| Re: Commutation
On 20 Nov 2006 14:49:17 -0800, "Corvus Corvax"
<corvuscorvax@yahoo.com> wrote:
>It's well into the cold and dark season here in the frozen north. I
>rolled out of my driveway today in weather a couple of degrees above
>freezing, with a stiff west wind and light snowfall. The climate in
>Buffalo is really wonderful... until the air gets colder than the lake.
>Then it goes totally to ****. Cold wind blowing over the warm lake
>picks up moisture and then dumps it on the lee shore, so that the
>climate suddenly turns Seattle-like until the real freeze hits, then
>it's all snow, all the time.
>
>I thought I would share my gear choices for commuting in such
>conditions:
>
>Bike: Surly Crosscheck fixed-gear (as usual). I move to the singlespeed
>MTB in the snow (if I'm still commuting, wuss bastard.)
>
>Tires: Panaracer Urbanmax 700x32c at 95 psi. Nice tires for slick, wet
>leaf-covered streets. The skinny roadie slicks are gone with the warm
>summer breezes. Plus, there is still debris everywhere from the
>disaster October snowstorm, so beefy tires are extra-important.
>
>Shoes: Diadora Bike Police shoes. Geeky, blocky, and they don't
>breathe. I HATE booties.
>
>Legs: Thigh-high Columbia wool/poly socks with Pearl Izumi tights over
>Pearl Isumi spandex shorts.
>
>Torso (inner): Performance merino wool jersey over a polyester T-shirt.
>
>Torso (outer): North Face Mountain gore-tex jacket. Overkill for
>above-freezing weather, but with the pit zips wide open, very
>comfortable and waterproof.
>
>Head: Performance earband, Smith Slider glasses (yellow lenses most of
>the time now). Giro helmet.
>
>Cargo Bag: Timbuk2 Dee Dog, now 7 years old, a venerable workhorse. I
>should get panniers, though.
>
>Rear Lighting: 7 LED light on the seatpost, set for solid light. 5 LED
>light on the Timbuk2, blinking. New for this year, bar-end LED
>blinkies. Cool!
>
>Front Lighting: Amber 3-LED (headtube), blinking. Niterider Headtrip
>(helmet). Ten watts of pure terror on the road. I've actually seen
>oncoming traffic pull over and stop when they see me coming. But then,
>Buffalo drivers aren't real smart, by and large. Some old **** in a BMW
>SUV started flashing his brights at me last night, so I just turned my
>head and nailed him with the full halogen beam. He looked terrified.
NICE!
>
>Let's be careful out there.
>
>CC
You too,
Bill
The First law, Inertia: Unless acted upon by an outside force,
a body at rest tends to stay at rest,
and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Sir Isaac Newton
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