Which commuting bike?

When I rode to work or to the train station in London, I would always use the Fahrrad - my German city bike with fenders, rack, 7 speed hub gear, dynamo-powered lights, chain guard, and upright bars. I used this bike for most utility trips, actually (as opposed to exercise or distance).

It was the perfect bike for this sort of thing. Very upright, so I could see everywhere and all could see me. It was easy to ride and very stable with or without a load. I had the child seat on that bike, and it was also very easy to take Gemma wherever.

When I first started riding it, the biggest revelation was that I felt like I was really part of the world during my journeys - I was really in touch with my surroundings, and I could stop quite easily, lock up, and investigate a shop, take a break, or whatever. I almost always dressed in normal street clothes, so I didn't have to worry about being dressed inappropriately or bringing a change of clothes.

So when I started riding to work here in Boston, I started with the Fahrrad once again. I didn't quite know how to pack proper work attire, and I was afraid my Thorn would get stolen, so I assumed that I'd just use the Fahrrad like before. I wouldn't have to change clothes, and the bike is pretty unappealling to thieves.

After my first couple tries, it was apparent that this wasn't the ideal solution. For all of its stability and smoothness on the flat, the bike really isn't designed for big hills - it's heavy, upright, and the gearing is pretty high. Which was a problem because I live on top of one of the biggest hills around. And since I wasn't in particularly good shape at that point, this was especially daunting. Also, my commute in London was usually 4 or 5 miles, and here, it's 9 or 10, depending on my route. So the ride rally tired me out, especially on returning home. This also meant that I got sweatier than expected, so I started wishing for a shower and change of clothes.

Then I started riding in on my Thorn, and that's worked really well. It's much more comfortable than the Fahrrad (owing to a better long-distance position, a more forgiving frame and more voluminous tires, I think). I've also attached a hard-shell box on top of the rear rack, which works great for bringing a change of clothes. I've also largely stopped worrying about theft, thanks to a variety of locks and judicious choice of lockup spots. But I really do feel like I need to ride in proper cycling clothes because there's grease to contend with, I do get the odd bit of water splashing up, and my Brooks saddle could potentially discolor light-colored trousers.

So when I had a meeting in Allston yesterday, I dusted off the Fahrrad and rode it in all my business finery. It worked just fine, of course, but I was really surprised at the unforgiving ride, especially over the very poor road conditions. On the way home, I managed to cruise up our hill without too much trouble, though I must admit that I did think about walking at a couple of the steeper points.

This got me thinking about whether there's a better bike for me to commute on. Maybe something a little lighter than both, with drop bars and a rack, a regular transmission (not a hub gear like both of my other bikes), and fenders. Maybe a Surley? Not too sexy, though. I saw a beautiful refurbed Vitus in black and polished aluminium at Alewife today. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled.

New-old saddle bag

New-old saddle bag
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Very nice 26-mile ride yesterday (Sunday). Did the easy loop up to Carlisle, to Concord, and home. Lots more work than I'd expected, though, due to strong, cold headwinds for much of the ride.

As usual before a short-ish ride like this, I struggled with choosing the right bag to bring. I didn't want a pannier or even my Carradice Barley (both too big, and the Barley is a pain to attach).

So then it occurred to me that the early 80s Schwinn I found at a yard sale last hear had this Cannondale bag on it. I dug my way into the bike garage and found it - perfect! Just the right size for a cable lock, some snacks, tube & patch kit, and a little camera.

It's a nice glimpse into the early days of Cannondale, when it subsisted on bike luggage, all products had train-themed names, and the logo depcited a little train station (I believe the company was named after the Metro North station in CT that served its original HQ).

Good natured motorcycle cop

On Charles Street this morning, was spinning along after a very pleasant ride along the Esplanade and came to a red light. It's a light that I sometimes slow and go through if there's no one around. But today, there was a motorcycle cop coming in from the right, and I was all the way to the right on Charles Street, so he was quite close.

He said to me "I'm goin right theah," indicating that he intended to park his motorbike where I was waiting. So I said "So you won't arrest me for running this light, then?"

"No way!" he said, smiling. So I cruised on through and he pulled into my spot.

It's not the first time I've been encouraged to run a light by a Boston cop, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Snowy commute today

Snowy commute on Boston Common
Originally uploaded by ahconway

It was snowing and low-20s when I left the house this morning, which made the commute a little treacherous! I used main roads for the best surface possible, but that also meant that there was lots of slush to contend with, which ended up freezing on the bike. Not ideal to have icy rims and brakes, but I just had to pump the brakes regularly to keep them clear.
I was going to do the bike path, but it was completely covered with snow!
The only trouble was when I got to work and found that both my locks had frozen! I used my emergency lock while I ran upstairs to fill a jug with hot water, which did the trick. Of course, if it stays below freezing all day, I'll probably have to do the same at the end of the day. I ran into the building super on the way in, and he recommended that I get a spray can of de-icer. Probably not the most sustainable solution, but that may be preferable to having no locks!

Why do I commute by bike?

There's a nice little (unscientific) survey about commuting to work on Kent's blog. I've replied... nothing groundbreaking, though.

See http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-do-you-commute-by-bicycle.html

Second thoughts about tires

My Finnish tires turned up sure enough, and they seem very nice indeed. I can see how they'd be very useful for lots of riding over lots of consistently grisly, frozen terrain.

But as rough as Somerville Ave is these days, I don't think that warrants switching to studded snow tires.

So I blew $100 for nuthin... wouldn't be the first time.

I rode to work this morning, and despite a temperature in the teens and remnants of 10 inches of snow from a few days ago, I was still fine with my Panaracers. A little extra vigilance is the important thing.

Yesterday I brought the bike inside and spent an hour or so cleaning the drivetrain. I did a pretty thorough job on the chain, chainring, and rear sprocket, using various Pedro's cleaning supplies and a couple Clorox wipes. Ran very smoothly today.

New winter tires on the way!

After a couple scary moments on the road and hearing some VERY scary tales on various bikey lists, I've decided to get some proper winter tires.

I based my decision on 3 sources: www.icebike.com, the Charles River Wheelmen list, and Peter White Cycles in New Hampshire, which seems to be the top source for winter biking stuff.

Icebike and Peter White's website both have a lot of info about studded tires, and consensus seems to be that Finnish Nokian is the best.  They do some very robust and quite spendy models that are designed for cross country riding in arctic conditions - clearly not what I need.

I first wanted to go with the Winter version of the venerable Schwalbe Marathon, but White's shop was sold out. Instead, I ordered a pair of Nokian A10s. Like the Marathons, they're designed for commuting, with intermittent ice and snow.

Of course, this will also be a good incentive for me to clean my drivetrain and rims when I do the switch!

I'll post again once I've got them fitted and logged a few miles.

Bad bike parking

Bad bike parking
Originally uploaded by ahconway

The locks I leave near the office were frozen solid today (drat!), so I locked up at a nearby office building. It's the HQ of one of Boston's most succesful companies. It's recently been refurbished resplendently. But despite the hundreds and hundreds of people who work there, bike parking has been relegated to a couple racks at the edge of the loading dock.

Bike path plowing works!

Bike path in the snow
Originally uploaded by ahconway

I rode in to work today, after yesterday's 12-ish inches of snow. I was going to ride the bike path, but then it occurred to me that there really wouldn't be anywhere for me to go after I got to Alewife...

But I did want to have a look at how the path looked after having been plowed. Here it is, just at Carberry's (now Java Somethingorother), and it looks pretty good! Just a fine dusting since it was plowed, but entirely rideable.

As was, it turned out, the rest of my usual route to work. Just required a little extra caution.

Happy New Year

I managed to ride exactly zero miles during the holidays owing to bad weather (tons of snow - bad for biking, anyway) and persistent mild sickness. But now it's the new year, and after a bout of single digits last week, things have milded up and it's quite nice for biking!

I got back in the saddle yesterday (Sunday) for a ride up to Carlisle. I just wanted to do a loop up around Great Brook Farm and back via Concord. Mission accomplished, but it was a tough one! The weather was nice, high 30s, and most of the snow was gone on the main roads, so riding was smooth. Surprisingly little traffic too, especially in the first couple hours before 10.

Once I got to Carlisle and turned off the main road to head through the State Park, though, it was a different story. The woodsy farmy scenery was beautiful, but the road surface was atrocious! It started a little slushy (causing me to have two near falls, putting a foot down each time), but after not too long, the entire surface was covered with varying thicknesses of packed snow and ice. To add to the treacherousness, the road was narrow and pretty hilly. Fine on the way up, scary on the way down. I finally got the hang of it, sticking to the bits where the sand was embedded in the surface, and managed to stay upright. It was slow going, though! Fortunately, almost no traffic for that bit.

I had another little hardship on the way home. As I left Concord, my energy was sapped. I wasn't going fast at all, but the lactic acid hit my thighs with a vengeance. I stopped and took out a rock-solid energy bar, which I muched on for a half hour or so. That helped for sure, but I never got back up to snuff; my ride up Park Ave to the water tower was just about the slowest I can remember - I usually even manage a better pace with the Christiania!

Nevertheless, I got 35 miles under my belt, and I added another 20 with my commute today. Now that the Charles River Wheelmen has an online mileage tracking tool, I'll be logging my miles every month, and I'm off to a pretty good start!

New waterproof gloves

Super Flex Best fisherman's glove
Originally uploaded by ahconway

It's miserable getting your nice warm gloves soaked through on your commute to work and having to ride home with cold gloves, still soaking.

Various bike store sales people have told me that "there's no such thing as waterproof". Fine. But could that really be true?

I couldn't imagine this to really be the case. So I asked one of my trusty email lists (internet-BOB) and got a range of replies from all over the world.

One kind soul who lives nearby emailed me off-list to say that he has a pair of completely waterproof fisherman's gloves that he'd sell me cheap. So we met in Davis Square this morning and did the deal. Had a very nice chat, too! Very likeable fellow.

The gloves (as this photo clearly shows) are utterly and completely waterproof, but perhaps not suited to stuffing cotton into little bottles and the like.

It was a great start to the day (which also happens to be a gorgeous 58 degrees!), after which I found a nice reflective trouser band in the street!

Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail

Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail
Originally uploaded by ahconway

Wonderful afternoon ride yesterday. I allowed myself 90 minutes during naptime, so I rode up the Minuteman path, then I took my first real forray up the Bedford Narrow Gauge Rail Trail. (The Friends of Bedford Depot Park publish a very nice, detailed guide to the trail.)

Not many people on either path, so it was really lovely. Lots of leaves, and I took care not to go slip-sliding away, but I never really lost my footing at any point.

The real surprise was the second path, which picks up very near the Bedford end of the Minuteman path, across Loomis Street. It even has a bit of the old track at the start. The surface starts fully paved, then it turns to packed gravel, much like many of the Sustrans routes in the UK. Again, lots of leaves, but the surface was generally very good, allowing me to truck along at 17mph for most of its length.

I turned around at Fawn Lake (which warrants further exploration another time), which turned out to be precisely 10 miles from home.

Old Thorny performed exceptionally as usual, reminding me that it really is worthy of the odd off-road adventure.

1000 miles since July

About 35 miles ago, my cyclometer ticked over 1000 miles! Doesn't qualify me for Paris-Brest-Paris, but still, it's probably a record for me for I don't know how long. As it gets colder, I wonder how I'll stay in shape.

It's a rainy day in Balamory

And Boston too. I briefly considered taking public transport in today, but changed my mind because it's supposed to be really nice later today, and I didn't want to get stuck on the T with viruses running rampant (everyone I know seems to be deathly ill right now).

I bundled up a little excessively, going with fleecy mid-layers instead of wool, because synthetics should dry out quicker. It was a light but steady rain all the way here, and I do think my Gore Tex outer layers let some water through. According to my queries at local bike shops and in email groups, the thing to do is to wash and dry all of it, which should rejuvinate everything. There's also a product called Nikwax, which lots of people like. I'll give it a go without first.

I took the scenic route today (bike path from Arlington to Cambridge via Alewife, then along the river), and made a big discovery on the top end. To get from Pleasant Street in Arlington to the bike path, I'd always gone all the way down to Mass Ave and then cut in at what used to be Carberry's bakery. But today it occurred to me to turn off Pleasant Street and follow signs to the Boys & Girl's club, then ride along the path by Spy Pond and join the bike path a little later. That's a much, much better route, allowing me to avoid the whole right turn on arrow only nonsense of that intersection and also cut out a goodly part of (un)Pleasant Street!

This was also a nice test today for my Ortlieb trunk box - it kept my change of clothes bone dry!

Biking into fall

Early November, and it's well and truly Autumn in Boston. Many of our trees are still green, others are completely naked, but most are a bit colorful and somewhere in between. The weather is finally perfectly chilly and clear by and large, with 30s in the morning and 40s-50s later on.

Perfect weather for biking, in other words! My birthday wool jersey is now a staple, and I can wear it almost everyday without getting all stinky (of course, I air it out at the office during the day and also overnight at home).  It's from Earth Wind & Rider. I also have a nice wool beanie from Kucharik, and I have some wool tights from them on the way.

Of course, the time change last week means that I'm riding in the dark a lot more, but it's not a big deal, really. I tend to keep to Mass Ave on the way home if it's really dark... for some reason I feel like that's going to be safer than heading up Broadway via Davis Square because there's MORE traffic and cars are necessarily slower. More bikers too. 

The nice thing is that, while I haven't really managed much weekend riding because there's just so much fun stuff to do with the family, I've been averaging three to four days of commuting by bike each week, putting my weekly mileage between 60 and 75 - not bad! 

I've also been thinking about how I'll keep in shape when the snow starts falling... should I try snow-shoeing or XC skiing? Jury's still out. Those would still be weekend pursuits, though, but I'm going to try walking to Alewife for my commute, which is about 3 miles each way, I think. And that should be much easier now that the bike path will be plowed, at least part of the time!

Ride Report - Pocket Rides Watertower Ride

Did a beautiful ride this morning from the Rubel Pocket Rides series. From "Beyond the Minuteman Bikeway, Bedford", no. 10 is "The Watertower Ride", featuring our own water tower here in Arlington Heights. It's listed as a 32-mile ride, but I cut a couple miles off by riding up the bike path to the Bedford end, where the ride officially starts.

On the bit that I cut out, there seems to be lots of twisty-turny-ness that I see little point to. Perhaps its a nice alternative to the bike path, which I guess could grow monotonous for some. The bike path was ideal for me when I set off around 6:30 since it wasn't quite light enough to see my queue sheet!

In any case, the weather was perfect early Autumn weather - leaves just beginning to fall, mid-40s and clear. The route is wonderful because it takes in beautiful countryside and also lots of genuine points of interest, like the Old North Bridge, Concord River (2 crossings), Walden Pond, and the Decordova museum. The other really nice thing about this ride is that it's easy to navigate - not more than 4 or so major turnings if you do it like I did.

A couple comments on the route:

1. When the map indicates turning on "River Street", it's actually "River Road" - when there so many possible permutations of streets, avenues, ways, and paths, it's important to get that right.
   
   
2. Heading into Belmont, there's a steep descent that the route description says is lots of fun, providing that you be prepared to stop at the bottom. In fact, it's quite a treacherous hill, particularly when the sun is coming up and the sun's in your eyes. While nearby Pleasant Street has been completely repaved, this bit hasn't been so lucky, and there are some VERY significant bumps on the way down. I hit a couple of them really hard and only quite managed to keep my hands on the bars because I was gripping them for dear life and not bothering to touch the brake levers. Which is why the sharp right-hand turn came as an unwelcome surprise and nearly sent me into oncoming traffic; there's also the possibility of going over the barrier on the other side if you really go wrong.

On the bright side, that little brush with my own mortality gave me the boost of adrenaline I needed to power back up the hill to the water tower before heading home.

Christiania on Cyclofiend

Cyclofiend is a fun site with pictures of people's bikes. Here's the entry about our Christiania.

http://www.cyclofiend.com/working/2007/wb067-andrewconway0907.html

Hub Stripping

I'm not sure where the name of this blog comes from, but it's a very interesting site nevertheless, all about internally-geared bike hubs. (Which describes the gearing all of my bikes - the Fahrrad Manufaktur, the Thorn Raven, and the Christiania trike). One very interesting recent post is about a new Rohloff hub with greater range, smaller size, and less weight.

http://hubstripping.wordpress.com

Stranded!

It's not as disasterous as all that, I just have a flat and no means to fix it.

I should have seen it coming. I've had a slow leak in front for weeks now, and it's only meant that I need to top up before I head out. Today, though, I thought I felt a little low but I set off regardless since I was running a little late.

But by the time I set off from South Street, it was pretty soft. I considered asking the gang of bike couriers I alway pass by at their financial district hangout if I could borrow a pump, but I didn't think it was a necessity then, and, sure, they're also pretty intimidating. Especially in large numbers, at leisure.

So I kept going. I bottomed out near Kendall Square, and I think I probably got a snake bite puncture, and from there, the end came swiftly.

I resolved to taking it on the Red Line to Alewife, locking up, taking a taxi, and returning with the car. But then Jim called and now the girls are coming to get me and the pizza I've ordered from Emma's' which I've alway wanted to try! I also squeezed in a quick beer at Tommy Doyle's' which certainly helps take some of the disaster out of it all.

Our Christiania trike

Here's our Christiania unladen. See more photos here.

Whenever we venture out in the Christiania trike, we get lots of stares and curious questioners. Here are answers to some of the questions we get most often.

Can I have a closer look?

Sure! Here's a bunch of photos. I'm happy to arrange to meet in Boston with anyone interested.

Did you make it yourself?

I'm afraid not. It was built by hand in Denmark by a small company called Christiania, after the commune settlement in Copenhagen where the company was founded (and based for a long time - but they've now moved, and the settlement is under threat from the government). See the Christiania Bikes website for more information (and some photos of us!) or this page for all the specs.

Is it safe?

I feel very safe riding it, and I have no reservations about riding with my two small daughters. The construction of the trike is very, very solid. The box is thick plywood, and the rest of the bike is steel, with very good quality components throughout. It has a coaster brake on the rear wheel and discs on the front wheels. There's a lap belt for older kids (like my 3 1/2 year old), and a three-point harness for younger kids (like my 14-month old) - these mechanisms probably aren't compliant with US safety standards, but I don't have any problem with them.

How much can you carry?

The other day, I popped into The Bike Stop on the bike path in Arlington and created a bit of sensation - and one one of the staff asked me to take his sister and her friend for a ride. Why not? When they emerged from the shop, it turned out that they were 7 and 9, and a little chubby... but we still had a nice ride and the bike handled perfectly well. The maximum weight recommended by Christiania is 100kg, or about 220lbs. I've carried all sorts of stuff, including children, dogs, groceries, rubbish, and a big portable PA system.

Is it hard to ride?

Not at all - once you get the hang of it. I would recommend some practice before taking on passengers. It can be tricky going round corners at speed, just because you have to lean into the corner to avoid flipping over (I've never flipped, but I've come close!)

What else can you do with a Christiania trike?

They aren't only good for schlepping kids around town, though they are great for that. Since they're all built to the customer's specifications, they can do lots of things, including carrying up to six kids, I think.

In London (and elsewhere), they're used in their purest form as courier and delivery bikes. The big box and 100kg capacity is definitely a couple steps above what your average courier on a fixed-gear bike can do!

This would also be the ideal vehicle (even in Boston with the harsh winters) as an alternative to a car. For journeys of six or seven miles, it's perfectly comfortable with any sort of load; I loved doing all the shopping in London with ours. And aside from the practical appeal, it makes a great statement!

Where can I get one?

If you're in Denmark, you'll have no problem, since you already see them everywhere. We bought ours in London, from the wonderful shop Velorution. They're very helpful, and they have all sorts of Euro utility bikes and elements of bike culture. If you're in the US, you're pretty much out of luck right now. Christiania does not export to the US, so the only way to get one over here is to buy in Europe and bring back as we did.

Having said that, I am considering importing Christiania trikes. If you might be interested in buying one, please post a comment.