need to come up with a detour around that hated S shaped switchback or else just get off the bike and walk for a bit. I noticed right before you hit the overpass that crosses Lee Highway there is an exit to the street, I may check out if that goes to the sidewalk so you could just avoid that switchback.

Any chance of getting to look for it more after work? That's a helluva loss.
I'm a cheapskate though. I woulda called work and let them know I had an accident and would be there as soon as possible. Mind you... which means it wouldn't be possible until I found my Garmin!

Sorry man, hope your day gets better.

I wiped out at the last turn too. Your inclination is to veer inside on the pavement when coming out of the last turn but when you do that your front wheel may hit the paint and if it is wet you can lose control fast, that's what happened to me. Any one ever try to pester Arlington County to send a crew to blow or spray the leaves out of there every week?

I don't know if it would even help. Honestly, the leaves are at least a good warning sign. I wiped out in the middle of summer, dry pavement, on a piece of tree debris or rock or whatever I couldn't even see.

Personally, I think it's unfixable as it is.

I know yo know the drill, but just make sure nothing is hurting to bad tomorrow else get it checked out.

If I was near you I'd send my 8 year old to look for the 705, that boy can find anything that's lost, he's saved me on a few items.

sorry to hear about your day. how did you get hit? get their info to fix your bike?....

That durned hill is why I take Fairfax/Wilson Blvd each way to work.

Should a bunch of us show up and have a "705 finding party" BD? I'm game.

-R

Sounds like a dangerous commute. Is there an MUP you can use? Or do you prefer danger?


Just so you understand Denny, the Custis Trail *is* a MUP.

Should a bunch of us show up and have a "705 finding party" BD? I'm game.

I really appreciate the offer but at this point I'm so emotionally drained from the whole day it's tough for me to process. I can only hope someone extremely needy finds it and gives it a good home.

In the meantime I'll be saving up for a new 705.

The 705 has a circuit and batteries in it yes ? Perhaps a metal detector could come in handy. If there is a local club of some kind, a member will more than likely be willing to come hunt for ya. Likely gratis, or for the price of a drink after the find.

I myself have recovered the following at request...

I pod from snow covered hill (tobogganing)
Wedding band at ski area
Knife under snow on a hunting trail

etc. etc.

That's an interesting idea, gerald. Assuming it did fly into the brush, it'll probably still be there tomorrow. i'll give that a shot.

bd, first I am very glad you're ok and not seriously hurt. When I say what I am about to please do not think it is in anyway making fun of you and your accidentand losing an expensive device like your Garmin. It has to do with losing your Garmin.

Am I the only one who finds losing a Garmin GPS device, then not being able to find it, a little ironic and humorous? Think about it for a min. A lost GPS device, isn't that kind of funny? GPS's are used to help us find our way and track where we've been and are at, right? I don't know about you but I find it just a bit funny that a lost Garmin can not be found. Let me guess. When the inventors of these things created them no one ever thought to put in a feature that allows the unit itself to be found, if ever lost. If that is the case I find that ironic.

Again bd I am glad you're ok an dsorry you lost your Garmin. But yo uhave to look at the funny and ironic side of this. I am also trying to cheer you up a bit as well. I do hope you find your Garmin, I know they are not cheap.

Does it have any sort of built in homing device that would allow you to use another GPS device to locate it? If not what better reason to invent one.

If I ever find it, or when I save up enough to buy a new one, I am affixing some kind of "safety leash" to it, that's for sure.

So I explored an alternate way through that dreaded Custis Trail switchback this morning where BD had the first of two accidents yesterday. Headed east towards DC, about 20 yards before the Lee Highway overpass, there is an unnamed exit from the trail on the right side. The exit had some leaves too (not as many as the switchback though) but no turns. Take the exit for a few seconds and you'll be on the south side of Lee Highway near the 66 on/off ramp. You have to ride briefly on the sidewalk and use a crosswalk to cross the 66 on/off ramp. Then you cross Lee Highway at a stoplight with a crosswalk. Once you cross Lee Highway, the Custis Trail picks right back up after the dreaded switchback.

All in all, I'm sure it is a little slower than walking down it. The crosswalks are well regulated and safe and even at rush hour there was not a lot of traffic so I did not feel like I was replacing the dreaded switchback danger with irate motorists. If the trail is wet and leafy, it would be better in my view to use this alternative. Now that I'm so freaked out about that switchback after knowing so many others wiped out there too, I take it really slow anyway so unless it is wet and leafy I'd probably just use the trail. I also would not use the alternate headed west since you are not likely to wipe out going uphill.

I've never wiped out going up that hill, just down it.

Thanks for finding the alternate, JPCowan

Man, that hill really blows this time of year... between the leaves and the paint line it's an absolute blast. I've luckily never gone down there but I've skidded out on the paint once or twice. My natural instinct is to take the second switchback too tight and end up clipping the line.

If I've got a few moments the next time around I'll hop into the brush and take a look. Then tell you I couldn't find it no matter what...*kidding*

On threads like this I can't help but think that there should be some kind of DC area "facebook" where we can post pics of our bikes so we can all say hi to each other. I'm the dude on the Blue Surly LHT with screaming yellow Ortliebs panniers, though most days I use the Williamsburg Blvd bike lane to the Chain Bridge to get from West FC to Bethesda.

Here's to keeping the rubber side down,

-Tyler

I've got the screaming yellow Ortliebs too, usually just need one though, on a Novara Safari. I only notice the people going in the opposite direction because I can see them for a few seconds. Coming and going as sure as the sun rises I always see this one guy with two small blue Ortlieb backrollers on his rear rack.

If it weren't for the fact that I know how dangerous that hill is, I actually kind of enjoy it :) Only when the pavement is dry and clear of leaves and twigs however, which isn't often. I about lost it there a couple of years ago rolling over a twig, and I've been super-cautious about it ever since.