Spreading the Love

Before I purchased my first adulthood bicycle I knew literally no one who owned or rode a bicycle. My girlfriend rides a stationary bike about five days a week but I don't think that applies this situation.  She wants a bicycle, but does not want to ride anywhere in this town.  Over these two years I have met other cyclists and introduced even more to the two wheels of enjoyment.  Keep in mind I am more of a utility and commuter cyclist, so I don't really hang around the bike shops much and attend all of their group rides.  I do, however, always recommend people to at least go to Bicycle Gallery or The Bicycle Shop to get their questions answered, figure out what  kind of bike they might want, get an idea of what size they need and to browse what is available.


The first day that I rode my bicycle to work I discovered that a coworker does triathlons, marathons and other feats of great endurance.  We talked about bikes a bit, but even though I was a total noob I could speak competently due to trolling on Bike Forums for the previous year.  Yeah, it took that long for me to buy a bike after I decided I wanted one.  Valerie rode her Cervélo time trial bike to work the next day to show it to me.  I will admit I was a little envious because it was such a nice bike but also knew it would have have met my needs to buy something like that.


After about six months of commuting (and putting up with being called "Lance" every time I walked through the doors) I got a new boss at work.  He started asking more and more questions about about bicycling, bikes, seats, fit....  I answered the things I knew and sent him to The Bicycle Shop for the things I didn't.  Tim ended up buying a Cannondale Quick hybrid for more comfort while riding.  He started riding all over Emerald Isle and recently rode the MS100.


Dave, another manager at my work, starting taking interest in bicycling as well.  This was about 16 months into my commuting.  He was persistent with hounding me about helping him find a bicycle.  Dave had gone to The Bicycle Shop to figure out what size bike he needed and what kind of bike he might want.  Eventually I found a two or three year old Trek (1,000 maybe?) on lejeuneyardsales.com.  He managed to talk the seller down from $300 to $250 because the guy wanted it sold as soon as possible.  The seller recently purchased an amazing custom Kane bicycle.  Oddly enough, Dave's friend got an identical bike out of a storage auction.  They kept the frames but switched many of the components and did some minor upgrading and tuning.  Dave now rides a lot before work and participated in the MS100 ride with Tim and myself.  Another coworker, Seamus, borrowed the second Trek for the MS100 ride and is now wanting his own.  Tim borrowed the second Trek for a recent ride around Emerald Isle and now wants to replace his hybrid with a road bike.


I had another coworker, Emerald, asking about bikes and telling me she was interested in getting one for herself.  She was mostly looking for a very comfortable bike to ride for exercise in hopes of losing a little weight, getting in better shape, and perhaps some utility use.  Emerald had asked me to teach her how to ride a bike because she was scared of braking for whatever reason.  I never taught her and can only assume she now has it figured out.


A good friend and coworker for the last five years had started riding a mountain bike around the same time Tim bought his bike.  I think he might have picked it up at Dick's Sporting Goods but I can't remember.  He rode that bike nearly every day, typically somewhere around 14 miles per ride.  Aaron had talked with me a little bit but just did not see himself riding a road bike.  About three months ago he dropped by The Bicycle Shop and started checking out road bikes.  He ended up purchasing a Cannondale CAAD9 and is still riding nearly every day.  He immediately noticed the lighter weight, better performance, and more accurate handling than what he had been used to.  Aaron lives about a block away from me and we haven't met up for a ride yet, but I think he might plan a commute or two this winter.


There are many other people I have come to know, but this is just an extremely small sample size involving people whom I work with.  On a national, or global scale, there are exponentially more examples of people like me.  I'm not a bicycle propagandist.  I'm not out there preaching about saving the planet, reducing road congestion and all those things political agenda type things.  I just like riding a bicycle.

National MS Society

The National MS Society bicycle ride of Historic New Bern very well and the biggest thanks should go out to all the volunteers who made the event so successful.  The team that I captained raised $1,035 and I managed to raise $375 myself.  Many thanks to all who helped our team exceed our fundraising goal of $600

This weekend represented several firsts for me and I handled myself well.  Thank God the weather was perfect because it made the whole weekend easier.  

Until the ride, the most miles I had ever strung together was 21 - I was about to demolish that in one day and then do it all over again the next day.  In case you haven't done it before, 100 miles is a long way on a bicycle.  

I had also never rode with anyone before.  Neither a duo, nor a trio.  No shop rides, group rides, charity rides, fun rides, races, nothing.  One thousand people are a lot, especially in the beginning when everyone is bunched up, anxious, and hopped up on caffeine or whatnot.  

I had never pulled, drafted, rode handle bar to handle bar or passed another cyclist.   On occasion I have cursed one out for almost hitting me while riding in the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road.  It was tense and exciting, but I made no major mistakes, had no mechanicals and was not involved in any crashes.  

I had never eaten while riding, nor rode long enough to require snacks and a lunch.  I was worried day two would be horrendous but after about 10 minutes my legs felt loose and strong.  In the end I made it, averaging 18 miles an hour the whole weekend.  I'm not very fast but I am no slouch.

MS Bike Ride

Please donate some coin to help me get to my goal.

I will be participating in my first MS ride.  Looking to get help with donations.  I started a little late in the game :(

Some days aren't so good....

Admittedly, I can be considered a fair weather commuter.  The last few weeks have been a little tough but I have managed to tough it out at least three days a week.  There are a few things that are trying to thwart my efforts.  The heat has been horrendous topping 90 degrees nearly every day during my commute. I am a pretty hot-weather type of person, it just takes a few weeks to get over it.  The humidity is less of a friend than heat.  But what really tops it off is there are two wildfires in my area that are causing a considerable amount of smoke.  The smell is horrible, visibility is extra low at night and there are severe air quality alerts for the area.  One fire is over 30,000 acres.

So today I ventured forth with 92º F heat, 89% humidity, two wildfires spanning 40,000 acres and after 10 minutes I was on the wrong side of 30% chance of rain.  I had already committed to the commute so I got over it.  Vehicle commuters rarely talk to me while riding and only seem to acknowledge my presence when waiving me through an intersection when it seem precarious and I don't have the right of way.  Today I was lectured by two different drivers at two different intersections while sitting at a light waiting to turn left.  

The first person, an older man possibly 70 years of age, was explaining to me how dangerous it is to ride in the street.  His suggestion was that I ride on the side walk because it would be safer and that is what he did when he was young.  He would also be a bad parent if he let his kids ride their bike on a four-lane road.  I just thanked him for his advice.  

The second person, a lady 30 to 35 years old and possible soccer mom, was telling me that she hates when bicyclists are riding their bike on the sidewalk.  She has to run out of the way with her kids and dogs to avoid the bicyclist taking them out.

I guess you can't make everyone happy.  There are a lot of people out there with these same conflicting trains of thought.  It does not help that my city has one bike path that really takes you nowhere you need to go.  I know I frustrate people, or at least I believe that is what their honking means, but I need somewhere to ride my bike.  As much as anyone tries there is always going to be someone left unhappy.  That's how things work.  I kind of just laughed it off and joked about it when I get to work.  Many didn't get the humor but it is their loss.

I am starting to see more and more cyclists which basically means I have seen about 4 in the last month.  More will come and I have at least two friends who have recently purchased bicycles.  One day riding a bike to work will be considered normal and not suspect of DUI.

I like your jacket thing...

Regarding the subject title, even though it is only five words it took my friend Travis about 30 seconds to say.  I know he was talking about my full-zip short sleeve cycling jersey but was not quite sure how to articulate his thoughts. 

Cycling is broken down to so many categories I can not even list them all if I wanted to.  Not without the help of Google and forum sites such as Bike Forums, Cycling Forums and Road Bike Review at least.  Despite all the classifications and sub-classifications bicyclists belong to I believe most bicyclist can be grouped into three sections: those who wear lycra, those who don't and those who wear some crazy combination of both.  I fall within the third group (most of the time).

I own lycra cycling shorts and jerseys and often wear them.  During the summer commute I wear a cycling jersey and cargo shorts.  Under those cargo shorts are almost certainly cycling shorts.  I have tired wearing a cotton shirt but in coastal Carolina the heat and humidity are nearly unbearable regardless of what one is wearing so I adapt the best I can by sporting a jersey.  Since I am by no means a racer my jersey is not race tight.  It is one to two sizes bigger so I feel more comfortable while riding but do not have to wear heavy, thick, absorbent cotton.  The only reason I wear the cycling shorts under my cargo shorts is for extra padding.  Purists would say the cargo shorts cancel out the lycra due to seams and weight but I have notice no personal difference.  

My girlfriend sometime points out how much I spend on cycling-specific shorts only to wear something on top of them.  It really comes down to the fact that I do not want to walk through my work wearing them.  I'm not fat or grotesque - it is just a comfort level thing.  I usually arrive to work 30 to 45 minutes early so I have time to cool down before throwing on the shirt, pants and tie.  Part of that cool down is standing outside my building finishing off my water.  The other part is walking through my building to a breakroom where I can refill the water, sit by a fan and watch some TV.  I would much rather do all that in a loose cycling jersey and cargo shorts than in a tight jersey and shorts.

In the early Sping, late Fall and all throughout winter I tend to layer as neccessary.  This usually includes a long sleeve Nike compression shirt underneath a cycling jersey.  I was skeptical of the warmth factor at first but was gladly proven wrong.  I also wear some Nike pants over my cycling shorts.  They are semi tight and warm, but not as warm as the shirt.  The constant pumping of my legs provides more heat than the pants can lose anyways.  If it is colder I will throw on a jacket, fleece beanie, or an Under Armor balaklava type thing.  Though I don't wear gloves a lot in the summer, they are on and full fingered once the temperatures drop into the 50s.

As of right now I have some comfortable mountain bike styled Shimano shoes and eggbeater pedals.  This is my main source of frustration during the winter.  I wear wool socks but my feet get extremely cold.  I like riding clipless and don't plan on wearing shoe covers, so I just manage. 

At the end of the day (or the begining of your ride) its all about what you feel comfortable with and how long your commute is.  I am lucky as mine is only five miles, but someone with a 15 mile commute may have a very different opinion about what is comfortable.

Here are some other sites that I have previously read when debating what to wear.  I revisit many sites and frequent forums a bit more often as the seasons transition.  There is always something to learn.

Bike Commute Tips Blog- Bike Commuters Dress for Work

Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips - What About the Weather?

Commute By Bike - The Slacker's Guide to Bike Commuting

Commuter Page Blog - Tips for Summertime Bike Commuting

What a Pile of Crap

After a little over a year of bicycle commuting I feel that I have experience most of the ordeals that other commuters have.  Today was something new, and certainly more rare than a close buzz, blaring horn or middle finger.  

A segment of my commute is along a MUP which is separated from a sidewalk by about three feet.  I am not really sure on the rules regarding who uses what, but I ride on the MUP because it is smooth and the sidewalk is your typical sidewalk.  It seems that runners, baby mamas equipped with stollers, kids, dog walkers, a high school track team and the local power company all opt for the MUP as well.  I understand that the sidewalk is in need of repair but it is usable.  Even when I let people know I am coming through they choose to stand in the grass on either side of the MUP rather than continue forward progress on the sidewalk.

The source of my beef today stems from the nice family walking their possible Lab/Rott mix breed.  More specifically it was their negligence to pick up the giant turd the dog left steaming between the MUP and sidewalk.  There is a remote possibility they are innocent of this assault on my bike, but they are the prime suspects.

As I was approaching I started to assume that since they had stopped and shortened the leash it would be I who was going to move to the dreaded sidewalk.  I slowed my steed a bit and steered into the grass and onto the sidewalk so I could safely pass.  After everyone was in the clear I decided to cross back over to the MUP and that is when I got my surprise.

It was one of those situations where things seem to go in slow motion as impending doom gets closer.  When I saw that pile it was too late and I just couldn't seem to avoid it.  As as afterthought I believe I could have, but it was a case of the bike going where the eyes are looking.  Immediately after impact I wish I had fenders because the feces flung up onto my bike, my legs and my backpack.  The last thing I wanted to do tonight was clean my bike.  Cleaning my clothes was inevitable, but the bike I could have done without.

My tires, wheels, frame and drive train seem to be good to go now and I am grateful that was only my first run-in with such an issue.  Hopefully I will not have to deal with that kind of smell all the way home anytime soon.

Refreshing... and Tiring

My favorite part of the day, without question, is when I am riding my bicycle to work.  First I have to get past the part that I have to wake up much earlier than I would if I was driving.  After my morning hygiene routine I have to deal with all the small details.  Pack the lunch, double check that I am bringing all the clothes I need, functionality check on the bike, walking the dog, etc.  Then, finally, I get to pedal off.

Once I am on my way to work I always feel relieved, refreshed, energetic, you name it.  There is no television in the background, no text messages or phone calls to worry about and no clients breathing down my neck.  It is just the machine and I doing our thing.  I suppose the lack of television noise is replaced by the wind, the phone is replaced by honks and impatient clients are replaced by drive-by F-Bombs, but when I am riding my bike it does not get to me.

Upon arriving at work the sunshine quickly gives to rain clouds.  It usually starts with an innovative "Hey, Lance Armstrong, whats up?" and the four or five times I hear "How far did you have to ride today?" or "Isn't it dangerous to be riding your bike on the street?".  I guess in a way it is cool having people being interested in the fact that I ride my bike to work, but I really don't want to talk about it every day.  I'm no Lance Armstrong, I don't do drugs.  I never give a straight answer as to how far I ride because it doesn't really matter and riding a bike on the road, for some people, is probably far less dangerous compared to how they drive.

I know you are thinking, "But this has to have a good ending, there is still a bike ride home."  Once I am out of work I am tired.  I solved client's problems all day while mine stacked up.  There are times when I don't even feel like changing my clothes again and just want to ride home in what I am wearing.  As convenient as that sounds my body would be hating me within minutes.  The ride home is enjoyable, sure, but it doesn't have the feel that it had in the morning.  It is a stress reliever in which the issues of the day fade away and I get to clear my mind.  If only riding home felt like less of a chore.