TIME THERE: 26 min.
TIME BACK: 28 min.
WEATHER: overcast, 1C, 17km/hr wind there; partly cloudy, 3C, 28km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, turtleneck, fleece mid-layer, running gloves, scarf (wrapped to cover ears, cross over my throat, and trail behind over my shoulders, Bubushka style); scarf and gloves in panniers on the way home, though I should have worn them!!
NOTES:
On Monday I went on an after-work jaunt to Mountain Equipment Co-op with my tired, cranky daughter who screamed like a banshee if I tried to restrain her from running around the entire store pulling things off the shelves. Banshee seemed to be happy when given something to do, so I let her run through the aisles pushing our shopping basket around. As long as she was within sight, I was okay with that. Besides, it really was very cute to see this adorable little girl running around at top-toddler-speed, pitched forward over a basket full of cycling accoutrements, looking as happy as if she'd just found her purpose in life.
During that trip, I bought the following:
- a fleece mid-layer to go between a base layer and my waterproof shell on the cold days
- splash pants (that I will return, as they were clearly not made for a woman with thighs as substantial as mine, so they really restrict the upwards rotation of my legs while pedaling)
- a balaclava (or baklava, whichever you prefer)
- running gloves
- reflective stickers for my bike
- lubricant
Wearing just the fleece mid-layer over a turtleneck this morning, I was amazed at how warm it was! I was kind of schvitzing like a chazar (that's a Yiddish-ism for sweating like a pig, which sounds much cooler and a little less gross than its English equivalent). I have a feeling it'll come in mighty handy for the cold days, but for now I'm not sure what to wear, exactly. It's that awkward in-between time that's too cold for a sweatshirt and not cold enough for, say, a fleece mid-layer over a turtleneck. It's all trial and error, I suppose.
While at MEC, I kept a lookout for studded tires, which they don't have in stock yet. I picked up a catalogue and found that I could order them, but - ALAS! - they don't come in the right size for my bike. My current tires are 700 x 28c, and the smallest tires they have are 700 x 38. I doubt a 38 will clear my brakes, but I'll have to look into this further. I'll also have to look into lubricating further, as my attempt to lubricate the chain was a bit messy and I'm not sure how successful it was (especially as I learned a day later that I'm supposed to wipe off the excess lubricant afterwards, which I didn't do - eep!).
Now, my lovelies, I'm going to have to leave you for a few days. I'm off to Vancouver bright and early tomorrow morning for a conference. I return on the Friday night red-eye, just in time to settle in for a nice long weekend with my daughter. However, that means FIVE days in a row of not commuting! What will become of my thighs?? Will I lose all the fitness I've been working up to? Will my bike rust and rot away? Only time will tell . . .
Until then, have a fabulous long weekend!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Week Six - Day Two
TIME THERE: 25 min.
TIME BACK: 28 min.
WEATHER: light rain, 8C, 7km/hr wind there; light rain, 5C, 37km/hr wind (gusts up to 57km/hr) back
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, turtleneck, waterproof shell, my new "ColdOut Running Gloves"
NOTES:
Maybe I'm a weirdo (well, I doubt that's a maybe), but when I left the house this morning I thought, "Oh, wow, what a lovely day!" It was overcast with light rain, virtually no wind, lacking that wintry chill in the air - seeing as how I kind of like rain, and I hate wind, it seemed like a nice day! The beautiful autumn colours of the trees in the river valley, the peaceful hum of my bike tires against the road. What a lovely way to wake up!
Then . . . there was the ride home. I have been dreading this wind ever since I saw the red banner of warning last night on the Weather Network website, warning of an approaching wind storm. By the time I left for work this morning, it still hadn't hit. I held out hope that maybe the storm wouldn't come in until this evening and I'd completely miss it! But, alas, by the early afternoon I saw the top boughs of the big campus trees begin to sway in large arcs, and I knew I was in trouble. I finished up with work and left 15 minutes early, worrying that my ride home (riding directly into the epic wind the whole time) would take a while.
I have to say, it wasn't that bad. Really, it was tolerable. Yes, it kind of hurt my ears after a while. And, yes, it made my trip home longer than usual. But I never felt like I was dying, which I thought I might. It actually just felt like pretty good training for the crappy weather that's on its way. It's going to get a whole lot worse, and because I survived today's trip home without actually feeling too hard done by, I'm feeling a whole lot more confident about facing the winter.
TIME BACK: 28 min.
WEATHER: light rain, 8C, 7km/hr wind there; light rain, 5C, 37km/hr wind (gusts up to 57km/hr) back
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, turtleneck, waterproof shell, my new "ColdOut Running Gloves"
NOTES:
Maybe I'm a weirdo (well, I doubt that's a maybe), but when I left the house this morning I thought, "Oh, wow, what a lovely day!" It was overcast with light rain, virtually no wind, lacking that wintry chill in the air - seeing as how I kind of like rain, and I hate wind, it seemed like a nice day! The beautiful autumn colours of the trees in the river valley, the peaceful hum of my bike tires against the road. What a lovely way to wake up!
Then . . . there was the ride home. I have been dreading this wind ever since I saw the red banner of warning last night on the Weather Network website, warning of an approaching wind storm. By the time I left for work this morning, it still hadn't hit. I held out hope that maybe the storm wouldn't come in until this evening and I'd completely miss it! But, alas, by the early afternoon I saw the top boughs of the big campus trees begin to sway in large arcs, and I knew I was in trouble. I finished up with work and left 15 minutes early, worrying that my ride home (riding directly into the epic wind the whole time) would take a while.
I have to say, it wasn't that bad. Really, it was tolerable. Yes, it kind of hurt my ears after a while. And, yes, it made my trip home longer than usual. But I never felt like I was dying, which I thought I might. It actually just felt like pretty good training for the crappy weather that's on its way. It's going to get a whole lot worse, and because I survived today's trip home without actually feeling too hard done by, I'm feeling a whole lot more confident about facing the winter.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Week Six - Day One
TIME THERE: 24 min.
TIME BACK: 25 min.
WEATHER: clear, -1C, 6 km/hr wind there; clear, 9C, 15 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, turtleneck, waterproof shell, cotton gloves (gloves in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
I'm a poet, and I know it. This morning I woke up late, as I forgot to reset my alarm to my usual time after setting it late for my car-commute on Friday. I ended up leaving the house 15 minutes later than usual, and I pedaled fiercely with the intent of making up for some of that lost time (as you can see, I broke to 25 min. barrier, but not by much!). But the sights - my God! Travelling east along the northern bank of the river valley, I looked out across the valley and saw a massive fog settled in, filling a 150 ft. depth of steep river bank into the valley. Crossing the valley along the High Level Bridge, the south end of the bridge was under heavy fog cover and I biked through the fog as though entering an alternate universe. Passing cyclists and pedestrians materialized out of nowhere mere feet before me, and I couldn't tell where the bridge would make its incline towards the end ahead. For lack of a better description, it was so COOL!
When I got to the stairs at the end of the bridge, where I dismount and walk my bike up, I was alarmed to discover the wooden planks were covered with slippery frost, challenging both the bike tires and my shoes to catch a grip on the icy surface. Egads! This is a sign of things to come! I'm glad the roads aren't made of wooden planks, but I also know that someday even the rough surface of the roads will be as slippery as this. Warning heeded: caution will be very necessary in the coming months.
When I got onto campus a pudgy, fluffy rabbit hopped along beside me for a little while, and I had to smile to myself. Biking through the alternative universe of the fog, riding beside a bunny and getting a Snow White-style feeling of oneness with nature: these are the things I don't see, don't feel, don't experience when I drive. This is why I love biking.
TIME BACK: 25 min.
WEATHER: clear, -1C, 6 km/hr wind there; clear, 9C, 15 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, turtleneck, waterproof shell, cotton gloves (gloves in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
Oh, the wondrous things I see
On my early-morning bike journey!
On my early-morning bike journey!
I'm a poet, and I know it. This morning I woke up late, as I forgot to reset my alarm to my usual time after setting it late for my car-commute on Friday. I ended up leaving the house 15 minutes later than usual, and I pedaled fiercely with the intent of making up for some of that lost time (as you can see, I broke to 25 min. barrier, but not by much!). But the sights - my God! Travelling east along the northern bank of the river valley, I looked out across the valley and saw a massive fog settled in, filling a 150 ft. depth of steep river bank into the valley. Crossing the valley along the High Level Bridge, the south end of the bridge was under heavy fog cover and I biked through the fog as though entering an alternate universe. Passing cyclists and pedestrians materialized out of nowhere mere feet before me, and I couldn't tell where the bridge would make its incline towards the end ahead. For lack of a better description, it was so COOL!
When I got to the stairs at the end of the bridge, where I dismount and walk my bike up, I was alarmed to discover the wooden planks were covered with slippery frost, challenging both the bike tires and my shoes to catch a grip on the icy surface. Egads! This is a sign of things to come! I'm glad the roads aren't made of wooden planks, but I also know that someday even the rough surface of the roads will be as slippery as this. Warning heeded: caution will be very necessary in the coming months.
When I got onto campus a pudgy, fluffy rabbit hopped along beside me for a little while, and I had to smile to myself. Biking through the alternative universe of the fog, riding beside a bunny and getting a Snow White-style feeling of oneness with nature: these are the things I don't see, don't feel, don't experience when I drive. This is why I love biking.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Week Five - Day Five
I had plans with my colleagues to go out for drinks, pool, and dinner (yes, in that order) after work, so I decided to drive instead of bike to work on Friday. This was a decision I went back and forth on for a while, but ultimately decided that I didn't feel comfortable biking home from my city's club district (aka Knifey McStabsville) at night by myself. It would be a long haul, and it was a long day, and I had a babysitter to get home to, and I didn't know or trust the area I'd be biking through - especially at that time of night. So I opted for the car.
Last time I drove, I parked off-campus and walked to work so I wouldn't have to pay for parking. This time, I didn't bother - I just paid for parking and walked the half-block to my building. While last time I spent more time driving than I usually do biking, parking on campus and not having to walk a great distance was a huge time-saver this time around.
Here's the break-down in numbers:
Time to Drive to Work and Find Parking: 20 min.
Time to Bike to Work and Lock up the Bike: 30 min.
Cost of Parking for the Day: $12
Cost of Biking: $0
Time Required to Get Ready Between Commute and Starting Work:
- Driving: 2 min. (take off my coat & change my shoes)
- Biking: 10-15 min. (change clothes, stretch, apply makeup, fix hair)
In terms of time comparison, it's Advantage Chrystler indeed (hmm, that play on words doesn't work so well since I drive a Ford - ALAS!). Obviously, the cost of parking and gas consumption would add up substantially over time, so the bike would win out significantly on cost comparison. There's also how I feel, though, and that's trickier. While it was a bit of a relief to get into the car and drive to work, listening to my favourite radio station and singing along, I got to work feeling less invigorated than I do when I bike. I also felt bad about missing out on my workout. This feeling bad was compounded by the fact that next week is a shortened week because I'll be away at a conference in Vancouver for Thursday and Friday, then it's a long weekend, so I'm facing FIVE DAYS in a row of no biking next week!! This is a very bad set-up for weight loss this month, as I won't actually be bike-commuting a full week until the middle of the month! How is that going to affect my fitness level? My weight loss? My overall well-being? This is a serious concern for me! October might be a pretty weak month for weight loss, which would be so discouraging after such a great September.
But, as usual, I digress. The point is, I drove to work, and I discovered that it takes a lot less time than biking, but is also much more expensive and doesn't feel as good.
Last time I drove, I parked off-campus and walked to work so I wouldn't have to pay for parking. This time, I didn't bother - I just paid for parking and walked the half-block to my building. While last time I spent more time driving than I usually do biking, parking on campus and not having to walk a great distance was a huge time-saver this time around.
Here's the break-down in numbers:
Time to Drive to Work and Find Parking: 20 min.
Time to Bike to Work and Lock up the Bike: 30 min.
Cost of Parking for the Day: $12
Cost of Biking: $0
Time Required to Get Ready Between Commute and Starting Work:
- Driving: 2 min. (take off my coat & change my shoes)
- Biking: 10-15 min. (change clothes, stretch, apply makeup, fix hair)
In terms of time comparison, it's Advantage Chrystler indeed (hmm, that play on words doesn't work so well since I drive a Ford - ALAS!). Obviously, the cost of parking and gas consumption would add up substantially over time, so the bike would win out significantly on cost comparison. There's also how I feel, though, and that's trickier. While it was a bit of a relief to get into the car and drive to work, listening to my favourite radio station and singing along, I got to work feeling less invigorated than I do when I bike. I also felt bad about missing out on my workout. This feeling bad was compounded by the fact that next week is a shortened week because I'll be away at a conference in Vancouver for Thursday and Friday, then it's a long weekend, so I'm facing FIVE DAYS in a row of no biking next week!! This is a very bad set-up for weight loss this month, as I won't actually be bike-commuting a full week until the middle of the month! How is that going to affect my fitness level? My weight loss? My overall well-being? This is a serious concern for me! October might be a pretty weak month for weight loss, which would be so discouraging after such a great September.
But, as usual, I digress. The point is, I drove to work, and I discovered that it takes a lot less time than biking, but is also much more expensive and doesn't feel as good.
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