Filed under: bicycling, bike safety, bike transportation, commute biking | Tags: road rage
Anyone who rides regularly for transportation knows what I’m talking about. After weeks of minor incidences with irresponsible, oblivious and aggressive drivers, a kind of cyclist’s “road rage” builds up. At some point during a ride the pot will inevitably boil over when a soccer mom cuts you off, pulls a u-turn without seeing you coming, or simply fails to look in your direction as she pulls out of the strip mall parking lot. That’s when you go balistic, stop your bike directly in front of her and start yelling and pointing like a maniac army sargeant.
Okay, gendering this scenario was unnecessary. The road rage I’m talking about is very general among bicycle commuters I know, men and women. Of course, I could have chosen a stereotyped male driver for this scenario, too.
I’ve noticed recently that this road rage is not a good thing. Moreover, it can be downright dangerous to let this anger build up in the first place. I began thinking about the dangers of bicyclist’s road rage when I exploded one day at a driver who honked impatiently simply because I took control of the lane (I had to take control of the lane in order to make the inappropriate left turn using a pedestrian cross walk ahead). I stopped my bike and placed it horizontally in the middle of the road, leaving her no option to pass and proceeded to give her a lecture on California bike law. She just stared in disbelief, gesturing “what’s up? Let’s go!”. But what if she had been more aggressive than that? What if she had decided to use her metal hulk to intimidate me?
The same day this occurred my wife told me about an incident of road rage on her part. I don’t recall the specifics, except that it was clear that she was venting an anger and tension that had been building over weeks of small incidents of inconsideration and worse on the same route. I’m sure that whatever it she did (I don’t recall) to vent her frustration likely put her at unnecessary further risk, as it did in my case to stop the bike in the middle of the road to give a fiery speech.
My concern with cyclist’s road rage extends beyond the moment of imprudent venting, however. After some consideration (in the saddle, of course), I’ve come to the conclusion that the anger and frustration alone poses a safety risk. When I allow a driver’s actions to disturb me, I become less focused on the next obstacle, the next driver, and the road ahead. Furthermore, I find them by becoming agitated, I’m less nimble and ready to react to whatever dangers may lie ahead. In other words, I’m still thinking about what that asshole just did to me back there instead of thinking about what lies ahead. And this is just the effect on my riding abilities without taking into consideration the highly imprudent acts of venting such as I described above. For this reason I’ve been experimenting with controlling my anger at drivers, staying calm and focused. A distinct advantage of staying calm is that I can continue to carefully observe egregious driver actions and learn from this how to ride more defensively, exposing myself less and less to driver foolishness.
Filed under: Uncategorized
I’ve had two good opportunities to try out my rain gear this week.
My “all wool” strategy worked very well on a commute where I spent a good thirty minutes or more in rain. I wore medium thickness wool socks (with biking sandals), wool underwear, wool tights, Icebreaker wool beanie, and an REI wool long sleeve crew neck shirt. For gloves I had the Descente Cold Front to keep me warm and dry. Still in experimentation mode, I brought along my Pearl Izumi water-resistant vest, my North Face rain shell, and a fleece jacket. After about 10 minutes in the rain I put on the fleece jacket. That lasted one or two long blocks before I felt way too warm. Took that off and decided to go with just the wool shirt and the Pearl Izumi vest to keep my torso a little more protected. I said to myself: let the rain soak my shirt and we’ll see how well this wool strategy works. And it does work.
Here’s why it works to go with only wool in the rain. The shirt does become wet, yes. But since I notice no change in temperature and continue to feel warm, there is no discomfort in letting the wool get wet. Of course I can feel the wetness, but only as a wet sensation on the skin, not as coldness or (worse) clammy. And my skin continues to breathe and feel just as if it were dry.
When I arrived at my destination it did not take long at all for the wool to dry out. Again, there was no discomfort wearing the same clothes for more than four hours before my return ride home.
Since it was very windy coming home I decided to try a different approach. Same wool shirt, but now with the waterproof North Face shell. When I arrived home ten miles later the inside of the shell and the shirt were completely soaked with sweat and although I was never cold, the sensation when I got off the bike was not pleasant. I was very relieved to strip the shell and shirt off and take a shower immediately.
Today I rode for about six hours continuously in the rain. I wore the thickest wool socks I could find (REI’s “expedition” weight), a polyester base layer shirt, light wool sweater over that, North Face rain shell, polyester wicking underwear, my Ibex wool + poly tights, Icebreaker beanie, Descente gloves. The gloves were fantastic. Although by the end of the ride they were completely soaked they miraculously maintained their warmth. The only time they revealed how disgustingly wet they were was in the act of taking them off or putting them on. Once in them again, however, they were fine. The socks with the sandals worked very well, too. I went through long puddles that completely soaked them but never once felt any discomfort. The tights were soaked but also held up pretty well considering the amount of water. The poly-wool blend in the front got a little cold and uncomfortable by the end, but the my backside stayed comfy. Again, the Icebreaker beanie was absolutely perfect. Stayed warm even through the wetness. Where I continued to have trouble is with my torso. The supposedly rain-proof shell got soaked and the poly baselayer shirt became less and less comfortable. I think that if I had had a light or mid-weight wool shirt on instead I would have been perfectly fine all the way to the end.
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Bianchi San Jose 2009 model
This is my daily use, utility and transport bike. I use it to commute to work (10 miles each way) every day, do my shopping, and for weekend bike rides on and off the pavement. To do all this, I wanted a bike that was smooth and comfortable for my 45 minute street rides twice a day, could take full-length fenders and racks, wider tires to handle the roadside debris and other shocks of the road, especially when weighted down with a lot of books, papers, food, and extra clothes. Most of what you see came with the bike. I changed the tires from the stock All-Terrainasaurus (too knobby, too much friction) to Continental Contact 700 x 32. I also put these Forté pedals on. They are platform for street shoes (good grip!) on one side and spd cleat compatible on the other side. I use both street shoes and clipless regularly and find both very comfortable. I added the rack that fits my Topeak bag and, of course, the lights. I also added both cages. In one cage I keep my tools and spare tube, but I’m thinking of getting a saddle/wedge bag for this purpose and carrying two water bottles as I sometimes run out of water, especially if I forget to refill before my return trip.
This is my first singlespeed bike. The hub can also be fitted for fixed-gear on the other side, becoming I guess what is called a “flip-flop” hub. I haven’t added the fixed-gear cog to the hub yet, although I am eager to try it and see what so many cyclists like about fixed-gear. I thought that singlespeed would take some time to get used to. Not at all. So far I’m extremely satisfied with the singlespeed and do not miss having more gears on my relatively flat commutes. When necessary I just stand up and pump.
The biggest advantage of singlespeed for my purposes, it seems, is that I don’t have to mess with tuning and am less likely to have any problems. That’s one thing that makes this more of a “utility bike” in the sense that my Dutch-bike-fan commentator emphasized. The wide tire capacity is another utilitarian element, as is the semi-upright position of the flat bars. This is also my first time with a bike that doesn’t use drop bars. I’m very comfortable with drop bars, having commuted with them (riding the brake lever rubbers) for at least a decade. I find that the flat bars put me in a similar position as drop bars but afford more visibility and greater ease of braking. Whether true or not, I feel that I can reach the brakes a touch faster and I feel that I am more alert to what is happening around me (not just in front).
This bike is wonderful and I’m quite satisfied. My criticisms so far are few. I’m a little disappointed with the “start speed” from stationary position (waiting at a red light) to moving. It takes me longer than I would like to get this bike moving and up to cruising speed. Secondly, it handles corners like an old, overweight dog: stiff, upright and cautious.
If I were to start over looking for a bike for the same functionality (daily commute, transport, and recreation), I’d look seriously at the Surly Cross Check and Surly Long Haul Trucker (touring); Specialized cross bikes; Trek cross bikes; IRO and Soma cross bikes; and perhaps a Redline singlespeed. If I had more money I’d also look at Gunnar and the Dutch luxury commuters by Koga-Miyata. If I had had more patience, I would have continued looking for a nice, older steel frame such as a Miyata, Bridgestone, Centurion, Fuji and others made in the 80s.
When you buy a car, no matter how old or cheap, you can be sure it will come with front and rear lights, rear view and side mirrors, a horn, a trunk, windshield wipers, bumpers, and some kind of internal temperature control and ventilation system, if not air conditioning. You can expect that the car will also have a key that locks the doors, providing some protection from theft.
When you buy a bike, new or used, it is rare that it comes with lights, lock, rack, horn or bell, mirror, fenders, mud flap, and certainly not wipers. You’re guaranteed a nice ventilation system, however!
Of course, there are some good reasons why bikes are generally not offered with any of these added conveniences and accessories. But there are some bad reasons, too. Eventually, I’ll get around to discussing both kinds of reasons.
Bicycle manufacturers, distributors and dealers do market bikes that they call “commuter” or “commute bikes”. These bikes are generally not suitable, however, for someone interested in bicycling for transportation. First of all, most of these “commute bikes” are made with inferior components and are simply not very reliable for everyday use. Secondly, although these bikes may have some nice bells and whistles appropriate for bicycle transportation, such as a chain guard, rack, bell, in some cases even lights, the bikes are often not equipped in an ideal manner for more than occasional, 20 minute rides. Here are a few of the things I’ve noticed about the so-called “commuter bikes” on the market.
- they are often heavy and slow, when the frames are steel, or light in ways that don’t handle well the bumps of the road when the frame is aluminum
- the saddles are often big and padded, designed to appeal to the rider seeking “comfort”. However, most riders who intend to stay in the saddle for more than 20 minutes per ride, twice a day, will find that these bigger, fatter, padded saddles are in fact LESS comfortable than a slimmer, harder seat. Furthermore, I’ve noticed that some of the cushioned saddles soak up water like a sponge when it rains. Can you imagine hopping on to your bike to ride home from work in the afternoon and being unpleasantly reminded of the fact that it rained for 2 hours between 1 and 3 pm that day.
- The upright position of many of the bikes that get the label “commute” is generally a good thing, I think. Being more upright allows you to be more alert to what’s going on around you on the road: other cars, obstacles on the road in front of you , etc. It’s a less aerodynamic position, but it also seems to be more relaxing for many riders than the drop bars of a traditional road bike. Moreover, rarely have I seen urban commuters actually use the lower portion of their drop bars while riding for transportation. In part this is because the more upright position of flat bars and other types of bars (moustache, for example) often allows easier and quicker access to the brakes, absolutely essential when riding in an urban or suburban context. For this reason, I think, most commute bikers that I see with traditional drop bars have their brakes hiked up high on the bars and ride the brake pads on top of the bars, ready at any moment to hit the brakes. This is how I rode for many years.
- Although I like the idea of a chain guard and some of the other built-in amenities of the fancier “commute bikes”, it seems that the disadvantage often is that one does not have easy access for repairs. Sort of like the new cars with their built-in computer systems, home (or on-the-road) repairs can be more difficult with a chain guard, a built-in light system or some of fancy gear and brake system that come with some of these bikes. On the other hand, it may be true that less is likely to go wrong and therefore less maintenance and repairs are needed.
- I must go back, however, to my first point: many of these bikes are just not very quick. I and just about everyone I’ve talked to who uses a bike for transportation more than, say 8 miles a day, appreciates being able to get some speed, accelerate quickly, and move along at a good clip. Most transportation bikers, I gather, want the exercise and the speed. They are generally not stopping to smell the roses while riding home from work, hungry and tired on a dark, wet autumn evening or hustling to get to a class or appointment 35 minutes away with a little extra time to towel off or change clothes where they arrive. This is, I believe, one of the main reasons why most bikes labeled as “commuters” are not appropriate to actual commuters. Yes, having the rack is nice, if not essential, but it is always possible to put a rack on any other kind of bike, even a racing bike without eyelets on the frame to attach a rack (my Bianchi Alfana road bike does not have anywhere to attach a rack except the seat post. For four years I transported every day a great many books, laptop, extra clothes and lunch on panniers attached to Topeak rack attached only to my seat post. Although not ideal, it certainly can work.)
The problem becomes clearer when we consider the alternatives to these so-called “commute bikes”. Currently, the market offers mostly aluminum frame bikes (of all sorts) mixed in with some steel frames and a great many high-performance carbon frames. We have mountain bikes of all levels and kinds, hybrid bikes (often similar to the “commute” bikes), entry-level road bikes and super high performance road bikes. I’ve even seen Raleigh make an attempt now to meet the growing fashion of “fixie” bikes by offering something between the kind of typical fixed-gear bike one sees on the streets of San Francisco and a bike set up for moderate-to-light transportation use. There are bikes for serious sport riders, for trail riders, for Sunday-in-the-park-with-the-family riders, for occasional errands (the “commute” bikes) and short, weekend rides on bike paths (the hybrids). There are what Craigslist sellers call “campus bikes”, cheap wheels that will get you from your dorm to the gym while carrying a backpack. The cyclocross bikes are apparently designed to be used on trails like mountain bikes as well as asphalt like a road bike. Then there are the single speeds and fixed gears that are often used by serious transportation bikers as well as bike-crazy recreationists and even as a simple, clean minimalist townie bike. I don’t want to forget the touring bikes: frames that are ready to take lots of weight and carry it over long hauls, keeping the rider fairly comfortable in the saddle over long distances and loaded-down.
Lots of bikes for lots of uses. What I don’t see, however, is a group of bikes ideally set up for serious day-to-day, year-round transportation: the bike that can replace the car in American urban and suburban life. Where is the bike that is fast, compact and dynamic, yet ready to take the kinds of loads and abuse of a touring bike? Quick yet stable, softening the bumps of the road? Designed for comfort over a period of 15 to 1.5 hours in the saddle several times a day? Designed to take full-size of groceries home at night, but quickly? Not so expensive that you would shed a tear when the frame gets scraped while riding the train or bus? Not so expensive that its glitter catches the eye of thieves like the smell of carrion for hyenas? Not so cheap that everyday use will push your luck and soon you will find yourself on the side of the road in the rain because some ridiculously cheap Made-in-China component has failed? Where is the frame that has clearance for fenders AND toe clips; designed to hold a sturdy rack and heavy bags AND reach high velocity; takes fat commute tires without sacrificing speed and agility?
In other words, the question that keeps coming up is: Why haven’t bicycle manufacturers and dealers responded to the need for good transportation bikes? Why do they make it so difficult for someone to get the essentials together for safe, comfortable but fast and firm transportation?
I’ll begin with a confession. Although I have been commuting by bike daily for over five years now, I still don’t know much about bikes. I’m determined, however, to get a better grasp on bicycle maintenance, understand better how bikes work, explore my options in terms of gear, clothing, and other accessories that may make year-round transportation biking safer, more convenient, comfortable, and efficient. Admittedly, I have a lot more questions than I do answers at this point. Hopefully there are folks out there who will notice this blog and weigh in. This blog is also my attempt to get more involved in biking transportation as a civic engagement, to understand what I can do as a citizen to improve the conditions for transportation biking and bikers, in my community of Sunnyvale, CA, or anywhere else for that matter.
