Commute Orlando

I've mentioned Commute Orlando before, but I recently discovered something that reminded me what a great resource for bicycle commuters this site is. Commute Orlando is a multi-contributor, multi-mode website with a strong sense of mission to encouraging bicycle commuting in Orlando. It does a great job of promoting commuting in general, for people both in and out of Central Florida.

What do they offer, you ask? Just click on the main website and see. For people all over, there are lots of goodies. Start in the left-hand column at The Basics. If you're just starting out, this will help you select and outfit your bike and get started with cycling. Just below that is On the Road with more articles about how to operate your bike on the streets.

In the center left column is a link to their blog which covers the world of cycling with a focus on cycling in Florida and Orlando. Even though I don't live in the area, I find much of the information there relevant and interesting. In preparing this post, I noticed that they now have a message forum as well (how did I miss that??) in the center right column. In the blog and forum columns you can see previews of the articles and posts inside.

In the right sidebar is a link to an online book about bicycling called Bicycle Street Smarts by John Allen, another good resource. Below that is one of my favorite sections: A series of articles called Smart Moves. Once you get past the basics, there is so much good information in these articles about how to navigate the road with other traffic while on your bike. One of my favorites is a little piece called You Lead the Dance, which now features a video that gets the point across really well.


Bicycling in traffic is a dance you lead from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.
If you are a complete beginner with respect to cycling, I hope you look at my blog for inspiration, but for the real nuts and bolts, you can't beat Commute Orlando. Oh, and by the way, you can thank Keri Caffrey for this great public service.

A Little Something for the Ladies

Earlier this year, there were a couple posts on dressing for colder weather. Those posts assumed that all commuters are guys, and maybe some unisex-dressing ladies. There was a recent post on Let's Go Ride a Bike that tackled this issue in a decidedly softer fashion. I invite you to click over to Dottie's post where she shares her tips for staying warm fashionably. Nice post, Dottie!

Almost Like a Car

Many people who begin commuting by bicycle have either been off a bike for a long time or have ridden primarily for recreation, maybe on protected trails. In my case I'd been off the bike for about 20 years.

I live in Fort Worth, Texas, which is the 17th largest city in the U.S. So there is a lot of traffic to deal with and there isn't always a protected trail to ride where I want to go. I went through an evolution in my cycling style, and I'm still evolving. I started out on sidewalks (which resulted in the only accident I've had since I started riding again), then progressed to gutter bunny, and now I'm becoming more of a vehicular cyclist.

Some of the best conversations I've recently had on the blogs (such as this one and this one) have been about vehicular cycling, which is essentially driving your bike like a car on the road. There are debates as to how safe it is to be out there among speeding motor vehicles, but the consensus among those who have tried VC seems to be that there an increase in safety, largely due to the effect that VC has on giving the cyclist more control over his situation.

I didn't really want to do a whole post on vehicular cycling, except to lead in to some information I wanted to highlight. If you're new to commuting, you, like I was in the beginning, may be scared to death of getting squished by a car and try to avoid them at all costs. Vehicular cycling isn't for everyone, but it is worth knowing about. It is a tool you should have in your cycling toolbox. I recently discovered an article entitled Smart Moves: You Lead the Dance, written by Keri of CommuteOrlando Blog, which serves as an excellent introduction to the basics of vehicular cycling. And while I'm at it, I'm going to add CommuteOrlando to the blog list here at BBC.

Thanks to CommuteOrlando for "The Confident Cyclist" illustration

How I Carry Stuff

 

That is my primary bicycle. A carbon fiber 2007 Giant OCR C Zero. I recently crossed the 10,000 mile mark on it. It has served me well!

I have been car-free now for almost three years, and I thought I would say a few words about what I carry with me and how I transport stuff. These are the things that work for me, but it may be a bit minimalist for others.

I came to cycling in my youth, and tried my hand for many years as a competitive racer, and that has seriously colored my choices as a transportational cyclist. Please keep that in mind. For example, I value low weight very highly, and that explains why I chose to purchase the Giant. Others have valued weight much less, and the compromises they make will be different than mine. Not better or worse, just different based on how they rate one value over another. There is a wonderful diversity in cycling, and I would be a fool to disdain what others prefer!

This is what is found in the seat bag:

 

Clockwise from the top left; A cotton bandanna in a sandwich bag to clean my glasses, spare inner-tube in plastic, a patch kit, two CO2 cannisters, the inflater chuck, fresh batteries for my lights in plastic, a 6mm hex wrench, a 5mm hex wrench and in the center, a spare battery for my computer. (It would be a calamity if my computer failed me on a long ride!)

Because my bicycle is a full Dura-Ace equipped bike, the two wrenches will fix nearly any problem encountered on a trip, a delightful bonus from well engineered equipment.

If I should get a flat, I get one fix and a mulligan, and then it's thumb time. But I am running on Specialized Armadillo Elite tires, and I completely wore out the last pair. I had only experienced one flat in all that time on them.

In fact, the length of time that the spare tube has spent in the bag has caused its own hazard! To reduce abrasion on the inner-tube, I wrapped it in plastic before putting it in my seat-bag. Here is the condition it was in when I pulled it out for the photo:

 

Holes were worn through the plastic! Yikes! The tube looked OK, so I added more plastic when I put it back.

That are the things I want to be with me during any trip, whether recreational or errands, and so stay with the bike all the time.

This is my wet weather/spare bike:

 

It a single speed fendered Redline 9 2 5. I have put on a triangular in-frame bag for carrying the "always must have stuff":

 

Tools at the top, top to bottom, five and six millimeter hex wrenches, then a box end wrench that fits the fender hardware, and a box end wrench to remove rear wheel.

On the left I have three tire wrenches, CO2 cannisters, the inflater chuck, a patch kit, a spare inner-tube and two terry cloth rags. It is always nice to have something to wipe your hands with after handling the chain and removing the tires, especially if it is wet out. But also, the CO2 canisters become really cold when discharged, so something is needed to protect your hands. The third important role of the rags is to keep the kit from rattling, which for me can be very annoying!

While I have only traveled a little more than 500 miles on the Redline, I have had at least five flats! There will be Armadillos on it for the next set of tires!

When this fix-it kit is wrapped up, this is how it is arranged in the frame-bag.

 

The extra space can used for plastic sheeting (Plastic drop cloth) and bungee cords if I expect to have to park the bike in the rain. But they are not carried with me all the time.

For the rest of the stuff I need to pack around I use either jersey pockets when on recreational rides, or a small back-pack, or a larger capacity back-pack or a messenger bag for the most bulky of loads, depending on how much room I need.

 

I keep some things at work, like shoes and some cold-weather clothes in case of sudden weather changes. I carry in clean clothes to change into, and lunch. I bring powdered drink mix in. I re-use two liter soda bottles to mix it in and consume it from. I am able to keep my bicycle in the building with me.

Here is what I take with me shopping, perhaps for groceries:

 

I use the Speedplay cleat system, so I need a change of shoes if much walking is involved. For size and weight considerations, I take these slippers or flip-flops. That loop of rope is used to carry my bike shoes draped over the frame, like this:

 

This allows more room in my bag to place items while shopping. Oh, I don't lock my bike up, I take it into the store or restaurant with me. I rarely have had anyone take issue with this, and there is enough competition for my business that alternatives have always been found.

I am single, so I have not needed a higher capacity than the messenger bag provides, though I have made multiple store runs on occasion. (12 mile round trip.) I haven't yet loaded the bag with so much stuff that I couldn't breathe, but I have caused the plastic strap clamp to fail.

What I buy for groceries is also colored by capacity considerations. For example, potato chips and milk are rarely purchased, one because it takes up so much space, and the other because it is heavy. (I rely on powdered drink mixes for this reason too!)

What have you found that works for your commute?

Difficult Left Turns

Guest blog post by ChipSeal

You are making a right turn from a side street onto a very busy, 40 mph speed limit road (with 50 more common). The road has three lanes of dense traffic in each direction, and about a quarter mile up you need to turn left.

Oh, and about a quarter mile up this busy road is a freeway service road interchange. There are occasional gaps in the traffic but always a chance of a right turn on yield coming off the freeway.

How do you approach such a scenario?

Doohickie has asked me to give my advice on the above question.

Here is a Google map of the area. But not being there, I don't see what your concern is with the freeway service road. Setting that aside, here goes:

My strategy would be to wait for a gap large enough to to turn directly to the left lane when I entered the street. The key to left turns on high-speed busy roads is to merge early. Way early!

I suppose I would also turn into the center lane and then merge left as soon as I could if there were no gaps big enough to reach the left lane at the start.

I also do not wait for a gap that is so long I will prevent a motorist from braking. I am not going to accelerate to their speed, so no matter how big the traffic gap, they will have to slow down or merge. I just look for a gap big enough that they have the space they need to slow down for me.

Riding in the left-most lane will be confusing to many motorists, but they will merge right to overtake you. It is perfectly within the law to take the left lane when you are preparing to turn left. On high-speed streets, you have to get left early, so early that until you get used to doing it, it seems insanely early. If you wait, you can get trapped in the right lanes and be unable to merge. Merging across early is far less stressful.

While it doesn't show an early merge across multiple lanes, this video does demonstrate merging early and shows the reaction of nearby traffic. And besides, who doesn't like watching Keri ride her bike?

I have found another good film, but is is not as easy on the eyes. Preparing for left turns is demonstrated starting at 1:50 and then another one at 7:40.



Photos by Fred Oswald © Copyright 2005-2008 LAB Reform. Material may be copied with attribution.