Ride In 10/10: Transcontinental

I'm going to be brief. I frittered away much of my lunch hour doing some much-needed, straightforward and relatively simple bike maintenance which required my adjusting my front wheel, my front brake pads (installed last night, but improperly) and front fender and in spite of the fact that these repairs were much-needed, straightforward and relatively simple, I had been delaying them because I consider my wrenching my own bike tantamount to my committing a war crime against it. I shouldn't though- you can't get better at stuff if you avoid doing it. Unless the thing you're trying to get better at is procrastination. In any case, thanks to the workplace-provided bike maintenance stand, the adjustments were relatively breezy and I only managed to get a little tiny bit of bike gunk on the right sleeve of my shirt. And, now, as a result, I no long suffer annoying fender clang as a result of my front tire banging into my fender whenever I ride uphill or over bumpy surfaces. I'm going to declare this a huge victory.

Couldn't even get the whole bike in the picture.

Today might be been the most glorious and wonderful weather for a bike ride in Washington DC that we've had all year. The temperature was right. The humidity was right. Even the sun seemed to be giving off a better light than usual. I hope you rode in or get the chance to ride home.

I saw some people in Nats gear. Weird vibe about town. I think we seem to be a little "too happy to be here" and not "in it to win it." My trite sports cliches rattle worse than my front fender did. In any case, it's easy to write that diagnosis now as the Cardinals lead 8-0 as I type.

East Capitol to Pennsylvania to 15th. Streams and streams of cyclists in every direction. Many of them were wearing scarves. Some were wearing corduroy blazers. Some were wearing both.

Two of the metal security bollard barriers by the entrance to Lafayette Park are broken and are down and it's much easier to ride through accordingly. I wish this was a permanent feature.

There's a homeless man in McPherson Square who sometimes yells "Good Morning, Biker" when I ride past. He yells good morning to a lot of people so I don't think I'm anything special.

I really like the chatty crossing guard at R and New Hampshire. He's really quite friendly. And it's a special secret that only pedestrians and cyclists get to know.

If you don't think that normal people ride bikes, you're not paying attention. It's a pandemic, but the good kind.