Note: I originally posted this to the 'Jokes' forum in error, having been sucked into the Bermuda Triangle of that 'Happy Birthday [your name here]' thread. I'll get the hang of this soon, I swear!


Finally got on with the loin-girding yesterday and rode the intended route to work! My wife rode with me; it was a first for both of us.

Interesting perceptual shift: looking at traffic from the relative safety of a sidewalk, I'd always thought to myself "How in the world does anyone find pedaling along in that roaring, fuming stream of metal juggernautry a safe and pleasant activity?". Now I understand. I had a blast!

My wife came along only for the ride. She doesn't intend to do more than short jaunts to the grocery store. I had her lead, and I followed perhaps a bike's length behind and to her left. She has a tendency to ride too close to the curb and so I stayed farther out and acted as 'cover' of a sort. I voiced words of encouragement and correction ("Door zone, watch for doors!") and I've no doubt she was heartily sick of it by the time the ride ended. I would have preferred a faster pace, but in all we made fair time. Round trip is approximately 13.5 miles.

We witnessed only one example of blatant disregard for traffic safety : a cyclist. We were hovering at a stop sign and this eejit came zipping up from behind and didn't so much as pause more than a second or two in his pedaling and applied no braking at all. I made it a point to tell my wife "See that? Never do that!"

I have no illusions about traffic. Riding the route on a Saturday afternoon is a far cry from peak-time on weekdays. But I at least established that the route is ride-accessible and I look forward to my first true commute. Because the missus and I carpool and I drive her to her downtown office and then drive myself to work (parking downtown is prohibitively expensive, and she has zero interest in riding her bike over the bridge and into downtown traffic), I won't be able to ride to work most days. But when she needs the car for appointments during the day, it's great to know I can hop the bike and be at work in a timely fashion and have a great time doing it!

-Rob

I hope this is the last week of cold weather in Iowa, and then I will be my turn next, Rob!

Way to go, Rob! The times you do get to cycle into work will leave you feeling great all day. Sounds like your commute is a good distance to start out with, and I bet you'll be increasing the distance in a short time.

Paramedic, we'll be anxiously awaiting your tales of commuting, too. I'm hoping our cold weather turns soon, so I can get back into the fold, as well!

Hey Rob,

have you explored alternatives routes to work? The best/fastest route in a car is not always the best/fastest route for bicycling, especially during rush hour.

Another route may be slightly faster. And even if it isn't you can escape the fumes.

Saturday was a blessing. It was supposed to rain! I doubt we would have decided to try our first commute in that, but we were so tired of saying "Let's ride today!" only to have it cloud up on cue. But it stayed nice all day.

I know I'll have to face that probability of riding sodden and cold eventually. I live in the Northwest! It'll probably be the same day of my first flat, or a pedal drops off, or the chain breaks...

-Rob

That's always a possibility, but I haven't as yet explored it. Next ride I'll take spins down a few of the side streets that seem promising. Of course I'd have to adapt to a different set of indigenous perils: children, dogs, drivers backing out of driveways between vehicles parked at the curb, etc. The route we drive is pretty direct, but even if the excursions don't lead to a discovery of a better one it's a great way to learn the neighborhood.

-Rob

Way to go Rob:thumbup:

13.5 miles is a healthy commute for any of us, even if you only do it once in awhile that's something.

As far as the cold weather goes, I have absolutely no room to talk. Here in Arizona if it gets below 50 I am freezing my b@%#s off and can barely get out of bed much less ride my bike. So hats off to you if you can do it, you're a better man than I.

I warn you Rob, once you start down the dangerous road of exploring new routes you'll find it's addictive

Welcome to the best way to commute

Richard

Once you start exploring new routes, in many cities you come across routes which are not strictly "roads" but which are very useful. Cutting across parking lots, taking various tracks and trails, riverside and canal paths can cut alot of time off an urban commute.
A modern trend is to have all land areas fenced off with single point of entry for cars. My local supermarket keeps pedestrians out with a fence, but the pesky customers keep cutting it to avoid an extra 1/4mile walk to the official entrance.

Thanks to all for the encouragement! As it happens, tomorrow the missus has an after-work thingy and so the plan is for her to drop me off in the morning with the bike so that I may ride home in the evening. If I leave work on time (a rare occurence, but one may always hope) I'll have opportunities en route to experiment with options. If not, I'll at least discover how long it takes me to ride home at my own pace.

Once at work I'll also have the benefit of a), showing off the new steed to a few fellow riders (who are all avid stump-jumpers and so will most likely merely smile and nod politely but hey, this is my new bike! ), and b), have them cast their more experienced eyes upon my bottom bracket, which I suspect is a tad looser than is optimum. I may be paying a return visit to my lbs on the weekend for a tweak or three, but that's recommended for a new bike anyway.

Should I survive the excursion tomorrow evening, I'll post a report. Should the time of that post be sometime after 9 pm PST, you may assume I spent at least a portion of the preceding interval walking.

-Rob

Cool! I survived rush hour!

I cut approximately 10 minutes off of last Saturday's run, not that my time was Olympian by any means. No horns or overtly irritated motorists with which to contend, though a couple skirted me a wee bit closer than I thought necessary. (Note to self: really must purchase a mirror this weekend!) I think I could relax my pace just a little too; between the headwind and a few gradients I was huffing just this side of discomfort on some stretches of the route. Dismounting for the trudge up the hill to our apartment (a hill that, at this point, is beyond my endurance threshold, alas), my thighs felt like melons. Gods!, do I have some work to do!

My fellow co-workers made with the appropriate oohs and aahs over Tank Jr. (my pet name for the machine), but the general consensus among the bike-savvy confirmed my suspicions: the bottom bracket needs either tightening or replacement. Crud! I suppose this sort of thing might be expected of a low-end pseudo-mountain bike regardless of it's manufacturer, but with the purchase of any brand-spankin'-new product comes at least a hint of paranoia. Happily my lbs is open Sunday (helping friends move Saturday...urk).

Overall it was very cool. There's a sense of accomplishment that comes with the wind-down after a good ride, and I shall now treat myself to dinner and a cup of cocoa!

After a shower, that is.

-Rob

Congratulations

I couldn't get on with handlebar mounted mirror, but I've yet to try a helmet mounted one. Hills do get easier (well at least a little bit ).

Richard

Good job! Your commute sounds similar to mine (15 mile round trip, some hills). Hang in there and remember to have fun. I'm glad to see that you know the rules. We need more bike commuters (and car drivers) like that.

By the way, where are you riding?

andy

Hi Rob,
Sounds like you're moving right along, good for you!! I'm not sure what good a mirror does though, seems to me if someone is bearing down on you or is too close by the time you see them it's too late. I'm sure others here use them and they will disagree with me. They also rate pretty low on the cool scale if you ask me, but if they make you feel safer who cares???

I'm curious to know what kind of bike you have?

There are two situations where I find a mirror indispensable. One is when merging left across multiple lanes as I approach a place where I'll need to turn left. It's much easier to hold my line and do frequent quick checks of the next lane with the mirror.

The other is whenever I approach an intersection -- any intersection. I *always* check to see if there's a vehicle approaching me from behind that could conceivably right-hook me. This is one of the most common bike accidents, and when you cross hundreds of intersections a day, many days per week, the odds start to mount that you'll get hooked eventually if you aren't alert. The mirror habit helps.

I use a Take-a-look glasses-mount mirror. Wonderful design.

RichC

I can definitely see where that would be an advantage. I always look over my shoulder, even when driving, but if I did the intersection thing frequently I could see where that would get tiring. Good point.
-BT

Thanks!

I don't relish the idea of clamping a mirror to the bars either. I mounted a bell there and and due to the sharp rise in the handlebar it already looks cluttered. I'm going to price the helmet-mounted type, as well as the eye-wear variety that Mr. Clark mentioned in his post (Thanks Rich!)

That hill outside my apartment is going to be my training ground. It's a short one, but due up! If I can conquer that without summoning either a vicious cramp or a myocardial infarction I'll feel I've arrived.

-Rob

Hi Andy

Those rules are good for everyone! When I first became interested in cycling I began to watch the commuters whenever I was out and about in the car. What I observed in many instances left my jaw alternately clenching in irritation and dropping open in bewilderment. I understand the feeling of invincibility irresponsible motorists experience as they careen about in their protective (they assume) cocoons of metal. But what of the devil-may-care cyclists? Car meets bike, car wins. Pretty simple!

And of course courtesy matters too, and the best courtesy you pay a motorist is to let them see you. Everyone wins.

-Rob

I'm the proud (though at the moment rather worried; damned bottom bracket!) owner of a Trek 800 Sport. It's spiffy and rides nicely, though calling it a 'mountain bike' is like calling a Plymouth Neon a Rolls Royce, I suspect. That's okay, have to start somewhere! My wife rides a Trek 7100 hybrid that rides even better (Drat! -- If I become a 2-bike guy I'm getting one of those in my size!).

-Rob

Oops, sorry, forgot to answer that question! I live in Portland, Oregon, purportedly one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. Good for me! Prior to moving here we lived in the Dallas, Texas area. Ay-yi-yi! I hazard a guess Dallas isn't quite so progressive in that arena.

-Rob