Cycle Commuter - Adventures in Bicycle Commuting

As I’ve heard it, our June has turned out to be one of the coldest/wettest on record so far. We’ve had only one day above 60°F and have had more rain than the average for October. It’s not even the end of the second week of the month. The winds have looked pretty painful as well. I have to admit, if there’s a “good” time to be injured, it’d be now. When I’ve talked to those that are riding, they shake their heads in disbelief… they’re wearing their winter gear.

I’ve been out a little bit, but not much. I’m missing it… even in this weather. Riding around the neighborhood this afternoon on the One Way, I noticed that my cardio was lacking. My Achilles felt a little tight, but not as bad. The BB on the One Way is in desperate need of attention, though.

Keeping track of Euro ‘08 has provided a nice bit of distraction; my personal favorite is Netherlands, and I imagine we’ll see them, Portugal, Spain and Germany in the semi finals.

And, to wrap it all up… this makes me smile:

I’ve been all about the low mileage since Friday; my Achilles has been getting better, thankfully. This shift to low mileage has allowed me the opportunity to rock the One Way around the neighborhood. I honestly do love riding just to check out all the places in the area. There really are some beautiful little homes around here… and each time I go out, I find a new place that makes me think “Hey, that’s not a bad little place. I like what they’ve done with _______.”

There’s something satisfying in that.

I’ve been contemplating my riding options as of late–while there are many things that I want to love about the One Way, I have to admit that there are numerous problems. I’ve taken steps to repair and/or replace the sources of the problems, however I have to ask myself whether or not it’s worth it. I’m much more comfortable on the Double Cross, that much I know–but do I sacrifice it to the rigors of everyday commuting? I keep reminding myself of various points of views I’ve heard over the years… that it’s just a bike, a tool to be used; that a bike is a work of art, a beautiful machine that’s to be loved and treated with care; that parts are going to inevitably need replacing, tuning, truing and accepting that is the first part of bike ownership; that serious bike ownership requires acceptance of the “stable” or “quiver” perspective–there’s a bike (a tool) that fits a job better than others. Finding a happy middle ground between all those points is the tricky part. I’m considering my options.

Fortunately I was able to bend the flapper back into place and ride (gingerly) back home. Also fortunate is that it snapped on the trailing side, otherwise I’m sure I’d have greater concerns on my hands beyond just replacing a chain.

Things have been pretty mellow this week. Got things rolling on the new wheels today, though… which is slightly ironic, given that by riding the One Way today, my general displeasure with the bike increased. On the flip side, another coworker asked me about riding steel and expressed interest in switching over to it. That’d be the third convert in a year.

Dear Spring,

Make up your fucking mind.

–Me

Rode the One Way today for the first time in a week. I really need to get the same saddle on both bikes; my ass can’t handle the frequent changes. While cleaning up the bikes last night, I noticed how out-of-true the front wheel was on the One Way (almost as bad as the rear wheel). Checking the tension on the spokes, I found five that were pitifully loose. I really can’t wait to get the new wheels built.

The sad thing is that I’ve already begun mentally piecing together the One Way’s replacement… a Surly Karate Monkey set up as a single with discs, flat bars and rigid fork. I may change my mind if the new wheels, brakes and levers meet my needs on the One Way. We’ll see.

In typical Spring fashion, and, as though to further prove the capabilities of my new Chrome Shins, the weather was far from consistent the rest of this past week. When I left my house on Thursday at 6am, it was dry and somewhat chilly. By the time I got halfway to the station, giant, wet snowflakes were falling. I spent much of the rest of the ride trying to catch flakes on my tongue (it wasn’t that hard). The rest of the day brough sun, wind, more snow, sun, rain, and then just lots of wind with no precipitation. Friday, yesterday and today were much the same, though today it only snowed for a few moments this morning while we were at the pub watching Liverpool v. Everton.

The rest of the week is looking good, though… lots of sun. Hoping to get a couple round trips in. Also hoping to get those wheels for the One Way built.

My new Chrome Shins arrived today. To make things better, it started hailing. Shins + hail? Damn straight I went for a ride. It was glorious.

I know it’s just the DWR and all, but hey, new DWR is freakin’ awesome when it comes to shedding rain/sleet/hail.

After feeling like crap for most of the day yesterday, I went for a quick 14-mile loop through the park an hour before sundown. I saw hardly anyone there, save the usual high school kids heading to their “secret spot” somewhere off the drive. I’d decided to roll the One Way to see how well my legs would hold up on the multiple hills… definitely a good workout.

The roads are usually pretty empty at 6 a.m. Even on the busier arterials, I’ll only see a handful of cars. At a stoplight the other morning, I found myself alone at the intersection. It was quiet and peaceful; I could hear a bird chirping to itself nearby. For some reason, that moment has stuck with me.

Anyway, there’s a string of stoplights along a main road that I take. Some days, it’s all systems go and I hardly have to stop more than once or twice. Other days, it’s quite the opposite and I have to stop for each one of them. At least once every couple days, I have to make a quick sprint in order to make a light before it changes. Because of this, I’ve started to count how many times the “Don’t Walk” signal flashes before the light turns yellow. Some are longer, but I get at least ten flashes before the light changes.

“Well, what do you expect… it’s public transportation; you have to deal with the public.”

The nuances of the train are always amusing—cell phones, social circles, seating and car selection, etc. Being a cyclist on the train, you’re in a definite subset of the greater train commuting culture.

For one, you and your bike are an awkward combination that is, at times, difficult to maneuver within the confined space of mass transit… like the guy with the 29er with an xtracycle. When the weather is nice, more bikes end up on the train… leading to situations like the above picture (I won’t go into bike-on-bike etiquette)… which just compounds the maneuverability issue, and, in turn, compounds the separation between cyclist and non-cyclist on the train.

Then there’s the issue of spandex… those that wear full spandex outfits usually have a halo of empty seats around them. Personally, I don’t understand the desire to commute in your full team kit, but hey… to each their own. I prefer the utilitarian approach of loose gear… plus, I’m not racing to work.

Interestingly, there’s very little interaction between cyclists on the train… or at least that’s been my experience. On the rare occasions where I’ve ended up chatting with other cyclists, the conversation almost invariably focuses on the bike. “How do you like that crankset?” or “A single-speed, huh? What about hills?”. Honestly, if I get chatted up, it’s usually by non-cyclists… “Don’t you get cold?!?”, “I could never sit on a seat that small!” or “Are those the pedals that you clip in to? What happens if you fall over?”

The funny thing, however, is that while there may be very little verbal interaction between cyclists on the train, there’s usually a silent assessment that occurs. Since all the bikes are in one spot, and riders usually sit within close proximity of their bikes, it’s pretty easy to notice. It’s the “check out”, if you will, where one will quietly look at the other bikes. On occasion, this process leads to verbal interaction (i.e. “Nice bike” or “How do you like that light?”), but usually it just happens in silence and people get on and off the train without any interaction.

It’s these naunces that amuse me. People are pretty freakin’ entertaining.

From time to time, I get to test stuff out in earnest without committing cashola to the cause. While this is usually a win-win situation for all concerned parties, sometimes it doesn’t go so gloriously. Not every piece of gear is perfect, and I believe the testing process is an incredibly valuable one precisely because not everyone gets it right the first time around. I recently tested out a saddle… and gave it back after only three rides. I suppose the flip side of that coin is that I got a lot of “training” out of the saddle on the One Way.

A buddy of mine was sharing a story of consumerism the other morning… where a friend of his had realized how wrapped up in stuff she’d become; to the point where she was hesitant to go skiing because she couldn’t find her ski socks. This segued into all the stuff that goes along with cycling… the lighter stuff, the more efficient stuff, the brighter stuff, etc. While I wish I could say I haven’t fallen for all the hype before… I can’t. I do, after all, have a fork that cost me almost as much as the frame it is being used with.

Been on the One Way the past couple days… Not much to say there, aside from the usual headaches. If it were my “A Bike”, I’m sure I’d be more inspired to get it all sorted out sooner… but, as it is, it’s my “B Bike”. It amuses me how much those terms—A/B Bike—have been used in conversations lately.