with ups must come downs...

well, as the title of this post may indicate, this week has not been as peachy as the past few. in fact, you could say this is the week all the shit went down, commute-wise. (if i forgot to warn you about occasional swearing in this blog, sorry. i occasionally swear.)

it started out fine, despite the cold, rain, and cold rain. as i've said before, i really don't mind riding in adverse conditions as long as i have the right gear. what i do mind is other people causing incidents. this past week i have had far too many close calls (or annoying incidents) all thanks to other people. my theory is this: in a car, you are your own worst enemy. on a bike, it's everybody else.

first off, a positive note. i have confirmed that my rainsuit can be and should be worn for warmth as well as staying dry. we had a couple of very cold mornings this week, but thanks to my sealed seams and a few layers underneath, i was totally warm. what i've determined i really need are some water-proof, WIND-proof gloves. snowboarding gloves are just not made for traveling at 45 mph (even if it occasionally feels that fast on a board). so i've worn my suit even when it's dry, and been toasty warm.

now, i'm going to preface this by saying that i'm a very safe rider. i do confess to speeding, but that's about it. i stay within my limits, i don't tailgate, i'm always watching out for other cars and i even cover the horn and brake (yeah drivers ed). this is just interesting to keep in mind in terms of how we react when faced with actual "situations" on the road.

the first of these such incidents was on lake washinton blvd, crossing SE 8th by 405. it's my usual route to work, avoiding the freeway and usually having very little traffic. the morning in question was no different, and i was cruising up to the stoplight, down-shifting as usual. as i hit 2nd gear, about 30 yards from the light, it turned to green, and so instead of shifting down to first, i hit the throttle and went through the intersection. as i did, some stupid person in a luxury SUV (they're always luxury SUVs) decided red lights didn't apply to them and headed right into the intersection. now, i saw them in advance, and was ready to swerve (which i did a little to give them some room), and they eventually stopped, once completely sticking into the intersection, blocking the road, but their light had been red for a few seconds at least. not smart driving on their part. had they not actually stopped, or had i not been paying attention, i could have been T-boned, or ran into their hood. this has happened to several riders i know, and the results are never pretty. though it wasn't super close, it still shook me up a little.

the one humorous bit to all that is, as much as i am a stickler for protocol, as i was going around the SUV and went to give them a blast from my horn, i moved my thumb and hit...my starter. oops. wrong thumb. for those that don't know, the horn and the starter are in the same position on the handlebars, just opposite sides. horn left, starter right. oh well. keep that in mind for next time.

the second incident falls under the "annoying" category. after this lovely morning commute, i stopped off at the bank to deposit some money. i parked my bike at the curb in front of the atm (another handy part of riding, always parking), and went in as another fellow headed out. i had just put my card in the machine when the fellow comes back inside and asks if that's my bike outside. now, at this point i'm standing there in full leathers, and i was really tempted to say "no, what are you talking about?" but i answered in the affirmative, after which he demanded "you need to move your bike. i can't get out." i look. my bike is parked a good three feet in front of his mercedes (luxury again), and he has plenty of space if he has any driving ability at all. but apparently he doesn't, so i had to go and move my bike for him to get out. on top of that, the bastard didn't even wait for me to fully move my bike before trying to pull out, almost running into me as i try to get out of his precious way. way to go, mercedes. way to go.

the last incident was probably the scariest, but also the shortest to tell about. i was commuting last night between jobs, which entails crossing the bridge into seattle (i usually take 520 on the way there). the weather was less than lovely, and i was having my usual bridge-in-the-rain commute. as i was not far from the I-5 interchange (post bridge), the traffic was constantly changing speeds, thanks to drivers who don't know how to merge. anyway, long story short, thanks to a sudden hit of brakes by those in front of me, combined with the rain, i ended up fish-tailing going about 45 mph on a wet freeway. not fun. (actually, having looked this up in the dictionary, this is the definition of "not fun," just so you know.) i managed to recover (release the rear brake, recover control (i put my foot down. not smart, but it happens), sporadically pump the front brake), but anytime that happens, it sucks. it also shakes you a bit. the rest of the ride in was a little tense.

that was the second time i've fishtailed on vixen, though the first time was not quite the same situation (dry roads, going around 30 with plenty of room on either side to maneuver). it's nice to know i can handle it, but it's one of those things i hope to never have to handle.

so, that was this week. only one left. i've still enjoyed the commuting on the whole, although crossing the bridge is not my idea of fun (i don't really like freeways in general), and other cars can still get my heart pumping. luckily, next week is all within bellevue, so it should be nice and easy. i am looking forward to january a bit, even if just to be able to save seven minutes each morning and afternoon putting on and taking of gear.

next time i'll post the final report. till then,

rftc,

scott

early lessons

10 quick lessons learned from my first week of bike commuting:

1. people drive worse in the rain. and slower. doesn't matter if they need to, they do.
2. keeping my rainsuit in my tailbag at all times is the smartest thing i ever decided to do.
3. the quickest part of you to get cold is the underside of your chin. this is due to exposed skin and the wind freezing the metal buckle on your helmet strap. balaclavas help, but are not failproof.
4. rainsuits are also very helpful for warmth as well as rain protection (further enforcing lesson number 2).
5. snowboarding gloves are not 100% waterproof. they are still good for just about everything, anyway.
6. i rather like riding in the rain. it's the kind of consciously-stupid-but-not-too-stupid activity i like.
7. when it comes down to staying warm and dry, you lose your shame very quickly.
8. good boots are very important. my boots rock.
9. rain is worse than cold when it comes to fogging up my visor. go figure.
10. you need to know your limits. like when i woke up on thursday freezing cold and feverish and decided to drive to work in spite of off-site parking and ended up going home 2 hours later because i felt like absolute crap. glad i didn't try to ride that day.

all in all, in spite of the rain and cold alternating days, i have still enjoyed my commutes. it's fun to be out in it, with fewer things between you and the elements. and it really makes you appreciate a hot cup of tea that much more.

for those keeping track: 1 week down, 3 to go.

rftc,

scott

Winter Preview (and a Spring Delay)

hello there winter fans!

well, december has born down upon us yet again (it's the 3rd, if my calculations are correct), and that means it's that wonderful time of year where magical yet annoying things happen at shopping malls everywhere. that would be off-site parking for employees. and so, for the rest of the year (which is almost blessedly over) i will not be allowed to occupy a parking space at bellevue square while i am working. luckily, i have a solution to this problem that still lets me avoid the dreaded metro.

have you guessed yet? has that fact that i'm writing about this topic on my blog about motorcycles helped?

that's right, for the next month, i will be riding to work (at least in bellevue), on the bike in all weathers except for snow (see earlier post). yeehaw. as i have also already stated in an earlier post, i really don't mind this that much, but i have never done it on a consistent basis, so we'll see how this goes. it's like an experiment. that i can't end.

so, as a little preview for my wintertime adventures on two wheels, i put together all of the gear i will be putting on and taking off twice (minimum, more if i work my evening gig) every day:

(sorry about the forced perspective. i had a hard time fitting everything in the frame.)

keep in mind, this is only my outerwear, and does not include my work clothes, nor any long underwear i may be sporting if the temperature drops into the 30s. and yes, those are chaps. and yes, i look good in them.

as for part two of this post, it is rather melancholy, as it always is when things get postponed. i am sadly referring to my planned florida trip. it has become impossible to take enough time off in april to make the trek. but, it is only postponed, not canceled.

it's a bittersweet postponement, though. my schedule has filled because i am (unofficially) managing my hurling team next season. i haven't been elected yet, but i'm the only candidate, so go figure. that means i'll be busy at least twice a week and almost every weekend from march through the beginning of september. that makes cross-country trips difficult.

as i said, though, it is not canceled. i'm looking at rescheduling for september, after the hurling national tournament. the tournament is in san francisco, which means i can trailer vixen (along with a ton of hurling gear) down to the bay area for the tournament, then take off directly from there. it would knock a few days off my trip, true, but i would still be riding all the way across the country. and it would probably be a much needed winding down from the season.

so that's the current plan. there are still bits to work out, but that's the fun. isn't it?

till next time,

rftc,

scott