Rain Rain Do Your Worst

Well not your worst. Now that the weather has gotten a little cooler, biking into the office in the rain has gotten a little easier. It was cool enough this morning that I was able to wear my rain pants without bursting into flames. This means I didn't arrive at the office covered in mud and road dust. Yes I did sweat in the pants but with the temperature in the 50's it was a lot more manageable than road sludge.

Although it's not as bad as the last morning rain commute, my office still takes on a shanty-esque appeal on foul weather days. Thank god I'm the designer and everyone expects me to be a little strange.

Happy Thursday muthah fuggas!

How To Bike Commute In A Downpour or Swimming To Work

If you're anywhere near the east coast this morning and you rode your bike to work your workspace probably looks something like this.

When it's pouring out and it's still in the low 70's a rain jacket will only last a short time. Yes that first bite of cold rain in the morning sucks but if your wearing a rain jacket you'll be soaked with sweat after the first hill. I would usually rather be soaked with rain than sweat.

I spent a about 10 minutes in the parking garage drip-drying and wringing out socks and such. Then I proceeded into the office to begin the transformation from dirt bag who fell in the river to working professional type guy. Having a sink with a tall spout helps for cooling me down fast and rinsing the nasty out of my hair.

What also helps is an REI camp towel. They are highly absorbent, quick drying, and small enough that you can leave them in your bag year round and rarely notice them.

Once I've made myself all classy again I move into gear drying mode. There is NOTHING worse than having to put wet bike clothes on at the end of the day. I usually "borrow" additional fans from coworkers and set everything up to dry, checking the clothes throughout the day. Shoes take the longest to dry so I usually stuff them with paper towels to drastically reduce drying time.

Got any tips and tricks for commuting in the soaking rain?

PSA: How To Bike Commute On A 100+ Degree Day

I was going to post about my 4th of July road trip with the LHT but that'll wait until tomorrow. It was already 92 degrees when I biked in this morning and I think that warrants a public service announcement.

I think the most common question people have when they learn I commute by bike everyday is, "Do you have a shower at work?". It doesn't matter if we're talking summer heat or winter freeze, most people think that having a shower at work is the only way bike commuting can work. It dawned on my this morning while pushing through the heat that not having a shower in the office is stopping a lot of people from even considering the bike as a way to get to work.

I don't want a shower at work, it would make the process of biking to work longer and more tedious. Taking a shower is an important element of bike commuting in the summer heat but take it before the ride, not after. The best way I've found to manage the DC summer is to take a shower right before I leave the house.

If you are a burning hot when you get to work and take a quick shower odds are you'll start sweating again the second you step out to dry yourself off. Your sweat isn't what cools you down, it's that sweat evaporating that does the trick so when you get to work all sweaty find a fan, a big ass fan.

This BAF circulates the air in the parking garage under my building. It's never on but I can plug it in when I need it. Three minutes in front of this with my shirt held open cools me down enough to enter the building. If  I'm still hot after changing in the bathroom I head to my desk where i have a stick of deodorant and a small fan waiting. After about 10 minutes I have to turn the fan off because I get too cold. If you can't find a BAF try two small ones at your desk, you'll be surprised at how effective they are.

All that an no shower! It's a quick process and because I took a shower right before leaving the house I'm relatively clean.  

Another way to beat the heat is to wear sandals on your ride. Last fall I switched to platform pedals on the LHT (yeah you know me). In the winter I wear my boots, in the summer I've started wearing my Tevas. They're not ideal for long rides but they are fine for a commute and they keep my feet nice and cool.

Now I know that everybody's physiology is different, some of us are sweaty pigs that stink like a barnyard after a ride. Just give it a try, modify your routine until it works for you. Asking your coworkers to let you know if you smell of barnyard isn't a bad idea either.

Got a good hot weather commuting technique? Please share it with the rest of the class.

Now get out there and kick this Wednesday in the jimmy.


UPDATE:
PSA: Fighting The Funk

Talkin' Bout Mudflaps: DIY

Spinal Tap? Anyone?

I found out on a training ride the Continental Contact tires that come with the LHT (yeah you know me) spew out a ton of dust on dry dirt trails like the C&O Tow Path. After a 55 mile ride I was covered in dust and annoyance. After consulting with the LHT&CC google group I decided that a mudflap was just what I needed. However, for something so simple they can be pretty expensive, and I thought I could make one ten different ways out of stuff lying around the house. One way rose to the top, making one out of old mountain bike tubes and glue.

It was pretty simple, I cut open a tube and lay it flat cutting out two sections of similar length and gluing them together. I used one of those dual compound super glues and it seems to work fine. Once it was fully dry I cut the jagged messy edges off and it looked pretty good. Another option might be to use tire patch glue.

Next up, using my Dremel I drilled two small holes in the fender to attach the mudflap. I made the holes as small as I could and far enough from the edges that they wouldn't weaken the fender itself.

Finally I fastened the mudflap to the fender with a small zip tie. I made sure to face the mudflap outward so the curve of the tubes matched that of the tire.

After riding it in this morning I think I may add third or maybe even forth layer of rubber to stiffen the mudflap. It was flapping a bit at high speed.

UPDATE:

I added two more layers of rubber and it seems to work perfectly.

What did the hand say to the Monday?

SLAP!

Product Review: SKS Fenders

I picked up some SKS P45 fenders from Silver Cycles (LBS) for the LHT yesterday and I must say they are a pretty good solution. I researched several of the higher end, fancy pants fenders and figured I would try these first. They are cheap enough that I can always upgrade if I didn't like them. I also didn't want to mess around with drilling, measuring, and getting leather washers and the whole thing.

The biggest competition for the SKS are the Planet Bike fenders. I had these on the Cross Check and I liked them too. They are durable and the price is right but overall I am liking the SKS a lot more. The installation was easier than the Planet Bike fenders and took a lot less time.

I like the multi layer chromo plastic. The stripes gives some depth to the LHT. Time will tell if it can hold up to a beating.

I really like the Secu-Clips. The idea is that when a stick gets caught up in the fender the fender arms will pull out of the clip rather than the fender shattering or causing a wreck. Another use I found last night was that you can simply pull them out to put the bike on a fork mounted roof rack. When I put the LHT up on the rack the fender was hitting the tray blocking the fork frown lowering down to the fork mount. After popping out the arms from the clips there was no problem. Afterward I just popped them back into place and was ready to go.

During the installation of the front fender I realized that the black plastic tabs (guides) that hold the arm in place didn't allow for adjustment I took a knife and cut the plastic halfway up the arm. This kept the plastic on the ends of the arms keeping them safe from poking or snagging (and they look good). I know I could have just removed them but I'm lazy. I had no problem with the rear tabs, the fit was perfect.

The only other issue I had was that the directions provided were pretty vague and didn't specify which bolts went where. It's not rocket science though, I got through it.

Other than that that installation was very smooth. Over all the Planet Bike and the SKS fenders offer a great solution for an inexpensive easy to use fender. That said, having worked with both recently I would recommend the SKS.

This photo makes me very happy. An LHT in every kitchen!

Have a kick ass weekend.

UPDATE:
Adding a mudflap DIY

Shroom Hunting And Custom Headwear

Yesterday I took my daughter mushroom hunting. We stumbled around the woods for two hours with nothing to show for it so we cut our losses and went home. Later in the day when out walking with my wife we lucked upon these fresh morels! I sauteed these lovelies in butter, garlic, and parsley they tasted amazing. Even better when dried morels are $149.99 a pound and Whole Paycheck(Foods).

respec...

Morel Hunting Tips: 

  -  They are only around for a few weeks in April

  -  If you are in central eastern USA as I am look around under Tulip Poplars the morning after a rain

  -  Keep the mushrooms you find in a mesh bag with lots of air flow. NOT in a plastic bag as they will turn to mush pretty quickly.

  -  Know your false morels.

  -  For more info go here, 

On a less scrumptiously delicious note, my custom Walz cycling cap came in last week. "Large Marge Sent Me..." embroidered on the side as a nod to my faux bike shop design.

Monday Out...

Fear and Loathing in Sedona

Back from a stellar week in Sedona Arizona. A town full of incredible geologic formations, red dirt, kick ass mountain biking trails and a bunch of people like this, and this. I managed to break away from the daily spiritual enemas and the naked chakra braiding to have a little ride. I hopped over to the local bike shop and rented a Turner Flux and headed for the Templeton trail.

Having cracked the screen on my previous camera it has become a permanent resident of my camelback and can still take a pretty good pic.

The Turner handled well and was light enough, I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eatin' crackers. However, at the mid point of my out and back ride the chain snapped. Maybe the chain was too short, or maybe it was caught in a micro vortex of negative energy, this is another of life's great riddles which I am not meant to solve. Happily, another permanent resident of my camelback is a Park Chain Tool and a variety of extra chain links. A quick chain fix saved me from an afternoon of walking and dehydration.

Crisis Averted

There were a few sections there where I had to do some walking, I ain't too proud. Fast and flowing with lots of berms and jumps to get the heart pumping and a technical made this one of my better rides.

kick ass switchbacks!

Having been to Moab a few times I'm familiar with southwest riding but there is something pretty unique about Sedona. Maybe it's the laid back atmosphere, or the abundance of wildlife, or the positive attitude towards all things recreational, the bright green junipers against the deep red rocks, or perhaps it was the Ion Charging High Colonic Spiritual Irrigation Colon Cleansing Chrystal Energy Puffs I had for breakfast that morning. Another riddle left unsolved.

Work Space, The Final Frontier

Since the dawn of time man has been drawing lines across the earth, borders, if you will, that separate one space from another. Walls and fences that say Hey, this is my space, and in here I don't need any pants on! This quest rages onward in modern day in many different avenues. Be it a place to park your car or a little piece of the internet where you can blather away, we are all working to find that space for each part of our lives. For the cyclist, no space is more important than “Work Space”. A place to cram all those wonderful machines, tools and broken parts we wouldn't dare throw away. “Work Space” can take many different forms; from the bike stand in your bedroom and the sock drawer full of tools to the dedicated bay of your garage. My first workspace was in the garage of my parent’s house. From there I moved into a little apartment on 16^th street where my only bike had its place in the living room up against the bookshelf with a cardboard box of tools under the bed.

Over the years I have fought for many a work space. I have defended my humble plot from many threats, such as the wife who wanted to store my bikes in the crawl space or piled on top of the lawn mower in the tiny aluminum shed in the back yard. My wife and I and our four bikes just moved into a new house with a basement. The basement is small but it’s all mine. Perfecting the space is an ongoing process that may take years. I installed pegboard and shelves and lighting so far and with some effort I think I will be able to squeeze a few more bikes down there.

Cycle Jerk HQ

Here are a few tips if you have a space like mine:

Use the rafters
If you have an old house like mine you probably have a low ceiling with exposed beams. This is a perfect place to hang brushes, pumps and larger items.

Glass Jars
If you nail the lids of jelly jars into the rafters or under the stairs you can screw the jars up into them making perfect place for screws and bolts and all the small things that clutter up your workspace.

Custom Shaped Pegboard
You don't need a 4x6 section of wall for pegboard to be useful. Use whatever spare wall space you have and cut pegboard to fit it.

A Snot-Freezing Good Time

Those of us who are commuting through the winter engage in a daily balancing act: the balance between being freezing cold or burning hot. We are our own test pilots conducting thermal retention and aerodynamics tests on every ride. Here is my typical morning conundrum:

If it’s 24 degrees with no wind I can get away with shirt “A”, but if the wind is up I will need to wear arm warmers underneath. If it dips below 24 degrees when I get to the creek (which it will) I will need to put a skull cap over my balaclava. Yesterday I couldn’t feel my pinkies after the creek. When I climb the next hill my head may overheat and I'll get nauseous. Whatever, I will loose the skull cap and hammer at the creek to keep my heart rate up, then take it easy up the hill. But if I still have my arm warmers on at that point I may be soaked in sweat by the time I get to the office. How much of a shower can I get away with in the bathroom sink? That’s it! I am going to buy shirt “B” after work.

Does this sound familiar? This is just one aspect of the many elements that we test pilots have to consider before each ride.

Here are a few tips for winter commuters:
Will vary based on fitness and type of commute.

Seek the Flats
If possible find an alternate winter route that has the fewest hills. I know I know, where is the fun in that? When riding below the freezing mark it is important to maintain your body temp. If you are constantly climbing and descending your temp will fluctuate. Climbing will raise your temp like crazy when you are layered and you will be soaked in sweat just in time for that big cold descent. A flat ride gives you more control over you core temperate.

Lights Lights Lights
Embrace your inner Christmas tree. Multiple rear lights are a good thing. Put lights all over the place just be mindful of oncoming riders.

Be prepared to Escalate
Always carry your next layer in case you get into trouble. I have a rain jacket and Gore-Tex pants in a pannier for that “what if” moment. What if I get a flat and loose all my body heat while changing it? What if it gets really freakin cold? What if it starts to rain?

Stash Your Non-Cycling Clothes
Leave what you can at work. If you can get away with it designate a pair of “work shoes” that you leave at work. This way you won’t have to shuttle them back and forth. Also stashing an extra sweater or jacket in your desk is helpful when you have to leave the building during work hours. There is nothing like going to a work lunch with only your wind stopper shell to protect you.

Treat Yourself
When shopping for the ultimate winter protection splurging may be warranted. There is no substitute for being prepared in cold weather and just think of all the money you are saving on gas! That being said I got one of my favorite winter shirts for $12 bucks during a summer sale.

Ice is Dirty
If you ride in the snow, ice will accumulate on your bike. Mixing with all the mud salt and road crap it will become a nasty frozen stew. A stew that will melt all over the carpet the second you bring it indoors. This does not make for a happy HR department. Unless you have a safe place to let the bike drip dry you may need to bring a hard plastic bristle brush like a chain cleaning brush to remove the ice before entering the office.

Lastly, Don't Forget to Bring a Towel!

What are your favorite winter riding techniques?