Thank Goodness I Had A Spare

Shortly after getting my Nishiki hybrid which is my normal commuter bike, I stupidly rode it up the edge of a sidewalk and bent the rim. Three different bike shops proclaimed the rim toast so I replaced it.... with the cheapest thing I could find at the time. My philosophy is to try the cheapest solution first. If it works, great; if not, then at least I know why I need to spend more money.

Well the new wheel did well.... for a while. Starting last fall I occasionally broke a spoke. Then Tuesday morning I was riding to work and while hammering up a hill, SNAP- whoosh, whoosh, whoosh- the familiar sound of a broken spoke. NUTS. I arranged for a ride home that afternoon. I decided that I had lived with the cheapie wheel long enough and ordered a new, better one from the bike shop.

In the meantime, I went back to the bike I commuted with for a while last year- the 1983 Raleigh Marathon I pulled out of a dumpster in December '08.



When my commute was only 7 miles and I didn't carry as much, the Dumpster Queen was fine. But my new commute is longer, involves more climbing, and perhaps most importantly, I carry more stuff. The bike is okay- it carried me and my stuff to the office and back home- but the ride just wasn't as fun. I think this bike is just not in its element when it's loaded down. It'll do until I can get my replacement wheel though. Here are a few pics from this week.

Virginia to Oregon on a Bike

Enjoy.

Growing Into It

My new 17-mile commute has been a challenge to say the least. Part of the challenge is keeping up with my wingman, Mike, who sets a strong pace. As usual, I was whooped when I got to work this morning. However, I got access to showers at work and it was wonderful to take a nice shower upon arrival instead of making do with a bird bath. I was also privileged to see this sunrise just before getting to the office.



Coming home turned out to be 14 mph headwinds with gusts to 21, but I did really well with them. It only took an extra 5 or 10 minutes, and I didn't feel particularly tired when I got home. I think it helped that I set my own pace since I didn't run into Mike on the way home. I enjoy the companionship but he really runs me ragged! The longer commute is taking some getting used to, but after this evening's ride, I think I'll be up to it.

The New Commute

I'm getting to know my new commute. This morning I rode with a friend (Mike); we can ride part way together, then he goes north and I go west. Just before we split up, Mike is usually joined by another guy, Chris. One thing I noticed is that when you're riding hour and a half in the morning and again in the afternoon, the weather conditions change significantly. I was freezing at first, but eventually the ambient temperature increased and I warmed up. On the way home, I was overdressed, but about halfway home the sun went down, the temperature dropped, and I was dressed about right.

This was Mike's first commute with his new Surly Long Haul Trucker; he said it was like riding a Cadillac compared to his old Trek hybrid. I said something about trying to meet up on the way home, but Mike said he's tried that and the timing never works out, so I resigned myself to a solo ride home.

I finished the commute and found that the last 3 miles consist of a series of short but sharp climbs and descents. I was pretty proud of how well I did on them. I found out on the return trip in the afternoon that they are much sharper climbs in the homeward direction, and not being fully warmed up, they pretty much kicked my butt.

A little later, I was just coming out to a main road and two commuters in hi-visibility jackets go by- It was Mike and Chris! They passed the side street I was on and kept right on rolling. I got out to the main road and was maybe a block or two behind them, but going downhill. They were coasting some, so I was able to catch up with them and we rode the rest of the way home together. Pretty cool.

Mike is a strong rider and has been doing a longer commute for some time. Still, I hung with him pretty good- until the long rise of Wedgmont Circle where he left me in the dust.

Being in the habit of commuting regularly, I thought I was a pro at it. But when you increase the distance from 7 to 17 miles each way, it's a whole new ballgame.

The Real Thing

My work location has changed, so rather than a relaxing 7 miles, my new commuting distance is something around 15 to 18 miles, depending on what route I take.

I rode my bicycle to work for the first time this year on Wednesday. Kind of. I actually rode to a different building because I had an all-day meeting there. It was about the same distance- 17 miles each way. I rode with a friend who works in that building which made the commute more pleasant. I figure that even when I'm in my home building, we can ride together at least part of the way.

This is a good news-bad news situation though. Even though riding with someone else will make my timing more regular and my pace faster, Mike is a pretty strong rider and I just don't know if I can keep up! Maybe the longer distance will make me a stronger rider as well.

The commute weather was okay. It was dark going both ways, 30 with a tailwind on the way in, and mid-40s with a stiff headwind coming home. By the time I got home, I was spent.

I ran some errands on Friday (which I had off); full details here. That was actually tougher, weather-wise. There was a stiff headwind on the outbound leg with a temperature of 16º F, which is the coldest I've ridden a bike in. At those conditions, wind chill becomes a factor. Just to keep this bit of the post tied into commuting I thought I would post a little of what the National Weather Service has to say about wind chill:

The wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Windchill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it FEEL much colder.

Anyway, another year of commuting.... wish me luck with the longer ride! It's almost like starting bicycle commuting all over again.

Commuter Bike Check Ride

...
or, All Quiet on the Riverfront



I had some problems with my commuter bike (aka The Daily Grind) before the holidays, including a flat tire and a couple broken spokes. (The rear wheel on this bike is a cheap replacement wheel I put on after I had problems with the original.) I think I'll end up replacing the wheel fairly soon, but I'd like to get some more miles out of it before I give up on it. Also, this is the bike I was riding when my knee first started acting up, so it was kind of a check ride for me, too. Anyway, before riding it to work again I wanted to take it out for a shakedown ride. Here's my 18-mile route:

Sport XRS Ride 20100103

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

It did fine. In fact, after riding my single speed with similar geometry around for several days, I think my technique with this bike was improved a bit. I didn't lay back as much, attacking a little more.

I took my camera with me and took the picture above by the massive rail yard that runs beside the Trinity River Trail. It was pitch black out, but the camera was on auto mode and squeezed all it could out of the halogen lights in the yard. I had a little tripod with me so I figured I'd a take a picture of Yours Truly as well:

Hi!



As you can see by my clothing, it was a little nippy out. Temps in the 30s and the first part of the ride featured a stiff 15 mph north wind to head into. I wore jeans, plus a tee shirt, long sleeve tee, a hoodie and a windbreaker. I had a hat under my helmet and nice wool gloves on my hands. My face was a bit cold while I was heading into the wind but I was otherwise toasty.

I'm BAAAAAACK!

Just a couple posts ago, I was thinking my bike commuting days where through. My commute got more than twice as long and my knee was giving me trouble. Then my wife flummoxed me by buying me a new, unexpected and totally impractical single speed bike for Christmas.

I've used my break between Christmas and New Years to get to know the bike and take a few shortish rides on it. Being a single speed, I have to pedal at different tempos according to what kind of incline or decline I'm on, plus I need to get my butt out of the saddle occasionally to pound up a hill or accelerate from a stop. I think this was giving me a good workout and perhaps the varied pace helped my knee toughen up. But still, it was sore when I got home.

Until tonight. Tonight's ride was still shortish, about 10 miles, but when I pulled into the driveway my knee was totally pain-free. In fact the way it felt, I think I could have done another 5 miles without a problem. I was getting pretty discouraged about riding, but this single speed is curing me of that. Riding is fun again.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy

It's a good thing that my wife understands this.

On my Christmas list, I had put a number of items, mostly tools for working on my bikes. My stretch gift, the one I never dreamed I get, was a single speed Schwinn Cutter that I'd been admiring at the bike shop. I figured I'd get some or all of the tools and that was it.

Instead, Mrs. Doohickie started at the other end of the list and got me the Cutter. I was in shock. I thought there must be some mistake. After all, I needed to work on the bikes I've got, I don't, ummm... errrrr... Wow. A new bike! My first new bike in 25 years!



Once I suspended all operations in the practical portion of my brain I realized this was the best present I could have gotten. Getting tools would have meant more work. This present is nothing but fun.



So far I've taken the bike out for only a short ride around the block, but it helped me rediscover something I was starting to forget about cycling: IT'S FUN!



On my geared bikes, when I spin out at the top of a gear, it's time to shift to a higher gear and pedal harder, only to top that out and upshift again, until I'm maxed out, working at peak efficiency, man and machine at maximum output.

Riding a single speed is different: You have to work hard in the beginning for a couple of strokes, then you're up to speed and can really accelerate. But eventually you run out of gear and..... WHEEEEE! It's time to coast! Multi-speed bikes are very businesslike and efficient; single-speeds are fun, even childish. Like I said...

WHEEEEEEEE!



I have a little time off work. That will give my knee time to heal. Eventually I'll start my new 16 mile commute. I'll work all that out. In the meantime, it's time to have some fun on a bike.



Thanks to Mrs. Doohickie for starting at the other end of the list. I never expected that.

UPDATE (Dec 27): The bike came with a set of decals in several styles. I used the same style Schwinn shows in the Schwinn Catalog: Traditional block letters spelling SCHWINN on the downtube, and the model name on the top tube. I think the bike looks pretty sporty with this livery.

It's Depressing...

I'm changing jobs. Instead of 7 miles, my commute is now 16.

My knee hurts, especially when riding distance.

Is this the end of my bicycle commuting?




I hope not.

:(

Worst Breakfast Ride EVAR.

Although the crowd was small- there were only five of us- the ride to breakfast was fine. The weather wasn't even too bad despite the cold temperatures; I think all of us were properly attired. Breakfast was fine. I rode with the group back to where they get on the trail and instead of riding back to the starting point with them I set off on my own to ride home.

The first couple miles were fine, but then my left knee started to hurt. No biggie, I thought, I've felt a little pain in my knees before and just rode through it. But this time it got worse and worse and worse. I actually had to stop a few times to get off the bike; at that point I was having muscle spasms in my leg. The up-hills were the worst. I considered calling the wife and sagging home, but pressed on.

Then the achy knee started to get downright painful. When I rested the knee it was hard to put weight on it. Still, I thought I could make it home. I was getting close- about a mile out- and then it happened: the rear tire went flat. I noticed it in the median of of a road.

GRRRRRRR.....

From there I just got off the *@$##& bike and walked the rest of the way home, knee hurting, rim bouncing on every little bump.

I made it home in one piece. I popped some Advil and crashed for a couple hours. The knee's been sore but not very painful after that. Since I'm transitioning job sites and going back and forth, I'm not bicycle commuting right now. Hopefully the rest will let the knee heal.

I think the cause might be some adjustments I made to the bike; I think I may have been hyper-extending the knee on the downstroke. So I lowered my seat a little bit but I still haven't fixed the flat. Maybe over the holidays I'll feel like dealing with it.

This is Why I Use a Bell

Fort Worth pedestrians don't respond as decisively, but then again, there is usually more room available on the Trinity River Trail.

The Land of a Thousand Commutes

That's what Texas feels like this time of year. This morning was chilly, foggy and damp. I started out before sunrise and rode in. Here are a few scenes from my commute. Below: My new headlight that puts out 255 lumens is a big improvement over my old one.



I used to think cutting across a parking lot was a point of shame, but I've decided that certain parking lots do afford the best route for a cyclist. If I didn't turn into this parking lot I'd have to make a left turn at a major intersection. My bike won't trip the signal, and it might be three or four turns of a light before a car turns left at that spot.



Pea soup!





My commuter... This weekend I went from the Origin8 Space Bar I've run for several months back to the original flat bar, plus I added some bar ends, just to change things up a bit.





The ride home was a totally different story. The sun burned off the fog early and was still shining a bit when I left for home. But this being fall, it didn't hang around long.







Riding into the sunset.





I think I'll wait for the green light, thanks...







In fifteen minutes it went from the twilight above to the total darkness below. Talk about night falling!



I made it home, safe and sound. The new headlight is a Cygolite Rover II LED with 25 Watts and 255 lumens. It's a big improvement. Now for the back I'd like to get one more PlanetBike Superflash so I can leave one on steady and put the other in blink mode.

A Notable Commute

I figured I would take a nice leisurely evening ride home that included a few miles on the Trinity River Trail. We've had a wet fall, but no rain for the last week or two. Where I get on the trail I have to go over one of the low water crossings. Would it be clear? Well, it was dry... kind of. A little muddy. But there was a lot of debris on the crossing. You know, little twigs and stuff.... like this:





I was determined though so I cyclocrossed the low-water crossing and went up the other side. I got to the other low-water crossing where I usually cross back and waddya know? This one was still flooded.



So now I had to ride a few more miles down the trail and get off at a point where I can take a road bridge across. I settled in for the longer ride and started pushing the pedals. I noticed a headlight behind me on the trail that was getting closer and closer. The guy finally caught up to me and it turned out to be a good friend of mine. We've known each other for years, but never rode together. I found out why.... this guy can really hammer away. Still, he preferred to ride with a partner and had pity on me and allowed me to hang around. I hadn't ridden in almost a week, had a leisurely ride into work (read: I had no energy) and this afternoon wasn't much better. I didn't want to hold him up too much, so I pushed harder than I really wanted to.

We did probably about 10 miles together before splitting up about a block from his house. I rode the mile or so to my house and nearly collapsed from exhaustion. It was a great ride. :)

Hardcore?

People are starting to tie that word to me and my bicycle commuting. Yesterday, for instance, I rode into the teeth of 30 mph gusting winds on a day that saw 4 inches of rain locally.

I can see where they're coming from, but I don't really see it that way. There are times when I rarely commute. The two weeks prior to this week, I only rode to work one day. We have a leak in the roof and I had to be available to come home quickly if an insurance adjuster or roofing guy came by. So.... I had to drive.

This week started with beautiful weather. With a more favorable schedule I decided to try to ride to work all five days. Monday and Tuesday were great: mid-50s in the morning, mid-70s in the afternoon. No problem.

Wednesday was a different matter. Significant rainfall was predicted. It was iffy. I checked outside and it was wet but it wasn't raining. I got ready to ride, packed up the bike and set out, only to find a steady rain that increased as I rode. On days like that, I tell my wife, "Well, as long as I can get to work okay, if I have to, I catch a ride home with someone." Her reply is usually a sardonic, "Yeah. Right." She knows that if I ride to work, I ride home. So far I haven't let bad weather stop me.

When I got to work, I was soaked head-to-toe like someone had sprayed me with the garden hose. Despite the wind and rain I wasn't too cold; the temp was in the 60s. It was a pretty wild ride, the worst weather in which I'd ridden to work. At the end of the day, my nylon jacket was dry, but the long sleeve t-shirt I'd worn was soaked, so I just rode home in my work shirt. The ride home was a repeat of the ride in, except it was raining hard the whole way, the wind was now in my face, and because it had rained all day there was a lot of street flooding, up to the frame of the bike.

This morning I was better prepared. The radar showed the rain was still around, a check outside confirmed it. I dressed similarly to the previous day, except that I put a hat on under my helmet and added a vinyl raincoat under my hi-visibility windbreaker. It was about ten degrees cooler, but when I started out... no rain! So I was over-dressed and a little too warm. I hit some rain just as I got close to work, though, so the vinyl layer paid off.

This afternoon was a piece of cake. Not only had it warmed into the 70s, but the wind was at my back for a change.

Tomorrow I plan to ride, which will make this the first week in quite a while that I've commuted all five days in a work week.

So... why was I so hardcore this week? Well first of all, I had challenged myself to ride all five days for a change. My work schedule usually prevents this because of meetings I have away from my office on Wednesdays, but I didn't have any meetings this week (I was in a training class). So there was that.

When the rains rolled in it would have been easy to back out of riding, but there is something else that kicks in when conditions get bad. If I'm up to it, I like to push the envelope of conditions in which I'll ride. I won't say I would always ride in conditions like that, but it makes life interesting to challenge myself occasionally. There is the rush of meeting the challenge, when the ride is almost an adventure. I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but I like to push the limits once in a while.

And yeah, there's this: I love the look of disbelief when people in the office find out I've ridden to work through terrible weather. It doesn't bother me one bit if they think I'm just a little crazy.

Ultimately though, what it comes down to is I'm not hardcore. I'm a fool.

BABBLE emerges as the force in cycling in Fort Worth

Okay, I oversold that a bit, but if you are interested in joining several local bloggers in a ride in and around Fort Worth this Saturday, October 17, meet us at the Texas & Pacific Rail Station on the south end of downtown at about 10 am. Come out for the inaugural event of Bicycling Authors, Bloggers, Bold-face Liars, & Exaggerators or BABBLE. I could do a nice writeup promoting the ride, or I could simply link to Pondero's post about the ride.



This is a social ride. We'll be doing a leisurely pace of 10 mph or less, so bring whatever you've got and come ride with us. We will ride about 13 miles on the way to lunch at La Familia on Foch Street, then a short 3 mile hop back to the starting point. For more details, check out Pondero.

Rain, rain...

The ride home today made me feel like R A N T W I C K. Rain, wind, the rumble of thunder, more rain, wild temperature swings. I love it.



The blurriness is a testament to how wet the cell phone was.



Cats & dogs...

I had the pleasure of sharing my commute in to work with a fellow cycle commuter, if only for several blocks. I saw him ahead of me and made the effort to catch up. The reason I saw him ahead of me is that he runs a Planet Bike Superflash (just like I do). You can see those from a long way off! That is a comfort to me, to know that I'm that visible from behind.

A Little Something for the Ladies

Earlier this year, there were a couple posts on dressing for colder weather. Those posts assumed that all commuters are guys, and maybe some unisex-dressing ladies. There was a recent post on Let's Go Ride a Bike that tackled this issue in a decidedly softer fashion. I invite you to click over to Dottie's post where she shares her tips for staying warm fashionably. Nice post, Dottie!

Cyclists Unite! We Have Nothing to Lube But Our Chains!

More advice from ChipSeal

Home after the commute in the rain, should the bicycle be put away wet? Yes and no.

Steve noticed grit everywhere when he was done acting like a six year old, (Fifteenth comment.) and you will have a grit problem whenever you ride in the rain or at a beach.

Road or beach sand acts as an abrasive on your chain, gears, brake pads and rims. This is the stuff we want to remove after a ride in the rain. Then we want to re-lubricate the chain.

First thing when you get home, before you dry off, grab a rag and a hose and spray down your bike. I recommend doing this on the front lawn. If it is still raining, and your neighbors notice you, it will confirm their suspicions as to your mental state! If they ask you about it just say; "Don't worry, the bicycle likes it!"

Your first target should be the undersides of your fenders with the bike on its side. This will stop all that crud stuck under there from falling down on the newly cleaned parts or messing with your parking space. (For ChipSeal, that would be his bedroom.)

Then stand the bike up and spray downward over the entire bicycle. A hard spray can force water into the frame cavity through cable guides, water bottle screws and other tiny holes. It won't hurt most bottom brackets, but it can be hard on any part that has iron in it. (If it is "real", if you know what I mean!)

After a quick rinse, open your brakes and and give the face of the pads a good hard spray. Run your fingertips along the face and dislodge any grains of sand lodged there. This will keep the pads performance top notch and prevent deep scoring of the rim, extending it's useful life.

Many brake pads seem to melt in the rain. You may find your rims smeared with black residue and streaks down your fork and seat stays. Now is the easiest time to remove it while it is still wet, and why you brought a rag. In my case, my reflective tape's performance will have been compromised by this phenomena.

After a final rinse of your rims and brakes, close your brakes to avoid a surprise and spray down all of your chain and gears. Hard spray is fine. Don't be afraid to overdo it. Then park the bike where it can drip dry and get out of your wet clothes.

Later, lube your chain. I use a two step spray and wax lube method. Sheldon Brown didn't, but said there were many legitimate camps. So I will describe what I do, and hope not to start any fights.

I use White Lightning Clean Streak degreaser. This will remove all the lube and dirt left on your chain, and displace all that water as well.

I use cardboard to protect my rims from over-spray and later, over-drip. Spray the Clean Sweep generously on the chain while rotating it back wards in your favorite chain ring. The wipe with rags for about five chain rotations. If it is still picking up black, repeat the process. Then let it air for about ten minutes.

I use Rock and Roll lubrication "Red", or as I learned from their product site, "Extreme". I follow their directions, and I use it generously. This is a wax based lubrication, and it suits my cycling because it resists collecting dust. I a ride a bit on dirt roads.

These extra steps will diminish the extra wear your bicycle receives by riding in the rain. I will not take them if there is little evidence of grit on the bike. Once you see a gritty bike, you will see it is not hard to see.

If you anticipate a long ride or commute in the rain, you may want to consider taking along some chain lube to apply.

I have found a few parts on my single-speed to have an inclination to rust. The bolts on my stem and water bottle cages. You may wish to give them a shot of Pledge Protection Plus.

My wet cycling shoes get stuffed with newspaper for about ten minutes, and then I take it out and replace it with more dry newspaper.

And now it is your turn. What do you do when you come home wet?

More Rainy Ruminations

After reading ChipSeal's ruminations on the riding in the rain and the ensuing discussion Sunday night, I decided that no amount of rain was going to keep me from riding Monday. I woke to the sound of a steady downpour on the roof, took my shower, ate, and steeled myself for the ride. I stepped out the door and... the rain had stopped, leaving me with wet roads and misty conditions. I decided to take a few pics along the way with my Crappy Cellphone Camera™. When I started it was dark. Lucky I had my blinkies on to make sure cars could see me.....?



Despite my desire to be a proper vehicular cyclist, I admit that I cut through a parking lot shortly after leaving home. The compelling reason I keep doing this is that if I stuck to the road I would get stuck at a left turn lane that just doesn't trip if there are no cars around. Anyway, looking across the parking lot to the Sonic Drive-In:



No, this isn't surreal art; this is the view coming up to a car at a red light. If you squint you can make out my handlebars in the foreground.



Here's proof it was me taking the pictures.



I kind of gave up on the pictures for a while; cutting through the neighborhoods it was just too dark for the CCC™ to get a good picture. I finally came out at a busy intersection. The glare ChipSeal mentions is pretty apparent; that big red blotch at the bottom is the reflection of the red light on the wet ground.



Checking for traffic before making my right turn. This is the spot where I asked about how to make a left turn from a busy street, for which ChipSeal gave me advice. I turn right at this light, then left at the next one.



Riding in the left lane of Hulen Street going 10 mph.



Cutting through another parking lot. OH NOEZ!



Finally, coasting down Hooters Hill into the office. Weee!



After work, it alternated between mist, drizzle and light rain. With temps in the 70s it was rather pleasant actually. I tried some hardcore vehicular cycling under rainy conditions. I was treated quite well by the cars; they probably felt sorry for me. This is at Bryant Irvin and I-20, a busy intersection in the middle of a busy retail area.



Just before the light turned green, an ambulance flew through the intersection, lights and siren going!



Getting ready to turn at a double left turn lane.



Cruising down Overton Ridge after the turn.



Getting ready for another left turn, this time onto Hulen. The reason I'm mentioning streets, by the way, is so people familiar with Fort Worth can see that vehicular cycling on some of the busiest streets in town is not only possible, but safe, too.



Although it looks like this truck is cutting me off, he was actually stationary as I approached from the rear. He had just moved over to the right lane to make a right turn, but because there are train tracks ahead he didn't have enough room to squeeze into the lane.



Much of the rest of the ride was through neighborhood streets.







I hate speed bumps.



A little lighter out than it was in the morning.... yeah, it really is me.



People Power!!!



One more stretch on busy streets.



The Sonic Drive-In near home.



And the American flag at the other end of the parking lot. Note I'm not cutting through the lot this way; no reason to.



The left turn onto my street.



Almost home.



Home sweet home.



My trusty steed.

Ruminations About the Rain.

Tomorrow, if you choose to commute here in DFW, you are going to get wet. I recommend doing so!

If you have been commuting to work in the heat, then changing clothes at work is already part of your routine. Because of the mild temperatures, trying to avoid getting wet is a fool's game as any rain gear will just keep most of the clean water off you while you sweat like it is 100 degrees out.

I like the new synthetic "wicking" materials in warm weather rain. The rain just flows off you. Wet street clothes are much more abrasive in "high-friction" areas when they get wet. Do consider Lycra shorts in wet weather!

I also recommend wearing your oldest and most worn-out clothing in the rain. The passing motorists will send up into the air all manner of grime, and you will be covered in it. It will form a dingy grey grunge on all of your clothes, and it can be difficult to remove. (The enzyme based pre-wash treatments like Shout seem to be effective.)

Try as you might, your feet will get wet. This will be a problem in the cold storms of the coming winter, but this week I would just resign myself to wet feet and not mess with trying to keep them dry.

If you haven't ridden in the rain, here are some tips, and pardon me if I sound condescending, I am trying to cover all the bases here. No disrespect- There was a time I didn't know any of this either!

With caliper rim brakes, there will be a delay between application of the brakes and friction that gives deceleration. The wheel will often need one full turn to wipe away water before working. Expect and allow for this by planning your stops and slowing early.



Avoid puddles. All the potholes fill up with water and lurk around waiting to catch cyclists unawares, masquerading as benign puddles.

All manhole covers and railroad tracks are as slick as snot. Stay out of the motor oil "drip zone" in the center of travel lanes, especially at intersections. Be mindful of this when turning from one road onto another.

Fenders will make this week a lot nicer for bicycle commuters. Late in the week, even though it will be sunny days, the roads will still have water everywhere in your path. On those days, fenders expand your wardrobe options. Without them, you will have to stick to old ready to discard clothes, for they will all become stained. And even with fenders, your feet are likely to get wet all week.

I wear glasses, and often I will have better vision if I remove them in the rain, especially if I am getting a lot of spray from passing automobiles.

Automobile operators are having similar vision problems. Even if their wipers are in good shape, they will be peering through water doppled side windows when they are making crossing movements at intersections- the operationally most dangerous place for a law-abiding cyclist in good weather! Therefore, do run your lights in the rain, and expect to have more conflicts at intersections than normal. In fact leave more time for your commute. Rainy days are not days to be in a rush to get to the office.

The worst part is when you are just beginning your trip, and you are not yet completely drenched. Once you are as wet as you can be, it is rather exhilarating to ride in the rain. I do not think that riding in the rain is significantly more dangerous than riding in good weather. Both are safer than many of our other daily activities. (Like taking a shower, for instance.)

So get out there and do it! You cycled in during the hot summer weeks, show that you are not just a fair weather cyclist! It will also give you more confidence to keep cycling during the colder months ahead.

You will be glad you did!