The headwind this morning was insane, but the late spring temperature, oh the temperature! I don't know that I've ever had a December morning commute in the high 50s. Of course, that headwind stayed around all day long, so I had an evening commute with temperatures in the 60s and a wicked push all the way home. I got out early enough to watch the sun set behind me in the mirror, drop off some mail on the way home and run across a few other cyclists enjoying the weather.
I have tomorrow off, and it'll be a busy weekend. That makes today my last commute of the year and probably the last ride as well. It was a capstone commute in every sense. I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up 2010.
I have only a vague idea how many miles I rode this year (probably somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000) and it's been a whopper of a year, packed with changes that were almost exclusively for the better.
Everyone have a safe New Year's Eve, and here's to an awesome year to come!
Don't text and drive.
[via Engadget]
Edited to include:
Kansas ban on texting/emailing/messaging/whatever and driving starts Saturday.
[via The Grouch formerly known as Mark Rainey]
Frosty Morning
Get Paid To Bicycle Commute! (not B.S.!)
You can get paid to bicycle commute... no, this is not a scam. This is real, and you can start today!
Register at NuRide.com, which is the site officially approved by the Houston-Galveston Area Council for rewarding and encouraging alternative commutes; not only bike, but ridesharing, walking, and transit.
You can log all of your bike rides on the ride calendar, and your earn points, which can be redeemed for discount coupons for many different businesses. It's real money; case in point, 20% off of dinner at Le Mistral French Restaurant on Eldridge. Given that dinner for two might run $100, that's a $20 value. I've enjoyed that one. Also free Kolache Factory, free Jamba Juice, Bike Barn coupons, HEB store credit, the list goes on.
They take pains to protect your privacy. This is a professionally and well-run site. Give it a try, there is nothing to lose and you will get free stuff of your choosing.
Register at NuRide.com, which is the site officially approved by the Houston-Galveston Area Council for rewarding and encouraging alternative commutes; not only bike, but ridesharing, walking, and transit.
You can log all of your bike rides on the ride calendar, and your earn points, which can be redeemed for discount coupons for many different businesses. It's real money; case in point, 20% off of dinner at Le Mistral French Restaurant on Eldridge. Given that dinner for two might run $100, that's a $20 value. I've enjoyed that one. Also free Kolache Factory, free Jamba Juice, Bike Barn coupons, HEB store credit, the list goes on.
They take pains to protect your privacy. This is a professionally and well-run site. Give it a try, there is nothing to lose and you will get free stuff of your choosing.
First snowy ride of the season
It snowed Friday night into Saturday morning, and we got about an inch near my home. The wind scattered it around and cleared the snow from some spots while forming deeper drifts in others. No photos, sadly. This morning greeted us with 6°F and wind from the Northwest -- a crosswind for most of my trip.
I'm still trying to think of a name for my Schwinn. It took the patches of snow and ice in stride, but it's really slow. I think I need to start leaving earlier. My clothing log let me down today, too. By the time I was a mile into my ride, I was way too hot. I was adequately layered up, so it was easy to fix. For those who wonder what I ended up rocking today:
Head: Seirus Thermax Headliner balaclava. This one is really thin, and it spent about half of its time covering my mouth and nose, on and off. It's pretty much my favorite balaclava ever.
Torso: Cheap "Champion" brand base layer shirt plus the thin windproof outer shell of my skiing coat.
Legs: Chamois, base layer pants, flannel and cargo pants. I could have ditched the flannels, but it wasn't too hot.
Hands: Cheap "Thinsulate" mittens
Feet: 2 layers of smartwool socks, work boots
Except for my eyes, I stayed warm. I didn't want to mess with the ski goggles. Again, though... everyone is different. Your body type, fitness level, metabolism, effort and dozens of other variables make it hard to tell people what to wear when it gets cold outside.
I'm still trying to think of a name for my Schwinn. It took the patches of snow and ice in stride, but it's really slow. I think I need to start leaving earlier. My clothing log let me down today, too. By the time I was a mile into my ride, I was way too hot. I was adequately layered up, so it was easy to fix. For those who wonder what I ended up rocking today:
Head: Seirus Thermax Headliner balaclava. This one is really thin, and it spent about half of its time covering my mouth and nose, on and off. It's pretty much my favorite balaclava ever.
Torso: Cheap "Champion" brand base layer shirt plus the thin windproof outer shell of my skiing coat.
Legs: Chamois, base layer pants, flannel and cargo pants. I could have ditched the flannels, but it wasn't too hot.
Hands: Cheap "Thinsulate" mittens
Feet: 2 layers of smartwool socks, work boots
Except for my eyes, I stayed warm. I didn't want to mess with the ski goggles. Again, though... everyone is different. Your body type, fitness level, metabolism, effort and dozens of other variables make it hard to tell people what to wear when it gets cold outside.
Keep Riding in the Coldest Weather? No Sweat!
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| Winter Wardrobe: High visibility wind proof jacket, wind-proof glasses, helmet cover, thin and thick versions of skullcap, gloves. |
Winter has descended upon Gotham with an early cold snap. It's been icy here for the last week - temperatures have been stuck in the 30s - and it's only December. As a result, many an otherwise rugged New York bike commuter is likely packing his/her bike off to Manhattan Mini Storage, resigned to a long winter of subway confinement and dreaded darkness, culminating in a bad case of sloth and the blahs.
Wait! Don't give up so fast! Surviving winter cold and keeping on the bike is easy. Honest. Imagine riding a bike throughout the winter, enjoying the same fine neighborhood views, the exhilaration of two-wheeled freedom and overall sense of well being that you get while riding in warmer months.
It can be done as long as you defend yourself from the bitter elements, namely wind, which more than cold itself is the main offender in winter riding. Dress accordingly and you'll find that you're actually warmer while riding the bike than while walking. That's because you're doing a lot of work while riding and generating heat that keeps you warm inside your clothing.
(In the ultimate test of this theory, I once rode in 3 degree weather to the local swimming pool for an early morning dip. I was plenty warm. And, on many occasions I've commuted from Manhattan to my current Brooklyn home via the Brooklyn Bridge, where the big "Watchtower" thermometer showed temperatures in the mid-20s).
Here's a guide to the clothing you'll need to keep warm in the coldest weather, from head to toe.
HEAD: Helmets suck at keeping a head warm since they're designed to provide airflow on a hot summer ride. My jaw drops when I see otherwise well-bundled cyclists riding on a winter day with their heads fully exposed under a Bell. And we all learned in junior-high science class that some 80% of body heat is lost through the head (debunked here, but hey), so cover it up.
On moderately cold days a thin skullcap worn under the helmet serves to keep the wind at bay and all the thermal energy generated by intense thought in. I use a $20 Pearl Izumi cap, which is good down to the mid-40s. When it gets colder, I cover up with this thicker polyester cap, which is very warm.
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| Fleece skullcap fits under helmet |
You'll have to adjust your helmet a little to comfortably fit over the thicker skullcap. If it's freakin' cold a helmet cover will totally eliminate airflow to the head. If you can leave fashion sense aside choose a bright, optic yellow cover. It'll give drivers another clue that you're in the neighborhood, increasing visibility and safety which, next to the cold, are the biggest concerns during dark winter commutes home.
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| Cold weather helmet covers |
EYES: On very cold rides my eyes start tearing up and I can't see a thing. To solve the problem, get a pair of skiing glasses (rather than goggles, which don't work with a helmet) with foam eye cups to keep the wind out. My Panoptics/7 Eye Diablo glasses have groovy rose-colored prescription lenses that make even New York look peaceful. The rose lenses aren't dark so they're great for riding on gloomy days.
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| Glasses with foam eye cups keep wind out |
Here are some strategies. When it gets into the 30s I put a thin coat of Vaseline on my nose and sometimes on my cheeks as well. Nothing too thick and slimy, but enough to keep the wind off of my skin. By the time I arrive at my destination the Vaseline has been absorbed leaving my Rudolph-red nose super soft. If it gets really cold I use a balaclava (without Vaseline). It can make it a bit tougher to breathe, though I have ridden up the Brooklyn Bridge without too much trouble with a balaclava on.
BODY: Keeping one's body warm is pretty straightforward. If the temperature drops below freezing I find that a T-shirt, covered by a thermal cotton long sleeve shirt and a then a sweatshirt, and topped by any wind breaking shell does the job. Another commuter recently told me that she actually puts the windproof shell under a soft outer shirt to keep from overheating.
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| Wind protected |
I used to wear an old rain jacket for the top layer, but a couple of years ago invested in a bright, optic yellow Descente cycling jacket. It's thin but blocks the wind, and it increases the chance I'll be seen by drivers, who don't expect to see cyclists out after dark on a frigid evening.
On the bottom half, I wear summer cycling shorts covered by old Reebok long nylon sweat pants. They 100% block the wind (I wore them the first time I went skiing) and that's all that matters. My legs simply don't get cold. I also own a pair of fancy winter cycling tights, which are really warm, but find that they're tight over my kneecaps, which were ravaged by years of BMX racing on bikes with cranks that were too long (I've had multiple operations to fix chondromalacia, or wearing out of the padding behind the kneecap - the tights put pressure on them and make 'em ache). I used to own a pair of Bellwether tights that had accordion knees that relieved the pressure. They were great, but I haven't been able to find a similar pair since.
GLOVE and SOCKS: When it gets colder I slip on a pair of winter cycling gloves that I found at PerformanceBike for $10 on sale. They work well to about the high 30s, below that my fingertips can get pretty chilly on a longer ride (i.e. the 45 minute or so commute home from the City). Miraculously, some days my fingers do fine. I don't know why. My toes are generally good until the freezing point.
Big-buck ski gloves would probably work better when cold, though it might get tough working the brakes and gears. If someone has wisdom on fingers and toes please share (there are high end winter cycling gloves such as these, though I haven't tried them).
To be honest, sometimes it's just too damned cold to ride. Or, at least too cold to ride for very long. Everyone has their own threshold. And, of course, deep snow makes it hard to travel safely or far. But most of the stuff you need to ride in the winter is likely already in your closet. The frigid streets of Gotham await.
New (used) winter bike
(It feels like) winter is on!
I think this morning was the first ride of the season where the temperature was in the teens. Most of you know how I handle the cold-weather season by now. I know what works, clothing-wise because I've kept track of it since my first winter. I'm seeing the usual cadre of local cold-weather bike commuters as they ramp up for the chilly season, but I'm also seeing a bunch of my other cycling friends take a stab at it this winter. That's cool, literally!
As usual, I'm interested in all the different ways my fellow cyclists solve their problems. It sounds like some of them are opting to give pogies (or bar mitts
) a try. I don't think they'd work well for me, since I have to leave my bike out in the cold.
Since this is my first winter at the new job, people are already in full-on quiz mode. The truth is that I might revert to the car a few times this coming winter. At my last job, I had the option to take any of four different bus routes when the going got tough. These buses would drop me off anywhere from 300 yards to 3 miles from my place. Now, there's no way to get home by bus, and the roads I have to take to get to and from work are likely going to be treacherous at least a few times over the winter. I'm definitely not shooting for the "more hardcore than you" badge. I'll leave that to folks like Doug, who was and continues to be an inspiration for my winter cycling habits.
Of course, I plan on riding when ever possible. I'll probably be picking up The Mesa next week, and I'll start outfitting it for winter commuting. I'll need a few things to round it out (see the Wish List, which contains other stuff I've been saving up for, too) but as far as I'm concerned, winter is on! Who's with me?
As usual, I'm interested in all the different ways my fellow cyclists solve their problems. It sounds like some of them are opting to give pogies (or bar mitts
) a try. I don't think they'd work well for me, since I have to leave my bike out in the cold.Since this is my first winter at the new job, people are already in full-on quiz mode. The truth is that I might revert to the car a few times this coming winter. At my last job, I had the option to take any of four different bus routes when the going got tough. These buses would drop me off anywhere from 300 yards to 3 miles from my place. Now, there's no way to get home by bus, and the roads I have to take to get to and from work are likely going to be treacherous at least a few times over the winter. I'm definitely not shooting for the "more hardcore than you" badge. I'll leave that to folks like Doug, who was and continues to be an inspiration for my winter cycling habits.
Of course, I plan on riding when ever possible. I'll probably be picking up The Mesa next week, and I'll start outfitting it for winter commuting. I'll need a few things to round it out (see the Wish List, which contains other stuff I've been saving up for, too) but as far as I'm concerned, winter is on! Who's with me?
The JO needs your help!
From Johnson County Transit:
Link to the form letter
I'm not from Gardner, but I know a few of you out there who are. If you support alternative transportation, I urge you to contact JCT.
JCT is seeking letters of support from our loyal riders. The L/N is partially grant funded due to the fact that we travel to/from Gardner, Kansas (considered a rural area). Any Gardner residents that would like to submit a letter of support would be much appreciated. Attached is a form letter - if you could sign and send to me we can include this with our grant application. Thank you for all your support! Email letters of support to cris.lowe@jocogov.org or fax to 913-715-2475.
Link to the form letter
I'm not from Gardner, but I know a few of you out there who are. If you support alternative transportation, I urge you to contact JCT.
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