Xtracycle … because you never know when you might leave home empty-handed and come back with a ladder.

My post office box and that of my employer are at a post office a couple miles from my house. The rain was pouring down (and still is), so I decided this would a perfect time to test my new rain gear.

Here’s the pre-ride photo:

Too cool to deal with, right?

I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts under my rain cape and rain pants, along with a pair of Keen sandals, a Walz cap and my helmet. I don’t own a helmet cover, although I may decide to get one.

Anyway, I cruised through the rain on The Packet Boat (my Xtracycle) with no trouble. The cape kept me relatively cool underneath as well as dry, and the pants did the same. Here’s the post-ride photo:

This, by the way, is the cover for the September issue of the Bicycling Magazine Doofuses Of The Road special issue.

And here’s the shirt I was wearing:

Thar he blows!

It’s a bit wet around the collar because I didn’t cinch the collar strap. And the wet spot near my stomach is from the cape brushing against me as I hung it up to dry, not from the rain getting through. My shorts were also dry.

Again, here are the links to the cape and the pants at bicycleclothing.com.

This afternoon, after a ride to Washington Park, I washed my bike. I don’t feel like my washing process is particularly sophisticated. I use dish soap and hot water, and a rag. I am always amazed at how filthy a bike can get in a few weeks. Not just the fenders, but spokes, brakes, and the rear quick release. Ew, gross.

While washing my bike I wondered if something like this would make a good fundraiser. You always see kids holding up signs that say “car wash” (usually in barely legible neon letters) trying to raise money for their sports teams. Would a “bike wash” make any money?

I’m heading to Voorheesville, NY, today for a poetry reading. It looks like it may rain, which is exciting. Why? Because for Father’s Day this year, my parents got me rain gear. I’ve never had any actual rain gear, which means one of two things has always happened to me when it’s rained, either:

1. I got wet.
2. I didn’t ride.

So today I’m hoping for rain. And in case you’re interested, I’ve got this rain cape and these rain pants. I’ll review them if it actually rains.

The other day I was complimented on my sneakers.

(Too bad we don’t have a “style” category.)

I see winter riding in three big areas: weather, darkness, and traction.

Weather. It’s cold. Dress warmly. The question I get most often is “aren’t you cold?” I reply that I have four layers on and they seem shocked, like it never occurred to them to dress appropriately. Sometimes thermal long-johns under my pants. Warm socks. I bought a little hat that fits under my helmet to keep my ears and head warm, and sometimes, when it’s really bad, I wear a fleece hood. I have some awesome lobster gloves that keep my hands warm. The thing to remember is that your body temperature will increase as you ride.

Snow? Or, in our case, rain? Waterproof clothing is the bomb. I was gifted a pair of waterproof overpants and they are perfect. They don’t have any kind of lining, they go on quickly over my pants, and they keep my pants from getting soaked. It is not fun to be cold and wet, and it’s worse when your wet clothing starts to freeze. This is the voice of experience talking, here.

The only thing I haven’t figured out how to beat, yet, is the wind.

Darkness. It’s dark on the ride in, and it’s really dark on the ride home. The answer? Lights. This winter I’ve been running three different lights on the back, one of which is on my messenger bag. They all flash different patterns. On the front I have two lights, one which flashes and one which is steady. And my monkeylectric lights.

I’m sure I look ridiculous. But at least drivers can see me. It’s so frustrating to see people riding around in black coats with no lights. I can’t even see them. Lights are cheap, people. Get some.

Traction. In the fall I ordered a wicked pair of studded tires, so I’ve been itching to use them all winter. They are really great… when there is snow and ice on the road. They dig right in and I’m not worried about sliding or spinning out, even when braking.

But all we’ve been getting is rain. Monday morning the “big snow storm” was all slush. Running the studded tires on bare pavement is a pain in the arse. They are heavy and slow. Climbing hills will kill you. And the studs are starting to show signs of wear. So it’s worth spending the time swapping them out.

I’ve enjoyed riding this winter. How’ve you been doing?

When my partner and I go on vacations, we always take Zoe (pictured above). We also always want to get out on our bikes. This presents a problem, because it is always too hot to leave her in our car, and the other campers wouldn’t appreciate our leaving her in our tent. We know that she would bark the whole time. Our previous solution has been doggie day care. but this year, I finally convinced her that we should get a doggie bike basket. If you want to bring your canine companion with you, this is a good solution for a small dog. (Zoe weighs 8 pounds.)

Tanya had her handlebars shortened in order to fit her better, so the basket only fits on my bike. It really didn’t slow me down much at all and I kept up with her pretty well, especially surprising since she’s generally faster than me. Zoe was unsure about it at first, but seemed to settle in pretty quickly.

So far, I’ve only taken it on bike trails and side streets. I would be hesitant to bike on a busy and/or hilly road with it, because the extra weight on the bars takes some getting used to, and I felt like it slowed my reaction time.

A great bonus is that it seems impossible for another rider to pass without smiling and saying, “Aawwwwww,” with the inflection rising at the end.

Way beyond my capabilities, but way cool.

Here’s my “vision.” The ABC website puts some useful content up there. Things like “how to ride safely” and “how to keep your bike from being stolen” and “how to buy a new bike.” Then they make up little cards and tags bike, like this.

On the last Critical Mass, I rode a bit with Rohan, who runs the ABC website. He agreed that they really need some content up there and offered to sign me up. I agreed. I haven’t heard anything. But seriously people. You can’t spend all your time and energy bitching at the government because they won’t make you a dedicated bike lane. You have to help people have fun riding their bikes.

BikeHacks has a bit about the Fibre Flare, which looks like a light saber for your bike.

And if that’s not enough of an eye-sore, how about making your WHOLE BIKE reflective? (Via Commute By Bike)

From the always delightful Yehuda Moon & The Kickstand Cyclery:

]]> http://www.rocbike.com/2009/01/09/commuting-gear/feed/ 1 http://www.rocbike.com/2009/01/09/rat-rod-bikes-2009-pin-up-calendar/ http://www.rocbike.com/2009/01/09/rat-rod-bikes-2009-pin-up-calendar/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:21:33 +0000 Joey Mac http://www.rocbike.com/?p=2300 12 sexy custom vintage bikes to drool over during the new year. My bike DevilWing was selected as Miss March. You know you want it!

http://www.cafepress.com/ratrodbikes.345663037

I’ve combined my love of bicycles with many things, but who’d have thought I could combine it with my 95-year-old-man fashion sense? But now my dream has come true:

That’s right, kids. It’s a bicycle bow tie from the fine folks at Beau Ties Ltd of Vermont. Perfect for that special someone who is … well … just me, I guess. And yes, you can also get it as a necktie, if you’re a wimp.

(Thanks, Paul)

Show us how you make your bike or yourself much more visible at night to the cars passing you and win a pair of the brand spankin’ new Bike to Work Pants from Cordarounds! These pants aren’t just stylish for work, they also keep you safe while riding your bike. Flip up the pant cuffs and pull out the pockets to instantly become more visible.

I need some UFO lighting…

Check it out.

Timbuk2 Messenger Bag. Cheap on eBay. Big enough for almost everything I need to carry on a day-to-day basis. Waterproof so my stuff stays dry. It’s got a stabilizer strap that keeps it from sliding all over the place. And a ton of pockets.

Park Tool Chain Scrubber. Seriously. Clean your chain the easy way.

Pull bars. Gives my hands another position on the handle bars to fight fatigue and cramping. Also a tremendous help accelerating at intersections.

Get anything recently that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments.

And this week, on my ride to yoga class, where I met my daughter, my new Ortlieb panniers managed the task of carrying our two yoga mats admirably.

I splurged on the panniers after I decided that an XtraCycle is not right for me, at this point. (Sorry, Jason!) An XtraCycle is great if you want to be able to give someone else a ride, but my 17 and 19-year olds aren’t likely to want to be seen on the back of their mom’s bike. And everyone else I might be traveling with would likely ride their own! So, I got the panniers instead; they hold plenty of groceries and are very easy to use. I recommend them if you’re in the market.

Bikes, chickens, and yoga…together here on RocBike.

It’s not rocket science, just a matter of using solvent (hopefully of the “green” variety, with citrus, etc.) to remove gunk and crud, followed by a temperature-appropriate lube. Some devotees remove their chains and bathe them in solvent, then use various secret potions on them. But mortals like me cut corners, simply to keep everything easy. And mostly it is.

But then comes winter, with beautiful snow that soon is “civilized” into dirt-packed browncake, and road salt that dissolves into amazingly persistent puddles of brine. And before you can say “relentless corrosion,” your bike is a mess that must quickly be dealt with.

What to do? I’ve only learned a few things by trial and error, but for what it’s worth, here’s my winter cleaning/maintenance routine:

First, I’m committed to washing off the machine every time it gets dirty – or even more often. This translates into a cleaning job after every ride, and occasionally a quick splash during the ride. The main thing is not to be afraid to apply clean water where needed. If you have a good quality machine (and especially if you’ve got alloy components, sealed bearings and other modern protective systems) it will take a good shower in stride.

I used to prop up my bike on end in the bathtub and then hose it down. This leaves much crap and oily residue in the tub, however, so I soon turned to method B: running the garden hose from my kitchen faucet out the front door and hosing the bike out on the lawn. (The exterior faucet is, of course, turned off for the winter to prevent pipe breakage.) Method B was less of a mess, but it still meant doing a multi-step operation.

Today I use the Lazy Man’s Shortcut: I prop the bike against the side of the house, then carry a large bucket (sometimes two) of warm tap water outside and carefully stream the water over all the dirty parts, including not just the drivetrain and associated frame sections, but also the brakes and brake pads and wheel rims. Generally there’s no need to wash the top half of the machine – unless you’ve gone insane and are riding without fenders, in which case there will be splash on practically everything, including yourself.
So that’s my method; I frankly don’t know if it’s the wisest way to cleanliness – could the volume/pressure of water cause more intrusion into the bearings, etc.? – but so far, so good. My bike continues to work just fine.

Of course, the re-lubrication step is important, too, especially regarding rust-prone parts like the chain. You can wipe the latter off with a rag or paper towel and then apply a very light oil with Teflon. (I’ve found that in winter, you do need oil to keep ahead of the rust – though oil does pick up road crud and frustrate your efforts to keep the drivetrain running smoothly.)

And where you store your bike in winter can be crucial. Granted, as a certifiable bike nut, I consider my machines to be fine sculptures and am convinced they grace my definitely-not-feng-shui’d living room. Guests often disagree. Maybe you have a partner or roommate who waxes homicidal at the thought of a bike indoors, even if housebroken (I mean the bike, not the roommate – or rather, as well as the roommate). But I would be remiss if I didn’t plead the case: a nice warm place inside is where your winterized bike belongs as a matter of natural right. If you keep it in a dank basement or garage or on the porch or out in the elements, both it and you will suffer.

There’s also the matter of defensive preparation. Steel frames, even good chromium-molybdenum alloy ones, can rust, and the worst rust grows from the inside out. But don’t despair. Just spray some light lube (even WD-40, which also works well on gear clusters/cassettes) inside the frame tubes, which you can access the interiors by removing the seat post and spraying downwards, or by unscrewing one or two bottle cage braze-on bolts and then inserting a slender tube (like the one that comes with a can of WD-40) in the holes and spraying inward for a few seconds.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that light oil can seep down into the bottom bracket and dissolve the vital grease therein; anyway, in general it’s a great idea to maintain a decent distance between light lubes and the heavy ones that are packed into bearings. But in practice, I’ve never had a problem with this – and I think that the key is to be moderate. Don’t try to float your frame in oil, on the inside or outside.

Friends of Walz Caps:

Things are busy here at Walz Caps headquarters and we wanted to let you in on our latest cycling cap creations. We had a lot of fun coming up with new cap colors and combinations for you to add to your collection. The new designs are just hitting our website and we wanted to let you know first.

Our popular ear flap cap is new and improved with a touch of elastic in the back to keep your ears warm on your cold winter rides. We added a ton of new colors and combinations to our ear flap, racing stripe, wool and cotton blend lines. Make sure you order your favorites before they are gone!

Walz Caps now offers two sizes so everyone can comfortably wear our caps. Our original size is now our Small/Medium and our new Large/Extra Large size works well for customers with larger heads or for those who prefer a roomier fit.

Stop by our website — www.walzcaps.com — and check out our latest additions to all of our cycling cap lines. Buy one for yourself or buy one for a friend. The holidays are just around the corner and a Walz Cap is on the top of every cyclist’s list.

As always, we appreciate your loyalty and your support of Walz Caps. Word of mouth is how we do our business and you are helping us by telling a friend, writing on your blogs or wearing your Walz Cap to cycling events and on the streets. Our number one priority is happy customers and when you tell a friend, we know that we are doing our job.

Jennifer and Michael Gilstrap
www.walzcaps.com

I wear a Walz cap every time I ride. They’re comfy and they look good. And they’re much sexier than helmet head! And when you look like me, you’ll take all the help you can get!

As an added bonus, they’re made right here in the USA by a family, and that means a lot to me.

So support domestic manufacturing and look good doing it. And tell ‘em RocBike.com sent you!

Ted in Missouri contacted me a while back because he was thinking of getting an old Motobecane Nomade and wanted to know what I thought of mine. I told him that I love mine. Here’s Ted’s new beauty:

Congrats, Ted!

• (a) it was on rails
• (b) a dream
• (c) a hot knife through butter
• (d) Dick Cheney’s man-sized safe
• (e) all of the above

I didn’t have anything else to buy, but I wanted to go pick up a surfboard and a mini fridge just to strap them onto The Packet and go!

Now I just need to rig up a passenger handlebar. Huzzah!

There’s also a photo gallery from today’s ride. All photos by Adam Durand:

Turn that frown upside-down: The Packet Boat (my new Xtracycle) is on the road! The folks at Full Moon Vista treated me extremely well, and I was able to afford the installation fee. Thanks to everyone at FMV for helping put my new bike together so well.

Downtown was barricaded today for the Columbus Day Parade. I took a smallpox-covered blanket and packed it in the big bags on the Packet and rode alongside the parade for a while. Several people stopped me to ask about the bike. Going up Main Street, I came upon RocBike’s own Jack Spula and organic farmer Elizabeth Henderson. Jack hopped on the back and we went for a quick spin down an alley. I was pretty wobbly — I don’t have much practice carrying 170 lbs on the back of a bike. (I hope it’s OK that I revealed that, Jack.) But we made it without injury. I rode with Jack and Elizabeth back to the South Wedge, visited some friends, and then headed home.

Once at home, I grabbed Bernie and his helmet, and we took off on the Packet for Park Ave and Abbot’s ice cream shop. A quick milkshake and cone later, we were off to see RocBike’s own Adam Durand, who will likely be Rochester’s second Xtracycle owner. Adam took some photos, so those will be up on the site later today. Adam also hopped on the back. It was wobbly until we got up past 11 or 12 mph, then it felt more stable. Adam can chime in with his own thoughts on the passenger experience. I’m sure as I get better at managing the weight, the ride will be a lot smoother.

The Packet rides like a dream. It corners extremely well, even with Bernie’s 40+ pounds on the back. Without any excess weight, it feels like a more stable version of a regular bike.

Simply put: I’m in love! Lots, lots, lots, lots (ad nauseum) more to come, I’m sure.

My Xtracycle conversion kit arrived today. Tomorrow, the fine folks at Full Moon Vista will be assembling it. On Friday, I’ll get paid and thus be able to pay the aforementioned fine folks at Full Moon Vista. Sport-utility cycling awaits!

…to my house!

I just got my new cycling cap from the fine folks at Walz Cycling Caps. It’s a family business and the caps are made by hand in the U.S. of A.

Please don’t let my appearance dissuade you from purchasing a cap. Wearing one won’t cause you to look like me.

My wife took one look at this cap and said, “You really need to see Breaking Away.”