View Single Post
Old 07-30-12 | 09:35 AM
  #2304  
CptjohnC's Avatar
CptjohnC
Old, but not really wise
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 814
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax, VA commuting to Washington DC

Bikes: 2010 Kona Dew Drop (the daily driver),'07 Specialized Roubaix (the sports car), '99 ish Kona NuNu MTB (the SUV), Schwinn High Plains (circa 1992?) (the beater)

Weather was good, and I decided to take it easy this morning (12.5 MPH overall average, instead of my usual 13.5 or better). Very relaxing ride. However, I saw more bike on bike 'near misses' this morning than I have for a morning commute. First, a guy with a kid in a rear carrier seat entered the main trail (W&OD for locals) without even glancing to see if there was traffic, as far as I could tell. Worse, he entered, and veered all the way left, then when he finally noticed a nearing rider (me) he corrected back to the right very quickly, again without actually looking. No real harm, but definitely disconcerting, and had I been moving 2-4 MPH faster (my more usual speed), who knows? Next was a rider moving quickly through a relatively blind corner, and another rider turning on to the trail (custis, now) on the wrong side, such that they both had to brake hard and swerve... not comforting. Last was a guy on a motorized bike riding up the national mall (Jefferson St?) and not yielding to the pedestrians in the crosswalks. Not so close as to be a real sphincter tightening moment for me, as an observer, but probably not pleasant for the person walking to work.
CptjohnC is offline