A Quiet Ride and Thoughts of Bicycle Commuting

[Doug H.]

I rode today and noticed the quietness of my Clem. The friction shifting is almost noiseless and the Silver2 shifter is perfect. The front shifter is the clickety Sun Race that works just fine but does make noise. After a somewhat stressful day at work the ride was just what I needed. I have considered commuting but haven't taken the plunge yet. My commute would be 50 minutes and about 9 miles each way I think, which isn't bad and would help clear my mind. I know Roberta has started bicycle commuting and I'd love to hear hers and others experiences, challenges and benefits.

Doug

Athens, Ga

[Richard Rose]

Doug, I retired this past June 1. The thing I miss the most is my 14 mile each way commute. I only managed 2-4 days a week, weather dependent. But it was always the best way way to start / end a day of teaching.

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 27, 2022, at 9:41 PM, Doug H. <dhansf...@gmail.com> wrote:

I rode today and noticed the quietness of my Clem. The friction shifting is almost noiseless and the Silver2 shifter is perfect. The front shifter is the clickety Sun Race that works just fine but does make noise. After a somewhat stressful day at work the ride was just what I needed. I have considered commuting but haven't taken the plunge yet. My commute would be 50 minutes and about 9 miles each way I think, which isn't bad and would help clear my mind. I know Roberta has started bicycle commuting and I'd love to hear hers and others experiences, challenges and benefits.

Doug

Athens, Ga

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[Ed Carolipio]

My 5-miles-each-way bike commute is usually the best of part of my day for the same reasons.

I suggest the next step is to commit to just one day a week. (If you have a M-F, 40 hour workweek, best day to commit is Friday.) For me, that was easy enough to stick with and helped make bike commuting a habit. That also gave me some time between commute days to make adjustments and address any issues that came up during the commute. Try that for a few weeks and see how it goes.

And if it's available, I suggest designing a "long way home" route that incorporates a scenic ride or an intermediate destination via a low stress path. I'm lucky enough to include 5 miles of beach path for my long way home, and I almost always chose that on Fridays in the spring and summer when the days are long.

--Ed C.

[Ryan]

I've been retired since June 2018 but commuted by bike except in winter when I'd walk home after work. My commute was about 5 kilometers and I'd ride about 10 or 11 kilometers after work if I wasn't on call(retired software developer). My ride to work was short enough that I could wear street clothes (carry pants to change into from shorts in summer, e.g.)

The Clem sounds like an ideal commuter but I guess the relevant questions are:

1. Do you have a SECURE place to store your bike?

2. What do you have to carry?

3. Since you have a 50-minute commute, do you have facilities to shower/change clothes, or can you improvise ?(shower before, baby wipes or some such to clean up a bit)

4. Are you OK dealing with rain, etc. if you get caught in it enroute ? Or will your bike be OK if there is a storm when you leave work and you have to pick it up later...that has happened to me more than once; riding in a thunderstorm is dodgy at best.

5. Fairly low-stress, low-traffic route?

Don't beat yourself up about not riding when conditions are bad. 

Otherwise

[Roberta]

Hi, Doug.

My three month bike commute is two miles each way and it's the best way to start the day and to clear my mind at the end of the day.  I was so frazzled driving on the highway to our former office.

I want my commute to be pleasant no matter the method, so I'm not 100% riding, but it's close.  If it's below 30* or raining, I'll walk or walk/bus. I also watch the weather, so if it's going to rain about the time I leave, I'll leave early or late.  Or, I'll leave my bike at the office and walk/bus home. I'm lucky that I have options.   I'm also lucky that I can bring my bike into my office.  I leave work pants and shoes at the office during the week and change them at work.  Also, although no route is 100% safe for me, I try to ride on roads with bike lanes or on less traveled roads if no bike specific lanes are available.  There are a lot of reflectors and lights on my bike and me (I wear a good reflector vest).  I need to start taking a lock, too, so if I want to stop somewhere on the way home, I can.

I settled on a single pannier.  It's plenty big for everything I carry.  Even though it does take up more space, I put my container-ed lunch in an insulated sealable lunch bag, protecting my other items in case of a container leak.

Now that days are longer and warmer after work, my plan (haven't done it yet) is to ride right to the MUP after work for another 10 miles. 

No matter biking, walking or walking/bus combo, it's all better than driving in traffic.  I also feel better and am sleeping a bit better.

Keep us informed!

Roberta

[Bill Schairer]

Retired now but bike commuted off and on for years in different cities/jobs etc.  It wasn’t until I retired that I learned how to ride recreationally.  My approach was this:

1. Figure out what route I would be riding and then ride it a few times on off days and refine if possible/necessary.  Get comfortable with where the bike will be during the day.
2. My jobs were generally suit and tie.  I kept as much as possible of my work outfit at work.  If riding say 4 days per week, use day 5 for swapping out supplies as necessary.
3. Only one job had a shower.  Others, got there early (also allowed for rare mechanical, flat), cooled down at desk then sponge bathed and changed in bathroom stall.
4. My experience was that anything under about 10 miles each way was ideal in that it really didn’t add that much time to my commute and any that it did counted as recreation/exercise so all was good.
5. Took me about two weeks to adapt.  First two weeks were a chore adapting to traffic (and it adapting to you), getting my routine down, body adjusting, getting in the mental mode that the bike is how I get to and from work, no choice - within certain parameters,.  After that break in period, the routine was easy and the commute a joy. I started each day as a kid and didn't have to convert to adult mode until I was at work. It gets easier and easier.
6. A positive I don’t see mentioned often is how predictable the commute is.  I knew how long it would take me and very little could change that.  With a bike it is so much easier to adapt to construction, traffic situations etc.
7. The more regular I was on what time I rode and where I rode, the more considerate my fellow commuters were of me.  They were used to seeing me and willing to accomodate me.  They knew I wasn’t a recreational rider getting in their way but just another person getting to work.  Vary my departure time by as little as 5 or 10 minutes and the new set of commuters might be a little less forgiving.  I strongly believe considering myself as any other vehicle and asserting my right to the road as well as obeying all the traffic laws are important in gaining the respect of one’s fellow commuters.
8. I suppose it can vary from commute to commute but I sometimes preferred heavier traffic.  Speed differential is smaller, more protection in intersections, and riding by bumper to bumper traffic is always a joy!
9. Fellow workers/friends/family may think you are weird but have grudging respect.
10.  Having a backup bike is nice.

Bill S

San Diego

(commutes have been in LA, El Cerrito-Oakland, Concord-Walnut Creek, St Louis, San Diego)

[Den John]

Hello all,

Big thing for me was getting the luggage right. Commuted with a large backpack for a year or so, which was not good for my back.

Switched to panniers when I got a different job and bought a more rack-friendly bike, but then went off panniers after another

job change that involved carrying panniers off the bike for longer distances. Now I have a large front basket that holds a roll top backpack

(UPSO, made by Carradice), plus a saddlebag if I need the extra room.

Post-Covid, I only have to be in the office twice a week, so I do a longer route. I find myself less inclined (or perhaps unable) to ride it as fast as possible compared to the shorter routes I used to do. This makes it a bit more leisurely.

Finding a nice route is important. It's often worth adding a bit to the journey to avoid busy roads. My current route goes over the

recent World Championship course, and you can still see 'Sonny Colbrelli' painted over and over on one of the climbs.

Cheers,

Johnny in Belgium

[Ryan]

Oh yeah...another thing I forgot to mention is that...except when I was on-call during the day, even though I worked 5 days a week , I had pretty flexible start and end times. Most of the folks I worked with were early risers; me not so much, so I would leave around 9am and avoid the morning rush downtown and hang around and work till about 6pm and avoid the evening rush.

When I worked for Great West Life (now Canada Life) they had OK but not perfect lockup facilities.Since I retired they built a state-of-the-art smart card entry bike hangar; sheltered, etc...the whole 9-yards...but since Covid and the move to have everyone working from home and no real mass return to the office , I'm not sure it's all that heavily used.

That being said, when I was still working, I did not ride my Rivendells to work. I rode my 1993 fendered X0-1 for rain and my early 70's PX-10 (which mechanically was perfectly fine but showed its age, like its owner) set up as a single speed with moustache bars...my all-time favorite bars. It's flat in Winnipeg. Windy but flat. There was and is a fair amount of bike theft downtown, like any other city, but mountain bikes ...and newer bikes are more attractive than my bikes.  Might be more of a spike with supply shortages.

[JohnS]

Hello Doug,

Hope you stay with it. There were a couple of studies a few years ago that found the best health out comes were people that bike commuted. I haven't been bike commuting since the start of COVID, but before that I did for years and always enjoyed it, despite the occasional flat tire or mechanical (one time the seat post bolt broke and I had to stand for the mile or so to get home!). Anyway, all good advice from the others. I would add, try to be creative in figuring out what's best for you. Prior to COVID, I would drive in on Monday morning with the bike and my clothes/shoes for the week in my van. Then biked for the next few round trips until Thursday evening, when I drove home. Fridays were WFH.

Good luck,

JohnS

[Jason Fuller]

Friction shifted Clem is such a perfect commuter!  My commute is 10 miles and takes me 50-60 minutes depending how my legs feel that day. I bought the Charlie Gallop proto with this commute as its primary purpose. The long rear end suits panniers super well, and while they're not trendy, you can't beat a pannier for commuting - fits a laptop if you need to, generally roomy and easy to find waterproof options, and easily removed and carried to your desk which is a big one for me. 

Good full-wrap fenders are a must around here, not just for rainy days but to keep road stuff off you generally. Dynamo lights are a game changer. A basket and net (in addition to the pannier) is great for unforeseen needs, errands on the way home etc.  Keeping a compact poncho in your pannier is a good move if rain is possible. I like having an Abus Bordo lock mounted to one of the bottle mounts so that it's always there and I can't forget to pack it.  Similarly, an essentials kit with tube, pump, simple tool(s), snacks, etc should be kept in the pannier at all times. I'd recommend separating this kit from your recreational ride kit potentially. 

Toughest part for me is getting up a bit earlier vs driving.  I have yet to regret riding my bike over driving - even when the weather is gross, it's still better to me!  Wool base layers are key to this. The best thing to do is try it and learn from it.  

[Erik]

I've been a bike commuter for a long time, long before I owned a Rivendell.  I picked up my first Rivendell specifically for commuting, in fact.  My commute has always been 5 - 10 miles each way as I've lived near my work for most of my career.  The biggest part of making it viable for me was strategizing and planning for clothes, having good bags, creating storage at work, and leaving enough time when I arrive at work to cool down.  I'm fortunate that I've always had an office large enough to accommodate my bike so I don't have to manage locking it up anywhere.  

Some specific steps I've taken that have made it simpler: 

-Either keep work clothes at the office (I installed a rod and hangers in a large closet at work and rotated suits and shirts in on Sundays before the work week) or get good panniers that accommodate a suit or two.  

-Always keep one pair of good shoes at work!  I found that I frequently forgot to pack shoes on a daily basis.  

-Have a small towel and hair product to fix helmet head after the commute and some toiletries to clean up if needed.

-Panniers and/or large saddlebags in the back, and a basket up front! Having enough space to easily stow everything is a must and easy to accomplish.  

-Make sure my bike is ready to go the night before so that I can wake up, shower, eat, and take off without having to consider maintenance.  

-Bomb-proof tires to avoid flats and repairs en route.  

-Lights for winter evening commutes and general visibility

-Good rain gear, including shoes, if you plan to commute year-round.  

As others have said, even one or two days a week is fantastic.  For the past 8 years, my commute is exactly 6 miles each way, but I regularly ride the long way home to stretch it out a bit.  I have found that I'm happier when I get to work, more alert during the day, and shed most of my workday stress on the ride home, leading to more pleasant evenings with the family.  My wife is always happier when I'm consistently commuting by bike because I am apparently much more pleasant to be around after work.  :)  I try to take it easy on the ride in so I don't get overheated, but like to ride hard going home.  

At 6 miles, it takes about 5-10 minutes longer to ride than it does to drive.  It's really a no-brainer for me.  And as someone else already said, the commuting time is always consistent.  No traffic.  No construction delays. The only variation on how long it takes is down to the weather.  One last thing that has made this easier: our county completed a bike path through my city that accounts for about 4.5 miles of my commute.  It's been nice to have only a few sections where I'm riding in traffic.  I'm comfortable riding around cars, but the less I have to do it, the better.  It takes another level of awareness to ride in traffic.  It's a much more casual and serene ride on the bike path.  

Erik 

On Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 6:41:39 PM UTC-7 Doug H. wrote:

[Ryan]

Nice commuting setup...glad you have an office to keep it in...that would attract greedy eyes for sure.

[Roberta]

Such great info.

It did take me many weeks to find my groove and for bike commuting feel natural like, well, just riding my bike rather then getting into my car.  That included trying different routes, clothing options, luggage...what to leave at the office, what to carry daily and how.

The Clem is perfect!  I'm looking forward to seeing pictures.

Roberta

[Patrick Moore]

Back when I was forced to work in an office -- I quit mid-June 2008 and have worked at home for myself ever since -- I would commute 15 or 16 miles 1-way (I often added another 4-5 miles 1-way) across town, with 7 miles of gradual climbing inbound. I rode several 67" or 70" fixed gears with Nelson or Camper Longflaps, the last being that 2003 Riv Road custom converted to fixed drivetrain by Dave Porter.

I always had in-office space to park my bikes, thank God -- one place even gave me 2 offices, one for me, one for the bike; another added a little alcove closet with shelving and hanger bar for clothing.

I was lucky as I didn't have to report until 9 am, and even taking ~60 minutes for the cross-town ride, I was often the first to arrive. We had no showers, but I found a private office with big desk fan on High and roll of paper towels and a spritzer bottle of rubbing alcohol did wonderful cool-down and clean-up duty. I always started my mornings with a shower, so I started clean -- makes a huge difference.

I rode probably an average of 3X per week, and sometimes carried clothes in the car on off days. But I usually carried the day's clothing, except for shoes kept in a desk drawer, along with lunch and repair kit, in the Nelson LF. 

I have to say that my riding style was not "just ride." In my strong, young late 40s and early 50s I'd often break 60 minutes (54 was my shortest time) for 16 miles, clock running, even though my route took me through downtown -- Gold to Central, and Central across town to Juan Tabo, again, climbing, fixed gear, stopping at lights. I'd always beat the Route 66 bus, often passing it at the transit center on 1st between Gold and Central and staying ahead of it the rest of the way.

After a few years of this, I slowed and found a quieter, 15-mile route through the University and the Fairgrounds, paralleling 66; times bumped to 63-65 minutes, IIRC, but without the 50 mph traffic on 66's eastern fringes.

Despite the hustle, I was always in a far, far better mood after riding than after driving, this despite the fact that my driving route and conditions were pretty mellow. Funny, even though my return ride included 7 miles downhill, my times were never faster on return; partly I guess because I couldn't coast or upshift, but largely because of the strong Westerlies that almost always brewed up in the mid-afternoon. 

[As to driving, ~2X per week, this averaged just under 30 minutes, with 23 min record, IIRC, one manic morning. Recall blasting up I-40 to the Juan Tabo exit, running late one manic, and zooming under the pedestrian bridge just No. of Eubank at 85 -- only to see 2 cops leaning over and pointing radar guns eagerly at me -- too late to slow down. But this was in the 1990 Plymouth Voyager -- true invisible classic even with 140 (count 'em) stickers -- and the interceptors on the shoulder 1/2 mile further East didn't bother with me.]

[Doug H.]

I appreciated all of the feedback. I think I will start by commuting once a week as has been suggested and go from there. I'll need a rack and I think the Rivendell Shiny Rear Rack would be great, when it's back in stock. I already have a Sackville Backabike Pannier to use which should hold all I need. I can take my bicycle into my office so don't have to worry about storing it outdoors. 

Doug

[Doug H.]

Oh, and I do want a dynamo setup so I don't have to remember to charge my lights. I plan to put an order in with Rich on Monday. Does anyone have a recommendation for front and rear lights?

Doug

[ascpgh]

Doug, I've been commuting year round for fifteen years so far. It is the best part of my day. since I start and finish by doing something I enjoy

I work in an urban hospital with remote parking and shuttle bus service that I would not know how to navigate since bike commuting is so much easier of an approach. I park in the garage next to the elevator lobby, security cameras overseeing my bike in the rack. My commute is about the same duration as my colleagues bus from the parking lots when considering their wait for "the next" shuttle because one just left or was full. They also have to dress for the same weather as I do, or should. 

I gain my daily start of peace, personal effort and the benefits of the time with increased circulation as I ply the unexpectedly quiet streets. The benefit at the end of my long days is just as nice. If I've accumulated a black cloud over my head like Charlie Brown, I don't get into the car with it intact, drive home with it and bring it in the house with me. My ride home separates me from that and sometimes I will even take the long way home to ensure that. 

I began commuting when the security of a bike parked for 12-14 hours was a risk so I did not ride my Rambouillet and got a Surly Disc Trucker in dark green as my rack bait bike (I let it be sort of filthy aside from the drivetrain, cables and housings for camoflage). I did change the front wheel to a dyno hub, saddle to a B-17 and bars to a Nitto RM-03. No one wants to steal an old steel bike with bar end shifters and an antique saddle bag. when others come with their flashy-colored, STI shifted, CFRP, deep section wheel things. 

I was involved in design and placement of racks and facilities for bike commuters when the current green facility was in its final stages prior to opening. I wear scrubs at work and they fold nicely for changing from cycling appropriate clothing. I have my Carradice Nelson LongFlap on my saddle loops. I have mounted my mini pump's frame mount bracket on the lateral dowel inside the bag and I have my scrubs and a small stuff sack with wallet, ID, lunch etc. in a "summit bag", a glorified shoulder-strapped stuff sack for climbers to use on a summit effort so they don't have to lug their whole backpack to the top of a mountain. It fits right into the Nelson. I replace my summit bag with my cycling shoes, helmet, gloves and cap in the Nelson as I lock up. As a long time convert to clipless pedals/shoes I'm willing to cope with stowing them and carrying a pair of Crocs to wear from my bike to my locker where I keep the shoes I'll wear all day. I am able to be fully sufficient in my commuting and don't need a stock day to preposition or collect clothing. I leave my two locks on the rack, it's a spot that has three CCTV cameras on constant feed to the facility police to account for entry and exit of vehicles, approach/entry of elevator lobby. It's a modern pediatric research and teaching facility with outpatient and inpatient services in the same campus, built recently with the latest degree of safety and security incorporated. 

So much in our lives has been optimized and refined to make things less of an effort in general that a part of my brain is left unsatisfied by the resulting lack of problem solving, coping or effort, mental or physical, that is necessary in a day. It's the the same reason that I use friction shifting and 8-spd cassettes on my Rambouillet upon reflection. Bicycling to work gives me a controlled exposure to things that challenge the normal, starting with weather. I appreciate the experience resulting from responding to things like the cold, wet, changing road conditions, traffic and events that challenge my normal routine and have kept me alert, poised to alter my paradigm and exercise my situational awareness to start and end each day. May not be a rewarding route to ride or as long of a ride as I might prefer some days and the bike is not perhaps my first choice for the experience. Use it or lose it applies and I'd rather use it. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh. 

[Tom Norton]

I''m not a Riv owner but I will toss out my way of commuting.

I work pt in a bike shop that has 2 locations.1 locations is 5 miles a few good size hills away. The other is 15 miles and lots of climbing. Now I don't mind the long rides, as my wife and I tour, but after being on my feet for 8 hours I don't really want to ride home. So when the gas prices shot up I decided to convert one of my bike,a hybrid, to a mid drive ebike. Itt takes me 20 minutes longer than driving an I still get some exersise.

So this is my commuter for now

Tom Norton 

NE Ohio

[Matt Beecher]

I used to bike commute in Athens when I worked at the EPA and my wife was still in Vet School.  It's a nice area and that was where I got back into riding as an adult.  It turned out to be as fast/faster than driving because I could ride through the campus, instead of hitting all those lights by going around the campus.  That's a nice area for cycling, because it had a strong cycling community.  Drivers respected the cyclists far more than in northern Illinois.

I recall seeing someone ride by on the opposing side of the road every day with what looked like a folding bike.  I always assumed it was a college professor, but since we were on opposite sides of a 4 lane busy rode, I never got to stop and ask.  I wonder if he/she is still cycle-commuting.  

I do recall the feeling of relaxation after getting home from work.  Any stress would have melted away.  I've not been able to do quite the same thing up here.  My commute is 33 miles now and while there is a nice trail I can use to get to work, I just cannot commit to the 2+ hour investment of the commute and getting cleaned up before work.  I sometimes ride home on Fridays, and back in on Saturdays to get my car.  I've debated the option to drive in, ride home, ride in, drive home hybrid style of commuting.  

My not so hidden trick was to save grocery bags and put my dirty clothes in those bags and hang them on my bike while I worked, so I did not try to save the dirty clothes in the office, nor did I want to put them into a pannier, where the stench might linger.  I don't have a sense of smell, so I don't know if that was necessary, but it made as much sense as possible for someone that doesn't really understand what smells are like, or how they work.  

Invest in decent lights for the dark mornings.  It does not take much though, so I mostly recommend getting something reliable and maybe something as a spare.

Best regards,

Matt - missing Agua Linda and Big City Bread - Beecher

[Ryan]

Well, good luck Doug. You have a great bike for commuting and you don't have to worry about its security so that is something. As others have mentioned , commuting by bike is a great stress reliever ,  good for you, your wallet, and the planet. A win-win all-around I'd say. Starting with 1 or 2 rides a week is a great idea while you figure out what works

[Patrick Moore]

I'd like to understand better what you mean by this. I agree that, in general, many improvements so-called to everyday life have been technologies that do things for you and therefore remove agency and the resulting pleasure; remove agency except the very basic, almost pre-human agencies of adding inputs without having to think about results; and by technologies I mean administrative systems as well as machines. Almost 3 decades ago a friend on a modestly successful upward career path as a commercial loan officer at a regional bank left after the bank was bought by a much bigger bank that had rationalized everything and put into place their program of using statistical analysis to reduce loan decisions to a checklist instead of what he found fulfilling: getting to know people and sizing up their circumstances and character, and forecasting outcomes based on this judgment.

And 20 years ago, when I was married to a pediatrician, the big hospitals (here in flyover ABQ, NM) had been more and more making diagnosis and treatment a matter of following rationalized, statistically tested, general checklists, with other checklists to measure "productivity." She is now in 1-woman private practice, and good for her.

Is this what you mean?

It's funny and sad that more and more -- not only hard, dirty, dangerous physical labor, but human thought and creativity has been replaced by rationalized systems evaluated statistically, so that even some previously professional work has been reduced to hewing wood and drawing water, metaphorically speaking: plugging in inputs. This started of course with manufacturing.

I agree that the same trend seems to be taking over cycling, with the difference that the ultimate agency in cycling is still the person that pedals. Still, I too like friction, when I don't use the primitive indexing on Sturmey Archer hubs, or give it all up altogether for fixed drivetrains -- because of agency.

I do not by any means consider Matthew Crawford a sage, but he's an intelligent and well educated man who has actually thought through this sort of thing and expressed his conclusions with surprising clarity for someone trained as an academic, this in Shop Class as Soul Craft and The World Beyond Your Head. Both books assert generally that real-life confrontation and engagement with real things, notably in the manual trades*, are much more conducive to virtue** than coding software or even -- the clientele I write for -- managing the strategies and general direction and design of business systems, be these entire corporations or business units or product portfolios or global IT systems using statistical methods and working to meet the quarterly numbers. Yes, doing otherwise does indeed put a limit on practical size.

Crawford worked as a journeyman electrician, and owns a business restoring classic motorcycles.

* Hands-on trades: plumbing, auto mechanics, framing, and I daresay, though he doesn't extend his descriptions to them, cooking, interior design, event planning, stock raising, farming on a family scale.

** "Arete," the perfection or fulfillment and thus flourishing of a specific (= species) kind. The virtue of a hammer is to be well balanced, properly weighted, and because of this to drive nails efficiently. Crawford means both the specific excellences of character and the specific excellences of the practical intelligence; the speculative intelligence is beyond him. Suntour's classic bar cons by this criterion are highly virtuous shifting devices. Forget the idea of "virtue" in the modern sense as something that makes you give up stuff.

On Sun, May 1, 2022 at 4:45 AM ascpgh <asc...@gmail.com> wrote:

... So much in our lives has been optimized and refined to make things less of an effort in general that a part of my brain is left unsatisfied by the resulting lack of problem solving, coping or effort, mental or physical, that is necessary in a day.

[Patrick Moore]

I know that I am pushing the boundaries of this thread to the breaking point, but I also think that these tangents are fully sympathetic to the general sense of this list in general and to Grant's own predilections in particular. This current NYT article makes intelligent observations on the debilitating effects of substituting technology for reality.

At any rate, FWIW. Caveat: I find very many things to disagree with in Ms. Tish Hamilton Warren's opinions, but OTOH, it is quite obvious that she (a) is truly sincere and (b) has given these matters a great deal of intelligent thought and (c) is a caring and sympathetic and, by God, an intelligent! human individual.

Her OpEd piece last week is also worth hunting up and reading.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/opinion/loneliness-connectedness-technology.html

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[MoVelo]

Too  bad they feel they have to put their articles behind a paywall. Who does that anymore?

[Patrick Moore]

Oh, all sorts of publications do that, and it's becoming more common, I think.

I used to be able to read the NYT for free by cleansing my cache after each session online, but now it's pay/read only.

I feel guilty about depriving a big media company of a buck or two, but so what. I've attached the article as a PDF.

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[MoVelo]

Thank you kind sir. I'm sure the grey lady won't mi$$ it and besides you'll have helped enlighten one more soul once I give it a read. How can you feel guilty for that?

[ascpgh]

I love all the small things that collectively make up cycling and when "improvements" remove those from necessity it reduces my experience. Some see cycling from the perspective and definition of performance and make judgements based on what moves their experience on that spectrum to their satisfaction. People are the same with the vehicles they purchase, some want performance as their foremost objective while others may greater utility over speed and handling.

I guess it is my agency that leads me to prefer being more involved in the act of cycling. I went through Ergopower and STI phases, I am about finished with mechanical discs. I saw a YouTube about servicing them after a wet ride that included replacing the pads, cleaning the caliper, applying a grease to prevent pads from binding when retracting from the disc...after a ride in the wet. I ditched a brand of car after the warranty because it was fiddly and expensive to keep. The previous one had been stalwart but helpless in bad weather, the latter seemed made of delicate pieces carved by Lorelei herself, consumed by mundane use far beneath its potential. Settling up after services felt like real estate closings.

I appreciate sufficiency, not being a bother to anyone, while I do what I do. Last night I was flagged down by a cyclist with his bike upside down on the sidewalk. As I neared, he asked if I had a pump, which I have snapped into its included frame clip that is zip-tied to my Caradice Nelson Longflap's cross dowel inside the bag. I've posted a picture of this before. His pump's cup didn't seal to move air yet alone create pressure in this first need of it's function. My simple Topeak mini road did, even though I hadn't used it in over a year. It's just part of my kit of things that assure I will suffice and was happy to offer it's aid. He was satisfied and thankful.

Last week I rode the GAP to Cumberland, MD. Thursday the forecast of scattered drizzle and 60s realized as rain in the high 40s. My traditional mid morning stop for coffee in the past had burned and was boarded up. My lunch preference was under limited hours still and not yet open for the day. My best tools were three layers of wool, my old wool Army glove liners and a space blanket I wrapped with under cover when my layers were wet to the skin. My body heat dried the wool and kept the wind off me. If I distrusted the forecast I would have worn my Hiltrek Ventile anorak but I was in a more breathable shell considering the entirety of my trip. The day's ride took longer under these accommodations but that is part of what I enjoy about outings like this. 

In the morning after breakfast I rode into the fog discovering that the rain I had been in was in the form of 7-9" of snow in the higher elevations as I climbed out of the Casselman River valley. The path was soft from the wetness it held and as I neared the high point I noticed a left side tick when my foot neared bottom and I ran through the diagnostics in my mind: pedal installation in the crank arm, chainring fastener(s), crank bolt torque securing the right crank arm, bottom bracket (SKF unit) retaining ring torque or a breaking joint in the bottom bracket area of the frame. manipulating my pedal stroke I narrowed it to the BB and responded with by optimizing my tired full circle pedaling and achieved quiet, hopefully non-destructive ride into Cumberland. Once home and cleaned up I found a combination of crank bolt torque and BB retaining ring torque insufficiencies that satisfied my desire to mechanically understand and the ability accurately assess and diagnose odd sounds or degradation of functions. 

Yeah, deemphasizing my agency in all the facets of cycling is not movement toward a positive end from my perspective.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Doug H.]

As an indexed shifter rider for most of my life, I am surprised at how I have adapted to and enjoy friction shifting. I am still in the process of developing muscle memory for one gear at a time shifting but it is coming along. My assumption is that barrel adjusters are not needed with friction shifting and that any cable slack/stretching can be pulled out if needed; but, fine tuning cable tension is unnecessary. Is this correct?

Thanks,

Doug

[Patrick Moore]

You are right, there is no need to fine-tune friction shift cables, and cable tension adjusters aren't necessary, though of course you want to pull the cable modestly snug when you tighten the cinch bolt. In fact, it's your fingers that fine tune the system.

What is the drivetrain -- shifters, derailleurs, crankset and cogset?

[Doug H.]

Patrick,

Thank you, that confirms what I thought. Silver2 rear thumb shifter and Sun Race front thumb shifter. Silver high-low 38/24 crankset and a 9 speed 11-34 cassette. Altus rear derailleur and Deore front.

Doug