Two Weeks to Go!

Two Saturdays from now the Tour de Fat returns to Durham.  It will be a fun, zany festival of all things motorless and two-wheeled.  For those who missed last year, the "Tour" can be described as "street theater", vaudeville, and festival all rolled into one.  It is most definitely a bike festival with beer, really good beer, on the side.  Its sponsored by the New Belgium Brewing Company which makes its signature Fat Tire Beer (hence the "Fat" in Tour de Fat).  The TDF raises money for local biking advocacy and development.  All the proceeds stay local.

They've changed things around this year so that the "Car for Bike Trader" (that would be me, last year) receives not a bike, but money to put together a tailor made commuter bike at a local bike store.  That way even more of the money stays local and you can design a commuter to suit your particular needs.  So put your name in the pot to give up the old gas guzzler (they sell it and donate the money locally) and commit to riding for a year on your new leg powered vehicle.

For a bit of fun tune in to NBC17 for My Carolina Today on Tuesday, June 19 at 11am.  I'll be doing a bit of an interview to talk about the Tour and the bike trade.  Fun!

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!

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!