Emily says there’s only two things to worry about when packing for camping trips: warmth and rain gear. As we get ready to bike the canal for three days starting tomorrow, she organizes her clothes into neat piles and readies the Zip-lock bags.
Whenever I’m listening to music I’m thinking, this would be a good soundtrack to the bike video I’ve never made… that I’m going to make… any day now. Seeing the d-i-y camera mount post the other day made me think I should actually dig out my gorilla pod from wherever it was hiding and make a video.
I wholeheartedly recommend the d-i-y method, but if you want a slightly more expensive alternative that works out of the box, I recommend the gorilla pod (depending on the size and the size of your camera the stability will vary.) I always tie my camera strap to the handle bars for extra insurance but haven’t had any problems with it coming off… it just jiggles a bit.
I went out and did a loop around the neighboring block with my camera in video mode to test it out. It went pretty well. I did speed it up, compressing the 22 minute ride into less than 3 minutes, so in case you weren’t sure, I’m not actually a bike racing superhero.
Handlebar Cam video from a loop around my block>>
I plan to do some video of my commute now that all I have to do is slide the camera into the gorilla pod mount quick release thingy.
I would just like to report that, in addition to RocBike’s rank in the top 50 at London Cyclist, my public service announcement has apparently worked.
My rides home over the past couple of weeks have been exceedingly pleasant.
I attribute it to the power of RocBike.
On Saturday I started riding toward Geneva. My goal was to end up at the Geneva Bicycle Center. I needed a spare tube but mostly I thought I needed someplace to ride, a destination. It’s about 14 miles away so there and back seemed like it would be a good ride. I passed Cress road and started thinking that I’d never been down it & wasn’t sure where it went, made a u-turn and was off on a little explore. I covered a lot of uncharted territory in empty space between Lyons, Newark, and Phelps, an area formerly thought to be occupied only by sea monsters and steep hills. It turns out that the steep hills part is correct but the sea monsters were actually just cows. Lots and lots of cows.
I never did make it to the bike shop. I just wandered the back roads for a couple of hours until I remembered how little breakfast I’d eaten then spent another 40 minutes singing to myself about my plans to eat a sandwich while I tried to find my way home.
I never love biking more than when I’m exploring new territory… and there’s so much unexplored territory right under my nose even though I’ve lived here forever… well, almost forever. What’s hiding down that side street that you just cruise by every day?
After skipping a week of bike commuting for reasons I have yet to reveal to myself, I’m back on board.
Of course, this morning didn’t go perfectly. I felt like I was going so slow. I was operating in easier gears than usual. I was fighting imaginary headwinds. Somehow despite all that I was the first person at the bus stop. I was still the only person there when the bus pulled up. Both racks on the front were taken already so I resigned myself to wrestling with the luggage compartment. It seemed to be stuck & I thought it was locked but somehow I got it open… as soon as it opened I realized that this was not in fact the luggage compartment but the access panel for the engine or some other important mechanical bus stuff. And now, it wouldn’t close.
I don’t know if I opened the wrong panel because I was so tired or because I was approaching it from an odd angle.
The bus driver got off and was asking me how I got it open in the first place. He couldn’t get it closed either. I tried to help but that seemed futile so I put my bike in the real luggage compartment and then went back to attempting to help the bus driver. Then another cyclist rode up. This guy gets off after me… so I hauled my bike back out of the luggage compartment so he could put his in first and then shoved it back in and somehow the three of us managed to close the access panel.
I felt pretty cool right then.
Other than the bus fiasco it was a beautiful ride. I saw a king bird and was noticing just how thick the grass is and how green everything is all of a sudden. I love that bike commuting gets me out in to the world earlier than I would even think of leaving the house if I didn’t have a bus to catch. It’s a whole different world out there at 6 a.m. The light changes dramatically as the seasons change but it’s always a quieter, crisper, world that early in the morning, and it feels like it’s all mine.
i have serious problems with ALOT of things,
one being the photo size selection on WP,
so to view pictures while I’m struggling on WP,
visit me @ Liberty on Bikes! .
SO BACK TO OUR TOPIC.
For those that are LCI certified, by-the-book cyclists,
I ‘m sorry to offend, but it’s something I naturally do….
There’s been alot of debate lately on every blog on:
cyclists running red lights,
cyclists running stop signs,
cyclists passing cars on the right at red lights
(which happens to be my everyday doing)
and cyclists needing to abide by all laws.
UMMMMMM, wait for it….
NO!
There I said it!
I’m not irresponsible,
and I certainly don’t advocate breaking laws,
or pose a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ rule.
I ADVOCATE ARRIVING TO HOME/WORK ALIVE!
And until motorists respect other roadway users,
I’ll ride on the offense.
Passing stopped cars on the right?
It’s safer for me to start the green light up front,
rather than be in the middle of rush hour traffic
trying to pass me while I start off ten cars behind.
When it’s bumper to bumper and at a stand still,
and there’s a wide shoulder onthe right?
SORRY! I’m gonna get on that and keep moving!
Who’s going to sit behind a tailpipe waiting in traffic?
You’re an angry motorist? Well then, get a bike!
Surprisingly, in town you can beat traffic!
Lastly:
- a bad cyclist will do less harm than a bad driver.
- since driver’s are unwilling to share the road, and
abide by the laws, I WILL DO WHATEVER I NEED TO
SURVIVE. The laws were not written for cyclists safety.
- If motorists want us to abide by ALL traffic laws,
THEN I’M TAKING THE WHOLE LANE LIKE A MOTORCYCLE!
oh wait, they don’t want THAT.
- So it’s a double standard? Yeah, I’m not buying what they’re selling.
This past Friday was Bike To Work Day and I got to pretend I was purposely recruiting other cyclists to bike commuting in honor of the day. In reality it just happened to work out that the person who has been saying to me “Yeah I’d really like to try that.” for, mmm, 2 years just happened to cave to my “How ’bout tomorrow? How ’bout Thursday then? Friday?”
She could do Friday. We agreed that I would get off the bus early and ride to meet her & her husband at Perinton park & we would all ride together from there. They showed me some crazy shortcuts through parking lots and nice wooded trails in East Rochester that would be useful to know but that I will never in a million years be able to remember. We got to work and she bought me a coffee and I saw a cockroach crawling through the hole of a blueberry bagel in the bakery case, not relevant to the story, except that I decided I didn’t want a bagel.
In late spring & summer we have half days on Fridays so we met up at the bike rack around 12:30 and after some lunch we biked over to Pittsford to pick up the canal trail. She rode with me well past her house. Once we got past the crowded parts of the towpath I got to try out her recumbent for a few miles. It took me a while to even get moving but once I got the hang of it, I was laughing like a maniac because I felt sort of like I was in Mario Kart and that someone would start shooting giant turtle shells at me, also I felt like it might flop over at any moment. It was very comfortable & fun & I would try it again. I don’t know what everybody’s got against recumbents except for the weird need to classify everyone as one kind of cyclist or another. I don’t think I’ll rush out to buy one though–I’m still happy with my current bike (mostly).
I’m not sure my friend is totally sold on bike commuting as a practical option. Historically she’s been more of a leisure time cyclist. She told me a couple of times that I needed gel shorts and cleats. I’m sure those things are awesome and maybe I would be able to ride my whole commute without bus assistance if I had them, but I like to being able to ride without a lot of specialized gear. Just get on the bike and go and be able to get off the bike and walk without a major wardrobe change. But then again maybe I’m doing that cyclist classification thing too.
Anyway, I know she had fun and she wants to do it again this Friday so maybe she’s sold after all.
Dear men-who-hang-out-near-the-underpass-on-the-trail-I-ride-home (and I don’t mean to be sexist, but you are always men),
1–Why do you hang out there? It’s stinky, full of broken glass, and creepy. Then again, maybe that’s why you hang out there.
2–How many of you are there? Although I have never seen any one individual more than once, and you are of different ages and races, I must assume that you all belong to the same tribe, as your behavior is unfailingly obnoxious, and at least 5 of you are there EVERY afternoon/evening when I bike home, regardless of the time.
3–I hate to be the one to break this to you, but…”Hey, baby, can I get a riiiide?” does not actually inspire women to cancel their plans for the evening, do a 180 on their bike, and jump your bones. (p.s. Nor is it particularly original.)
4–Whether out of aggressiveness or cluelessness, it’s just not charming when you hog the whole trail. Would it really kill you to move over, for just a second, so that I can pass?
5–I would like you to know that I plan to continue to take this route. For one thing, alternate routes involve alarming amounts of cars anxious to escape their work days and head home. For another, I don’t think you’re really dangerous…you just want to display your machismo so your buddies don’t notice your inadequacies.
Finally, you don’t get to hog the trail. I have just as much right to be there as you.
Sincerely,
Every-cyclist-(especially female)-that-passes-by-you
Last night I biked to the Sanctuary for Independent Media to catch “Two Wheels Good,” a bicycle movie celebration.
I showed up for the group ride. I watched the people coming and going on their boats.
Nobody showed up, so I took off on my own. It took me about 40 minutes to get there, and I felt like I was “booking.” The Corning Trail was like running a gauntlet of bugs. I couldn’t keep my head up because they’d get in my mouth, nose, and eyes. I could hear them pinging off my helmet, and feel them getting stuck in the hair on my arms. Ew.
The valet parking left a little to be desired. But then, maybe I was just too early. Still, it’s nice to see people’s bikes.
Troy Bicycle Rescue was raffling off this sweet cruiser bike.
Eventually the movies started. They were wonderful. There really was something for everyone. Monty Python. Footage of unicyclists in an ice race in Schenectady. A bit about not doping in bike racing. Women biking across the country, or cutting down mountain trails. DIY bike repair. Everything.
My favorite was “Ski Boys” by Benny Zenga. It made me want to be a kid again. You can watch that one here.
Then the ride home. I got stopped on 6th by some young guys who loved the MonkeyLectric lights on my bike. Perhaps it’s racist of me to say this, but white people do not appreciate the glory of LEDs that make a pattern when they spin around. I rode home alone. Going through Menands was wonderful. The traffic was light, the street lights were on. I just took the whole lane and sped along. I rode with no hands for blocks and blocks, my windbreaker flapping like a flag.
I splash through puddles
Gleefully the sun comes out
How we start the day
I’m now securely in “Old Guy” mode, ready to brag about the longevity of my beautiful old steed, the Miyata 618 tourer, circa 1988. Roger Levy at Freewheelers is getting hold of some fine replacement wheels that soon will grace the Miyata – and get me ready for a planned tour through NE Pennsylvania and Downstate NY (i.e. big hill country). The wheels now on the bike are 20 and 23 years old, respectively, and they’ve experienced too many ruts, potholes and cobblestones to recall, and without a broken spoke or rim, but not without a repairable dent or two. Still, I don’t feel confident enough that they’d hold up for another long, remote ride, so I’m shelling out for some nice lighter-weight newbies: 36-hole Alex rims with Quando hubs, etc. But actually, though all wheels are mortal, 20 years is only early middle age for a decent bike. It’s easy to forget, especially as one is bombarded with ads for the latest and greatest techno development (or more often, marketing ploy), just how good the touring bikes of the 1980s were – and remain. I’ve test-ridden some really fancy uprights and recumbents of recent vintage, but none is more pleasant and efficient than the ole 618, all things considered (especially real-world pavement conditions). It pays to stick with a good thing. But hey, if anybody wants to donate a Surly or Cannondale or Trek or Fuji or Rivendell tourer, etc., to yours truly, I won’t bar the door. One can’t have too many examples of this design, probably the best all-round bike configuration of our era.
Nice Day for a Bike Ride
(In 4 parts)
Ride to work
First day in the seat since my whiplash injury.
A few aches, but I’m feeling okay.
Ride home
Three teenage guys are blocking the path.
Two move, but one stays square in the middle and looks me right in the eyes.
I know a challenge when I see one,
and I’m not in the mood for it.
There’s room for me to pass, but barely.
As I pass, I sarcastically say, “thanks for moving.”
Not really smart.
But ignoring men who harass me gets old.
The guy mocks me, “thanks for moving.”
On a good day, I figure I can out-bike someone who’s bikeless.
But my first day in the seat, with an achy back, is not really my best day.
I’m a little concerned they’ll take chase.
I look in my rear view mirror. No sign of them.
I hear “Fuck you!” yelled at my back.
I want to flip them off, but I refrain.
I start to fume, reflecting on every rude act I’ve experienced or heard about over the past few weeks.
I’m pretty sure that the phrase, “Kids these days,” pops in my head.
As I near my home, I see a boy on his bike, meandering along the sidewalk.
He cheerfully yells out, “Hello!”
I say hello, though not so cheerfully.
Undaunted, he says, “Nice day for a bike ride!”
Smiling now, I say, “Yes, it is!”
Ride to yoga class
Feeling stronger now.
I come upon a couple of young boys on their bikes.
One says hello.
The other rides up alongside me.
I say, “are you gonna race me?”
He smiles and starts pedaling.
I shift my gears and start to pull ahead.
He says, “Oh, you’ve got gears, that’s why you’re faster.”
I smile and keep moving.
Ride home
Twilight.
Sounds of the neighborhood as I pass by.
Yep, nice day for a bike ride.
The Mobil station on New Scotland, near Academy, has Stella Artois. They do no have a bike rack. Or, really, anything suitable to lock one’s bike to. Except some pipes near the dumpster. Joy.
Seriously. How hard is it to put in a bike rack?
Marlene Heuer and Peter Lazarski are two of my favorite artists – you’ll see their work displayed prominently in my house – but on top of that, they share a 2 bike, 1 car household. We sat down to discuss their methods and experiences as utility cyclists, and their hopes for the future of bike commuting.
If you’re a Rochestarian you’ve probably already seen some of their work; Marlene posts her art at Mother Popcorn and Peter is over at But I’m a wizard!.
The RocBike Review #8: Profiles in Bike Commuting - Marlene Heuer and Peter Lazarski [20:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Sometimes the explosion of interest in bicycling actually saddens me. How so? How can a fanatic two-wheel advocate and activist feel or say anything negative about our beloved mode of transport, which is exceeded in holiness only by the canoe (only one moving part – and it doesn’t get any better than that)? Well, consider what many of our local brethren and sistren, as the late Molly Ivins would have called them, are up to.
An organized group of off-road cyclists, the product of years of passionate but disorganized efforts, seems determined to open a couple, and perhaps eventually all of the Monroe County Parks trails to “shared use” by mountain bikers. A draft Master Plan regarding the county parks around the rim of Irondequoit Bay is rapidly moving toward adoption – so rapidly as to arouse suspicions of insider influence. Among other things, the plan would legalize mountain biking, within stated limits, in Tryon and Irondequoit Bay West parks. I say “legalize” rather than “introduce” because rogue cyclists long ago invaded these and other county parks. I regularly see these “enthusiasts” in Highland, the most urban park in the system, where I’ve come close to being run over by off-trail slalom freaks. And just last week, on one of my regular strolls there, I paused to tamp down a gash left in the wet soil of the Pinetum by a lugged tire powered by some Lug Nut. And as for Tryon Park – why, to hike there is to enter a laboratory of off-road-bike-wrought destruction.
Well, my purpose here isn’t to rant, though a little bit of that feels mighty good. No, I want to enlist bicyclists of conscience in an environmentalist campaign to limit mountain biking in the parks, preserve the fragile park habitats and ambience, and prevent unpleasant or even dangerous interactions of hikers and bikers on narrow trails. Bikes are vehicles, and they’re not appropriate “sharers” of walking trails, even on durable soils. It should be possible to create special-use areas on appropriate sites (newly purchased parklands, anyone?) for mountain bikes, but that’s not what the Master Plan is focused on, nor is that what the off-roaders seem to desire. In any case, the county may take irreversible, or at least difficult-to-reverse, action on the plan very soon. So get plugged in, and let me know if you need more information. For starters, read the letter below, then check out the environmentalist website www.parkspreservation.org, which has considerable background material and a link to the text of the Master Plan. Thanks to all.
March 13, 2009
TO: Hon. Maggie Brooks, County Executive, et al.
RE: Ellison Park Area Master Plan Update
Dear County Executive:
The thirteen undersigned organizations find the draft Master Plan for parkland around Irondequoit Bay to be unacceptable. The proposed Master Plan does not represent the interests of the residents and park users of Monroe County, but instead, the interests of a small, vocal user group. It does not meet its stated goals of conservation and sustainability. In short: mountain biking does not belong on existing, often narrow and winding, park trails.
Please consider:
• A ban on off-road bicycles was written into our park code for good reasons that remain valid today. It was based on concerns for the safety of the public, and the care of our environment. Political winds should not compromise proper park stewardship.
• Safety is a major concern. Trail walkers must not be placed in harm’s way by cyclists traveling on the same narrow dirt trail. The experience of walkers is greatly diminished if they must be looking over their shoulders for oncoming cyclists. “Shared use” is a myth on existing, narrow park trails.
• Numerous public statements have been made, and letters written, both from individuals and prominent environmental organizations, that express serious concerns about opening our parks to cyclists. The draft Master Plan ignores these concerns.
• The Master Plan states, “public comment indicated that this [shared use trails in Tryon Park] is something that is highly desired by the community.” This is a misrepresentation of the public comments. The comments of members of the undersigned organizations, representing some 6000 citizens, indicate a lack of support for shared use on existing park trails. A single, small special interest group of mountain bikers does not represent the community, or most park users.
• There were major, unacceptable changes introduced in the Master Plan presented to the Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) in February 2009, despite representations by the Parks Director and Consultant at the January 2009 PAC meeting that there would be no substantial change to the preliminary recommendations.
• These major changes included the use of existing trails in Tryon rather than carefully designed sustainable trails, the addition of a second park (Bay Park West) for mountain biking, and proposed shared use trail loops in the Ellison Wetlands.
• We are concerned about environmental impacts caused by cycling on steep, erodible trails. Simply allowing use on existing trails without considering impacts is not good stewardship.
• With the many miles of recently constructed multi-use trails (Genesee Riverway, Genesee Valley Greenway, Lehigh Valley, etc) there are ample bike paths in the county to help cyclists stay healthy. The county park trails are a unique domain without faster traffic where walkers can safely do the same. To claim that mountain biking on park trails is necessary to stem the epidemic of childhood obesity is to distort the facts.
All the above concerns cause us to ask: Is there an unstated agenda to open all trails for shared use in the Ellison Park Complex? Will Ellison Park Complex be the first falling domino in the county park system, as we open each park to off-road cycling? That is the stated goal of the mountain biking organization.
This is a cause for alarm for all park users, for all of us who cherish our parks as one of our County’s greatest resources, and pay for them with our taxes.
Finally, the master planning process has not been inclusive. We recommend that a citizen participation group comprised of diverse representative user group organizations work with the consultant and Parks officials in order to contribute ideas and review and discuss each successive draft in the process.
We urge our County Executive and our Legislators to continue to be proper park stewards and to resist the political pressures so that we, our children and grandchildren will be able to have access to safe, environmentally sound, park trails. We urge you to reject this draft Master Plan at this time – there are too many important issues that must first be addressed.
Respectfully submitted,
Burroughs Audubon Nature Club, Center for Sustainable Living, Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists, Genesee Valley Audubon Society, Genesee Valley Hiking Club, Living in Harmony, People for Parks, Rochester Area Mycological Association, Rochester Birding Association, Rochester Butterfly Club, Sierra Club (Rochester Regional Group), League of Women Voters (Rochester Metropolitan Area), Wednesday Hikers
Adam Durand interviews Chicago bike commuter and touring cyclist Dan Dunbar about winter bike commuting.
This is the first episode of the RocBike Review I’ve produced, and let me warn you that the sound quality from the interview is TERRIBLE! The “Good” setting on my audio recorder should be relabeled “Crappy.” But Dan has so many interesting things to say about his experiences on the road that I have to share it. Expect all future interviews to sound much better!
The RocBike Review #6: Profiles in Bike Commuting - Dan Dunbar [26:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
I don’t like to get too judgmental about how people cycle – as long as they’re predictable enough to not endanger me, they’re free to ride helmetless, unlit, and unaware of the road to their heart’s content. There is, in fact, a continuum of safety, and a range that each of us bicycle users fall within depending on the day and our mood. One person may not use a helmet on good hair days, while another is willing to ride in a snowstorm.
I find that complaining that someone isn’t safe enough rarely does any good, whether it’s directed at the person or the general blog audience. But last month I saw two feats of cycling so reckless I have to share them here, dear readers.
1. Winter TV Haulin’
Don’t sneeze!
I got stuck behind this fellow on my way to a friend’s house. I was in the bit of a rush, but I didn’t dare try to pass him as he weaved back and forth along poorly plowed back roads, television set delicately balanced on his handlebars. He nearly wiped out about three times as I followed him, and had to stop at one point when he hit an incline. I took that opportunity to pass him, say “Hello,” and not look back.
2. Drunken Cycling
John 2:12
I saw this bike outside a bicycle-themed restaurant/bar in Chicago and wanted to tell the woman who rode in on the bike that her sticker was interesting. She replied with slurred speech and breath thick with the smell of alcohol. In fact, I rarely see people this drunk in public, and can’t say that I’ve ever seen a cyclist so intoxicated. As we were leaving, she was having trouble strapping something onto the back of her bike.
Let’s here some of your recklessness cyclist stories in the comments.
This past Wednesday was a tricky one for my commute to the RIT campus, which is nestled on what should have remained 1200 acres of beautiful farmland, woods, and wetlands in once-rural Henrietta. The seven-mile trek felt like it was about a quarter-mile deep in slush – what had been actual ice was beginning to melt at around 7 AM. But the ride turned out to be very pleasurable. That’s because my Kona, equipped as I’ve said before with 26 x 1.75 studded Nokians, made mincemeat (okay, wrong metaphor, texturally speaking) of the mush, and it only took 5 minutes longer than usual to get there from here. By the time I pedaled for home (around 6 PM) it was still relatively liquid out there, but ice was starting to solidify on some surfaces. When I went up the twisting path alongside McLean St. between Wilson Blvd. and Mt. Hope Ave., near the UR campus, which conveniently sits along my route to RIT, I could only get a grip while riding; it was too slick for walking. This confirms the point made by stud-enthusiasts: the trickiest part of riding on ice is when you dismount and lose your footing. It also confirms my feeling that it’s pedestrians who get the short end in terms of transportation conditions, not cyclists, though we cyclists seem to get more pitying glances from passing drivers. But I’m really writing to ask a question. Does anyone out there know why so many oncoming motorists will assault a cyclist with their high beams? I’ve got my theories (e.g. they think they’re helping by “lighting” our the way for us poor benighted devils), but what’s yours? And how do you deal with problem? This has been on my mind since I got blasted/blinded Wed. night on East River Road near the golf course clubhouse. Dear drivers who may be reading this: Dim your brights!
A couple weeks ago, when we were in the first major melting phase of this muddled winter, I found myself on a partially submerged road near Cobbs Hill. Apparently all of Cobbs’ snow was melting and pooling on the street. I stopped for a couple minutes to take pictures of motorists as they pondered whether to spend two minutes on a detour or risk severe damage to their cars.
Maybe if I go slowly the water won’t notice that I’m here
Winters bring the most difficult conditions for motorists to get through, be they giant puddles of indeterminate depth, deep snow to get stuck in, or icy hills that send climbing cars backwards. I haven’t had those problems yet this winter on bike. And if I do, I make the point in my Ten Reasons Why Bikes Are Better for Winter Commuting that when the going gets tough on a bike, you can walk or carry it until you’re in the clear.
I can carry 12 lifejackets in my Freeloader bags
It’s OK to feel a little bit of smug self-satisfaction as a winter bike commuter. People think it’s so rough. Oh, you must be really dedicated. I could never do that.
The secret is that, sometimes, it’s much easier on bike.
I picked up some studded tires from Towners about a month ago, and have been tearing up the roads with them since. I’ve experienced and seen my fair share of wipe-outs in past winter seasons, and after reading about Ethan’s experience this morning, figured that I’d share some thoughts on the studded life.
My tires, basking in the ice-cold neon power of the Chicken Avenger
The Right Tire for You
My particular Nokian tires seem comparatively low-end, as Nokians go. They have just 160 studs per tire compared to the meatier Nokian Extremes that our own Jack Spula uses. Plus, it seems that the $65.00-per-tire asking price at Towners is a bit high compared to what other people are paying around the country for this particular model. So if you can spare the time to research the best value you can find, I suggest you do.
But even lower-end overpriced studded tire models receive praise from their users. I’ve spent time on icy roads with road tires, mountain bike tires, fat balloon cruiser tires, and of course these Nokians, and this winter season (with the studs) is really the first time I’ve felt comfortable in all road conditions. I’ve gotten away in the past with “knobby” mountain bike tires, but they’re only good when there’s snow on the road. Those knobs do nothing to grip onto the ice.
How Far Will Studs Take One?
I still ride with extra caution on nights like tonight when it gets cold after a bit of a thaw. That’s my sensible nature.
Yet studs really speed up my winter commutes. I used to get off my bike and walk it on side streets when there was a lot of sludge build-up. Poorly plowed back roads are still not my preferred route to take in winter, but they’re navigable with the Nokians.
White and black ice usually isn’t much of a problem, either, though I make sure to slow down a bit when the street looks shiny. Turns are easy to take, which is a huge relief at intersections. I was riding with Joey Mac last winter, and we went to take a left at an icy intersection, but Joey’s bike kept going straight. A busy intersection is the worst place to fall off your bike, and avoiding that situation just once is worth the price of at least one studded tire.
The brown frozen sludge that cars deposit next to their path, which Jack affectionately calls “car snot,” is probably the most difficult surface to ride on with studded tires. It builds up the most on roads with moderate use, where there is enough traffic to push the sludge next to the motorists’ path but not enough to help melt it all away. When possible I just ride closer to the center of the road, in the right tire track, and let motorists try to figure out how to pass me safely. But when I have to ride in the snot, I drop the bike down to a low gear and take my time. I’ve even ridden uphill through the snot (on Empire Boulevard, by the bay) and that’s something that can’t be done with standard road tires.
Incidentally, the studs handle fine on clear roads. There’s a bit of a humming noise, and a hardly detectable increase in rolling resistance, but nothing that makes me look forward to the end of the season when the road tires go back on. These tires are welcome to stay on my bike for as long as the weather demands.
Cuts through the snow like a hot knife through Earth Balance.
Now, To Find Studded Boots!
One hilarious drawback of these studded tires is that they’ll take you to places where you can’t walk. I’ll stop my bike and get off, only to stumble around on the icy surface. I’m happy that my studded tires have made me stop cursing my decision to live in a northern climate while I’m on my bike. Now, for some boots that will do the same while I’m walking.
