The Bicycle Commuting Diaries: Studded Tires and Snow Plows

Winter is approaching and in Colorado that usually means one thing; snow. In our previous life, we usually parked the bikes in the garage and set up the stationary trainer as the last fall leaves were hitting the ground. This year we decided to “buck up” and keep riding through the ice, snow, and freezing temperatures.
Enter the snow tire for bicycles. We ordered the Ice Spiker Pro from our good friends at Schwalbe and Chris got them installed this morning. Neither one of us has rolled a bicycle with studs before so we decided to go for a test run. The tires require a break in period on pavement so, per the instructions, we started the “running in” process by riding to the post office.
Even though the route was the usual urban adventure of paved path and busy intersections, we found ourselves very excited for the adventure. With a new blanket of snow and a clear blue sky we navigated our way south with smiles on our faces. Intersections were a little crazy as we had to crash our way through the snow piled up from the cleared roads. We must have garnered some attention because most cars gave us the right away.
The only scary part came when we were faced with a wave of snow being thrown from an on-coming plow. I was about the head into a snow bank when the driver looked our way, slowed down, and lifted his plow. I guess that will be rule #1 on the Winter Riding Guide – “watch for snow removal equipment”.

Here’s to snow crunching under your tires,
LK

Alternative to the Gas Tax Holiday

Day 224
Home Base to Golden and Back
Time: 2:43:08
Distance: 28.28 mi
Avg Speed: 10.4 mph
Terrain: Front Range Foothills
Location: American Alpine Club

There has been a lot of press lately regarding the price of fuel. Senator John McCain has proposed suspending the federal gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day to give drivers a break during the summer. See this article for more information.
This proposal has definitely worked its way into the latest speeches for the presidential candidates. Regardless of who does or doesn’t support the holiday, you have to question what “relief” the gas-tax really provides.
I put some thought into the issue as we rode our bicycles to Golden to return some library books today. My ideas drifted toward alternative transportation, not temporary financial relief through the price of petrol.
In 2004, Chris and I sold our second vehicle and relied mostly on our bicycles for alternative transportation. During that time we only had to rent a car once, relying on carpooling (with each other) or ride our bicycles. I’ll be honest; our main goal was to gain financially from owning only one car. What we saved in automobile costs was used to help get our finances in order for our ultimate goal (that we are working on now). In addition to eliminating fuel costs, we did away with insurance and maintenance costs as well. Furthermore, the health and environmental benefits we gained were very satisfying. We were able to get in workouts and immerse ourselves in the landscape while riding from place to place.
Some of you may be thinking at this point about the logistics of using a bicycle as a means of transportation. Going for a ride is one thing, but running errands and getting to work is another. What about the cargo; clothes, packages, etc? Conventional methods have included the use of a backpack, pannier system or trailer. Fortunately, there is also a newer and more innovative means for bicycle commuting. Read on.
As equipment manager, Chris is always researching the latest touring bikes and gear. While cruising around on the Surly Bicycles website he found the Big Dummy. This is a frame and fork designed to work with Xtracycle components. What’s Xtracycle you ask? It’s a sport utility bicycle company. Yes, sport utility applies to bikes as well – all of the function and none of the fuel. The Big Dummy is essentially a “long” bicycle that was built to handle a 400 lb load, 200lbs for the cargo and 200 lbs for the rider. It probably works better than panniers or a trailer due to its design. Overall, the bike is easier to handle, can carry a heavier load and puts less stress on the rider.
So really, what’s my point? Simple – let’s think outside the box (or pump in this case) when it comes to the gas tax holiday.
LK

The Bicycle Commuting Diaries: Maiden Voyage

Day: 199
Time: 2 hours or so
Distance: Across South Denver and back
Avg Speed: Stop and go
Terrain: Urban

It’s been almost a year since the last installment of the Bicycle Commuting Diaries. In the previous post I shared the accident I had with a BOB trailer. I escaped with minimal injuries but I have not pulled a trailer since. Today I got back on that horse and took one of our new “Yaks” out for its maiden voyage.
It wasn’t an especially nice day today but we needed to run errands and get some exercise. We watched the weather alternate between sun and snow showers all morning but decided to brave “springtime in the Rockies”. After changing into our cool riding gear and switching out rear quick releases, we ventured out into south suburban Denver. Chris pulled the trailer first and we worked our way to the first stop: the post office.
It’s amazing how different a very familiar place becomes on a bike, and on the side of the road. We put our recently acquired urban riding skills to the test as we navigated our way through several intersections along Kipling St. We took turns pushing the crosswalk buttons and caught some interesting looks out of the corner of our eyes. It couldn’t have been the big yellow flag sticking up from the back of the trailer…
After mailing off our applications for Nepalese visas, we continued east to drop off Chris’ new wheel. DT Swiss, the company who manufactured the rim, was kind enough to send a replacement right away and we didn’t want to waste any time getting it rebuilt. After a few calls, Chris found Arapahoe Cyclery and made plans to drop off the wheel. From the post office, we plotted a course through city streets and paved pathways. Meanwhile, the skies to the west were becoming increasingly dark. I shouted back to Chris “I’m guessing we’ll get snowed on before this ride is over”.
Our circuitous path finally brought us to the bike shop. In a matter of five minutes we were back outside the store; it had taken almost an hour and a half to get there. I guess commuting by bike is mostly a labor of love. Luckily, there was a fabric store right next to the bike shop. We were relieved that we could accomplish the next item on our “to do” list so easily. We popped in and Chris got more supplies to turn his bicycle helmet into a sombrero. By the time we got back outside to the bikes it was snowing. Go figure. We mounted up and Chris yelled “WHITE SQUALL!” as we rode out of the parking lot.
The ride home was uneventful. I pulled the trailer and can say that I made it back to home base without incident. You see, this time, I read the directions and I now know how to avoid crashing with the BOB trailer.

Happy Spring,
LK