Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Bill Lindsay]

Did I say $30/month?  Rats.  Sorry.  Yes, $30 a year, and still a good 
cause.  

BL in EC

On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7:10:39 PM UTC-7 Eric Daume wrote:

> Just to clarify, wandrer.earth is $30/YEAR, not per month. It’s a lot of 
> fun to use. It took me a good nine months to cover the ~440 miles in my 
> town. Rides get less and less efficient at picking up new miles as you ride…
>
> Eric
>
>
> On Friday, October 27, 2023, Bill Lindsay  wrote:
>
>> Since you're recording your commute on Strava, I'd recommend having a 
>> look at Wandrer.earth.  It's ADDICTIVE to compulsive sorts like me.  What 
>> it will do is incentivize picking an entirely different route each way, 
>> each time.  What Wandrer does is it colors every rideable road and trail on 
>> Earth red, and everything you ride gets colored blue.  It's like a binary 
>> heat map.  You get no credit for riding the same route a thousand times.  
>> It's gratifying to lay down a footprint in NYC and see it grow.  I'm laying 
>> down a footprint in Silicon Valley now that they've moved my office down 
>> there.  It's $30 a month, and it's a one-man operation.  He uses the money 
>> for a good cause.
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>>
>> On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7:26:25 AM UTC-7 Michael Morrissey wrote:
>>
>>> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work 
>>> in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few 
>>> bike lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold 
>>> outside. There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then, 
>>> when I get to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric 
>>> bikes, deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters. 
>>>
>>> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53 
>>> minutes. I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at 
>>> my records (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is 
>>> mostly a record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many 
>>> stoplights that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH. 
>>>
>>> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as 
>>> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing 
>>> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around 
>>> them. That helps with the organization.
>>>
>>> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders. 
>>> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels 
>>> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I 
>>> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway.
>>>
>>> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it 
>>> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your 
>>> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have 
>>> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home per 
>>> day.” One thing I might try is a lighter wheelset on the same bike. As Bill 
>>> Lindsay said, “If everybody had a gravity knob on their bike, we would all 
>>> peg it to the minimum.”
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>>> -- 
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>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Drew Henson]

Seattle bike commuter here, going on over a decade with about a 9 mile trip 
one way. Although I don't ride everyday like I once did with work from home 
setup I have now. I agree with a lot of the above. My strategies to keep it 
interesting:

- Tinkering, testing new set ups. Biking is where a lot of my hobby $$ goes 
and I like trying out new stuff.
- Having two commuting bikes that are set up differently. I have one 
upright bike (sam) and one drop bar (crust dreamer). But with dyno hubs and 
fenders, but very different to ride. 7000c vs 650b, v brakes versus discs, 
etc. 
- Bag options. Tray a basket bag set up versus panniers. Leaving more at 
the office versus packing more.
- Changing up route up as much as possible. That wandrer app looks awesome! 
Sometimes in the summer I like to bike by the baseball stadium to see the 
crowds or bike along the beach. 


On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 7:34:29 AM UTC-7 wboe...@gmail.com wrote:

> And not average in zeros to your speed.
>
> On Fri, Oct 27, 2023, 10:10 AM Philip Barrett  
> wrote:
>
>> One thing to add - you can have Strava auto-pause when you stop.
>>
>> https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919277-Auto-Pause
>>
>> On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 12:21:40 AM UTC-5 Luke Hendrickson wrote:
>>
>>> Enjoy the new adventure! I love commuting by bike. Everyone has said 
>>> wonderful things, but I’d like to add something: just get a dynamo system 
>>> and ditch the rechargeables. This has made a huge difference for me having 
>>> just a couple less things to worry about charging.
>>>
>>> A clear, resonant bell. I have a Crane Suzu and people reeaaalllyyy hear 
>>> it. I’m always ringing it to let people know where I am and it just works. 
>>> Wonderfully. 
>>>
>>> It’s been said but wool makes a difference. I wear wool socks from 
>>> SmartWool year round and I love them and the warmth/cooling they provide. I 
>>> also have a WoolyWarm sweater (obsessed!) and the Dottie Wool gloves. I 
>>> won’t win any awards for looking good, but I’m always cozy on my bike. 
>>>
>>> I also suggest racks/a trailer. Why add more weight you ask? I never, 
>>> ever need to wear a bag and can run the usual errands with little or no 
>>> planning because I can just throw stuff on my racks. The planning comes 
>>> when I need to haul more and have to plan around having my B.O.B.
>>>
>>> And attached is my current setup for commuting, riding, and plain fun. 
>>> Enjoy yourself out there!
>>>
>>> -- 
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>> 
>> .
>>
>

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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Will Boericke]

And not average in zeros to your speed.

On Fri, Oct 27, 2023, 10:10 AM Philip Barrett 
wrote:

> One thing to add - you can have Strava auto-pause when you stop.
>
> https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919277-Auto-Pause
>
> On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 12:21:40 AM UTC-5 Luke Hendrickson wrote:
>
>> Enjoy the new adventure! I love commuting by bike. Everyone has said
>> wonderful things, but I’d like to add something: just get a dynamo system
>> and ditch the rechargeables. This has made a huge difference for me having
>> just a couple less things to worry about charging.
>>
>> A clear, resonant bell. I have a Crane Suzu and people reeaaalllyyy hear
>> it. I’m always ringing it to let people know where I am and it just works.
>> Wonderfully.
>>
>> It’s been said but wool makes a difference. I wear wool socks from
>> SmartWool year round and I love them and the warmth/cooling they provide. I
>> also have a WoolyWarm sweater (obsessed!) and the Dottie Wool gloves. I
>> won’t win any awards for looking good, but I’m always cozy on my bike.
>>
>> I also suggest racks/a trailer. Why add more weight you ask? I never,
>> ever need to wear a bag and can run the usual errands with little or no
>> planning because I can just throw stuff on my racks. The planning comes
>> when I need to haul more and have to plan around having my B.O.B.
>>
>> And attached is my current setup for commuting, riding, and plain fun.
>> Enjoy yourself out there!
>>
>> --
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> 
> .
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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Philip Barrett]

One thing to add - you can have Strava auto-pause when you stop.

https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919277-Auto-Pause

On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 12:21:40 AM UTC-5 Luke Hendrickson wrote:

> Enjoy the new adventure! I love commuting by bike. Everyone has said 
> wonderful things, but I’d like to add something: just get a dynamo system 
> and ditch the rechargeables. This has made a huge difference for me having 
> just a couple less things to worry about charging.
>
> A clear, resonant bell. I have a Crane Suzu and people reeaaalllyyy hear 
> it. I’m always ringing it to let people know where I am and it just works. 
> Wonderfully. 
>
> It’s been said but wool makes a difference. I wear wool socks from 
> SmartWool year round and I love them and the warmth/cooling they provide. I 
> also have a WoolyWarm sweater (obsessed!) and the Dottie Wool gloves. I 
> won’t win any awards for looking good, but I’m always cozy on my bike. 
>
> I also suggest racks/a trailer. Why add more weight you ask? I never, ever 
> need to wear a bag and can run the usual errands with little or no planning 
> because I can just throw stuff on my racks. The planning comes when I need 
> to haul more and have to plan around having my B.O.B.
>
> And attached is my current setup for commuting, riding, and plain fun. 
> Enjoy yourself out there!
>
>

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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Eric Daume]

Just to clarify, wandrer.earth is $30/YEAR, not per month. It’s a lot of
fun to use. It took me a good nine months to cover the ~440 miles in my
town. Rides get less and less efficient at picking up new miles as you ride…

Eric

On Friday, October 27, 2023, Bill Lindsay  wrote:

> Since you're recording your commute on Strava, I'd recommend having a look
> at Wandrer.earth.  It's ADDICTIVE to compulsive sorts like me.  What it
> will do is incentivize picking an entirely different route each way, each
> time.  What Wandrer does is it colors every rideable road and trail on
> Earth red, and everything you ride gets colored blue.  It's like a binary
> heat map.  You get no credit for riding the same route a thousand times.
> It's gratifying to lay down a footprint in NYC and see it grow.  I'm laying
> down a footprint in Silicon Valley now that they've moved my office down
> there.  It's $30 a month, and it's a one-man operation.  He uses the money
> for a good cause.
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito, CA
>
> On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7:26:25 AM UTC-7 Michael Morrissey wrote:
>
>> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work
>> in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few
>> bike lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold
>> outside. There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then,
>> when I get to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric
>> bikes, deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters.
>>
>> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53
>> minutes. I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at
>> my records (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is
>> mostly a record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many
>> stoplights that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH.
>>
>> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as
>> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing
>> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around
>> them. That helps with the organization.
>>
>> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders.
>> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels
>> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I
>> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway.
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it
>> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your
>> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have
>> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home per
>> day.” One thing I might try is a lighter wheelset on the same bike. As Bill
>> Lindsay said, “If everybody had a gravity knob on their bike, we would all
>> peg it to the minimum.”
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Michael
>>
>> --
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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Patrick Moore]

That's 1 and *three* (3) ...

On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 2:36 PM Patrick Moore  wrote:

> #1: Don't force yourself; do it in order to enjoy it.
> #2: Very often gently forcing yourself to get out of the door will put you
> on a ride that you will thoroughly enjoy. But don't make it a chore.
> #3: Don't time yourself unless (a) you enjoy timing yourself and (b)
> you're not overdoing it.
>
> I violated #1 and #2 regularly
>

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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Patrick Moore]

#1: Don't force yourself; do it in order to enjoy it.
#2: Very often gently forcing yourself to get out of the door will put you
on a ride that you will thoroughly enjoy. But don't make it a chore.
#3: Don't time yourself unless (a) you enjoy timing yourself and (b) you're
not overdoing it.

I violated #1 and #2 regularly back when I commuted 15 or 16 (or even 20
miles with detours) 1 way across town to an office job.  I use to ride 16
miles across town on Central/Rt 66 in rush hour, day and night, and beat
the crosstown bus; I'd try to break an hour clock running including
downtown and lights every mile on East Central and I sometimes did. Fixed
gear, 9 miles of climbing, ~10 lb load in a Carradice. But I was always
tired. Later, as I aged (started age 41, ended age 53) I found a route off
the main boulevards and slowed down and enjoyed it more.

Use a bike you love. I had many fun rides on several nicely set up beaters
-- one I wish I'd kept was an early edition Raleigh Technium sports tourer,
a flexy tank, but it had a Cadillac ride with 32s -- but I finally decided
that leaving my new Riv Road custom hanging on the wall was stupid and had
a local builder convert it into a fixed gear for commuting.

Have a dedicated commuter that fits and feels like your best "fun" bike but
has lights, fenders, racks or bags. Good, light wheels, similar setup. My
commuter was a geometrical and in many respects a build clone of my gofast
road bike.

Use good tires. I commuted on the fastest (feeling) tires I could find,
including for a while 200 gram 22 mm Specialized Turbos. They didn't flat
(here in goathead country, this before modern sealants) any more than 1.25
Paselas, and probably less. I commuted for fun and nothing ends that fun,
for me, quicker than riding dead draggy tires.

Learn to fix flats and change tubes quickly; tho' with modern sealants
either in tubeless tires or in tubes this is largely a thing of the past,
IME.

Make your ride longer if this allows you to detour on to smaller and less
traveled (and perhaps more pleasant) roads.

Leave what kit you can at the office. I kept shoes at the office as well as
a cleaning kit; this for myself: spray alcohol and paper towels. I'd retire
to my office (where I parked my bike) and wipe myself down with rubbing
alcohol, in hot weather while standing in front of a big fan on High. I
carried office clothing and lunch as well as bike kit in my Carradice
Nelson Longflap or Adam. You can also drive in on Monday with a week's
worth of clothing and drive in on Friday to take them home again but I
generally just carried my things because we were office casual and it
required less planning.

Start clean. Take a morning shower; you'll still be half clean when you
arrive after 8 or 12 or 20 miles.

Get up a bit earlier. I also violated this rule. But 10 or 15 minutes extra
time = far less anxiety, and allows you to stop to patch a tube or adjust a
derailleur without cursing.

Take a big lunch and a morning snack and a late afternoon snack.

Take your lights! A few times I blithely rode in only to find that I'd
forgotten my lights; once rode home on a Riv Road custom without lights and
bent the fork against a curb in the twilight. Another time I bought a cheap
Walgreen's flashlight and taped it to the bottom of the left drop bar hook.
Fortunately much of my route, if I took a detour, was on bike paths.

Keep a few tools and tubes and bits and a pump at work.

Carry enough water in summer. I once consumed a gallon between a 28 oz
bottle before I left, 2 28 oz bottles on the 16 miles home, and close to a
half gallon when I reached home. 95* and well-sub-10% humidity riding into
a typical stiff afternoon SW wind.

Carry hot sweet tea in winter.

Wear lays of wool in winter for comfort but also because wool does not
stink. My Kucharick ls jersey would get stiff and gray and crusty with
sweat before it started to smell.

Ride aggressively. Not stupidly, but take your lane at intersections to
prevent right hooks. When proceeding straight through intersections ride to
the left of your lane and stare directly and hard at oncoming cars so that
they are less likely to left hook you. I liked to stand and accelerate hard
to give on-comers the idea. And wave your arm with forefinger pointing
forward to signal that you are going straight.

Rain cape for rain. Most of our rain comes in the summer so jacket and
pants would have been far too hot. A light cape well tied or weighted down
is comfortable; I found the Carradice Duxback canvast cape too warm, though
otherwise very good.

Tape cardboard to your office wall so that the wall doesn't mess up your
bar tape when you lean your bike against the wall. Or get them to give you
an extra office for changing and bike storage.



On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 8:26 AM Michael Morrissey <
michaelgmorris...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work in
> Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than 

Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Eric Floden]

>
>
> I was a big fan of changing up my routes when I was commuting. I am not
> easy to awaken, so would take the direct route to get to work, but going
> home, instead of doing the 6km  direct route, often went double and
> sometimes 3x and 4x the short route. It gave me something to think about at
> work. "Hmmm, which way today?"


And the odd time, I would leave the bike at work and walk home...

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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Josiah Anderson]

Lots of great advice here already; I will pile on in support of changing it
up as much as possible. I have also been successful in using other modes to
convince myself of how effective bike commuting is. I currently have a 1
mile commute, and for the first little while I would often walk or run, but
I eventually got tired of that and started riding again. Before that, I had
very easy bus access within ~50 feet of my doors on either end, and I used
it frequently, but then I decided it was faster and more fun to ride my
bike so I started doing that again. I even drove for a 6 mile commute a few
times, which ended very quickly because I felt so bad afterwards. So my
advice is to try something else and see how it works; if it's better,
that's great and you've found something to add to the rotation, and if you
don't like it it'll keep you riding.

Josiah Anderson
Missoula, MT

Le jeu. 26 oct. 2023 à 08:26, Michael Morrissey 
a écrit :

> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work in
> Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few bike
> lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold outside.
> There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then, when I get
> to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric bikes,
> deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters.
>
> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53 minutes.
> I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at my records
> (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is mostly a
> record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many stoplights
> that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH.
>
> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as
> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing
> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around
> them. That helps with the organization.
>
> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders.
> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels
> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I
> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway.
>
> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it
> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your
> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have
> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home per
> day.” One thing I might try is a lighter wheelset on the same bike. As Bill
> Lindsay said, “If everybody had a gravity knob on their bike, we would all
> peg it to the minimum.”
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael
>
> --
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> 
> .
>

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Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Mack Penner]

I think Ted is right: the secret commuting sauce is "zen." I don't commute 
in comparable conditions (small city, Canada, prairies), but I keep it 
interesting by always mixing up routes (if only slightly) and, when 
possible, mixing up the bikes, too (a second wheelset could do that 
trick!). I guess I try to treat commutes less like commutes and more like 
bike rides than can be whatever I want them to be. 

I also love keeping track on Strava, but I have banished any concern about 
avg speeds. 

Counter-intuitively, sometimes taking ridiculous routes helps, too. 
Yesterday, my commute involved pushing my Appaloosa up a steep dirt trail 
covered in snow and ice. Had to squeeze the brakes and make progress a step 
at a time in order to avoid slipping. Easy to laugh at yourself in those 
circumstances. 

Also, potentially unpopular opinion, but single speed helps. Single 
speeding makes "zen" easier, and you'll never have a derailer freeze up in 
a gear you don't like. 

And finally, is it possible to ditch the concept of work clothes? 5 years 
ago, "work clothes" for me meant fancy boots and a blazer. Now, my clothes 
are my clothes and I dress in a way that works for how I get around. I 
still keep the fancy boots and a blazer in my office, but I never wear 
them. 

Good luck out there,
Mack 

On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 8:42:34 AM UTC-6 ted.l...@gmail.com wrote:

> Bike commuter here. I ditched the second family car a couple of years ago 
> and any time I'm going somewhere without my wife within the city, I'm on my 
> bike. I average about 20 miles per day between commuting to work and other 
> errands around town. I'm also in a less-than-ideal bike city (at least 
> that's what I'm told, I don't think it's that bad... maybe I'm just 
> desensitized at this point). My advice may or may not be all that helpful 
> but I'll offer it anyway:
>
> Find your mental happy place, your "zen" if you want to call it that. For 
> me, that was understanding that I can't control what other people do and 
> just expect it, handle it and move on. I'm far happier if I don't let 
> things outside of my control bother me. Stuff in the bike lane, aggressive 
> drivers yelling at me, inattentive drivers turning in front of me. I have 
> found that if I just expect every car to turn in front of me and every bike 
> lane to be blocked, I don't get mad and I just shake my head and move on 
> with my life. Part of this, too, has been exploring alternate routes. If I 
> take a route that's full of inattentive dockless scooter riders, maybe I'll 
> see if I can find a less crowded way to get through that section of my 
> route, even if it means adding extra to the route.
>
> My last piece of advice is to check out Ride with GPS's route planner 
>  and their public heatmaps. I have 
> found that this, in conjunction with Google Map's bike navigation can help 
> me avoid bad roads and ride routes that other cyclists ride regularly. To 
> me, this indicates that either there is good infrastructure along that 
> route or, at the very least, drivers might be more accustomed to seeing 
> bikes along that route. 
>
> I hope you found that information helpful.
>
> On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 10:26 AM Michael Morrissey  
> wrote:
>
>> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work 
>> in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few 
>> bike lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold 
>> outside. There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then, 
>> when I get to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric 
>> bikes, deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters. 
>>
>> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53 
>> minutes. I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at 
>> my records (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is 
>> mostly a record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many 
>> stoplights that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH. 
>>
>> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as 
>> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing 
>> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around 
>> them. That helps with the organization.
>>
>> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders. 
>> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels 
>> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I 
>> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway.
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it 
>> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your 
>> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have 
>> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home 

Re: [RBW] Expert level bike commuting strategies?

[Ted W]

Bike commuter here. I ditched the second family car a couple of years ago
and any time I'm going somewhere without my wife within the city, I'm on my
bike. I average about 20 miles per day between commuting to work and other
errands around town. I'm also in a less-than-ideal bike city (at least
that's what I'm told, I don't think it's that bad... maybe I'm just
desensitized at this point). My advice may or may not be all that helpful
but I'll offer it anyway:

Find your mental happy place, your "zen" if you want to call it that. For
me, that was understanding that I can't control what other people do and
just expect it, handle it and move on. I'm far happier if I don't let
things outside of my control bother me. Stuff in the bike lane, aggressive
drivers yelling at me, inattentive drivers turning in front of me. I have
found that if I just expect every car to turn in front of me and every bike
lane to be blocked, I don't get mad and I just shake my head and move on
with my life. Part of this, too, has been exploring alternate routes. If I
take a route that's full of inattentive dockless scooter riders, maybe I'll
see if I can find a less crowded way to get through that section of my
route, even if it means adding extra to the route.

My last piece of advice is to check out Ride with GPS's route planner
 and their public heatmaps. I have
found that this, in conjunction with Google Map's bike navigation can help
me avoid bad roads and ride routes that other cyclists ride regularly. To
me, this indicates that either there is good infrastructure along that
route or, at the very least, drivers might be more accustomed to seeing
bikes along that route.

I hope you found that information helpful.

On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 10:26 AM Michael Morrissey <
michaelgmorris...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work in
> Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few bike
> lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold outside.
> There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then, when I get
> to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric bikes,
> deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters.
>
> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53 minutes.
> I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at my records
> (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is mostly a
> record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many stoplights
> that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH.
>
> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as
> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing
> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around
> them. That helps with the organization.
>
> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders.
> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels
> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I
> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway.
>
> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it
> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your
> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have
> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home per
> day.” One thing I might try is a lighter wheelset on the same bike. As Bill
> Lindsay said, “If everybody had a gravity knob on their bike, we would all
> peg it to the minimum.”
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael
>
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-- 
Ted Wood < ted.l.w...@gmail.com >

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