note to self... add this APP to your iPhone...





yes... I MUST add this application to my iPhone
SPOT CYCLE

www.spotcycle.net


on Thursday... the day of meetings on "The Hill" for bicycle advocates and our elected representatives
on this day that was the second to last day of The National Bike Summit it was raining
this is not to be my post on meeting with Eleanor Holmes Norton
this is a story about the rain... and my question to ride or not to ride
http://www.norton.house.gov/

yes... it was raining on Thursday
morning came and I suited up in riding gear and then rushed across town knowing I was a few minutes late after the morning effort to get my two boys fed, dressed for school, and dropped off at a neighbor's house for transport for school
yes... it was raining.... which had me arriving a few minutes before the hour and still needing to
get out of my saturated and somewhat dated MEC cycling gear
gear that was once magical... but is now a tad less than perfect

after the m
eeting I suited back up in my still soaked and saturated cycling gear and rode home rode home in more rain... lighter rain... yet rain
the rain was less of an issue as I was already soaked

home I showere
d and got into warm dry clothes
which brought me to a comfortable state
this comfort had me dreading that it was still raining and the doppler radar at Weather Dot Com had me thinking that there would not be any stoppage of the rain any time soon

so I weighed the scales
thought about suiting up in cycling gear with a change of clothes in my bag
th
ought about suiting up in business casual and walking under the protection of an umbrella to the Metro Station
even tried to weasel my way into a car

as much as I am a trooper about the bike and the rain... the Metro seemed like my best option
it seemed to me that the Red Line to Union Station would be my best bet
it did not seem that walking to the Green Line in Columbia Heights and then transferring to the Red Line would make any sense
but what do I know... subways and buses are not my native for of transportation

out the door and under the umbrella I hoofed it at a healthy pace towards the Porter Street Hill
a few blocks into my walk and I had already closed my umbrella and then removed my jacked
realizing that it was no longer raining I altered my trajectory
I turned it back up the hill towards The Capital Bike Share station in Mount Pleasant on Mount Pleasant Street

with hat on my head and no helmet in the bag I pulled out my Capital Bike Share membership key chain and selected a bike
the bike with the most dry seat seemed to make the most sense

where exactly would I be going?
where was my end point Capital Bike Share station?

foolishly not checking the map for what might be the closest station to The Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capital Hill where the Summit Happy Hour was being held had my clock ticking
the two sided light box maps were set up such that the map of the full system was somewhat obstructed by the parked bikes
I leaned over and took a glance thought I had a good idea where it was

on the bike I resigned myself to the notion that the bike had a maximum speed and could go no faster
or not... I tried to make this lead sled reach maximum speed
I pedaled as fast as I could
the whole way knowing that I was at risk of breaking a sweat
reali
zing that I was already running late I would have to accept the risk of being a bit sweaty and maybe even a tad stinky

across town I went from 16th Street to U Street where I was able hope a block over so I could get onto the 15th Street Bike Lanes

then from the 15th Street Bike Lanes I weaved my way such that I was on H Street weaving through the madness that is Chinatown

not sure of the path that took me there
my movements are often dictated by flow where is the light green...
where can I go...
turn when the momentum pulls me that way
go fast and forward when the momentum allows
turn if I can not continue forward

in Chinatown I decided to try and do the classic arm extended self portrait
the traffic around me was the standard confusion
the people who knew their way around driving their way fast and furiously in between the people have no idea where they are or where they are trying to go

unable to check the shots I simply snapped away
after a few flashes of the Canon G10 and I was back to the security of two hands on the handle bars and a two sets of two fingers on the brakes

as I approached Union Station I got frustrated as I was unable to find the Capital Bike Share station
I tried to see if there was a temporary drop off at the Dirksen itself
but there did not seem to be a that predictable row of red bikes
I asked the Capital Hill Police officer... he did not know
the tourists I asked had an idea... but I did not listen the guy
I looked for another Capital Bike Share user to point me the way

in the UNION BIKE STATION a guy gave me directions that I doubted as I had already given a bit of a look down SECOND STREET
yet... I followed the local boy's instruction

but no...
the Bike Share Station at UNION STATION is not on Second Street
but a street that goes right along side Union Station itself...

the kid at the shop had tried to explain it
but I clung to his mention of Second Street as that seemed better than on the other side of the cement wall

with the Capital Bike Share Bike in place I thought about t
he fact that this may have been the first time that I logged an addition charge by riding over a half hour
then I also realized I now have smart phone technology which has me reminding myself...

not sure of my time
but I realized that my time and frustration could have all been avoided had I been better prepared
having SMART PHONE technology I could have use the SPOT BIKE application to map my way
yet I FAILED
next time.... I will not FAIL!

THERE IS AN APP FOR THAT!
SPOT CYCLE

www.spotcycle.net

my iPhone now has that application