Good day all you intrepid cyclists!
*Today I did something for the first time that I haven’t done in TOO LONG:I cycled to work. * *[Edit: this was last week. Today I did it again...]* *Why? *Simple: *I’ve run out of excuses not to! *I really hope some of you find this useful. Just try it once if you haven’t before. My common excuses relate to #1 weather uncertainty, #2 sunlight issues, #3 extra time needed for the bicycle commute, #4 extra weight to carry during the commute, #5 safety on the road, #6 bicycle security, and #7 shower facilities at the office. LOTS of excuses... *[Edit: the article is from the point of view of somebody that works at Momentum head office in Centurion, but most of the tips should still be valid for anybody]* *Now let me break it down to try and prove that my excuses are invalid:* Right now we’re in a season where it’s not too hot and not too cold to cycle early in the morning. It’s really quite pleasant. It’s unlikely to start raining suddenly, and there’s still enough sunlight out there to start riding around sun-up and be at my desk at around 08h00 all after my hour and a half commute and a shower (and some In-the-Kitchen oats...!). I’ll be able to leave for home after 16h00 and be home before dark. Also this means that I don’t have to do any other training on cycle-commute day, since I’m getting in more than 2 hours of training! I’ll get to some of the unexpected benefits later on. So excuses *#1*,* #2* and *#3* are negated I believe. I used a fairly comfortable, mid-size adventure racing backpack. In it I have the minimum that I thought necessary, but enough to be comfortable at the office during the day. I tend to go overboard with my kit according to some; you be the judge. - Bike kit: In a plastic bag: a single spare tube, pump, tyre levers, chain tool, multi-tool, headlamp (for in case I leave for home very late), patch kit, lube, small odds and ends (gator, presta-to-shrader converter, piece of wire, a couple of cable ties, etc) - Shower stuff: small towel, shower gel, deodorant - Work clothes: long pants and belt, decent shirt, underwear, socks, normal work shoes (not boots) - Bicycle lock, wallet - On my person: helmet, cycling shoes, cycling shorts and shirt, thin long sleeved cycling top, ID and medical aid tag around my neck that speaks when I can’t, cell phone, keys, Momentum key-card for easy access to open doors and turnstiles without scratching around in the backpack - No water. For a commute you don’t really need water or energy drink on the way. I considered drinking water at one of the filling stations, but ended up not needing it. Not having to carry water is quite a weight and space saver. You inadvertently don’t use up all your water on the ride anyway, so it would just be wasted weight and space. The backpack ties around my (ample) waist and (not so ample) chest, and didn’t move around much when I was cycling, so the extra weight wasn’t really obvious, since it didn’t hang off my shoulders. Total weight around 3kg or 4kg? In my experience weight carried on the body doesn’t feel as bad as weight carried on a bicycle, so I don’t use panniers or a carrier. I never use water bottles on my mountain bike since they just get lost or dirty, and they influence the responsiveness of the bike. There goes excuse *#4*. After all the work done on our roads in lieu of the FIFA World Cup 2010, our roads are in a pretty good condition. Most roads have shoulders and walkways or footpaths are quite often available. Many new robots (traffic lights, you know...) have been installed all over the place, often with 3 and 4 phases so that you don’t have to hang around too much to cross an intersection. I lane-split between the cars when I approach an intersection and when I can move faster than the other vehicles (which is surprisingly often) so that I’m first over the intersection when the lights change. You have to be assertive when you cycle, make your presence known, and you need to cover yourself with a curb or another vehicle. I believe with some streetwise skills it’s quite safe. A gentleman in a Beemer of all cars even stopped traffic close to Fountains and indicated to me that I could cross over the road when I was caught in a merging lane. Wow, that is quite rare. So I believe that some streetwise skills, patience and common sense will keep you safe on the road, so that excuse *#5* is not a problem. Bicycle security is a non issue in Momentum’s basement. I see more and more cyclists parking their bikes next to the motorbikes. I believe there is a closed circuit video camera that overlooks one of the motorcycle parking areas. I’ve never had issues with my motorbike parked there, but I felt it was necessary to at least lock the bike. I brought a decent cable lock along, with which I locked the bike next to a pole, so that it shouldn’t fall over when bumped by a pedestrian. On previous occasions (when I forgot the lock) I even left my bike there for the day, unlocked, and I never had issues. So I really believe my bike is safe there, sorting out excuse *#6*. The showers of choice are behind Oshika, and they seem to be unlocked early every morning. You have to negotiate your way around the smokers hanging around on the steps, but once you’re inside it’s really very decent. There’s even enough space inside the lockable shower cubicle with you, so that you don’t have to worry stuff will get nicked while you shower. Water is as hot as you want it and the shower head delivers a nice stream of aqua, so you complete this necessity in 10 minutes. Excuse *#7* put to rest. *See, I had no choice; I’m out of excuses...* *Unexpected benefits for me: * - I’m getting in around 46km of cycling during a normal work day, without much impact on my work time or my home time - I’m saved around R40 on fuel today, and that’s compared to my daily fuel costs on my motorcycle. If you’re driving by car you can almost double that, depending on the vehicle you use and the distance that you travel. - I get to succinctly make it obvious to my friends and colleagues that there’s a different kind of helmet on my table today... and augment the number of people that know me and think I’m crazy - I feel invigorated at work after the morning’s exercise - I got to meet three new people on my commute this morning. An out-of-work dude from Cape Town carrying a huge backpack, and chap on a haunted, broken motorcycle, and another bicycle commuter from Momentum! My job in MSC Cycling is to try and get you on your bicycles, and if this report succeeded in doing that for ONE person then I’ll be happy. Even if it just motivates me to do it again myself, I’ll be happy. Please let me know if you’ve done it or if you plan to, and how your experience differs from mine. PS: *Here is a link to an article on Bicycle Commuting at Arrive Alive*: http://www.arrivealive.co.za/pages.aspx?i=238 Kind regards Donald Klopper -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DarkAndDirty" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/darkanddirty?hl=en.
