Beautiful Day to Ride

Last day of December, a Saturday, temps in the low 60s!  Had a great ride today with a dear friend on my neglected Madone.  Only 25 miles but it seemed long compared to the commutes.  I must say a 16 lb bike sure is a lot easier to get up a hill!  I have missed the long rides and hope to resume them this spring.

This is well into my 7th month of my year on a bike.  Time flies when you're having fun!

That was close!

Most of the time, most of the days, cycling feels safe, enjoyable and healthy.  Then once in a while something happens that reminds me of how vulnerable I am out there among the gas powered vehicles.

Yesterday evening, while cycling home I was in front of a line of cars with other cars coming the other way.  The lead car appropriately waited to pass.  When the oncoming traffic cleared it was time for me to make a left hand turn.  I had signaled, moved into the center of the lane and again the car behind me politely waited.  But the car behind him/her did not.  Just before I crossed the center line to make the turn a car sped past me on my left after passing the car behind me.  No passing lane, no warning and my life almost ended.  Patient cycling, and patient driving saves lives.

Not sure what I would have done differently, but I sure wish I could have a word with that driver.  I'd love for him/her to meet my wife and kids, have a cup of coffee and think about what being in a hurry might have cost us all.

But today was a great riding day and I was able to get a nice rack onto the back of my UniVega road bike.  Now I'm all set with the Black Sheep for local heavy lifting and the UniVega for long distance commutes.  I see no car in my near or distant future.  Lovin' it!

What I learn from my dog Rudy

I took Rudy out for our daily morning walk and had the daily exasperating experience.  My mission is to get around the neighborhood, have Rudy do his business, get back home and on to the next mission.  His mission is to try to chase every squirrel, to bark at every jogger and, when it suits him, to do his business.  But he has one more mission - to track down every interesting smell.  Our walks always come to a standstill when Rudy catches whiff of something interesting.  He'll track back in forth, nose to the ground until he can identify the exact blade of grass where the fascinating new smell resides.  Then he burrows in with his nose with the satisfaction of an astronomer discovering a new galaxy.  Rudy does not care why we are on a walk.  He does not care about our destination.  His whole world shrinks to that one smell...then I yank his chain and we are off to the next great thing.

I like biking because it is slower and more intimate than a car.  You see, hear, smell, feel more on the bike.  But I am still me.  I am watching my time while road biking, hoping to ride a bit faster or longer.  Or I am on my way to a meeting on my commuter, focused on the task awaiting me.  Just being, enjoying, taking in a lingering moment of beauty or enjoying what is at this moment right in front if me - these things all too often elude me.  I've got important things to do.

So, if I show up a bit late for a meeting or seemed to have lost an edge on a long ride, it might mean I've learned a few things from my dog.  Or it could just be an off day!

Cycling with Patience

Most cyclists have experienced it.  The driver in a rush who brushes too close, or who zooms around you only to make a right turn right in front of you causing you to hit the brakes, HARD.  And most of us have yelled at said drivers, either some expletive or a gentler rebuke (my favorite, "You Idiot!").  Impatient drivers are a danger to cyclists.

But we have a call to be patient cyclists as well.  Are we so inconvenienced if we have to use our brakes?  Do we need to get to the front of the traffic at a light by riding on the right of cars?  We have the option to practice Patient Cycling, and we'll be safer, and happier, if we do.

Impatience!  What is it anyway?  My best definition is that it is the irritation/anger that arises in us when others are not operating in a way that suits us best.  In cars it is the frustration with the person driving too slowly in front of us. In relationships it is the constant irritation with others who don't pay attention to our preferences.  In cycling it is the rush to judge, and condemn the way others are operating their vehicles.  If that is impatience, than patience is my decision to pay attention to, and adjust to, the preferences of those around me. It is not just to let perceived offences go, but to actively accommodate to the ways others might prefer.

In cycling, patience can mean slowing down, helping cars know when to pass, pulling to the left of the lane at a light so drivers can turn right on red, watching out for pedestrians, stopping at lights, not passing traffic on the right.  But the internal bit is to let go of our demand that everyone else around us adjust to our needs and ways.  And it might mean getting somewhere more slowly.  But we won't be as irritated, and drivers won't be as irritated and the world will be a bit more at peace.  Try it today.  I'm pretty bad at it myself, but hopefully getting better.

Commuting Does Note Equal Training

I've am now over 5 months into my year without a car.  Every day involves 12-25 miles of commuting around town on a heavy bike.  Its a great way to get in some exercise and an even better way to get around town!  But without some serious attention commuting can hurt serious training.
My legs are often tired from the commute and my motivation to get out on the road bike has been lacking.  A rigorous 60+ mile ride was a weekly routine 6 months ago but not even a possibility at my current state of conditioning.  The struggle is in finding the best times to get in longer, or even shorter/intense rides.  At one level it is also an issue of discipline.
So here is the thought - keep on commuting (not a choice) but add in one long ride on the weekend (building back up to 60+ miles) and one hour-long ride at a high tempo during the week.  I'll post later with any updates!

Check in at Seven Stars Cycling

After a productive few hours at the Blue Coffee Cafe I swung by Seven Stars Cycling to visit a bit with Adrian, the owner.  It was exciting to see the growth in his inventory of bikes.  More exciting was the fact that he was able to fix an ongoing issue with the Black Sheep Bike.
I highly recommend his shop which is located in the Motorco building across from Full Steam Brewery.  Be sure to check to hours of operation before going.  Adrian knows his way around bikes, even the 11 speed internal geared Alfine on my commuter.  And he's just fun to talk with about all things biking and Durham.  Its worth the trip if you don't live in the downtown area.

Of Bikes and Buses

We heard it again this week on the dukebike list serve.  A biker came close to being run over by a bus trying to pass but "having to pull over onto the biker" in order to miss oncoming traffic.  This seems to be an ongoing problem around here and, I imagine, elsewhere.  Buses are long and slow and often underestimate the speed of bikers and overestimate their ability to get around safely.  Then, with the prospect of a head-on, they crowd the biker off the road (or, if not skilled or paying close attention, under their wheels).

After such an encounter it is often impossible to get the bus driver to acknowledge any wrong-doing.  It is the bikers duty to stay out of the way!  This is not a tolerable situation, not at Duke, not in Durham and not anywhere.  Bikers have been injured and died and more will do so if things don't improve.

So I am wondering if anyone out there in bike/bus land has and leads on good educational material for bus drivers who drive in biking country.  Film or written materials would both be welcomed.  And I wonder if there is some good material for bikers who share the roads with buses.  We are ultimately responsible for our own safety and need to keep the peace with our bus drivers.  I have a couple of thoughts for "us" below.

• When I am being passed by a bus, I slow down, sometimes hitting my breaks just to let it get past quickly.  If they are underestimating my speed, then I am more safe if my speed matches my expectations.
• If I feel it is not safe for a bus to pass then I will take the lane and hold my left hand out with palm back to indicate for them to wait, then when safe I will pull right, slow down, and wave them around.
• Give encouragement to drivers who operate safely.  A friendly wave or mouthed "Thank you" can go a long way in creating a friendlier environment.
• Obey the rules of the road.  If the bus says "Don't Pass on Campus", then don't pass it, even on your bike.  Don't run along the right side of it when it is stopped at a light.  Be a part of the normal traffic and you will more likely be treated as such.

Others?

Riding in the Rain? No Sweat.

Its particularly tricky riding on rainy days, not just for safety reasons but also because of wetness.  You end up in a bit of a conundrum.  Do I layer up with warm clothes and a rain jacket and rain pants, thus arriving soaked from sweat?  Or do I leave off the rain clothes and arrive soaked from rain?  One solution is, of course, to spend a bundle on the perfect blend of rain protection and breathability, but I am a "heavy sweater" and not of the "dense pull-over knit" variety.  I'm not sure said "perfect blend" exists.  Goretex seems to be the best option but even it can be overcome by sweat.

I have found the most success by successive layering of clothes that have zippers.  Venting is key to sweat management, and zippers are the key to venting.  A layer of street clothes plus a zippered fleece plus a zippered rain jacket allows for all sorts of adjustments and can deliver you to your destination comfortably and only slightly damp.  As for rain pants, I have no idea.  Venting seems to be an insurmountable problem and I often just choose to get damp from the rain.  A heavy downpour might require protection, but otherwise  I just give in to the elements.  Of course it has not yet been 35F and raining.  Additionally it helps to just give yourself a bit more time and lower your exertion level.  Take your time and you'll sweat less.

Last bit - arriving wet is better than not arriving.  When pedaling in the rain, light yourself up just like you would at night.  Drivers will hit what they can not see.  Be seen, and enjoy the knowledge that those reports of a UFO flying close to the ground are evidence of your success.

Downtown in Durham

I've been doing some computer work from the comfortable confines of the Blue Coffee Cafe in downtown Durham.  Downtown is so easy by bike.  Its a short ride from Duke campus and there are no parking worries.  Blue Coffee has free wireless and great coffee which makes for a fine Monday morning.  And when I leave I always ride around first.  You can see more of a city in 20 minutes on a bike than you can see in 2 hours in a car (plus no one thinks you are cruising the streets looking for drugs!)  Who knows?  I might just see that perfect house that might pull us out of the periphery into the heart of the city.

Downtown also allows you to experience the best of Durham.  At the cafe there are lawyers, jurors on break, folks from Self Help, folks needing self help, and a mish-mash of interesting folks just enjoying pulse of the city.  Durham is friendly, convenient and fascinating.  And best enjoyed on two wheels.

Welcome to "Durham on 2 Wheels"

On June 20, 2011 my life took a big turn!  At the Durham "Tour de Fat" I traded in my tired old Toyota Corolla for a luscious new Black Sheep commuter bike and committed to a year of not driving for my personal transportation.   Life has been 2-wheeled ever since!  I am now completing my 5th month of Durham on 2 Wheels and am enjoying it more than ever.  I'll be posting here with stories of what Durham life can be like without the wall of steel and glass between me and the rest of the world!  Thanks for checking in!