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Gearing up for Mt. Washington

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

Some guys get really into their rig for mountain climb races. Since I have no delusions of winning Mt. Washington this year it didn’t make sense for me to spend a day moving my entire Shimano XP mountain bike drivetrain over to my road bike, nor to spend a boatload of money buying a new crankset/cogset/etc.

Much like a skydiver doesn’t go jumping without his parachute, I could not send myself off to attack the mountain with a 53-39 crankset.

So I started hunting for the cheapest way to add some low hill-climbing gearing to my bike, and to my surprise, found everything I needed in our apartment.

My wife has a bike with a similar (and perfectly maintained, of course) drivetrain: 10 speed Shimano 105 (vs my 10 speed Shimano Dura Ace). The key difference being hers has an FSA triple crankset which I discovered is compatible with my Chris King Bottom Bracket. Done deal.

Next challenge was to work out a cadence sensor. While I *could* port the one over from my crankset, it would be a pain to move due to the double-sided tape and zip-tie mess. Additionally, the gossamer cranks sit a little further away from my frame so I’d have to find something else.

After experimenting with three different magnets I settled on a stack of three plain refrigerator magnets, affixed using a roll of gaffer tape. Gaffer tape, by the way, is one of the greatest things ever. Technically designed for movie sets and the like to temporarily hold cables to the floor/walls/whatever, it’s good for so much more. It’s a cloth based tape that has some stretch so that it can bend around objects that are not perfectly flat. It has a fairly strong stick like a duct tape, and is torn along the x or y axis with just a pinch and pull. You should get a roll for yourself. Now.

So with all of the parts in place all I had to do was make a few turns to the front derailleur to adjust it to the new bailout gear and we’re set to go.

Problem: 53-39 crankset way too big to push up Mt. Washington. Cheap solution: FSA Gossamer triple crankset, refrigerator magnets and gaffer tape

A stack of 3 refrigerator magnets were taped to the left crank arm for use with the existing cadence sensor. Tape is ok as this only needs to stay on for one ride.

With the chain in the smallest front chainring the short-throw derailleur in the rear barely has enough clearance to let the chain by. As a matter of fact, ONLY the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sprocket can be used in this small gear. If setting up your bike in a similar way make a mental note that the granny gear is ONLY to be used in emergencies!

Will post an update some time after the race to put the stamp of “worked” on this method in the case that you find yourself in a similar situation where you need to climb one of the tallest mountains in your region and don’t have the budget or time to switch drivetrains.

Lightning Review: Delta Rothko Bike Stand

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

If you are a serious bike rider you are therefore a bike collector. This is a universal truth.

Storing them in a pile is not only inconvenient in the times when you want to get at the one on the bottom, it’s also a great way to chip up your paint job.

For about $30/ea you can pick up a little bike-rack-on-wheels to keep your bikes upright, and easy to get at. I picked up three (as that’s nearly as many bikes as we can fit in our little apartment) and have been pretty pleased with them.

You can assemble them in three widths for three styles of tire: road, hybrid, mountain. I’m currently using them for road and mountain and found them to grip the bikes tight enough.

The wheels are potentially very useful. In our case the bikes are parked in front of our coat closet so it’s easy to roll them out of the way to get at anything we need. This could also be useful if you have your bikes all perpendicular to a wall and want to pull one out for use.

The main design flaw I see is that the arcs use the spokes of the rear wheel as support. This has caused visible skuffing on my Ksyrium SL wheels which use 7075 aluminum for spokes. (see last photo) For others with wheels like this I might go for the “Ultimate Rakk” which uses a different support system (but which doesn’t have wheels)

Bottom Line: 4 stars

Beautifully simple and functional design and low price make this an easy way to improve fung shui and bicycle wellness.

Delta Rothko: A bike stand on wheels

Delta Rothko makes any open space a bike shop

Get that uncluttered bike-shop look on the cheap

Skuffs on Zicral Spokes due to parking

What I want to be when I grow up: another 9W tale

Thursday, July 16th, 2009 by Joe Steele

OK…so it’s been a long slow Spring. Haven’t had that much time to train until the last month or so but I’ve been putting in as many miles as possible so as not to let the squad down when I finally jump back in the races.

Following the torture-yourself-into-shape-quickly mantra, I’ve felt the legs kick in lovely over the past week or so. Decided to test em’ out on a nice little hilly run up to Rockland (from Fort Lee). Met up with Lorenzo by Strictly Cycles, picked our destination (temporarily Nyack) and headed up.

A little backtrack here.

I think the only time I’ve ever really ridden with Big Zo (btw - we gotta get your cycling nickname picked out - get at me) was waaaaay back in May and with the exception of one hill climb in Prospect Park, I was hanging on for dear life. Many miles later, I have some semblance of fitness and I gotta say was looking forward to letting him know that I’m not an all year slouch. He later let me know that I look like I’ve lost weight since waaaaay back in May (five or six winter pie pounds lighter to be precise).

Anyway, we put the hammer down immediately and were stomping out at 21 - 24 into a headwind. Beautiful! Legs feeling good and strong, we powered all the way up to Nyack only slowing long enough for me to show Lorenzo the crazy stone mariachis just North of Piermont. With the jets off and a Runcible Spoon bagel in the belly I managed to talk my esteemed colleague into rolling up and over into Rockland Park.

Cool! Painful but cool!

As it always does, Rockland hurt (a lot) on the way back and that ‘little’ hill coming out from under the 9W underpass was its usual torturous self.

Now here’s the interesting part.

As I’m crawling back up to 9W proper with a cool little cadence going, I pass this older gentleman, give him that patented NY nod (wassup) and ask him how he’s feeling. Quite honestly, he looked like he was struggling a little as I passed by him and we joked briefly about not-so-funny Stateline coming up around the bend.

A couple minutes later I hear someone ask my name. I turn around expecting to see an obviously delirious with pain Lorenzo (who apparently has forgotten my name) and it’s this guy. Riding right off my wheel…looking really, really comfortable. So I’m thinking to myself, good little climb dude, let’s get it on. Sorry fellas, it’s the Puma/Lizard in me (and really happy to be back).

What followed is nothing short of amazing. I did get to the top of Stateline first, we regrouped (yes all three of us) and Lorenzo began hammering. I later found out that the Puma in him came out too and he wanted to test this guy as well. Over the next ten or eleven miles we all fell into a rapid paceline taking turns jousting each other at 24 to 27. At one point George (the term ‘this guy’ no longer applies - he’s now George and pretty freakin’ strong) had to reign Lorenzo in to let me regroup as I had gotten caught off the back (on a hill no less - damn).

During these ten or eleven miles I found out that George is/was an electrical engineer, used to live across from Brooklyn (by the Williamsburg Bridge) rides fifty mile loops (several times a week) and used to race “probably before (I) even learned to ride (my) first bike”. Obviously, this last statement prompted the question of age.

Seventy-freakin-two!!?!?

Un-believable.

(I almost made him show us ID but held back - we were doing 25)

Once we reached his turn I had to pull up at the corner, shake his hand, call him a monster and bow my head a little (Brooklyn respect…). Afterwards, Lorenzo and I sat rehashing the ride in front of Strictly. This was one of those cool, humbling, bring a smile to your face moments as Zo and I looked at each other laughing about how we hope to be that strong when we’re seventy.

Hell with that, sixty.

At any rate, George, I just wanted to say (in writing) you are a beast kid (and I mean that in all senses of the word). Was a pleasure meeting you and as far as I’m concerned you’ve earned yourself an honorary membership into the Brooklyn Arches family.

Peace fam - Number 4, the Lizard.

Lightning Review: Camelback Raceback

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

As is advised by Glen when embarking on his tours: ”bring two water bottles or you will dehydrate and die”. This goes double if you’re riding longer distances with less stops than an organized tour. After nearly experiencing this fate on a recent century ride I decided to give the 72oz Camelback Raceback a try as a means to carry (and drink) more water.

The test ride was 1.5 hours worth of laps around Central Park at a brisk pace.

I’ll begin by saying that having a straw dangling next to your face makes it really easy to drink more water than you’re used to. Even though it was a cool 74 degrees I drank through all but 6oz of my water during my ride. So while the carrying capacity equals three large water bottles, the ease of drinking may cause you to go through water at nearly double your usual rate.

I’ve known some who became afflicted with “camelback attacks” where more “natural breaks” are required all along their riding route. I think if you’re riding hard enough you will likely sweat the large % of the extra water right back out as I did. I did rather like “feeling” more hydrated by taking more frequent sips and keeping my mouth feeling wet. This offered both a psychological as well as slight physical boost.

The overall experience on it’s maiden voyage was mixed, but leaned towards the positive, both in number of plus points as well as the importance of them.

good:

easy to remember to drink, easier to get at the water
drinking small amounts often allowed me to ride harder without muscle cramps
no worries of throwing bottles over bumps
water was kept tight against back, didn’t throw itself around too much while standing
I noticed after finishing the ride that my heart rate felt much lower than normal after a ride

not as good:

need to be a yogi master to get in and out of the vest
no way to refill quickly without outside help
lower back was a little sore at the end — probably just part of a natural adjustment period

untested:

could be brilliant if filled with ice water on a hot day (until you melt it down at which point I fear it will feel like a sweater)
I’m guessing the straw may make it difficult to dump water on your head on hot days
cleaning (even with proper tools) would be a pain if used with sports drinks

non-issues:

you look a little like a hunchback but it doesn’t seem too unnatural

Bottom Line: 3.5 stars

Definitely looks like a strong choice for fast rides up to 40 or 50 miles. Will have to report back when we’re out there long enough to require (multiple) refills on the road.

: Camelback Raceback is a base layer that fits under your jersey

Camelback Raceback doesn't make you too much of a hunchback

Lightning Review: Adidas Adistar Gloves

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

While I’m not the kind of guy to sweat buckets at the slightest signs of effort, I definitely run hot. Hot to the point where I’ll get heat rashes on the palms of my hands using traditional leather or synthetic cycling gloves come mid summer.

Enter the Adidas Adistar glove: it’s almost 100% mesh with a few strips of padding where it’s needed and terry where it’s useful.

After getting burned by the discontinuation of Bianchi’s 3-D mesh-palmed gloves in the 1990’s I made sure to stock up on these when I found them. Good thing, too, as these seem to have also been discontinued within the last year.

They offer a nice, snug fit despite not having a strap. If you’re used to a glove that cinches these will feel light as air at first, after which point you’ll never be able to turn back.

Pros:

highly breathable!
feels light as air
handles washing better thanks to synthetic materials

Cons:

not as “stable” feeling as a glove with a cinching strap
no longer made

Bottom Line: 4 stars

At the time of writing these are the only gloves I know of that bring the light weight and breathability of elastic mesh to the bottom side of your hands which makes for a huge increase in comfort in the late summer months.

Breathable palms are a Godsend when you run hot

3 Years of white Adistar Gloves: new on top, last year lower left, year prior on lower right

All whites eventually soil; 3 Years of Adistar Gloves: new on top, last year lower left, year prior on lower right

Bike Review: Merlin Works CR 6/4

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

Anyone who has seen my other online posts on various topics will have noticed an air of optimism and enthusiasm, to the point where one might think I am a lover of all things. This is not the case; as it turns out I spend most of my time loathing all of the the poor design, “shortcuts”, rip-offs and bad ideas of the world. I only write about the things I end up liking.

This review, then, is about a very exceptional bike. I’ve had the lucky opportunity to be able to spec, build and custom-fit my dream bike this year. After riding it for over 2000 miles I can safely say this is one of the most beautiful bikes I may ever own.

Merlin Works CR. Frame Material: 6/4 Titanium. Size: L. Final build weight: 17.0lbs

The world of cycling is pretty diverse, with each group having it’s own personality (or multiple personalities). In road racing you find a lot of Type A’s, as well as number crunchers and introspective analytical types. The one thing that the Road Racing subgroups all have in common is that they are very pragmatic. They look at their bikes as tools before art; machines that must perform before anything else.

With the dawning of the $2,000 Carbon Fiber racing bike, titanium has been rendered irrelevant by many in the peleton. It is expensive and hard to work with (true), is widely believed to be heavier than Carbon Fiber bikes (not always), and unable to be “controlled” to produce a bike with the handling characteristics desired for racing (not true).

When balancing my upgrade options with my design aesthetics and living conditions (small New York apartment with no external storage) I had two options:

(1) Keep my steel racing bike for training and buy a Carbon Fiber bike for racing or

(2) Sell the steel racing bike for a single Ti which would be used for both

While I already knew what my biases were, I decided to test ride a few Carbon Fiber bikes from Specialized and Giant. While I was impressed with their apparent value (price per weight), these bikes seemed rather “indifferent” to my out-of-the-saddle sprints and big gear accelerations. They did not feel like they would be an ally on the race course.

I’d read all of the criticism of Ti before (including a rather interesting piece from a master frame builder who wasn’t sold on 6/4 titanium’s advantages over 3/2.5) but the designer in me still wanted a Ti bike that would satisfy my desire for something carefully crafted by a highly skilled expert. Part of me wanted a frame fused with perfect fish-scale welds that would hold up for a lifetime. Something built both to race and to last.

When I came across one of the only online reviews on the internet for the Merlin Works CR I knew this was my bike.

Throughout this spring and summer I’ve thrown it at many different situations: rain, dirt roads, mountains, races and centuries and am surprised to say that it has met or exceeded every expectation I’ve pinned on it, including some I didn’t even realize I had.

Right the right set of legs (of course), the Merlin is *fast*. The stiff, oversized rear triangle combined with the Mavic Ksyrium wheels make for almost instant acceleration.

After a fork upgrade it carves a very confident line on hard corners and over rough patches.

The slight compliance of the frame, along with the Continental Grand Prix 4000 S tires mean no skittering or jumping of the bike in all-out sprint efforts. In short, it is perfectly behaved in every situation I’ve thrown at it.

While this is all very satisfying, what came to me as a complete surprise was the comfort it provides day in and day out. One expects a racing bike to be very stiff and transmit every pebble on the road to the rider for control, which this does. But one also expects that this “feel” for the road brings with it a harshness. On my very first spring ride, a 60 mile trip over pothole-laiden roads, I was thrilled to be outdoors after a long winter but picturing in my head the soreness that would follow the next few days as payment for this freedom.

It was pain that never came. Nor has it at any point this season. Tom Kellog and the guys at Merlin have worked it out.

Pros:

Hand made in USA; excellent build quality
Custom tubing addresses Titanium’s main performance criticisms
Lightweight but not at the expense of durability
Finely crafted work of art

Cons:
The only item I can think to put on this list is that this bike is no longer in production. As I understand it, Merlin can make you one of these through their “custom builds” department, or you can purchase their “extralight” which is similar, but with a less “compact” geometry. Either way the bike will end up costing more than it did when it was mass produced.

Bottom Line: 5 stars

If there are any flaws I have yet to find them.

Add-ons

This bike is the type that takes to customizations very well. Any time you’re considering spending more than $2k on a bike, you should definitely have it professionally fit. While at it you may also consider some aftermarket parts to customize it to your tastes.

Below is a list of noteworthy parts found on or added to this bike, in mini-review format:

Ciamillo Negative G brakes:

Far and away the reason you see these on so many bikes is the dramatic weight savings. I was actually a bit startled when I pulled my dura ace calipers off the bike– I couldn’t believe how heavy they felt by comparison. These also fit well with my “quality made USA parts” fetish.

The Negative-Gs use a different clamping mechanism than SRAM or Shimano and as such they do feel different. The best way I can describe them is like an “anti lock” brake for bikes. It could be the yellow swiss stop pads, but I have a very difficult time locking up these brakes. That being said I’ve ridden them down mountain passes at over 50mph and have always felt confident in the stopping power.

The modulation is a personal preference; these are “softer” feeling than the Dura Ace’s.

To get the power curve that they have they employ a little torlon ball that “drags” on a pivot arm. While torlon is essentially self-lubricating, I found that I’ve had to hit it with Boeshield on occasion to keep the brakes operating smoothly and keeping them from seizing. Also you’ve got to keep the sand out of them otherwise the quick-release lever becomes very difficult to rotate.

Toe-in is not adjustable, but it appears to be built in to the pad carriers. I haven’t worn them down enough to know for sure, but the yellow brake pads do not seem particularly susceptible to squeaking or chatter.

External review at Pez Cycling News

Mavic Ksyrium Wheels:

I wouldn’t have really considered these separately (due to cost per weight savings as compared to other wheels) but I’m glad they came with the bike.

The first thing I noticed (aside from the aggressive looks of the flat spokes) is how quickly they spin up. The next thing I noticed is that lower rotational weight means less speed is maintained on the downhill. Such are the trade-offs in life…

On the downside, crosswinds are a bit of a drag and I noticed a little more side-to-side flex in the rear wheel as compared to my old Ritchey OCRs.

I know a bunch of guys that have been riding on these for thousands of miles and can attest to their durability, which make these a very impressive wheelset for combining such low weight with performance and durability.

FSA K-Wing Compact Handlebars:

People either love or hate this bar due to the flat transition between the top and brake hoods. If your bike is fit properly you won’t really rest in this place on the bar so the point *should* (in theory) be moot.

The point that I’d like to make is more about the “compact” sizing. This basically means that the handlebar is 1cm shorter and there is 2cm less space between the top and the drop.

Last year I found myself *only* using the drops for sprints because I would have to reach down so far. A professional fitting determined that a compact bar would allow me to remain comfortable in *all* of the positions these bars allowed, meaning much greater comfort both on long rides as well as races.

Almost everyone I know who’s had a fitting has gone compact and I’m really unsure as to why compact bars are not standard issue with the longer reach bars being the aftermarket extra.

Douglas Grip Tape:

It’s not often you see grip tape in a review but George turned me on to the Douglas grip tape this spring and it has changed my world. Grip tape is your connection to your bike, your feel for the road, your clamping surface for the sprint. This tape (in combination with the carbon fiber bar) gives you a wonderfully tacky grip with no twisting which translates to excellent control. If you have a flat-top handlebar you don’t need to tape it; just your gloves will work here.

Grip tape on top of bar douglas grip tape

SMP Glider Saddle:

I will begin here by saying that this is not a cheap saddle. I will also reiterate what has been said many times out on the internet: a saddle is a very personal choice. Without doing a professional fitting you probably will not be able to sit on a lot of saddles to try them, which is a shame; this is really the only sure-fire way to know if a seat is right for you. After spinning on a number of them for a few minutes each it will become perfectly clear to you what is comfortable and what is not.

Barring this, you should at least have your LBS fit you for a width of saddle so your sit bones are aligned properly. If you don’t have a good selection or aren’t willing to spend a little for long term comfort at least get something with a proper ergonomic cutout.

I tried the SMP evolution and glider and the slightly softer foam of the glider won me over. Bar none this is the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever ridden on and worth its weight in gold.

Edge 2.0 Fork

I was happy to discover another American-made part as an option for upgrade. My bike came with a Real Design fork (standard fare on all Merlin Bikes — largely due to Real’ being owned by Merlin’s parent company American Bicycle). Most everyone on the online forums trash this fork and I can’t say I fully agree with their critiques. The fork is fairly lightweight, has a unique aesthetic, tracks a decent line and is very comfortable.

The problem is that it feels more like a touring fork which is fine for the Cyrene or Extralight, but this is the Works CR — the R stands for “Racing”. When I would torque back and forth on the handlebars I could easily create an audible click (there were no stress fractures in the fork and we were dealing with a properly tightened Chris King headset).

Replacing the standard fork with the Edge not only gave the bike a more aggressive look, but it also notched up the performance immediately.

The matte finish and bold decals were also, I felt, a perfect match for the frame.

Dura Ace 7800 w/Flight Deck computer

Not having much to say about this kit is actually quite the compliment; it means that it is good enough to be taken for granted. Noteworthy:

I don’t like the narrow brake levers as compared to the 7700s. I’m sure other guys with even bigger hands agree

The Flight Deck computer is rather expensive add-on (for what it is) and not found in many bike stores. It’s a shame, actualy, as the integration with the brake levers is fantastic and the pre-programmed cog #s allows it to calculate cadence on-the-fly using your speed + gear ratio — no extra cadence sensor needed!

Chris King Bottom Bracket

Just a year into it’s life my Dura Ace BB started to creak so I pulled it off thinking it would be a quick Ti-prep + teflon tape and be done with it. When I got the cups out they had already coroded and a chunk of metal had broken off the non-drive side.

Seemed like the perfect opportunity to upgrade so I tried out the Chris King.

This is one of those parts that you don’t interact with using your hands so it’s tough to quantify if it’s better and if so, by how much. I can say this about it, though:

It is gorgeous and clearly of a better build quality than the Shimano stuff
There is comfort in knowing how easy it is to rebuild, or simply flush new grease through
Out of the saddle sprints are creak-free and without any apparent drag; very positive forward drive

Thomson Elite Seat Post and X2 Stem

Thomson Elite Seatpost

Like my Ritchey Peleton pedals, I like parts that are not only towards the lighter end of their spectrum, but also built to be stronger than comparable parts of their weight. The Thomson seat post does not have the backwards curve that most have and it makes sense for anyone with a compact frameset. You’ll need the extra cm or two of forward movement to get your saddle in the correct position over your pedals. I purchased the X2 stem to “match” as I like to pair seat posts and stems — it’s just a personal aesthetic. As it turns out the X2 is also a great part.

Continental Grand Prix 4000 S

Like the grip tape, I was not expecting that this is something I’d write home about. I’d been happily racing on the blue Vredesteins that you see everywhere, the Fortezza SE that as a clincher, inflates to a mad 160psi. While the rolling resistance was fantastic on those, it did come at the expense of some comfort, and after each season they’d begin to feel “dry” and lose their grip.

By contrast the Continentals have a fairly stiff sidewall (which makes up for some pressure when running at 120 psi), and have incredible grip by comparison. I’ve been very happy both training and racing on them and they haven’t left me longing for more.

It’s likely that I’ll try out their sister tire the Grand Prix 4-Season for the off season.

Speedplay Nanogram Bottle Cage

So these bottle cages are three good things:
(1) The lightest cage you can buy
(2) Probably the most attractive cage out there (IMHO) and
(3) Very easy to get bottles in and out of (especially in race conditions).

Unfortunately they aren’t aren’t the most secure way to hang on to a bottle. Speedplay recommends that you use the *short* 20 oz Specialized bottles. No not only can’t you use the full-sized 24 ouncers, but after the carbon fiber grip loosens over the course of a season you’ll be throwing even the small ones on the slightest of road bumps.

So I’m letting these go and giving the similarly-styled King Cage Iris a try. Will report back once I’ve logged some miles with them.

The Conservative Guide to Bike Commuting

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 by Aaron Deutsch

It seems like most bike commuting articles are written like vegan rants; basically that everyone on earth should bike commute or they are terrible people. Here I will attempt to separate the bacon from the soya protein.

Q: Should everyone commute by bike?
A: Probably Not.

Even though I know the joys and thrills that come with cycling and can not imagine a life without them, I’m also a realist. The bottom line is: most of us live quite a ways from work, our jobs don’t have places to park bikes or store our clothes and, frankly, most of America is too out of shape to bike to work.

That being what it is, it is great for your health and longevity as well as for environment so if you’re considering it but aren’t a regular cyclist, here are a few tips to make sure that you don’t dive into the deep end and end up swallowing the pool water and swearing off bikes forever:

1: Make sure your bike is in good shape
Squishy tires, rubbing breaks and squeaky chains are a drag, literally. Make sure that your bike is in good condition before taking it out on the road. If your bike has been in storage for a year or more, have your local shop lube the chain and replace the cables for you. Make sure your tires are inflated to their maximum recommended psi.

2: Ride for fun first.
Take a weekend day when the weather is nice and you aren’t in a rush to ride around your neighborhood or park and re-familiarize yourself with the joys of biking. Pay attention to how you feel on hills and after riding for a while. If you’re finding yourself tiring easily you may need to get a few more miles in before you start doing it on the clock (and under pressure)

3: Do your route on the weekend
Riding your route on the weekend won’t give you a feel for navigating traffic, but it will give you a chance to pick the route you want to try. You will also have a chance to time yourself to know what your “best case” scenario is, as well as get a feel for your physical fitness and make sure you’ll be able to handle it.

4: Get good equipment
Cycling with your gear is HARD and you don’t want to show up at work soggy. Good clothes are expensive but worth every penny; they will keep pools of sweat forming and will allow you to dry quickly when you show up at your destination–often by the time you’ve walked up to the restroom to change. You may also consider wearing high performance shorts or pants over your aerodynamic cycling bottoms. Even if you’re already chiseled like a Michelangelo sculpture nobody at work really wants to see it.

5: Pay attention!
Remember that none of your car driving friends will remember you when you’re a cyclist. This means that they will be trying to run you off the road. Remember “defensive driving” from school? This goes double when you’re cycling.

6: Take it easy! (on the way to work)
A nice warm shower and dinner are waiting for you after your commute home, but you have nothing but a day of work waiting for you at the office, so ride as if this is the case. Pedal easy. Coast. Ring your bell. Have some fun. Cycling is a great meditative way to get you in a positive frame of mind for work.

7: Have your bail-out plan ready
In the world of cycling, flats happen. If you aren’t already an expert at fixing flat tires, at least have a plan in case you get one and can’t fix it. Many major cities have bike racks on buses and cities with subways will usually allow bikes in the last car. Have your public transportation card handy (or plan your commuting route so that you pass a bike shop on the way)

8: Please Don’t Store your bike outside
It breaks my heart to see bikes chained up on fences. It really does. The first time it rains you will have a rusty chain. The second time your bike is as good as useless as the cables will start to corrode and seize up. Unless you want to spend $80/month on bike shop repairs do yourself a favor and bring the bike inside.

Other notes:
- Panniers (pictured above) are great because they keep the weight off of your shoulders, help to keep your back dry, and aid in organization (eg: put your clothes in one and your office supplies in the other)
- Bike commuting doesn’t work well with spikey hairstyles. The more natural the hair, the less likely you’ll have “helmet head”

originally posted in bronzefinger.com