Since the weather is so beautiful today, I decided it was a good day to do a test run for Bike Week. I needed to familiarize myself with the route a little better, and what better day to do it than mid-60s and mostly sunny?
I’m not going to lie – the hills are going to be difficult. There is a silver lining to it, though. The more times I ride the route, the easier the hills are going to become. The feeling of progress is worth the effort. I’m one of those people that hates exercising unless I can feel it doing something, and riding up those hills I can -certainly- feel it doing something. The nice part about riding is that there’s a constant breeze, so you never really get overheated on short rides like this (my ride to work is just about 3.25 miles).
Since I was headed to work, I had to bring with me normal shoes since I ride with bike shoes and eggbeater pedals. For riding to work, the shoes and pedals probably aren’t a necessity, but since it’s what I already had on my bike, it’s what I ride with. It is possible to ride eggbeaters with normal shoes, it just takes a little more work to keep your feet on the pedals. For short trips, flat pedals will work just fine! To carry my things with me (phone, keys, wallet, etc.), I use my messenger bag, and it works great. It’s also water-proof for those days that might not be so accommodating weather-wise, and I tend to carry it when I’m not riding since it’s a darn comfortable bag. There are a lot of different messenger bags, and most are water-proof. Check out any of the Bike Week sponsor stores for a wide selection of options.(Links here, scroll down to the bottom)
So what if it does rain on your way to work? Well, fenders are a good start. They’ll not only protect you and your clothes from splash-up, they’ll also help keep your bike clean of mud from the road. There are different types of fenders, and this article does a pretty good job of explaining the differences. A good rain jacket is also key, and a water-proof bag like I mentioned above. If you don’t have a water-proof bag, you could get a rain jacket that’s a few sizes too big and wear it over you and your bag. Sliding on some water-proof pants over your own pants will keep your bottom half dry, although the fenders should keep most of it from splashing up on you. It’s a trial and error process – decide what works for you and a ride to work in the rain won’t be so bad! As a disclaimer, though, if the rain is pouring down and visibility is bad, it may not be safe to ride. It is important to use your judgment to decide whether riding is a good idea or not.
Here’s a quick checklist of things to have with you on every ride, whether it’s raining or not:
-spare tube/patch kit in case of a flat
-small air pump (mine fastens right to the frame of my bike)
-a bike lock
-headlight and taillight (Cateye is a personal favorite)
-proper fitting helmet (any local bike store will help with fitting)
All of this I keep in my bag so it’s ready to go whenever I’m ready to ride.
That’s a good list of starters, and the route really does make or break your commute. A test run is a great idea; I usually advise trying it when traffic is at a lull, but it doesn’t matter too much as long as you’re comfortable with the traffic.
Your commute sounds like the dream bike commute. Close enough to only add a few minutes to your commute. Looking forward to your posts during bike week.
–Noah
All your ducks are lined up, the test run is complete and I’m sure you have found that there is nothing to this commuting thing. “Piece O Cake”, as they say.
I’ll be drafting you from Cape Cod, keeping tabs on your bike to work adventures.
Have fun
Looking forward to some updates. Are you going to be doing a series on-air?