Commuting Report: Week 1 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

10-03-2003, 07:40 PM

I just started commuting by bike to school. I thought I'd try posting a
weekly summary of my experiences, FWIW.

A bit of background. I'm commuting from home to the continuing ed
department of the University of Winnipeg. The route I take avoids major
arteries and is about 7.5 miles end to end. I recently bought a used
mountain bike for the commute as I really don't want to ride my good road
bike in the winter nor do I wish to park it unattended in downtown Winnipeg
for any length of time. I topped 40 this year and I need to lose some
weight (about 35lbs, give or take). I hope to cycle right through the
winter. That will depend on how the bike performs (it has a front fork
suspension system that some, but not all, advisors claim won't work in the
winter) and how well the city clears the roads I use (hard packed, rutted
snow probably will be no fun for cycling) - I'm not obsessed.

This week's results: I rode to class 4 times (nasty headache on Wednesday
sent me walking to the bus) for about 60 miles total distance. I'm taking
about 40 minutes each way, on average. Coldest ride: -6C including
windchill.

This week's observations:
Living west of the school is bad since prevailing winds almost always have a
western component. Minimum wind speed seems to occur about the time I ride
to class.

There are a lot more bicycle commuters in Winnipeg than I expected. I
wonder if they ride in the winter.

Pedestrians seem to have less sense when they see cyclists than do drivers.

Possession of a driver's licence guarantees neither intelligence nor common
sense.

--
Jeff Williams
To reply, swap the obvious bits in the
return address.

10-03-2003, 08:59 PM

In article <rqqfb.14310$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net>,
"Jeff Williams" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I just started commuting by bike to school. I thought I'd try posting a
> weekly summary of my experiences, FWIW.

> A bit of background. I'm commuting from home to the continuing ed
> department of the University of Winnipeg. The route I take avoids major
> arteries and is about 7.5 miles end to end. I recently bought a used
> mountain bike for the commute as I really don't want to ride my good road
> bike in the winter nor do I wish to park it unattended in downtown Winnipeg
> for any length of time. I topped 40 this year and I need to lose some
> weight (about 35lbs, give or take). I hope to cycle right through the
> winter. That will depend on how the bike performs (it has a front fork
> suspension system that some, but not all, advisors claim won't work in the
> winter) and how well the city clears the roads I use (hard packed, rutted
> snow probably will be no fun for cycling) - I'm not obsessed.

You're riding on city streets? The suspension fork will not do anything
important. If you're feeling mechanical, replace it with a rigid fork
for a small weight loss. You did already replace the knobby tires with
road tires, right?

As for the snow issues, how devoted to riding through the winter are
you? MEC sells a studded snow tire.

> This week's results: I rode to class 4 times (nasty headache on Wednesday
> sent me walking to the bus) for about 60 miles total distance. I'm taking
> about 40 minutes each way, on average. Coldest ride: -6C including
> windchill.

Congratulations!

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

10-03-2003, 09:27 PM

In article <rqqfb.14310$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].net>,
Jeff Williams <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I just started commuting by bike to school. I thought I'd try posting a
>weekly summary of my experiences, FWIW.

Hi Jeff. interesting, and good for you to get back into biking
at 40-something. Beware of those pedestrians! They do strange
things. You hollar 'passing on your Left' (like in Skiing), and
they turn around and see you and look at you and then back away
-to- the left. <g> I've now taken to hollaring 'BIKE!', and
then trying to avoid them. However where I ride we have free
range dogs, and dogs on leashes. ;-)

<snippage>
>This week's results: I rode to class 4 times (nasty headache on Wednesday
>sent me walking to the bus) for about 60 miles total distance. I'm taking
>about 40 minutes each way, on average. Coldest ride: -6C including
>windchill.

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Are you just wearing street clothes
and a coat and gloves, or do you use a ski mask?

[One suggestion. If you're trying to drop weight, you might
consider cutting back on dietary sugar and starch. Just before
the ride, you can eat a little carbs.]

Best,

-Badger

>This week's observations:
>Living west of the school is bad since prevailing winds almost always have a
>western component. Minimum wind speed seems to occur about the time I ride
>to class.
>
>There are a lot more bicycle commuters in Winnipeg than I expected. I
>wonder if they ride in the winter.
>
>Pedestrians seem to have less sense when they see cyclists than do drivers.
>
>Possession of a driver's licence guarantees neither intelligence nor common
>sense.
>
>--
>Jeff Williams
>To reply, swap the obvious bits in the
>return address.
>
>

--
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

10-03-2003, 09:33 PM

"Ryan Cousineau" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].ca...

> You're riding on city streets? The suspension fork will not do anything
> important. If you're feeling mechanical, replace it with a rigid fork
> for a small weight loss. You did already replace the knobby tires with
> road tires, right?

While I will agree with Ryan about the tires, whether or not you keep the
suspension is really up to you, the roads you ride, and where else you might
take your bike. I commuted on a full-suspension for several years for two
reasons: first, I only had space for one bike and two sets of wheels (one
with knobbies) meant I could prowl the streets during the week and bomb the
trails on the weekend. Second, the suspension really helped on a couple of
really bad segments of my ride. The roads there were nothing but patches
laid upon patches for blocks at a time. Suspension really made a huge
difference.

Whether or not your suspension will work in the cold depends on whether it
uses springs or elastomers. Elastomers will harden and become useless in the
winter. A good set of replacement springs will keep it going. You may also
have to use a lighter grease.

Enjoy the ride!

-Buck

10-03-2003, 09:46 PM

Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
: As for the snow issues, how devoted to riding through the winter are
: you? MEC sells a studded snow tire.

ryan, aren't studded snow tyres just a theoretical possibility to you?

winnipeg, minneapolis -- damn near the same thing. 'cept that i'm pretty
sure minneapolis is a part of ontario and not manitoba. brother, you don't
need studs, you don't even need wide tyres. you need spin and balance,
patience and a really good jacket. when you go down the snow is pretty soft.
riding in snow is an *enormous* amount of fun.

get good lights.
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

10-03-2003, 10:56 PM

>when you go down the snow is pretty soft.

When you go down on a frozen city street it ain't so pretty.

This happened to me last winter but all was cool, I ripped up
my leg but it wasn't terminal.

I'm in favor of big tires, slow speeds and low gears in these
situations.

And you might want to lower the seat, if I'd been able to dab
more effectively I probably wouldn't have crashed.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>cwhitman@texastwr.utaust in.edu__________

10-03-2003, 11:54 PM

In article <3f7e509d$0$41286$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com>,
David Reuteler <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:
>
> winnipeg, minneapolis -- damn near the same thing. 'cept that i'm pretty
> sure minneapolis is a part of ontario and not manitoba.

<grin> reminds me of the Rocky & Bullwinkle episode where
the residents of Frostbite Falls are so unproud of their city,
they're trying to push it onto the /other/ side of the border.

And meeting resistance as the other side pushes back.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

10-04-2003, 12:30 AM

Jeff Williams <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> winter. That will depend on how the bike performs (it has a front fork
> suspension system that some, but not all, advisors claim won't work in the

What do you mean by "won't work"? If it jams and stays fully extended
(like any cheap K-Mart suspension bike will eventually do) you've just
reverted back to a rigid fork. I doubt you'll miss your suspension when
riding on city roads.

(OTOH, if you ever ride on a bike path in the middle of January, with a
mixture of snow and ice that has been stepped on by hundreds of
pedestrians, you'll wish the whole bike was built out of shock
absorbers. <g>)

> winter) and how well the city clears the roads I use (hard packed, rutted
> snow probably will be no fun for cycling) - I'm not obsessed.

Hard packed snow, which is what you often see on residential roads, is
actually quite nice, almost as hard and smooth as the pavement. The
worst is the black glop you'll see on arterials, that mixture of snow,
salt and calcium that gets stuck under your fenders and can easily wipe
you out. In-between is the fresh snow, which doesn't pose a threat, but
can make every foot turn into a struggle. (Now you'll know what it
feels like to ride to school uphill both ways. <g>)

> This week's results: I rode to class 4 times (nasty headache on Wednesday
> sent me walking to the bus) for about 60 miles total distance. I'm taking
> about 40 minutes each way, on average. Coldest ride: -6C including
> windchill.

You'll find that since you're working out, you'll be warmer on the bike
than you would be on foot. It's your extremities, especially your
fingers, that will feel the cold first; make sure you have a pair of
warm gloves or mitts. (Lobster claws are a nice compromise.)

> Living west of the school is bad since prevailing winds almost always have a
> western component. Minimum wind speed seems to occur about the time I ride
> to class.

Think of it this way: would you rather face a headwind early in the
morning when it's colder, you're not completely awake, and you have a
schedule to keep? Or how about in the afternoon, when it's warmer, and
you can ride at a more leisurly pace?

> There are a lot more bicycle commuters in Winnipeg than I expected. I
> wonder if they ride in the winter.

I think you'll find, as I did, that you're never the only one.

Glad to see you're giving this a try. Don't rush in, and take your
time. When I started out (I commuted by bike year-round in 96-00), I
never set out to ride through the winter; I simply figured I'd stop when
it wasn't fun anymore.

Here's a few more thoughts from the top of my head:

* Check out <http://www.icebike.com>, lots of interesting info.

* Make a trip to your MEC store; they've got some winter cycling gear.
(Although they seem to be clearing out some of that stuff, don't know
why.) Ski clothing is also an interesting alternative.

* Don't count on that bike rack to be there all winter; it'll probably
be removed, or disappear under the snow. Don't wait to find out your
U-lock won't fit around that lamppost!

* If you leave your bike outside at night, never store it wet. There
will be a few times when it's +3 when you ride home, and it's -25 the
next morning. I learned this lesson the hard way.

* Ask if/when your LBS will close for winter. If they do, you might
want to get some spare parts; I went through my share of brake and
shift cables (and even housing). In a pinch, your Canadian Tire might
have some left, but they don't restock, so don't count on it.

* Don't get attached to you winter bike -- mine lasted two years on
average. When you throw it away, strip it bare. Trashed bikes are a
good source of spare parts, which are then useful when you're fixing
your new (used) winter bike.

* WD-40 is your friend. Your bike has lots of exposed mechanical parts
that are begging to just freeze solid. Not to mention your bike lock.
(Throw away the plastic frame mount for your lock; it'll break before
next spring.)

Take it one day at a time, and don't get discouraged. If you end up not
liking it, no harm done, but sometimes all you need is to take the bus
and give yourself a break today, and tomorrow you're back on the saddle.
And if it doesn't work out this winter, there's always next year.

Good luck!

--
Frederic Briere <*> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

=> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> IS NO MORE: <http://www.abacomsucks.com> <=

10-04-2003, 12:47 AM

Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca> wrote:
> for a small weight loss. You did already replace the knobby tires with
> road tires, right?

Won't he end up putting the knobbies back in a few weeks?

> As for the snow issues, how devoted to riding through the winter are
> you? MEC sells a studded snow tire.

Hey, thanks! I hadn't noticed that they did. (Never bothered looking
at their off-road selection.)

But as for the OP, if he's riding on city streets, I doubt he'll find
studded tires very useful. They're heavenly on ice (I once bought a
pair, and put them to use on a bike path that had turned into a skating
ring), but they can be quite annoying on the pavement, and they wear out
fast. Having two sets of wheels can be a solution, but unless you're
only swapping the front wheel (with a QR skewer on both), it's probably
too much of a hassle for the morning commuter.

--
Frederic Briere <*> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

=> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> IS NO MORE: <http://www.abacomsucks.com> <=

10-04-2003, 09:57 AM

In article <3f7e509d$0$41286$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com>,
David Reuteler <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> : As for the snow issues, how devoted to riding through the winter are
> : you? MEC sells a studded snow tire.
>
> ryan, aren't studded snow tyres just a theoretical possibility to you?

Basically, yes. I live next to a 1000' high "mountain", so I can ride up
to snow several times a year, and there are several ski hills within an
hour's ride of my house, but snow is something I would only get on my
commute route for a week or so during the winter.

> winnipeg, minneapolis -- damn near the same thing. 'cept that i'm pretty
> sure minneapolis is a part of ontario and not manitoba. brother, you don't
> need studs, you don't even need wide tyres. you need spin and balance,
> patience and a really good jacket. when you go down the snow is pretty soft.
> riding in snow is an *enormous* amount of fun.
>
> get good lights.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club