Fall/ Winter 2011 Commuters

[WindingRoad]

7rider - I think that is awesome you have such good lighting! I actually think most drivers appreciate a degree of overkill to be honest because they just aren't expecting to see cyclists and we are easy to miss when it comes right down to it. I have a tail light on my rack, one clips on my bag and another is on the back of my helmet. I just finished the 'detailing' the other day with reflective tape strategically placed for better side visibility. I also have a 600 lumen head light, in fact sometimes I have TWO of those. Since it is the Christmas Season I added some battery powered LED lights for good measure. Driver's reactions to a bike covered in Christmas lights is absolutely priceless

[Melalvai]

Last night I discovered yet another perk of having lots of lights. I've been riding without my downlow glow for a while because I need to replace the battery. Last night my headlamp quit working. Two lights down...and I still have monkey lights, front reelight, back reelight, and back blinkie.

The headlamp was an easy fix, I just had to fiddle with the part that plugs in. Sometimes it gets finicky in the rain. But I do need to get the downlow glow taken care of! And my back blinkie is not much of a blinkie, the bit that covers the light bulb fell off so I think it's less effective. Having a surplus of lights only works if you keep them all in good repair, so when one or two do go out you still have lots left.

The bright yellow raincoat with reflective piping sure doesn't hurt anything either.

[7rider]

The bright yellow raincoat with reflective piping sure doesn't hurt anything either.

(not that this applies to you...but it made me think of this)
Good:
Saw a guy the other day riding while wearing a bright yellow jacket with reflective piping.

Bad:
But he had a black backpack on his back, which blocked most of the jacket.

Good:
The pack had a little reflective triangle on it and he had a flashing helmet light.

Bad:
He was on a road bike so hunched over so the triangle pointed straight up into the air. Not exactly visible. And the backpack obscured the tiny red flasher he had on the back of his helmet.

Lesson:
Go for a ride in your neighborhood after dark with a friend or spouse and a car. Have friend or other drive behind you and make sure your doo-dads actually do what you intend them to do (i.e., make you visible).

[Melalvai]

Lesson:
Go for a ride in your neighborhood after dark with a friend or spouse and a car. Have friend or other drive behind you and make sure your doo-dads actually do what you intend them to do (i.e., make you visible).

That's a great point! After I got my downlow glow I tried to get my husband to drive around the block while I was riding around it and tell me how visible I was. He never got around to it, but some friends commented that they'd seen me biking at night and I was super visible.

Today's commute: I got studded tires last Sunday, and all week it's been too warm for ice. Today is cold, lower 20's. It's dry, but there was a little ice at the edges of the road. If I swerved, I could manage to hit a patch of ice here and there. So I did.

But I can't wait for real snow & ice to try out the tires!

[CareBhaer]

It was 28F when I rode in, and now it's 54F. I hate this time of year because I have to wear long underwear and thick gloves in the morning and then bring lighter gloves and tights for my ride home.

I am enjoying not using my studded tires yet though - it's been a warm, drier winter so far.

[ridebikeme]

We've had a fairly mild fall as well, although the commute today was pretty cold. It was 7 degrees out when I left this morning, so definitely quite the shock! Although it's supposed to be like this here in Maine in December I will admit though that I'm enjoying not riding with my studded tires yet.

Happy holidays everyone!


http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com

[Anelia]

It rained yesterday and I got wet 3 times during the day. It didn't bother me but today I decided to have a walk just because I realized that I am just like those people who do not want to separate from their car but it's a bike instead. So, 2 or 3 times per month, I take a walk: either to work (it's brisk walk though) or just around town.
On my way to work today I also realized that I have 10 minutes left so I decided to climb 1300 steps as a fasted cardio. There is a monument on a plateau near the town where I live and it is very convenient and lots of people climb the steps every morning for a workout. I think it's great.
So, no bike commuting today

[Melalvai]

today I decided to have a walk just because I realized that I am just like those people who do not want to separate from their car but it's a bike instead. So, 2 or 3 times per month, I take a walk: either to work (it's brisk walk though) or just around town.

I could easily walk when it's nasty out and I wouldn't even need my studded tires for the snow. But I'm so excited about the tires. It'll make it easier to have the option to walk or bike. Biking is so much faster, if I want to do a quick errand, or I have several stops around town on my way to work.

Walking is healthier exercise (weight-bearing), and even more details to observe along the way. Like the way the funny tree looks like the left branch ends in a fist and the other branch is pointing a finger straight up into the sky. The very old siamese cat. The three dogs who always bark, one of them jumps up on the doghouse to see me better.

[7rider]

Last bike commute of 2011 today.
And the county, in it's infinite wisdom [sic], decided to re-ramp all the intersections at the sidewalk for this one 1/3 mile section where I have to be on the sidewalk (6-lane road with no shoulder and motorists routinely exceeding the 45-mph speed limit by a good 10-15 mph). Now, they just did this exact thing about 3 years ago, so not sure what changed that they needed to go back and do it again. No one's budget allows for busy work, so I don't know what the deal is. Anyway, I always find it ironic - and frustrating - that in the midst of their construction project to make the sidewalks "more accesible" or more ADA compliant perhaps, they never seem to make accommodations for those groups during the work. I had to mtb with my commuter and dismount and walk my bike in traffic around their barriers twice. If I were in a wheelchair, or even on crutches, it would have been impossible for me to get around.
Oh well. I wonder if they will sweep up all the gravel that spilled on that stretch back in September. Doubt it.

I'll be back in January!

[carlotta]

I've been pretty good about commuting 3+ times/week, but except for a day here and there, it doesn't feel like I've been "winter" commuting. Yeah, I have to make sure I've got all my lights, a hat and probably knee warmers, but it was 51 the other day when I left home (at 6am) and will be close to 60 this afternoon. I'm not complaining, but it's weird and the pessimist in me thinks we'll pay for this weather with months of snow/ice/wind/crap after the first of the year...

I like the christmas light idea, I had a couple battery-powered sets and I'll have to see if I can find them for the next couple days

[Melalvai]

Anyway, I always find it ironic - and frustrating - that in the midst of their construction project to make the sidewalks "more accesible" or more ADA compliant perhaps, they never seem to make accommodations for those groups during the work.

I read something, I don't remember which state is doing this, they do make accommodations during construction. That is definitely something to push for in all 50 states. And other countries too.

I wonder if they will sweep up all the gravel that spilled on that stretch back in September.

That would be worth asking for specifically. Sounds like this might be a state highway project, if they have a state DOT bike/ped coordinator talk to them, or maybe the project director if you can figure out who that is.

[Anelia]

This happened to me recently: they closed the whole street and I had to go around to another street where the ascent is over 15% (I'm not exaggerating) and it's cobbled. I ride mt bike so I switched to the lowest gears and I still panted at the top.
Today the sidewalk near my home was frozen and I was happy that I rode my husband's bike with 2,35 inches Maxxis Minion tires (they are for downhill): I didn't push the brakes and I didn't slip, I felt secure even on the ice.
My route to work is about 2 miles but on the way back I chose to ride some more so I went out of town, climed our plateau: about 10 miles. The downhill was cold and windy but I had to go back

[Anelia]

You can watch me on the news: It's at the end, aout 1 minute of the vudeo. It was the last working day for me in December and the news is about the heavy winter road conditions

[radacrider]

Nice, Anelia!!!!

[Melalvai]

Very cool! Didn't understand a word of it but I like listening to different languages just for the sound.