These are difficult, nerve-wracking times. Heated political dispute in the air and plenty of hardship on the ground. Lots of uncertainty, anger, fear, conflict.
Lately though, I’ve had a hard time being miserable. I just felt like writing about something that keeps it fun for me.
I mentioned good luck. Certainly it’s good luck these days to have a job, let alone the opportunity to bike to work. I’m triply lucky that my enlightened employer has a small workout room we can use to shower and change.
My ride is pretty short and easy. It’s only a couple miles, and the gross elevation change is maybe 200 feet. It goes very fast (especially downhill in the mornings when it’s cold). I lock the bike at a station near my house and take the train the rest of the way.
So for me it’s not really to save that much gas, and it really isn’t a big workout or anything. What really seems to make a difference is just getting outside and the pure fun of riding.
But even a short ride during rush hour has its perils, especially in the suburbs, where people aren’t used to seeing cyclists on the roads. Others may wish to add from their experience.
First, while there are bike lanes in some parts of my route, they tend to disappear when they get inconvenient for car traffic. And even bike lanes and wide shoulders in the suburbs can be a minefield. They aren’t cleaned regularly. Glass, whole bottles and cans, metal crash debris, storm water silt and leaves, neglected potholes, dead animals, and those annoying piles of over-spread road salt can be hazards.
The mindset in the burbs is all about facilitating high-speed car traffic. Bikes are an afterthought. In fact, our rail station doesn’t even have shoulders or bike lanes. So it’s either ride in the main lanes with the speeding buses and distracted drivers or yield to pedestrians on the narrow sidewalks.
I think all cyclists should pick their own safety system that they’re comfortable with. I prefer to ride in the traffic lanes with the cars and to cross with traffic at lights. Others use sidewalks and cross the busy multi-lane suburban speedways against the lights. There are pros and cons to both.
Either way, you have to remember that drivers aren’t looking for you. And even when they have their eyes on the road, distracted drivers will still sometimes look right through you. It’s best to pretend you are invisible. They are texting, swatting their kids in the back seat, talking to their boss on the phone, fiddling with their music players. Lots of drivers in work trucks have laptops on the seat beside them that they work on when driving or sitting at lights. They use GPS to get from job to job, which takes their eyes off the road. Ultimately, it’s all on the cyclist to stay safe.
In the suburbs, a 30 mph speed limit means drivers go 50 miles per hour on average. Even if you’re doing 20 on a bike, which is fast, a speeding bus or truck going past at 50 mph creates a shock wave and a wind wake that can throw you off line if you’re not paying attention. And that same bus will pull right in front you and come to a stop at the curb to let off a passenger. There’s often no alternative but to stop and wave nicely: "Good morning to you too, Mr. or Ms. Bus Driver -- Have a nice day!"
I find that morning drivers just speed. They often seem half asleep, rushing to work as if on autopilot. They don’t expect anything unusual in their path, and they always seem to be running late -- speeding around even in parking lots. As if getting to work 20 seconds sooner is really, really important.
Evening drivers I think are better, at least after 6pm. There seems to be a 6pm deadline at day care that can cause some really crazy driving in my area. But mostly by the time I’m getting off work, it’s after 7pm and much less hectic.
You do have to watch out for happy hour devotees, however. There’s a hotel in an office park that I cross that has a popular bar -- you can tell the happy hour drivers. I will come to a complete stop before I trust anyone coming out of that particular driveway, even if they make eye contact.
In fact, turning traffic is probably the biggest hazard on my route. People turning left in front of you, or coming out of driveways or intersections without looking. I find that the rolling right-turners on suburban multilane roads never, ever look for bikes (or pedestrians for that matter). Right turn exit lanes are the worst, especially at night.
Good lights (with new batteries) are essential. And please don’t cover up your reflectors! I’ve seen commuter bikes outfitted with briefcase racks on the back that completely obscure the rear-facing lights and reflectors.
But enough about safety. I’ve had several of my coworkers tell me they’d ride to work if only they could figure out the clothes.
I’ve always loved to ride on weekends, but had never really considered using my bike to get to work. I have to wear a business drone suit, so it seemed impractical to schlep clothes back and forth each day.
But with a little creativity, and slightly lowered sartorial standards, it seems to be working. I stash 4 or 5 suit or sport coats (for occasional meetings or events), a couple sweaters, a pair of shoes, and a belt at work. Each morning, I fold up a pair of pants and a shirt in the plastic from the dry cleaners and take them in my backpack (along with my laptop, dry riding clothes for the trip home if it’s cold, extra socks and so on).
After a while it gets to be a routine. A mental checklist helps. Pants, check. Shirt, check. Towel, check. Keys in left zipper pocket of windpants, wallet right pocket, check. A wise bike commuter once told me: "That day you forget pants... well, that will be a workday you won’t forget."
When it’s cold, I just layer up jerseys and I have a bright yellow lightweight rain jacket. (It’s one of those cheap ones that’s "breathable" ... only when unzipped.) But it folds up small when I don’t need it. An inexpensive neck gator is an awesome core warmer. Those thin stretchy skull caps cover your ears under your helmet. Good gloves are really worth it.
Perhaps the most important piece of biking equipment I bring each day is a folded paper towel. Nothing brings out the inner snot like a hard ride on a cold day, and tissue is too fragile inside a pocket. A paper towel allows a much-needed courtesy wipedown before getting on the train.
Of course, real cyclists would consider all this blather about caution and logistics to be pretty wimpy. But I’m old -- let’s just say my actuarial life expectancy at this point is lower than my attained age -- and I’m neither svelte nor particularly fit. I’m getting more absent minded with age. So I have to think about these things.
Next week’s weather is supposed to turn colder -- mornings in the low 20s farenheit, with pretty strong winds, but no rain or snow. I can’t wait to get on my bike tomorrow morning.
If these ramblings help persuade you to try riding to work, Godspeed! Please be careful and stay upright. And don’t forget pants.
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