My First Snowy Commute of the Year

WEATHER THERE: mostly cloudy, -2C (-7C with windchill), 17 km/hr crosswinds
WEATHER BACK: Sunny, 0C (-3C with windchill), 8 km/hr crosswinds

Bike, my friend, it's been a while. It's awfully nice to see you again.

The view from my office window at my lovely new(ish) bike.

I've been planning to get back to biking for a couple weeks now, but I've had to wait until the streets were clear enough to make it safe for me to do so. All the snow we've had this month - and the city's inability to keep up with its removal, especially as you get farther away from the city centre - has made for a whole lot more driving than I've cared for this month. But over the weekend, temperatures mercifully rose. The snow began to melt and be pushed by traffic off to the sides of the roads.

I walked my daughter to the grocery store on Sunday to survey the conditions of the roads and sidewalks up close, trying to gauge whether it was safe to get back on the bike. The sidewalks were in utter chaos - some people haven't even bothered shoveling at all, and others shoveled just enough to create a treacherous narrow walking path through a valley of hip-height snowbanks. Not exactly stroller-friendly. Other sidewalks were well shoveled but with the melting and overnight freezing of the surrounding snow, these were often overcome with sheer ice patches. I also encountered some impressive, 2- and 3-foot high windrows blocking the sidewalks where snow plows had cleared a path through laneways then managed to dump half of the cleared snow onto the sidewalks that intersect them. I can't say these were easy to scale with a stroller. It occurred to me as I struggled to push my daughter's stroller down the sidewalk that I was eternally grateful for being able-bodied. I cannot imagine what a person in a wheelchair must have to deal with in a poorly maintained winter city like this.

So, my reconnaisance mission determined one thing: if I stuck to major roadways and didn't even think about getting up onto the sidewalks, I could absolutely bike to work this week.

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Stony Plain Road was quite clear - wet and mushy, but clear enough to ride on easily. Jasper Avenue was also very good - mushy and slippery off to the sides, but clear everywhere else. The bike lane along 100 Avenue was completely covered over by a big snowbank that narrowed the one-way street to barely more than one lane, so I took to the plowed-but-not-clear sidewalk there for safety's sake. Despite exerting the same or more effort, my top speed suddenly dropped from 24 km/hr on the clear roads to 13 km/hr on the dense snow packed sidewalk. Luckily, east of 116 Street the roads were clear and wide enough for me to ride safely again, so I took to the streets once again. The High Level Bridge had some ice patches, but nothing to cause any concern until I hit the hill on the south end of the bridge. That was completely covered in ice. I dropped an f-bomb under my breath, dropped down a gear, and dug in. My Ice Spiker tires chewed up the ice like crazy and I got up the hill, panting hard but none the worse for wear.

It's been a real joy being able to look out my window at work and see my trusty steed out there waiting for me. As much as a part of me dreaded getting back to riding again (I mean, let's not kid ourselves, it's a lot easier to sleep in and then drive to work, singing along to the radio with the heater on!), I am SO glad I did it. I feel accomplished. I DID something today, something good for myself and for the environment, and for my bank account too ($15 a day for parking is obscene!!). Since my Mystery Illness blind-sided me and left me unable to do much exercise three months ago, I've been looking forward to this day when I could finally get back into the healthy routine I started last year. I've really gotten out of shape over the past three months, between the illness and the holidays, but I'm determined that today is the first day back to being a Healthy Biker.

A nice healthy dinner upon my return home - a simple baked salmon filet with lemon and rosemary. I'm trying to be a better example for my daughter!

Yay, biking! Yay, life! Yay, everything!! Ahh, what a beautiful day . . .

Hiatus

Friends, family, fellow bike-commuters – please, try not to judge me for the news I am about to impart to you. Sadly, but with great conviction, I have decided to put bike-commuting on hiatus for the rest of the month of March. The following are the reasons for my decision, in order of importance:

1. A respected journal in my field put out a call for papers on a topic that is specifically relevant to my dissertation research. In order to accomplish the feat of writing and submitting an article for publication with this journal, I would have to have at the very least a very good draft completed by the end of the month. It would be a tremendous opportunity for me to submit a paper for this journal’s upcoming special issue because:

a. If my article is chosen for publication, my reputation and success as a scholar would increase significantly.

b. If my article is published, it would bolster my name in this emerging field and open future opportunities for me to eventually work at my “dream job” university, which is an academic leader in my small field.

c. Even if my article isn’t published, my work on this article will make a significant dent in the amount of writing I’ll have to do for my dissertation next year.

d. Regardless of whether this article is published, it’s a major boon for my dissertation work to continue thinking about it and writing during my internship year.

e. My supervisor will be impressed and happy with me for trying to do this on top of my internship and parenting duties.

2. I’ve already missed a large chunk of commuting days this month because of illness (first, my daughter’s respiratory infection, then my own stomach flu, leaving me to bike-commute only four days out of the last 10 work days). And remarkably, I’m still not fully recovered from my flu symptoms a full week later.

3. Taking a month off from bike-commuting might offer me a really good opportunity to provide an accurate price comparison of how much it costs to bike-commute versus car-commuting. Since I’ve never full-time car-commuted to the university, I have only been able to estimate what it might cost – so now I’ll have an accurate picture of that.

Ultimately, the main reason is that when the weather is mild and car traffic around the university decreases, driving to work saves me a lot of time. By driving instead of biking, I will save up to an extra hour every day that I can spend writing this article without having to take time away from my valued mommy-daughter time or my precious, rare, and intellectually-dead “me-time”. So, Mike the Bike, you can rest your weary spokes another day . . . another couple weeks, in fact. Because until April, I’m going to be working my ass off trying to get this article written and submitted for publication, and if I have to car-commute to do that – well, then, my friends, so it must be.

Week Twenty-Five - Day One: Junk in the Trunk

BIKE: Mike
TIME THERE: 28 min.
TIME BACK: ?? (forgot to check time before leaving - I do know it was definitely less than 30 min. though, given the time I left work)
WEATHER: clear, -10C, no wind there; clear, 0C, 9km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: fleece pants, t-shirt, fleece jacket, double gloves (cotton mini-gloves under running gloves), balaclava
NOTES:

I was packing some serious junk in my trunk today. This is what I packed into my panniers this morning:
- breakfast: a small container of dry oatmeal
- lunch: a medium container of chili, an apple, small bag of carrots, All-Bran Snack Bites, string cheese, small can of diet pop
- 500mL milk (for coffee and oatmeal for the rest of the week)
- makeup bag
- business-casual grey pants and purple button-up blouse to change into at work
- wallet
- glasses
- pack of gum
- cell phone
- lip balm

I had the pleasure of going to the movie store over the weekend without my daughter, just being able to hop on the bike and go without panniers or a bike trailer or a screaming toddler riding behind me. I was amazed at how much lighter the bike was without panniers. I'd completely forgotten what it was like to ride without them, and it was amazing how much of a difference that loss of junk-in-the-trunk weight made in how easy and fast riding became. Who knew it would make such a difference??

I stopped by the university's student-run sustainability office today at lunch, as a helpful HealthyBiker blog reader told me about the drop-in bike mechanic hours held there. I took Mike in and watched him get a really good cleaning, one I've never been able to give him so far because I've lacked the proper equipment (mostly, a brush that looks vaguely like a hoof pick). I learned how to clean him up properly and take care of his chain and the importance of a good lube that's properly suited to the weather (apparently, the lube I've been using this whole time is not a great one for winter because it tends to freeze in cold weather!). I also asked how to change his brake pads, as those will need replacing pretty quickly, and got some great advice from the mechanic on site. It was really educational, and what a delight to know that this resource is on campus - even in my building! - and that I can stop in whenever I need to for advice or help or whatever I might need to keep Mike healthy and happy.

I'm learning - slowly. It's nice to have a hobby, something aside from work and parenting towards which to direct my attention and effort and capacity for learning. The sad truth is, I haven't really had one in a very long time, probably not since starting university. So it's nice. I don't even mind the greasy fingernails that inherently come with it. :)

And, of course, the added bonus: I'm losing my junk in the trunk. This time, I'm not referring to my panniers.

The Bike

I started researching routes long before I got my bike - the routes even factored into where I bought my house when I moved in June. Should I get something near the east end of Whyte Ave, where my entire commute would be along a busy commercial-residential-university corridor, or go with something a little farther away from the university in the west end with a commute along less busy roads? I opted for longer route, less busy roads, mostly because I die a little inside every time a car speeds past me while I awkwardly pedal away at 20 km/hr in the curb lane.

I bought my bike - a Schwinn Circuit XT 700C - a few weeks ago from Canadian Tire. I know, I know, it's not a proper bike store, and when I had to get a tire replaced within a couple days of buying it, the poor service reminded me why so many people opt for a more expensive bike at a bike store - the service, the expertise, the selection. I also briefly checked out my options at BikeWorks, aka Edmonton Bicycle Commuter's Society, where they sell used and donated bike components at very reasonable prices. While I admired the price points (about $100 for a full bike), the work I'd have to put in to building one myself was too daunting for a first-time bike buyer like myself.

So I went with Canadian Tire, a compromise between easy and cheap. I ended up with a bike that probably doesn't fit me very well (I have basically no clearance between my vajayjay and the bike frame when I stand with my feet on the pavement) and doesn't appear to have adjustable handlebars (which really, really sucks given that I could use another inch or more in stem height, leading to neck and arm strain). At least a stem extension can help with the handlebars - I'm stuck with the size of the frame.

The bike was advertised as a hybrid - having the thin, fast wheels of a road bike but the more upright riding position of a mountain bike - which my web-research suggested was the kind of bike I should be looking for. However, some web-reviewers of the bike suggest that it's more of a straight-up road bike, given how frail it is. No curb-jumping for this bad-boy! Especially since I'm at the very top end of its recommended weight limits, I'm very cautious about any curbs, potholes, and cracked pavement I encounter on it.

The Schwinn was within my meagre budget - I got it on sale for $240, regular $320. It came with no fancy goods - no fenders, rack, or any of those useful accessories that will make daily bike commuting a realistic option - so those are things I'll have to spend extra for. The saddle is not the softest thing I've ever sat on (that would probably be my cat) and has caused some serious ass-bone bruisage, but my ass bones are developing some nice callouses so daily riding is becoming less like barebacking an old curmudgeonly donkey through the Grand Canyon. That's a technical term, by the way.

So far, I really have no complaints about the bike. It's light and fast, which is nice for someone new to biking and horrendously out of shape because it allows me to cruise along at fun speeds without lung-puncturing effort. Unless I hit an incline, in which case, I inch that much closer to death.

Having read some other useful blogs about commuting year-round through brutal Canadian winters, I've determined that my skinny little whipper-snapper of a bike will be useless once the snow starts to fall. When that happens, I intend to wrap it up and put it in the basement to hibernate through the cold months while I grind out my winter commutes on a well-equipped mountain bike. By well-equipped I mean front and back lights, full-length fenders, tire chains - oh yeaaaah, tire chains, I'm going all out dollface - and whatever else I might need to survive.

So, that's my bike! I wonder if I should name it. It only seems right. I'll think about it. Any suggestions?

Preparation - Finding the Best Route

My commuting challenge begins along with my internship on September 1st. In the meantime, I've been busy preparing to meet this challenge head-on!

First of all, what kind of academic would I be without conducting some research? I have spent some time over the past few weeks mapping out different routes I can take to get to school. The first route, a 6 km scenic jaunt through the river valley, was the shortest I found. Once I found a suitable bike (which I'll comment further on later), and once my daughter started daycare, I tried this route out for the first time last week. I wanted to see how long it would take me, how difficult it would be, etc.

The river valley route was absolutely beautiful, and remarkably difficult for me. The first 3 km there is either flat or downhill, which lends itself to easy coasting up to 40 km an hour depending on the grade of the decline. The remaining 3 km alternates between flat and ascending steep hills. There is a particularly brutal hill going up to the university from the river valley that kills me, and I have to get off the bike and walk up, panting so hard I feel like I'm going to vomit. I know it sounds really fun, but it's actually not. On the way back, going down that brutal hill doesn't lend itself to high-speed coasting because it's curvy and is a multi-use path for bikes, rollerbladers, pedestrians, etc., so one can't just barrel down the hill without being a massive liability. The 3 km that was an easy coast on the way to school is now a low-grade but constant uphill battle. Having done this route round-trip twice, I can say that it is a great physical challenge and gets me to school in about 31-33 minutes, but I dread the hills and I arrive at school looking and feeling like a complete mess. I also feel the need to collapse in bed at around 9 pm, exhausted.

The second route I tried out last week was through the city, riding along major streets, going over a bridge across the river (no in and out of the valley for me!), and landing at school approximately 8.5 km later. What it lacks in scenery it well makes up for in scariness for having to bike so close to fast-moving cars. The good news is that it's pretty flat the whole way! Despite being a longer route, I biked it in 29-31 minutes, making it more time-economical (a meaningful consideration since my daughter's in daycare that much longer every time I take a longer route). I also don't feel like I'm dying a horrible death when I do it, though wth the proximity to traffic I fear I may very well meet with a horrible end anyway! I definitely need to gain confidence as a street rider, stop worrying whether the people in the cars are judging me as they go by, and perhaps take a course on street riding to learn how to properly change lanes and signal with my arms and all that. When I'm riding right beside cars, I don't feel confident enough to take my hands off the handlebars long enough to make a proper signal! I suspect this will be my route of choice, particularly because I can ride it in the winter (as the river valley route will not be plowed but rather used instead for cross-country skiing).

I've done the city route a couple of times now and have experimented with different variations on the route, taking as many side-streets as possible and avoiding the major roads as much as I can. Though I will indeed have to ride on the busy streets for part of the journey, I can still take side-streets for much of it, leading to a less stressful, more scenic ride. I must say, though, I now understand why street-cyclists sometimes ride in the middle of the road - the closer I got to the curb, the more gravel, pot-holes, and ashphalt cracks I came across, some being quite dangerous to run into. I imagine this will be especially treacherous in the spring when pot-holes grow to super-villain proportions and are covered by melting snow and puddles. I also wonder what I'll do about riding on the side of the road when snowplows leave massive heaps of snow along the sides of roads precisely where I plan to ride. Hmm. This will definitely not be easy.

I must say, after only a few days of practice-commuting, I'm already feeling the difference in my thighs, which are getting noticeably more muscular. Not thinner, mind you - muscular. I'm perfectly happy with that now because just about any physical change aside from gaining more fat around the mid-section is welcome! I do wonder, though, how I'll feel about having a cyclist's thick, muscular thighs when I've lost a significant amount of weight. I've always been quite curvy - wide hips, large breasts, and the lot - so I imagine thick thighs will fit in with my body type just fine. I am most certainly not built to ever look like a model, but it would be nice to eventually say good-bye to friction burns on my thighs!

Well, one can dream, anyway . . .