# Madness, all madness.



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Sure you are thinking to yourself, "There goes MB1 moaning about the Cherry Blossoms and the folks that come down to see them. He needs to get a life."

Today was the first day the blossoms were really out-not peak blossom for a few more days but this is what the commute is like now (remember that for about 50 weeks a year this is a nice quiet route except for the 1/4 mile when I cross the mall.

Buckets of folks milling around the MUT without out a clue at all.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Don't think for even a minute that I am the only cyclist effected by the hordes. This poor fella decided to try a little cross country for all the good it did him.

Now why didn't he take the usual MUT I wonder?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

After following this fella in blue to clear Lincoln I headed over to the Tidal Basin to see how bad it was.

It had to be somewhere behind all those buses and folks. I saw a couple of other cyclists bail as soon as they saw the mob.

I am a little tougher than that plus I wanted to show everyone what they were missing by not visiting DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival (not if I can just photoshop the hordes out of there.....)


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Then I headed over to Jefferson to meet Miss M.

Once I reached the Tidal Basin there was really no way to go that didn't involve buses and the hordes they bring.

At least I wasn't driving.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

With a little time to kill before Miss M would show up I harvested some porn.

Then the Mrs showed up at the same time one of our riding buddies came by. We had a nice chat about the insanity of it all before heading off into the madness and home.

Now, doesn't this make you want to visit DC in spring?


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

I can see the madness. Point proven! But it sure is purddy.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

These pictures remind me I have to spray my trees with dormant oil quick before they start to bloom. You all are only a week or two ahead of us. 

You must of been ringing the bell in the on picture because the guy in the sweater is looking around.


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## HokieRider (Oct 6, 2005)

but MB, the real question is, are you gonna come down for the race on Sunday? I'll be out there running with a few thousand others...I'm sure the traffic won't be too bad with Rock Creek Parkway shut down for a few hours :wink:


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

HokieRider said:


> but MB, the real question is, are you gonna come down for the race on Sunday? I'll be out there running with a few thousand others...I'm sure the traffic won't be too bad with Rock Creek Parkway shut down for a few hours :wink:


How will I recognize you (I'm guessing with the way the blossoms are opening so fast and the good weather there should be about a half million people down there on both Saturday and Sunday)?


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*bell?*



MB1 said:


> Sure you are thinking to yourself, "There goes MB1 moaning about the Cherry Blossoms and the folks that come down to see them. He needs to get a life."
> 
> Today was the first day the blossoms were really out-not peak blossom for a few more days but this is what the commute is like now (remember that for about 50 weeks a year this is a nice quiet route except for the 1/4 mile when I cross the mall.
> 
> Buckets of folks milling around the MUT without out a clue at all.


That bell getting a good workout? I find that on the bike paths around here, that gets the attention of pedestrians. I guess it sounds more "official" than just yelling at them.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Fixed said:


> That bell getting a good workout? I find that on the bike paths around here, that gets the attention of pedestrians. I guess it sounds more "official" than just yelling at them.


I think I dented it yesterday from ringing so much.

Couldn't ride the MUTs around here without one (I got Miss M a really loud buzzer that she adores (it makes people jump out of the way (even those with earphones))).


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Beautiful*

Thanks for the photos. Looks like fun. I miss D.C., especially in the spring (but in the summer, too). Surely you don't begrudge the tourists a few days of enjoying that fleeting spectacle, even if it makes you walk a mile or two that you usually can ride fast? I'm so glad the blossoms weren't done in by the odd winter weather. Wasn't there some fear that a late freeze after the warm January would wipe them out? I know it happens some years.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Good grief. You need an airhorn! That would drive me nuts.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*routes?*

On your commute home, do you just sort of "ride around" or do you shoot for a direct route?


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

MB1 said:


> I think I dented it yesterday from ringing so much.
> 
> Couldn't ride the MUTs around here without one (I got Miss M a really loud buzzer that she adores (it makes people jump out of the way (even those with earphones))).



Ringing my bell on the morning commute usually gets me a friendly wave as a pass. Ringing the bell in afternoon will often result in the pedestrian turning around in front of me to see what the ringing noise was. I just look for a gap and blow by. 

BTW, the Tantalus Time Trial is this Sunday. I will be the official holder at the start line. I have been riding alot this year, I just haven't felt competitive. My final race team hurrah will be a team time trial and my last ride will be the Haleiwa Metric Century. Then the Pegoretti gets stripped and shipped off to Joe Bell.


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## Sprocket - Matt (Sep 13, 2005)

+1 on the AIRHORN... But I'm sure it would run out of air.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*We have a whole lot of options.*



Fixed said:


> On your commute home, do you just sort of "ride around" or do you shoot for a direct route?


Our house is only about 4 miles from the Jefferson Memorial where we meet after work so if the weather is bad or we are tired we will take the short way home (very rarely).

In the winter or in bad weather the MUTs are almost empty and are an easy way to get in a lot of riding without motor vehicle interfaces. This is our favorite but again, only in the winter and/or bad weather. A couple of times a year we will try to get in a commute century where we ride the MUTs in the morning and fight traffic in the afternoon. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=32212&highlight=Commute+Century

Sometimes we just feel like site seeing so we include a bit of that (the Washington Monument is a big favorite of mine). Sometimes there is shopping to do so I'll swing by the house and attach the BOB and meet Miss M somewhere or we will just stuff groceries everywhere and anywhere and fight traffic home. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=31055&highlight=BOB+Shopping

Lately we have been heading on the back roads (there are lots of them in the District) up to Bethesda and doing hill repeats. 
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=57156&highlight=Hill,+hill

We live in a great area for cyclists.


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## HokieRider (Oct 6, 2005)

MB1 said:


> How will I recognize you (I'm guessing with the way the blossoms are opening so fast and the good weather there should be about a half million people down there on both Saturday and Sunday)?


Haven't figured out what I'm wearing for the race yet, but when I'm not running I'll be with a really tall guy (my husband) and a black and white dog. You'll recognize the dog (sorta) from pics on here. Thats the best I can do for now.

Which bike are you bringing? Maybe I'll recognize you instead


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Let's put it this way.*



HokieRider said:


> Haven't figured out what I'm wearing for the race yet, but when I'm not running I'll be with a really tall guy (my husband) and a black and white dog. You'll recognize the dog (sorta) from pics on here. Thats the best I can do for now.
> 
> Which bike are you bringing? Maybe I'll recognize you instead


If you see someone that looks like me down on Ohio Drive or anywhere near the Tidal Basin for the next couple of weekends......that ain't me.

I'll be anywhere else!


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

I think I could put up with the mob, just once, for a stroll past that curtain of blossoms fronting the Washington Monument. I mean--_dang!_ It'll be generations before the trees in the shots I posted the other week will even approximate what you've got there. Of course, I didn't need to digitally vaporize the tourists from my pix....


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