Bike Reno

With the nice weather yesterday, I decided I needed to get one last ride in and also try out my mountain bike’s new wheels and disc brakes.  White’s Creek seemed like a solid choice; close, familiar, and still a lot of fun.

The air was a little cool, but the sun was warm as I arrived in early afternoon.  The trail had solidified with the recent precipitation, but it wasn’t soggy except for a couple spots near the top.  The air was alive with the smell of pine and earth.  The creek was flowing well, but it was far too cold to dunk my head in.  Pine needles and aspen leaves littered the ground, making the trail seem much less trodden than it is.  The sun was sliding behind the mountain as I hit the Mt Rose Wilderness turnaround.  I finally got a chance to put my new brakes into use and immediately loved their smooth stopping power.  I glided down the canyon dodging rocks and trees.  Even though I was on the brakes a lot, testing them out and breaking them in, the trail ended quickly and I was back on the asphalt.

Even though it was only an hour and forty minutes doorstep to doorstep, it was a memorable ride.  I was in a good mood the rest of the day and am ready for next season.

It’s been too long, my friends!

With the drop in temperature and the change back to standard time, winter cycling has snuck up on us again, so I thought if anyone is new to winter cycling in Reno, I’d share some of my tips and provide links to other, more detailed information.

First, I don’t ride in snow or ice.  Yeah, I’m a big wuss, but when you consider how few days we have with snow on the ground versus the cost to get studded tires, take them on and off whenever it snows and melts, and deal with the already freaked out drivers, it just doesn’t seem worth it to me.

Since I don’t have to worry about traction, I only concern myself with staying warm.  Even though your riding creates a wind chill, you’ll feel much warmer as you ride because of the energy you’re expending.  That’s why when you first leave for your ride, you should feel a little chilly.  Not freezing, but chilly.  If you feel warm when you leave, you’re overdressed.

Here’s what I use in the clothing department:

Upper Body - I normally get by with my work shirt with a heavy sweatshirt on top.  On really cold days, I’ll add a long sleeve base layer.  I’ve never needed more than this.

Lower Body - I normally commute in jeans, but on really cold days I’ll add some long underwear as a base layer.

Head - I use a fleece ear band if it feels cold.  If the ear band isn’t enough, I use an inexpensive balaclava (hood) that I got at a motorcycle shop.

Hands - I use a pair of thin, windproof gloves made by Canari.  If it’s really cold, I’ll switch to a bulkier ski glove.  A little side note: this is why I like grip shifters on a commuting bike.  They’re the easiest to operate with thick gloves on!

Socks - Thick wool socks are all I’ve ever needed.

Shoes - I get by fine with regular Shimano cycling shoes (mountain/commuter style) tied just a bit loose to let the socks have a little room (and thus a larger warm air pocket).  I’ve never felt like I needed wind stopping shoe covers.

Eyes - A dilemma that a lot of people forget about; you wear your sunglasses in the morning, but when you get out of work and realize that it’s dark, you don’t want to wear shades that will make it even darker, but you need something to keep the wind out of your eyes because it’s so cold.  I use sunglasses with removable lenses and carry a clear set with me for use at night.  You can also bring some motorcycle-style goggles, though they tend to fog up on me.

All the basic cold-weather outdoor rules apply.  The three layer strategy (base, warmth, wind) is the best.  All base layers should be synthetic fabrics, or wool if that’s your thing; just no cotton long johns.  The warmth layer is usually fleece or sweatshirt-type material.  The wind layer is usually a non or thinly insulated windproof covering.  I’ve never needed this layer, even down to 15 degrees (although I have bulked up my base layers for ultra cold days).

For more ideas, check out these sites:

• Tips on Thrifty Dressing For Winter
• The Fairbanks (Alaska!) Cycle Club

If you have any tips of your own, post them in a comment.

A flat tire recently reminded me that it’s goathead season again in the Truckee Meadows.  On a run the other day, I naively stepped on an innocent looking plant by the side of the road and ended up with about 20 goatheads in my shoe.  So I did a quick Google search and found a great page detailing the Tribulus terrestris plant, aka  Puncturevine, aka the goathead plant.

A quick tip: because this is a low-lying, hardy weed, it can grow in the cracks in asphault, so keep an eye open for little green plants in the road.  They might make your ride a little less fun.

I’ve added a new list of links to ride groups (look in the right hand column). I know of the Procrastinating Pedalers and the Tuesday Night Ride Group (TNRG), but if there are any others that you know of, leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list.

If you were given $100 to invest on transportation, how would you divide your dollars?

According to this report by the rails-to-trails conservancy, that was the question used in a survey conducted by Harris Interactive. The results are shocking when compared to how federal transportation funds are actually spent.

The difference in funding shows a clear disconnect between the priorities of the government and the people. People can see that the era of depending solely on cars for transportation is over, and they want more options.

The RN&R’s latest issue (July 31 - Aug 6) is an all-bike issue. I haven’t had time to read it all, but I like what I’ve seen so far.

terry_mcafee contributed the second improvement to the Improvements page, and it’s something that can’t happen fast enough for my liking. Thanks Terry!

A road-rage story out of Portland caught my eye today and got me thinking about how such a story would translate in Reno.  In short, I don’t think it would at all.

Briefly, it seems that an intoxicated cyclist ran a red light and a motorist (who is apparently also an avid cyclist) yelled at him to obey the laws of the road.  An argument and fight ensued, with other cyclists (who did not see the initial incident) coming to the aid of the drunken cyclist who was actually the one at fault.

Many in the online cycling community in Portland are upset at the way the Oregonian has portrayed the incident.  They believe that the paper has sensationalized the story and stoked the flames of the “bicyclist vs. motorist” wildfire.

I was trying to imagine how such a story would translate here in Reno and what sort of reporting and reaction it would get, and honestly, I don’t think it would get anything beyond wacky, Reno 911-esque attention.  There just isn’t enough cycling here to really create an us vs. them outlook.  I very rarely have any incidents with cars.  Most of my coworkers view my cycle commuting with mild curiosty and sometimes pity if the weather is bad, but I don’t think anyone views me as anything more than a guy who likes to ride his bike.

I’ve posted my first idea for improvement to the Improvements page.  Though I expect a lot of people wouldn’t like this, I think it’d be a very positive long-term move for making downtown Reno more livable.

The smoky days of summer have returned and my eyes are killing me. Aside from the snow in the winter, the smoke from summer wildfires is the one thing that keeps me from even thinking about going car-free. My eyes kill me after being out in the airborne sludge for more than an hour or two. Breathing hard in that kind of air isn’t good for a person, either. I’m wondering how others deal with this stuff. What do you do to get by on days like this?