Okay, now the gloves are coming . . .on!

I feel it's important to continue writing about the apparel I don for my near daily commute of close to three miles and fifteen minutes each morning and afternoon the days school is in session. The reason I think it's important is because I am attempting to change the perception of commuting by bicycle in my own little corner of the world and in my own little way. I wish to show those around me they can ride their bikes nearly every day of the year; they don't have to spend large amounts of money purchasing the "latest" gear and bikes; and the type of bike best suited for commuting around here.

What does this have to do with apparel I wear to and from my destinations on the bike? Well, it's important for people to see me wearing "regular" clothes. Take that descriptor with a grain of salt because my wardrobe is definitely threadbare and secondhand, thus disqualifying it from being "regular". Well, people may in fact wear secondhand clothing and still be "regular", but my problem is that my clothing is not fashionable. Anyway, what I mean to say is that I simply wear the clothes I'll be teaching in that day, out on the bike for my commute.

Rather than buying and wearing special jackets and pants,and shoes which are advertised as being cycling specific, I choose to wear my slacks and dress shirts, blazers and leather shoes on the bike. Most of the problem, at least here in the mid west, is the dramatic temperature change from morning to afternoon. When I leave in the morning now, I am wearing a white tee shirt;a semi-turtle neck;  a button up long-sleeve dress shirt;  a blazer of one design or another, a pair of black driving gloves; my slacks, shoes, and helmet. It goes without saying I choose to wear a highly reflective work approved vest as the outermost layer on my torso. This morning I added an additional article of clothing: a black synthetic "scarf" or muffler. It's one of the most versatile things to wear I can find. I love it for preventing the wind from going down the back of my neck. It also seems to act as a heat stopper and allows my body to heat to remain near my chest without escaping up out of the neck of my shirt.

This morning when I left I felt the cold, and by the time I arrived at school I was nearly hot. That's one of the tricks of commuting by bike. It's difficult to be prepared for nearly every weather situation, but there are a few situations I want to always cover. First, the rain. I always carry an old two piece rain suit in my backpack folded as compactly as I can manage. It's old and believe it or not,the crotch is all ripped out. It's totally the wrong color for commuting by bike: gray! But, luckily I've taken the time to attach quite a few reflective adhesive trailer stickers to it. By stickers I mean the adhesive white and red rectangle ones used to attach to trailers and the rear of work trucks and gates and the like, not the ones depicting our favorite cartoon personalities such as Scooby-Doo.

I like the many layers approach to dressing for the cold. That's because I can always remove articles as the need arises and I have adequate temporary storage for transporting them when not in use. Layering clothing seems to make the body breathe a little easier and reduce the overheating effect.

That's about it. Each day more or less determines how I'll dress. In the upcoming weeks I'll add a windbreaker type article which I'll wear to keep the cold wind and air from freezing my arms and chest. After that has exhausted its usefulness in the cold, I'll begin topping off all this with a zippered leather jacket. The difference is dramatic!

One thing I would like to add to my list of accouterments is a balaclava. My ears do tend to get cold and ache in the truly cold weather. But, I don't like to wear caps and such under my helmet.

Just don't despair. All the stuff I wear and use is not cycling specific gear and has been purchased or given to me from a variety of sources. I definitely don't wear spandex. I utilize platform pedals with no clips. That's because they allow me to wear whatever shoes or boots I wish to wear, rather than using clip-less pedals and the accompanying shoes, which means I'd be forced to carry extra shoes for teaching, or keep a pair in the desk or somewhere else in my room. Instead I keep a boot brush in my desk to maintain the leather if it needs it.

You don't have to wear cycling specific clothes in order to commute by bike.You just need to realize what you need and determine if you have it, and then use it. Part of the reason we commute by bike is save a little bit of money. I figured I saved roughly $3 per day I ride my bike. If we go to school 180 days, that's a savings of $540. That's money I'm spending in other places. That's not the only reason I commute by bike, of course. The main reason is I just like it so much. For those who remain uninitiated, it's difficult to understand. Some folks may decide to try it and become discouraged and give up. Try not to. You can do it. I'm no expert and I'm not anything special. I'm just a guy with a goal.

Keep on commuting by bike!
-MWBC

of Lately, the temps have been quite cool in the morning, and dark.

Cool August Mornings

It's that time of year when I leave for school in the morning just before seven o'clock and the temperature is just a little below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is cool enough to warrant a jacket. Yesterday, I thought I might as well start wearing my gloves too. It's just at that temperature when it's too cool to go without a jacket, but one quickly becomes almost too warm from wearing it on a ride.

Of course after school it's around 95 degrees and there's no way I want to wear a jacket. So, I fold it, sort of, and stuff it into my backpack, which I carry in my right side collapsible metal wire basket. I cram it into the same compartment where I keep my rain gear stored. My gloves are unnecessary after school as well, so they go in there as well.

My students have enjoyed diverting me away from the lesson and plans for the day by asking me about cycling and my experiences, equipment, etc. Of course, I'm all too willing to talk about it.

Last night, I returned to school from 6:30-8:30 for our open house. I met many parents and a few of them were curious about what their children had related to them about my commuting by bicycle. One big dad, looked like he might have worked the parts counter at the local implement dealer, he was genuinely curious about the type of bicycle I used. I was impressed that he knew to suggest "Is it like a commuter?" I probably am being unfair to the poor guy for being impressed. But, for the town I live in, I think it's kind of impressive. His build didn't fit that of a cyclist: big, 250 or more pounds, big gut, goatee, camo cap. But, I'll give him credit, he acted like it was the most natural thing in the world to commute by bike.

Another mom commented that not many people in this area ride their bikes to work. Yes, there are more and more riding for recreation, but very few of us are commuting daily to work by bike.

A student had commented he'd ride his bike if I would fix his tires for him. That reminded me of my experience when I first moved here four years ago and began to try commuting by bike. I purchased new tires and tubes from Wal-Mart (unfortunately, this is our local bicycle shop) and I even installed some of that Slime puncture seal product they sell. I had the most difficult time keeping those tires inflated. I was averaging about two (2) flats a week just riding to and from school; a distance of roughly three miles one way, all of it on paved surface. When I didn't have trouble getting punctures, I had trouble with keeping the tire seated on the rim. The tube had a tendency to push its way out between the rim and tire. I was frustrated with a capital F! This went on for a few weeks. Finally, the cheapskate I am took the plunge and ordered some Schwalbe touring tires off the internet. Problem solved. Since that time two years ago, I've had only one flat tire. I repaired it, and have had no trouble since. Now, if you are one to beleive in jinxes, I can expect to go out to the garage to hop on my bike this morning and find a flat tire waiting for me since I spoke so highly of my good fortune with those tires.

If I could recommend something to anyone out there wanting to know how to get started and keep going commuting by bike, my advice would be this: buy a high quality USED bicycle (because it will be less expensive) and make your investment in your tires (spend the good money for the ones customer reviews label as bomb proof). Virtually eliminating the worry of a flat tire will be a liberating experience. That's one big thing I ride unprepared for, is a flat. I don't carry an air pump with me or a patch kit. I don't even carry an adjustable wrench with me to remove the wheels (yes, my bike is old enough it doesn't have quick release wheels).

Anyway, get out there and make it happen. You and I can be the trendsetters and show people it can be done. Have a great weekend and happy riding.