Tales from the Bike Lane 04

The weather outside is 30 degrees colder than last week. Consequently, I need to air the tires back up on my bike. It felt like riding through peanut butter this morning. Also, due to a headwind, I took a slightly different route to work this morning; more downhills. But that’s not what this post is about, it’s just context.

Would you drive a black car at night without putting headlights on? Would you ride a motorcycle without using the headlight in the morning? A truck?

This morning I was passed (embarassingly) by two different fellow commuters who were wearing all black, riding black bikes, without front blinkers, without ringing their bells. In fairness to me, one of them was riding an electric bike and the other was a flat-bar fixie guy who slowed up a whole bunch one he got past me.

Does this make sense to you? Being totally exposed to traffic on a bicycle, but nearly invisible to said traffic? It seems like a recipe for disaster, a gamble with your life, playing with fire, etc. One of the most harrowing moments I’ve ever experienced as a car driver was watching another driver smash into a bike rider and lay him out flat; he was riding a black bike and wearing black clothes.

I will NEVER ride without bright colors and blinkers, would you?

either way,

Move More

Eat Better

Get out and Ride

Tales from the Bike Lane 05

Commuting in all seasons has challenges aplenty. First and foremost on my list is taking care of my tires. Namely, putting the right amount of air in them.

Last winter I was thoroughly displeased with my bike, as the temperature went down from idyllic fall temps to frigid (mostly below freezing) temps, it got slower and slower. I thought that I needed new wheels a drive-train overhaul, and cybernetic quads. I began spending my entire commute in 1st (low) gear, and found that I was dreading every ride. As the winter went on, I became more displeased and I thought that my bike was junk.

Then, one fateful day, I decided that even though the road bike tires still weren’t squishing under me, I’d pump them up anyway. It seemed like a logical regular maintenance thing to do. I didn’t have a tire pressure gauge, so I went for “hard as rocks”.

To my shock, the bike suddenly wasn’t junk anymore, rode fast and easy, and didn’t require that I sweat it out in first gear. No drivetrain overhaul needed, no junking, no hurling into the sun. Just air up the stupid tires.

I, as a nearly lifelong commuter on a MTB, had forgotten that road bike tires operate at much higher pressures and are thusly more susceptible to act differently when the air temp drops below freezing.

Pay attention to your gear. Do the maintenance early. Trust, but verify.

Move more, Eat better

Get out and ride.

P.s. This winter I have, so far, remembered to keep my tires aired up.

This Year’s Journey, So Far

This year, I decided to simply continue trying to continue to move more and eat better. Back on January 1st, on that cold day, I set a mileage goal and a weight-loss goal. Those two metrics, I thought, would be great indicators of forward progress in my want/need to feel better and extinguish health concerns. A new-year’s resolution, we could call it.

Last year, I rode 1250 miles; this year I set the goal of 1500miles, or 4.1 miles a day everyday. Last year I moved from 240 to 230 lbs, so this year I wanted to work from 230 to 210. Optimistic, to be sure, but no goal worth reaching for is achieved in the first five minutes.

See Below for charts of my progress so far. The red line shows what 4.1 miles a day for 365 days would look like. The straight line on the weight chart shows trends, not goal.

I’m 4lbs and 200 miles away from my goal.

Do you think I’ll make it? Stay tuned.

Move more

Eat Better

Get out and Ride