Category: Biking

T-Day Week

lpaulriddle

Well, our unseasonably warm and wet autumn has lasted into Thanksgiving week.  The weather for this morning’s ride was around 58° with fog.  I took a longer ride this morning, because it wasn’t raining, rain is predicted for tomorrow and Wednesday, and I actually managed to get out of the house before 8:00am.

Last Friday I took another ride on my mountain bike, with its new Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires, to finish the break-in period for the tires.  Considering that they’re studded, the tires ride pretty well on dry pavement.  They are 1.75″ tires, slightly smaller than the 1.95″ Kendas I use on this bike during warm weather.  This works out great, because there’s more clearance between the tires and the fenders, making it less likely that the fenders will clog with snow and other kruft.  Looking forward to trying these tires out under “real” winter conditions.

I finally got around to winterizing our swimming pool this weekend.  The most important thing to do when winterizing a pool is to blow as much water out of the circulation pipes as possible, then plug the lines to trap air inside.  This protects the pipes against freeze damage.  For the past 10 years, I’ve used a small air compressor to blow air through the pipes.  This year I decided to try something different, and used my wet/dry shop vac instead.  I was amazed at how good a job the vac did.  Air compressors are designed to deliver a small volume of air at high pressure.  This is great if you happen to be running a pneumatic nailer, but it’s not ideal for blowing out pool plumbing.  That calls for a large volume of air at relatively low pressure.  It turns out that a shop vac, even a small one, is perfect for doing this.  The compressor would always blow in fits and starts as it struggled to keep up with the demand for air.  The shop vac blew a steady, strong stream of air through the lines, and I’m sure it did a better job.  Not only that, the shop vac weighs a lot less, and is generally much easier to deal with, than the compressor.  Looks like I’ve found a better mouse trap.

Lights

lpaulriddle

So it’s mid November again.  We all know what that brings..  chilly mornings, dark commutes home, and G.I. bugs.  I used to get GI bugs maybe once every 3 years.  Ever since I had kids, I seem to catch them all the time now.  I’ve often joked to myself that if I only rode on days when I didn’t have a mild GI bug, I would never ride between November and April.  Anyhow, I’ve got my first one of the season now, and was seriously dragging for this morning’s ride.  Still glad I did it, though, and glad I’m able to resist taking the car even on days when I’m not feeling 100%.  After a while, it just becomes routine.

I’ve had two commutes home in the dark now with my new headlights.  I have a Planet Bike Blaze 2w and Blaze 1w mounted on the bars on either side of the stem, and a Blaze ½w on my helmet.  So far, I’m liking the setup.  The bar-mounted lights illuminate the road out to a pretty good distance.  They light up reflective signs that are several hundred feet ahead.  They have a low setting for twilight, high for full darkness, and flashing mode for visibility during the day.  The helmet light does a great job lighting up the road closer to the bike, or wherever I happen to point it.  This is my first time riding with a helmet-mounted headlight, and I think it’s a good addition.  Without it, I was constantly adjusting my bar-mounted headlight up or down to illuminate farther out or closer in, depending on conditions.  With the helmet light, I have the best of both worlds.  I can also use it to read my cyclecomputer in the dark.  If there’s a drawback, it’s that the light dances around as I move my head, which can be a little distracting, particularly when climbing hills out of the saddle.  But all in all, I’m happy having one.  Other great things about these lights: they take standard AA batteries, they’re self contained, and their mounting brackets allow for easy removal to move them between different bikes.  What remains to be seen, is how well they will stand up to bad weather.  I’ve taken them out for a couple of rides in light rain and drizzle, with no problems, but I’ve yet to test them in a downpour or a soaking mist, so the jury is still out.  I’ll report back on them later in the season.

Grips and Spikes

lpaulriddle

We had a few early-season snowflakes fall over this past weekend, so to get in the spirit, I mounted my new Schwalbe “Marathon Winter” studded tires on my mountain bike.  They were a bit of a pain to mount, but I was able to wrestle them on eventually.   Unfortunately, my “bead jack” tool is not designed for larger tires, so it was no help with these.  I also installed a new set of grips on the bike.  My old setup was a set of standard-issue 1990s-vintage handlebar grips with metal bar-ends.  Looking for something more comfortable, I replaced them with a pair of Ergon GC-2 grips with integrated bar-ends.  Yesterday, I took the bike out for a spin to try out the new tires and grips.

Most manufacturers of studded bike tires recommend “breaking in” the tires for 25-30 miles, so this was the start of my “break in” period.  I just wanted to see how the tires rode; there was no ice or really any reason to ride with studs.   The tires ride fine, and as expected, they’re noisy, because the studs chatter against the ground as the tires rotate.  It sounds kind of like riding on a road that’s been over-treated with road salt.  On the trail, pedestrians can actually hear me coming.  I could get used to this.

The Ergons seem like they’re going to be pretty nice.  I still have to play around with the positioning of the grips, to get the most “natural” ergonomic hand position.  One tip: make sure the grips are pushed ALL THE WAY onto the bar.  Initially, I didn’t get one of the grips on far enough, and it kept slipping on the bar.  I unscrewed it, made sure it was fully seated, and re-tightened, and no more slipping.

I’ll be posting more on this stuff (particularly the tires) as the winter wears on, I’m sure.

Bike Commuting from UMBC to West Catonsville

lpaulriddle

Once every year or so, I have occasion to bike commute from UMBC to the western part of Catonsville, MD, during afternoon rush hour.  I’m still trying to find a route I like, that doesn’t require dealing with really heavy traffic.

The first time I did this, I took this route:

  • Exit UMBC via Hilltop Rd to traffic circle
  • Proceed through circle and follow Hilltop straight through to Bloomsbury Ave intersection
  • Proceed through Bloomsbury intersection onto Mellor Ave.
  • Follow Mellor to Frederick Rd. light and turn left
  • Turn right onto Winters La. and follow to Edmondson Ave. light.
  • Turn left onto Edmondson Ave.
  • Follow Edmondson to end.

This was OK, but there’s a lot of hill climbing at the beginning of the ride.  Traffic is really bad at the Hilltop Rd./Wilkens Ave. traffic circle leaving UMBC, and at the intersection of Edmondson Ave. and Rolling Rd.  Traffic backs way up at the light, and due to the lane configuration, there’s no way to “filter” past it.  You just have to sit in it, and it’s an uphill grade to boot.

This year I tried the following alternate:

  • Exit UMBC via Walker Ave. and turn left onto Wilkens Ave.
  • Turn right onto Rolling Rd., then make an immediate left onto Collegiate Dr.
  • Go about ½ mile and turn right onto Campus Dr.  then make another left to stay on Campus Dr.
  • Turn right towards McCurley Ave.  There’s a paved path here that leads from the CCBC campus to the end of McCurley Ave. in Catonsville.
  • Follow McCurley to end and turn right onto Hilton Ave.
  • Ride through Oak Forest community to Montrose Ave.  Follow Montrose to Frederick Rd.
  • Cross Frederick and turn onto the No. 8 Streetcar Path.
  • Follow the trail until it ends at Dutton Ave.  Turn right onto Dutton.
  • Turn left onto Edmondson Ave.  and follow Edmondson to end.

This route seemed OK on paper, but was a net loss.  Leaving UMBC via Walker is better than taking Hilltop, because it avoids all the traffic queued up at the circle.  However, you still have to cross the circle from Wilkens, which is a pain.  A better alternative might be to turn right onto Wilkens and then left onto Valley.  Westbound traffic on Rolling Rd. is just horrible, even for the minuscule distance I’m on it.  Taking the lane here is mandatory, or you’ll be sitting forever waiting to cross.  I was hoping cutting through CCBC would avoid some of the up-and-down hills on Hilltop Rd., but Collegiate Dr. is just as hilly, if not more so.  The trail out of CCBC also has a steep grade.  The traffic at the Frederick Rd. crossing at Montrose is really bad too.  And to top it off, the route doesn’t avoid the Edmondson Ave/Rolling Rd intersection either.  The route does have a couple bright spots:  the stretch from Hilton Ave. to Montrose Ave. is a nice ride, and the Streetcar Path, though a bit bumpy, is pleasant and bucolic.  Unfortunately, these aren’t enough to overcome the negatives.

Rolling Rd. and Frederick Rd. are the two big trouble spots on both of these routes, and there’s no way to get through Catonsville without riding on them or crossing them.  Next time I do this (likely in another year) I’m going to try the long way, and ride through Patapsco State Park to Ilchester/River Rd., and then up through Oella.  This takes me 5 or 6 miles out of the way, but I think it’ll be a much better ride.

Two Fish Bikeblocks

lpaulriddle

I’m finishing up October with 14 rides, tying with July and April.  In keeping with this somewhat off-year of riding, it’s fewer rides in October than I had in 2008, 2009 or 2010.  I’m at 130 rides on the year.  My goal for the year is 150, which should be doable.

A couple weeks ago, I picked up a couple of Two Fish BikeBlocks.  These are rubber blocks with velcro straps, meant for securing a frame pump to your frame.  The Bikeblocks do a decent job.  They’re a bit pricey at around $7 each, and unless your pump is  6″ long or shorter, you’re going to need two of them.  They do a good job of keeping the pump in one place; my commute has some bumpy stretches, and I didn’t have any problem with the pump sliding or moving around.  The blocks stand the pump off around 1″ away from the frame, which could be problematic with certain frames.  On my single speed, the most logical place to mount the pump would be on the underside of the top tube; however, while it did fit, the rear brake cable rubbed against the Bikeblocks, which would have worn them down over time.  My next try was the seat tube, where I have a water bottle cage, so I had to mount the pump so it stuck out to the side.  This put it too close to my legs, to where I kept brushing against it.  The lower part of the downtube was a no-go too; the pump didn’t clear the crank arm.  I ended up putting the pump on the side of the downtube, above the bottle cage.  I had to tilt it slightly towards the front to keep my knee from brushing it during standing climbs; and in this position, there’s only about ½” clearance between the pump and the pedal, and the top of the pump is ½” or so from the front fender.  It’s a tight squeeze, but it fits, and it gets the pump out of my side pannier, which was my goal.  I’ll ride with it like this for awhile and see how it works out long-term.

Sub 40

lpaulriddle

Today was my first sub-40° ride of the season, and my first ride since last spring where I had to wear something to keep my head warm.  Usually I’m good without anything extra on my head (other than my helmet) down to around 45°, give or take a couple of degrees depending on wind, precipitation, and other weather factors.  This morning was a crisp 38°, and it was the first morning in awhile that actually felt cold.

I gave my new helmet-mounted rear flasher a spin today.  It’s a Planet Bike Blinky 3H.  It fits on my Bell Sweep helmet just fine, and stayed put through the entire 11.5 mile ride to work.  Other than occasionally hearing it pivot on its bracket, I didn’t really notice it was there.  It gives me extra visibility up high, which I think will help with safety while riding at night.  There’s a bit of a dork factor to it, but you gotta take the bad with the good.  🙂

New Bike Swag for Winter

lpaulriddle

Normally, I’m all about getting rid of “stuff.”  However, my one weakness is stuff for my bikes.  I get a strange thrill out of buying stuff that promises to make my year-round, all-weather bike rides safer and more enjoyable.  I’m sure it secretly drives my wife nuts.

Just over a week to go before “dark season” is upon us, and with it, cold and icy winter weather.  This year, I have a whole slew of new gear that will be put to the test in the coming months:

  • Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires.  I bought these for commuting in icy conditions, in hopes that they’ll keep me upright and prevent things like, oh, falling down and getting concussions and multiple rib fractures.  Not that I have any experience with that.
  • New headlights.  I bought 3 Planet Bike “Blaze” lights:  a 2-watt, a 1-watt, and a ½-watt.  The 2- and 1-watt lights will go on the bars, and the ½-watt will go on my helmet.  I had initially intended to mount the 1-watt on my helmet, but it’s a little too bulky and doesn’t fit well in the helmet mount.  So I went ahead and got the ½-watt, and I figure 3 headlights are better than 2.  The lights have seen plenty of use in flash mode during daylight, but have yet to be tested in the dark.
  • Helmet mounted taillight.  After reading several articles about how a helmet flasher really helps with visibility, I picked up a Planet Bike Blinky 3H.  I was initially concerned that it wouldn’t fit properly on my Bell “Sweep” helmet, but happily, it fits perfectly.  I haven’t ridden with it yet, and may wait until it’s dark.
  • Ergon GR2 grips for my mountain bike.  The mountain bike is going to see a lot of action this winter, and it desperately needed new grips.  The Ergons have been widely praised, and I’m hoping they’ll be more comfortable than what I had on there.  The GR2 also comes with a short bar end.  It was at a good price point relative to their other models.  The bar ends are a little shorter than the old bar ends I used to have on the bike, but I don’t think I’ll miss the extra length.  After much deliberating, I went with the small size grip.  There’s not too much perceptible difference between the small and large sizes, but I’m guessing the small will be more comfortable with gloves.  We’ll see.
  • Kool Stop replacement brake shoes and pads for my single speed.  This bike came with Dia Compe BRS101 brakes, with cheap one-piece shoe/pads.  They squealed a lot on the rims, and now one of them is worn down, so I’m replacing all 4 shoes.  The Kool Stop pads are much better made, and the shoes and pads are separate, so the shoes can be reused when the pads wear out.  I’ve been really happy with the Kool Stop cantilever pads on my mountain bike, so I’m hoping they’ll perform well on my caliper brakes too.

Stay tuned for raving and/or whining about each of these products (whichever is warranted), as I start to use them!

Rain Gear

lpaulriddle

First ride in full rain gear in awhile this morning.  It was nice and mild, so I took the opportunity to ride for 11.5 miles, including a loop through Patapsco State Park.  Most of my rain gear is the same as last year, including Novara rain pants (REI house brand), Patagonia TorrentShell rain jacket, and neoprene shoe covers from Performance.  New for this season is a pair of Seirus Hyperlite All Weather gloves.  I bought these because I wanted a pair of lightweight, reasonably weatherproof gloves.  I already have some cheap light gloves, but they aren’t waterproof, and I wanted something I could wear in the rain.  The Hyperlites did the job pretty well.  They breathe OK and do a decent job of repelling water.  They’re not as good as Gore-Tex, but they’re not as expensive as Gore-Tex either.

The Performance shoe covers are still as good as ever.  My shoes and feet stayed bone dry for the entire ride.  Out of all body parts, the feet are the most important to keep dry during a rainy ride.  If your feet get wet, a rainy ride can go from enjoyable to miserable in no time flat.  I keep telling myself I need to go to Performance and pick up another pair or two of these, in case they do something stupid like discontinue them or cut back on the quality.

Lately, my cyclometer, a Cateye Velo 5, has been getting really flaky.  It keeps losing connectivity between the unit and the base.  If I press down on it and fiddle with it a bit, it will pick back up.  However today, I couldn’t get it to work at all in the rain.  I’m not sure if this is the result of oxidation on the terminals, loose connection due to general degradation, or a combination of both.  Regardless, it’s getting annoying.  I may try coating the terminals with some anti-oxidation gel, and see if that helps at all.  Stay tuned.

Cage Rocket

lpaulriddle

I was in the bike section of my local REI the other day and noticed they were stocking a gadget called a Cage Rocket.  The Cage Rocket is a water bottle-sized pod with a hinged opening, meant for carrying gear and designed to fit in a bottle cage.  There’s a standard version and a slightly-more-expensive waterproof version, which includes a foam seal on the opening.  I had read about these before on a couple of different bike blogs, and was considering trying one out, so I bought one of the waterproof ones.

I’m still working on an ideal system for hauling gear around on the 3 different bikes I use for commuting.  Each bike has certain gear that is specific to that bike (for example, each bike uses a different size spare inner tube).  Then there’s the stuff that comes with me on all the bikes, like my wallet, patch kit, and multi-tool.  My goal is to make it as easy as possible to switch from one bike to another, without having to shuffle a lot of gear around.  I wanted to see if the Cage Rocket could help me out.

Initially, I’m trying the Cage Rocket out on my fixed-gear road bike.  This bike has an extra tool (a Pedro’s “Trixie”) which I originally had bolted to the bottle cage braze-ons on the seat tube.  However, that left it exposed to the elements, and I quickly learned that the Trixie is not weatherproof, as it’s getting some rust on it.  Also, I’m storing a frame pump, spare tube and a couple of tire bead jack tools in my rear panniers, where they take up a lot of space, because there’s currently nowhere else to put them.  I figured for starters, I’d see which of these I could fit into the Cage Rocket.

The Cage Rocket, while useful, his its shortcomings.  There’s only so much you can fit in a rigid pod that’s the size of a water bottle.  You’re limited to relatively narrow items that are 7-8 inches long or less.  My Topeak “Alien” multi-tool is too wide to fit, but the Trixie fits fine.  My Kool Stop “Bead Jack” tire tool is too long.  No chance of fitting a frame pump inside it, but it would probably accommodate a CO₂ inflater and a couple of cartridges.  It fits a spare tube, but you have to roll the tube up into an oblong shape or it’ll be too wide.

For starters, I’m using the Cage Rocket to hold the Trixie and a spare tube.  It keeps the Trixie out of the elements, and the spare tube out of my pannier.  The tube takes up most of the room inside, but there’s still a bit of room for something else.  So while it’s not the ultimate answer to all of my on-bike storage problems, the Cage Rocket is a step in the right direction.  We’ll see how my use of it evolves over time.

Montgomery Road Jukeage

lpaulriddle

When I originally started bike commuting, I’m glad the weather was better than it has been for the past couple of weeks.  I might not have kept riding.  Not only has the weather been bad, but traffic also seems to be on the uptick on some of the back roads in Howard.  I’m hoping it’s just a statistical aberration.  I will say that things seemed a little better today than on Monday or Tuesday.  But suffice it to say that it’s been hard to stay motivated to ride recently.  The weather is finally supposed to improve by Friday, so I hope to get one nice-weather ride in before I leave on a 4-day business trip Monday.  Maybe when I get back, it’ll finally be Fall.

One great development has come out of my riding this week.  I found a way to avoid my least favorite part of my afternoon ride home, namely, the very end, where I have to cross Montgomery Rd. twice.  Normally, I come up Lawyers Hill Rd., make a left onto Montgomery at the light, and then another left into my driveway.  On most roads, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but Montgomery at rush hour is just a clusterf***, and it seems to be getting worse over time.  There’s also a bend just past where I need to turn into my driveway, leaving me with a short sight distance.  Put all that together, and you can see why I dread the last little bit of my ride home.  Some days it’s not bad, but on others I feel like I’m playing a real-life game of Frogger.

Anyhow, yesterday I found an alternate route.  I’ll prefix this by saying that this route is not going to be useful for 99% of riders.  Most people are going to want to take Lawyers Hill to Montgomery and then turn left or right at the light.  It’s not too bad making a left here.  My alternate is really only useful if you need to make another left off Montgomery (across traffic) before you get to the Elementary School.  That’s what I do every day, and that’s the part that sucks.  The route also requires you to cut through school property, which may be frowned upon in certain circles.  All that being said, here’s the route:

Coming up Lawyers Hill Rd., make a left onto Summer Home Terrace.  Ride up the hill and take the second right onto Latchlift Ct.  Follow this for a couple hundred feet, and look for a narrow paved trail on the right heading into the woods.  Turn right onto this trail.  Follow the trail through the woods and onto school property.  Proceed straight on the trail up a short, steep hill, towards the playground equipment.  Ride past the playground and bear left onto the access road behind the elementary school building.  Follow the access road around the building, and exit onto the parking lot.  Ride through the lot and out the school entrance road (Timberlee Rd.) to Montgomery Rd.  Turn right onto Montgomery.

This is an extremely nice shortcut for me, because it turns my two left turns on Montgomery into right turns.  I no longer have to cross traffic, and I have a better view of oncoming traffic while turning onto Montgomery.  I’m sure I’ll be coming this way whenever possible.