The Power to Pedal

Cyclists can spend a lot of money and time talking about pedals. Do you go with clips, clip less, or just plain pedals? This particular rider started out like most, using the plain old pedals that came with the bike. Then, as I rode with some friends and read cycling articles, I realized that I "needed" some clip less pedals and cycling specific shoes with cleats. I got some for mountain biking, the SPD style. After a few falls, I finally got the hang of "clicking" in and out. After riding some more with groups and reading more articles, I realized that I needed road style pedals and cleats on my "road" bike. So, I bought some Look style pedals, cleats, and new shoes. These took a little more getting use to, making sure the cleat didn't miss the pedal while clicking in and have the foot slip completely off the pedal. I rode with these for a few years. They are OK on long rides on the road bike. But, I was finding it a bit cumbersome for commuting. It felt a bit overkill for a 6 mile ride. Plus, I was always wearing the road cycling shoes and needing to make sure I had regular work shoes at work. It also made it more difficult to make stops on the way home.
So, one day as I was servicing my regular commuter bike (the one with fenders and all the lights), I thought, why not just put the original old pedals back on this thing and try riding in sneakers or lightweight hiking shoes? The ride to work was great, could hardly tell any difference performance-wise. It was nice not needing to plan for extra shoes at work. Whatever I wore from home was fine. And that's the way the next 1600 miles have been pedaled since.
If you want another's perspective on plain old pedals vs. clip less pedals, check out this article on Rivendell Bicycle Works site: The Shoes Ruse

It Never Rains in SoCal

Except when it does...Monday brought us some cold, hard rain. The ride in was OK, and I found out that what is waterproof works well, what wasn't, didn't.
Here's what worked: Chrome messenger bag - waterproof inner liner. All my work clothes arrived nice and dry! Cheap rain jacket from Performance. It doesn't breathe, but the ride in was not long enough to overheat. My upper body stayed dry. Knee warmers - even though they got a little wet, still kept the knees warm.
What didn't work so well: Plain ol' cotton shorts. Should have worn cycling shorts this time, or water proof pants. Plain ol' shoes and socks. I underestimated how wet the shoes would get since I have fenders. The rain was just too much. Should wear baggies over the socks inside the shoes, or maybe even get some cheap galoshes for the short commute. Regular cycling gloves. The gloves were soaked by the time I got to work. Rear trunk. I had some spare gloves in the top compartment of my rear trunk. The rain soaked through and got those wet.
Luckily, I have an office where I can let stuff dry out. I used a small desk-top type fan to dry out the shoes. By the end of the day they were pretty much dry. I also used the fan to dry out the socks and gloves. A small fan or even a small heater with a fan set on low heat does a great job of drying out stuff.
The ride home was dry, but very gusty winds. For a moment I thought I was going to be blown off the road.
I would not want to ride in that type of weather every day, but once in a while it is fun, especially to see the looks on people's faces when they see that you rode to work in the torrential SoCal rains!

Rain, Wind, and Smiles

Yesterday's ride home was in the rain, with a very nice tailwind most of the way, and it was great! I was smiling the whole way home. Most people avoid the rain at all costs. Cycling in the rain can be an almost meditative experience. Having fenders and a jacket did help from getting soaked, but it really didn't matter. It was just so cool to be out experiencing nature.
If you've never ridden in the rain, give it a try. Ride on less-traveled roads and ride slow. Watch out for things that get really slippery when wet, like leaves, manhole covers, and paint on the street. You'll probably feel like a kid again. :-)

The Grocery Getting Challenge

Using your bike to get groceries can be a great way to reduce your car usage. If your grocery store is close by, the bike can save your car the wear and tear that comes from those short trips. There are many ways to haul stuff on a bike. I am in search of the best way to use my bike for this purpose. I have a rear rack with a rear trunk, which of course does not carry much. I just tried one of the grocery pannier that is designed to allow you to place a loaded paper or reusable bag in it. Unfortunately with my setup, the heel of my foot wsa hitting the pannier. There are rear racks made to set the pannier further back than normal to help with this. They are a bit pricey, however. So, I start adding up the cost of the new rear rack, a couple of grocery panniers, and I got to thinking that I am not too far from justifying the money for an Xtracycle. Well, at least the bare bones frame. Custom V racks and freeloader bags could be made at home, at least until some extra cash becomes available to purchase the complete freeloader package.
With the Xtracycle setup, I should easily be able to carry 4 fully loaded paper or reusable grocery bags, maybe more. Not to mention the ability to strap larger goods to the top (with my custom made snapdeck).
This is a fairly expensive solution, at least for me. But, the Xtracycle seems like it would offer so many possibilities on ways to carry stuff. If it can reduce the reliability on a car, it is certainly worth it. And yep, I did return the grocery pannier. Time to start saving the pennies.

Nutcase

Just discovered these guys who make some ultra cool looking helmets in Portland, OR.
http://www.nutcasehelmets.com
These helmets are more hip, incorporating cool graphics, for the casual and commuter/utilitarian cyclist. They don't have the "wanna-be-racer" look to them. Check 'em out!

Rockin It With Fenders

Sorry, this isn't a post for you music freaks...I'm not talkin' about rockin' with Fender guitars and amps here. :-)
This is about sporting some fenders on your bike for the winter riding. Around here winter is the rainy season. I have been using fenders on my general commuting bike for a few years, and they are one of the best pieces of cycling gear one can own. Even if you don't ride hard core in the rain, there are many days when you have the leftover standing water and wet streets to deal with. Just last night and this morning I rode through wet streets and puddles in parking lots. The fenders do a great job of keeping your feet and back dry, and helps to keep the drive-train on the bike clean from all the road gunk that the front tire can kick up. I got a pair of the Planet Bike Freddy Fenders, and they are great. These are a poly-plastic something or another, so they don't bend or rattle like metal ones can. It doesn't matter what brand you get, just get some! The better ones will cover more area of the tire, which means less spray on you and the bike. If you are a minimalist, you can get the quick attach kind, so that they can be easily removed when not needed. They generally don't offer as much coverage, but they are way better than nothing.

Carrying Stuff

ONE OF THE BIGGEST obstacles to overcome in transitioning from a typical recreational rider to a "serious" rider for transportation purposes is carrying "stuff". When you go out on a little weekend morning jaunt on the road bike, you really don't need more than a small under-the-saddle repair kit bag and some energy bars stuffed in your jersey pockets. But what do you do when you want to stop by the store on the way home and pick up a few groceries? When you start thinking about carrying things with your bike, "I can't" quickly comes to mind.

Well, there are options, many options. Here is where you make the leap of faith from weekend recreation rider to hard-core "get stuff done" rider.

One of the easiest, quickest, and cheapest options is to use a backpack. Most people already have one, even if it is nothing more than a cheap school or day pack. Throw it on and you can now make that stop by the grocery store for a few items. You can actually stop by the library and check out a few books. Ooo, you can even commute to work! Messenger bags are also common with hard-core cyclist. After all, messenger bags were invented by and for bike messengers.

The next option gets the burden off your body and puts it on the bike. A good start here is with an inexpensive rear rack for your bike. With a rack, you can strap on items with bungy cords, strap on an old milk crate, or buy bags made specifically to mount on the racks. These types of bags can be trunks or panniers. Trunks mount on top of the rack, panniers "hang" on the sides of the rack with hooks. These can let you you carry a change of clothes and lunch with you to work, or carry a few small items when you are out and about. Many touring cyclists go with some variation of panniers and trunks. One advantage of these over a backpack or messenger bag is that it gets the load off you back. You will be less sweaty, and some people just don't like the feel of the weight on their backs.

Another cheap option is a basket, usually mounted on the front. Baskets are good when you make a lot of short trips. You can just throw your items or bag into the basket and take off. Perfect for small grocery runs.

Now, these options are great for carrying small to moderate loads. But, what do you do when you need to carry a lot of stuff? This is when you leave the bike at home and fire up the SUV, right? Wrong! You don't need to if you have the right equipment.
In carrying larger loads, there are two main options. One invlolves a longer bike, and the other involves pulling the load.
Longer bikes are just that, taking a typical bike and extending the back end to accomodate more bags or racks to carry stuff. One of the pioneers with this is the Xtracycle. This comapany produces an aftermarket frame extension for your bike. It works on most mountain and road type bikes. It bolts on in place of your rear wheel, and your rear wheel in turn bolts to the rear of the extension. The kit comes with cables and a chain to extend your existing chain and cables so that everything still works as normal. In addition to the aftermarket add on, a few companies are now making a complete frame that essentially incorporate the Xtracycle design into the frame. They are commonly referred to as "longtail" bikes. With a setup like this, you can carry 4 (or more) full bags of groceries, large bags of pet food, lumber, another bike (yes, it can be done), or even a couple of passengers. This is a great setup for people who seem to always find themselves needing to carry a bunch of stuff. It's like a trailer that's always there.

Speaking of trailers, this is the next option for carry plenty of cargo. You have probably already seen the kid trailers, the ones that carry one or 2 kids. In addition to carrying kids, many of these trailers can also do double-duty to transport a fair amount of cargo. If the kids have outgrown the trailer, it may be able to be modified to carry more stuff. With some models, the seating area and cover can be removed and replaced with a flatbed, usually a piece of plywood, and then the cargo can be strapped on or a utility box or tote can be mounted to it. An advantage of using a tote is that your cargo can be placed inside it and kept out of sight and dry. There is even a company that makes a trailer designed around these types of containers. BicycleR evolution makes a couple of different models; The Shopper and the Heavy Duty Trailer. These are Rubber Maid totes on wheels. Here are a couple more sites that discuss the BicycleR evolution trailers - Jym's Trailer page and eBent Recumbent Cycling.

Going beyond modifying an existing kid's trailer, you can build your own from scratch. There are many designs out there, ranging from fairly easy bolt-together wood or metal to elaborate welded designs. Here are a couple of interesting designs that don't look too complicated to make. These are made from electrical conduit and require no welding. Small trailer and Big trailer.
Whatever you do, don't let the obstacle of carrying stuff get in your way of cycling. Use some creative imagination, and don't be afraid to sweat a little!