How it turned out

I was able to get in rides yesterday and today after all. There was a little mist while I was out in the middle of nowhere but the rain so confidently predicted by my favorite source for weather information never materialized. Neither ride was the jaunt CD's Friday Ride Guide envisioned. Instead Saturday's and Sunday's rides were truncated versions of Friday's vision. I just had to feel like a champ on Farrington Road before I turned at Hollands Chapel Road.

Like so many weekends this one did not turn out as planned. A friend who's covered my butt called and needed help moving Saturday. My only questions were where and when. The two hours — don't get me wrong, they were well spent helping a friend — were hours originally planned for the 2100. But we haven't been on the back side of the solstice long enough for that benefit to show up in terms of noticeably increased light for weekend rides. With threats of rain for today, I figured Saturday's ride would wrap up 2006 for cycledork. The predicted rain still hadn't started by 1 p.m. Sunday so I pulled myself together and cranked it out at a little more than 19 mph.

I bought a new cycle computer in early June. The odometer reading after I got in today was 2,456. That's about 100 miles per week and factors in three weeks when, for a variety of reasons, I did not ride at all. But after May 15, when I went to work I rode a bike every day except two: May 22 and June 14. On the first of those days I got a flat down the street from cycledork central so I took the easy way out by coming back to headquarters and getting in the car. On the second, as Tropical Storm Alberto came through, it was clear to me I was unequipped to deal with the weather. I have both worked and spent to equip myself properly since and the work is still in progress. We're all familiar with cycledork's aversion to wet feet, the miraculous arrival of the secret weapon and the plusses and minuses of various rain pants (don't be surprised if a rain-pants review shows up soon).

So what's the payoff for all of this, particularly over the last seven months and the miles? It's that cycledork's healthier than he has been in my adult life. I'm a rock and my doctor gushes when he reviews my lab results. It's a finger to an employer's auto-insurance requirements so subtle it will likely never be noticed. It's everything learned about how to ride and how to commute, two related but separate activities. And it's the rush — the only ones cycledork's had that are better are sex and skiing. See you on the road.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: go toward the light

How tired are you of approaching a traffic light and standing and standing while traffic just keeps zooming by perpindicularly or — even worse — the traffic coming at you gets a turn or two? Well good news. There is a way to approach that light and keep rolling. I've tried it and it works. A couple of times, when I timed it just right, it was so smooth my foot didn't even come out of the pedal as the signal changed. It's not necessary at every intersection but at some lights these techniques are a life saver. The article's on the website for a local group, the North Carolina Coalition for Bicycle Driving. Some of these guys have heard of me (in a noncycling capacity) and, obviously, I've heard of them. Don't be surprised if we all get to know each other better.

A Virginia flier

In the mailroom here at cycledork central we receive untold volumes of bike-friendly offers, solicitations and propaganda. One of the most recent was a brochure extoling the Bike Virginia Captain John Smith Adventure scheduled for June 22 through June 27. The basic cost is $230 per adult. Though you may not have received a leaflet describing the tidewater opportunity, you can register for the ride here. Adventure indeed. Imagine what thrills Captain Smith or Powhatan or Pocahontas could have had on a two wheeler.

The Electra challenge

Cycledork isn't talking about who has the hippest cruiser with tassels coming out of the handlebars (although that might happen some other time). No, this is all about the hilliest three miles of road in Cary. And Electra Drive sits dead center in the middle of the route. Besides, "The Evans to Trinity Up and Down Cycle Ride" would sound, well, dorkish and "Five Laps of Death" is just a touch too melodramatic. Here's the first part of the challenge: five full laps. Thirty miles. Obey all traffic lights and stop signs. Last one in picks up the first round, winner gets the second. Part two: if you've got a more rugged three-mile stretch of road west of Raleigh and east of Jordan Lake, cycledork wants to hear about it and will honor the challenge there as well. Throw the gauntlet and the date and time, once agreed to, will be posted here. Show me what you got.

The secret weapon …

Like so many other solstice miracles, arrived today. A pair of Sidi Hydro GTX. Ah, the magic of Gore-tex. And what a perfect day to see what they're made of — pouring down rain, about 50 degrees. I haven't seen it rain this hard since Tropical Storm Ernesto. Anyway. So I get my gear on, do about a mile. The boots are bulletproof from the outside. Once I figure out how to keep water from getting in — and it was only light seepage into the right shoe — I'm golden. And again, about those Illuminite pants. Reflective, warm, yes. Waterproof, no; another wet-ass four-minute ride. I'll be looking at Plan B and beyond to protect myself from the elements below the waist.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: go ahead — peek in that window

Every now and then, on our way to the open road, we find ourselves driving through areas with cars that are parallel parked, among other urban auto hazards. To keep those clods from clotheslining us with their doors, use your right eye to look in their rear and side windows. Think of this as the cycling equivalent of using the mirror and watching the road at the same time. If you see the driver or a passenger on the left-hand side, slow down or give a wider berth or both. But give props — and a wave — to the folks you see who are actually watching out for traffic before getting out of the car.

C'dork's Friday ride guide — Plan B

Here's the plan, after confirming with cyclebuddy: same route but at 11 a.m. in an attempt to avoid the rain. Bonus: more sleep.

C'dork's Friday ride guide

This Saturday, assuming no rain and that I get confirmation from cyclebuddy, is going to be cycledork on the 2100, cyclebuddy on the recumbent and anyone with the fortitude to join us on our homemade, somewhat scenic and partially predictable ride through western Wake and northeastern Chatham counties. Meet at 8 a.m. at the ATT trailhead on White Oak Chapel Road. From there, south along White Oak to Green Level Road. West on Green Level to Wimberly Road. Then east on Jenks Road to Davis Drive (one big hill). South on Davis Drive/Salem Street through Apex (caution: traffic and parallel parked cars) to Old U.S. 1. Hammer on to Beaver Creek (south of US 64)/Farrington Road (north of US 64), where we turn north. Depending how studly we're feeling we can go all the way to Durham, where we turn east on Stagecoach Road, come south on NC 751 (hilly) and then east on O'Kelly Chapel Road (cyclebuddy's recumbent will hit hit 35-40 mph), south on Green Level to Durham (two hills) and back into Cary Park. If we're feeling merely mortal, we turn east on Hollands Chapel Road, jog along 751 for a second and onto Lewter Shop Road and back to White Oak Chapel. My guess is that these rides are in the 50 and 40 mile ranges, respectively, at a speed between 17 and 19 mph. There may be a Plan B to deal with the rain, in which case I'll pass that on.

Friends in low places

I know a local guy who's a transportation planner who's famous for his e-mail blasts on, predictably, transportation and planning issues. He's nice enough to include me, so here's an article he sent today from Governing magazine that fits with cycledork's passions. If bike friendlier muncipalities are your sort of thing, complete the survey noted in this public service announcement from the Town of Cary regarding updates to the town's transportation plan. Make your opinions clear. To see how the League of American Bicyclists considers these matters, check out its page and links on Bicycle Friendly Communities — of which Cary is one. Even though there's been support for cyclists from Cary for the past several years, it's up to us to make sure that help is maintained or improved.

Meet cyclebuddy

Most of my riding I do by myself. It's not that I'm antisocial; it's that I don't like getting up on Saturday morning. I'll do the occasional charity ride but I'd rather get out after lunch and hammer for two or three hours. But over the last year and a half there's been one guy that I've meshed with, even to the point of sacrificing Saturday morning sleep. We've missed connections though over the last several months and weren't staying in touch the way we should have. So yesterday I was out at the edge of nowhere in northeastern Chatham County pedalling back toward somewhere when I saw a recumbent cruising toward me. It was none other than cyclebuddy. We rode together for about four miles and he smoked me over the flats. We talked for a few minutes after we got back to his far west Cary driveway and talked about riding over the next couple of weekends. Today, I was a few miles farther west in nowhere and here he comes hauling ass toward me. Same routine as yesterday: more smoke followed by more catching up. The great thing about cyclebuddy is his enthusiasm combined with an ungodly ability to get the most out of his machine (there's more coming on the recumbent). The upshot of today's ride was a firm commitment to ride this Saturday. Route to be determined; check back on Friday.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: let your fingers do it

… by letting others on the road know what you're doing and where you're going. It's so easy: stick your right arm straight out with a pointed index finger if you plan to turn right. Stick your left arm straight out with a pointed index finger if you plan to turn left. Do these things whether you're making a full 90-degree turn or shifting from the shoulder to the lane. Turn your left hand so your palm faces backward if you slow down. Our bargain for using the road, according to the State of North Carolina, is that we need to follow the rules even if it means watching our motorized counterparts ignore them as we do right.

C'dork's Friday ride guide

There are as many weekend group rides in western Wake County as Carter's has little pills. For instance, tomorrow, you can roll out of Cycling Spoken Here's Cary store, 1377 N.W. Maynard Road in Cary, at 9:30 a.m. for one of three road rides — 17-18 mph, 19+ mph and women only. Two more rides take off at 10 a.m. Sunday. A mountain bike ride gears up at the store at 10 a.m. Sunday as well.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: float away

There's a reason why every cycling-information source browbeats us about staying hydrated. If you don't you'll, at the very least, feel crappy on and off the bike. My own cautionary tale: I took the week off and rode the 2100 a grand total of once. I was out of town for a couple of days. Most of the rest of the time I just slept late, had a headache, read baseball blogs (here's a favorite) and lifted weights. I was eating the way I usually do — coffee and fruit for breakfast; peanut butter and fruit for lunch; nuts, dried fruit, cheese and crackers to snack on; and whatever was for dinner, typically with a beer or two. So what was missing? Water. Lots of water. I've always got a pint of water going at my desk at work but I've kept cycledork central unusually arid. Jacking up my fluid intake over the last 36 hours has done wonders for my headache and my mood. See you on the road.

Road toasty but seeking more sensation

The temperature won't make it over 35 today. But with bright sun and good layers I managed to break a sweat during a short ride. To keep the heat in on top I donned a Headsweats chili peppers skullcap under my helmet. For thoracic comfort I wore a Patagonia wicking t-shirt, Canari Paceline long-sleeve jersey and the Ibex pullover. The breeze cut right through but was only nippy for the first couple of miles. Below I had on old Canari shorts under Cannondale padless fleecy tights. The only surprise was the full-fingered Primalwear gloves. My hands were fine but my fingers, even fully covered, were mofo cold. And as useless as the Pearl Izumi covers are in the wet they did a good job of keeping the cold off my feet. Even though the cleats obviously aren't affected, wearing shoe covers, wet or dry, regardless of brand, is like having foot condoms on. Yeah, I can still pedal, but I wish I could feel more. But stay tuned. There is discussion here at cycledork central that a secret weapon, perhaps arriving at Christmas, could have my feet bareback again, so to speak.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: glow in the dark

If you ride at night, as I do from time to time, make sure drivers — you know, those heavy right footers with cell phones I mentioned last week — can see you. I've had the 2100 outfitted with a red flasher on the back and a white flasher on the front. I also wear an orange flasher on the back of my helmet that greets drivers behind me like an unfurling finger. All three lights have a variety of steady and flashing settings but I leave 'em flashing to wake up sleeping motorists. It's not just lights, either. I wear bright — either red, orange or yellow — on top and reflective pants (remember the almost waterproof Illuminite from last week?) on the bottom. Oh yeah, and I think I mentioned the reflective ankle bands too. The backs of my Sidi shoes are reflective as well. So what does all this count for? A few weeks ago I was riding home a couple of hours after dark. As I approached a light a guy in a Toyota passed me and yelled, "Thanks for the light!" I caught up with him at the traffic signal and asked him if he was sarcastic or sincere. He made it clear he was definitely sincere. "I don't know how I would live with myself if I hit a cyclist," he said as we both pulled away.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: looking like a clown is good for you

There's a good reason to wear those bright circus colors when you ride: so people, particularly folks with heavy right feet talking on their cell phones, can see you. So what if blue and orange clash? That's the point. Your ensemble should be jarring. Since you're on your bike anyway and paying attention to the road you can't see how ridiculous you look — but drivers can. And when they see you they'll avoid you. Plus, what could be more appropriate than looking like a clown on those days when you're riding like you've been shot out of a cannon? If only those giant shoes came with cleats.

Cycledork wishes for webbed feet. With cleats.

As our nontropical storm continued into a second day, I faced the question so many two-wheeled men have but so few admit: what to wear? This question has been critical lately as I've prepared to ride in the rain. The good news is that most of my wardrobe is now set — even if half of it could stand improvement. Since the weather's cooled I wear a long-sleeve jersey or wicking t-shirt and my waterproof, windproof, bright red Patagonia synthetic hooded pullover. If the temperature's below 35 or so, I wear my cardinal-red Ibex wool hooded pullover in between. No use weaseling: I paid through the nose for those last two garments. On the other hand they perform up to every expectation for dryness and warmth, respectively, that I could have. Deciding what to wear over my torso is even more straightforward than picking my ride. If it's not raining in the morning it's the trusty Trek 2100. Wet skies when I wake up almost always mean my wife's ancient but dependable Nishiki tank.
Clothing becomes more problematic below the waist particularly the closer I get to my feet. Between my waist and my ankles I wear a pair of tights and my supposedly waterproof Illuminite pants. I'll concede that my Illuminite pants are nearly waterproof. They take on water through the butt seam and have since I got them. Though that situation is irksome I'll take the Illuminite as they're way ahead of the so called rain pants they replaced that shredded after three rides. Given the promotional buildup they get you think they'd at least come with a bilge pump or something. Anyway, though not waterproof, the Illuminites are fantastically windproof and warm and perfect for dry rides. As far as my tights go, the Pearl Izumis conform to my body better than the Louis Garneaus but the chamois in the LGs is about a light year more comfortable. Nothing's perfect and I just have to lump it.
Call me obsessive compulsive but I can't stand having dirty hands or wet feet. You want to mindfuck me, there's the secret. I don't think there's any such thing as waterproof cycling gloves so I just peel 'em off when I get to my destination and wash my hands. Quickly. But for all the time I've put in considering how to keep my feet dry while pedalling in the rain I could've cured cancer or at least have read a really good book. For the time being, at least, I've come up with two solutions, one for the road bike and the other for the mountain bike. On the road bike, as I reported yesterday, I use my supposedly waterproof Hind shoe covers. Though more or less inadequate, they are an improvement over my supposedly water-resistant Pearl Izumi covers. The PIs seem to actively attract moisture. When wearing the Pearls with 1-gallon Glad freezer bags, waterproof was within reach. That was great if I didn't mind arriving somewhere with feet not rain soaked but certainly sweat slicked. Not to mention the bulk that would seem to diminish sensation while pedalling. On the Nishiki I abandon any pretension of cycling savoir faire. I wear field-tested waterproof hikers with wicking boot socks even with the full bike get up from the ankles north. With no clipless pedals I can go for comfort all the way. Even in fall deluge, day two I was only damp at the intersection of Illuminite and right boot sock when I got to work.

Warm yet not fiery

The Triangle is getting blasted by the late-fall equivalent of a tropical storm. After the smoking-socks incident last week I was relieved to arrive home from my afternoon commute and find that my supposedly waterproof shoe covers had indeed kept my feet dry. Today was the first of four times I have used the covers when they have come close to being waterproof as advertised — but only because I made an effort to coordinate the functions of all my gear. I am always careful to make sure the covers' velcro enclosures are completely secure and that my rain pants go over the covers. This afternoon I carefully and tightly applied my reflective ankle straps in an attempt to keep my pants legs from coming off of the covers. End result: the top of one footie was mildly damp. However, my shoes and feet were dry and comfortable. I accept my progress in small doses.

CD's Saturday cycling tip: blow yourself up

For God's sake, whatever you do, put some air in your tires before you go out. If there is an easier step you can take to improve your ride, let me know. The recommended pressure is right there on the side of the tire. As with a car, appropriate tire pressure means better performance. Bonus: this may just be because I am, well, cycledork, but if I put my helmet on just as I'm reaching for the pump then I don't forget my lid once I hit the road.

Celebrating six months and nothing to be alarmed about

As of yesterday I've been a bicycle commuter for six months. Between getting to work and riding for fun the pedalling has gotten me about 2,200 miles, night and day, rain and shine. The round-trip commute is typically only about 7 miles from my home in a suburb outside Raleigh to the small business where I work. I celebrated today by cycling to the office in the rain. Despite my best efforts, however, I was unable to keep my feet dry. The good news is that when my socks caught fire in the microwave I was able to get them quickly to a sink and destroy the other evidence shortly thereafter. I'm telling my co-workers that funky smell is burnt s'mores.