Alas, Poor Yorick!

He's been a good friend the last 3 months. Riding shotgun in my trunk bag. He's bounced out one to many times. Down for the count. Gotta find a new commuting partner now. RIP Yorick!!

Here's a picture of Yorick in his prime, my riding partner, waiting for his next fill-up of 7/11 Dark Mountain Roast coffee.

3 Track Morning

What is a 3 track morning you ask?

VRE requires me to ride in the northern most car, in the southern handicap seating area. They have installed loops between the folding seats to hook a bungee cord to hold the bike.

VRE is at the mercy and whim of the track owners, CSX. As we all know, freight rules and passengers drool.

We are forever running late because of track speed limits imposed by CSX, or waiting for a freight train to pull past.

VRE runs on the 2 track. The one on the right in the photo, with a platform that is 6 cars long. There is a short, 2 car long platform on the left or 3 track.

So, again you ask, "what is a 3 track morning?".

Monday and Wednesday morning we approached Springfield below speed. I got a bad feeling as I noticed a track out the right side of the car. It was supposed to be the platform.

The Conductor then announces that we were arriving on 3 track and only the two middle car doors, out of 6, would open. All passengers from the front and back 2 cars had to meet in the middle.

So it's off to the races. As the train comes to a complete stop, I have to turn my bike in the other direction, pull my two panniers (luckily Ortleib's are quick release) and push my bike down the middle aisle, through 2 cars. I found it easier to hold my 2 bags over the seat with my right hand and lift and hold my front wheel off the ground with my left.

Can't help but bump into people's elbows and shoulders as I roll my way back to the exit. "Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon me. " I say. I hit the next car and the aisle is packed. "Where do expect me to go?", this disgruntled guy says to me.

I squeezed past and made it to the exit, just as the door was closing. The friendly Conductor, Brian reopened the door and apologized like it was his fault.
To complete the dance, I have to ride 2 elevators to get back over to the 2 track platform.

This my friend is a 3 track morning!!

And it happened to me twice this week.

But.... The weather this week was amazing, 50s in the morning, dry and mid 70s on the way home has norn. That made up for two, 3 track mornings.

Besides, I am not on I-95.

Marlborough Point Ride

Even a 100 mile a week, solitude, multimode, VRE train and bicycle commuter needs a ride with a friend. John was concerned with my Trek 1000 road bike (he rides a 20 year old Trek 300) and the miles I get in, but today (Memorial Day) wasn't about speed or miles covered. It was about a morning ride with a friend. And getting in some riding together in preparation of our next adventure, an overnight bike trip on the High Bridge Trail in Farmville, VA. And stopping at Revolutions Cycle in North Stafford to pick up my front wheel which was being trued. And, there was just a little bit of me hoping John would walk out with a new Trek or Raleigh, especially after he said, "let's buy a bike for me today".

(click on any image for slideshow)

It's been a while since I've ridden the Brooke Road, Marlborough Point ride and the Point road was newly paved and very smooth. We parked at the Brooke Road VRE station and headed out. John commented on the amount of shade, saying "my kind of ride, Jay".

We took a water break at Aquia Landing and talked to a few fishermen. One had caught a nice size Largemouth Bass and a REALLY ugly Snakehead. They kept both and planned on eating the Snakehead.

I don't travel without my Garmin Oregon 450 GPS. The numbers: total distance, 16 miles; 1:38 total travel time; 1:22 moving time, moving ave. speed 12 mph, overall ave. 10 mph; maximum speed 27 mph. Link to Ride With GPS map.

Multimodal

Multimodal transport (also known as combined transport) is the transportation of goods under a single contract, but performed with at least two different means of transport; the carrier is liable (in a legal sense) for the entire carriage, even though it is performed by several different modes of transport (by rail, sea and road, for example). The carrier does not have to possess all the means of transport, and in practice usually does not; the carriage is often performed by sub-carriers (referred to in legal language as "actual carriers"). The carrier responsible for the entire carriage is referred to as a multimodal transport operator, or MTO.

Multimodal is a pretty good description of what my commuting to, from and during work has been the last two months.

(click on any image for slideshow)

METRO ride to the Pentagon for a meeting

Fairfax Connector to Springfield/Franconia METRO Center

I will not be going Fairfax Connector Bus from Fort Belvoir to Springfield METRO center again, no way, no how. My new Trek hanging out there on the front, out there at the mercy of a driver who doesn't know or care the difference between a Trek 520 and a Wal-Mart beater.

Another trip on METRO

Crystal City VRE Station

My commute yesterday was a good example. 2 miles from home to the VRE Leeland Station by bicycle. 40 minute VRE ride to Springfield/Franconia Station. 7 mile bicycle ride to my office at Fort Belvior. An afternoon meeting at the Pentagon dictated I return the 7 miles to The Springfield/Franconia METRO station leaving the office at noon. Arriving on the VRE side I have to take three elevators to get to the METRO train. A 25 minute Blue Line ride brings me to the Pentagon stop. Another elevator ride and then a 1.0 mile bicycle ride brings me to the North parking access to the Pentagon Athletic Center (PAC) in time to shower and attend my 1430 meeting. After the 1615 meeting ends, I head back to the PAC to change to bike cloths, pedal the 2 miles to the Crystal City VRE station to catch the 1730 southbound. Then the last 2 miles to home, arriving about 1845. 23.5 miles total by bicycle. Throw in VRE and METRO... Multimodal.

Springfield/Franconia VRE Station

Potomac Point Winery Duet

Great dinner of chopped salad and small pizza.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrDJoCxclts&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Sent from Jay's iPhone

High Bridge Trail State Park

Valerie and I had a quick overnight get-away including riding the High Bridge Trail near Farmville, VA. The trail has been open, all 31 miles of it except the bridge. It just opened in April and is the showcase of the whole trail. 2400 feet long and soaring 120 above the Appomattox River.

Early Ride Home

Took off an hour to go to Performance Bikes. Caught one train earlier. Lucky it was not full so the conductor let me ride in the entryway.
Great way to start the weekend.