When I return to the bike, I question why I ever stop riding at all. Its been about a month where I was not riding at all. Probably longer. It certainly wasn’t due to weather…  a little known secret… while the rest of the country has been deluged in snow and ice, we here in California have been treated to a rather warm, sunny spell as of late. To tell you the truth, I am not really sure why I stopped riding. I guess it’s the same thing that gets a lot of people really. I think about it too much. My brain starts to think up excuses ranging from the somewhat logical to the complete ludicrous. Here are some of my lizard brain excuses as of late.

• I just don’t have the time. Well the truth of the matter is that I did not manage my time/schedule very well. I ended up not having built-in enough time for cycle transit. And instead of changing my schedule, I chose to use my car.

• I did not feel like riding. Okay so its been warm, but that doesn’t mean in the mornings. Riding in the winter, even in California, does take a bit more planning in terms of layers and clothing. Carrying extra stuff was less appealing and well I’d quickly just resort to the car to solve that one. Plus, the thought of my fingers being cold, well that can stop me on some days.

• I don’t know the new train schedule. Okay this one is laughable. We are in the age of the internet and I could have easily looked it up - so instead I resorted to being lazy on this one and not checking on the changed schedule.

Really, I just need to stop thinking about it and ACT! When the opportunity presents itself, I can’t even give myself two seconds to think of whether or not I should ride. Just make the space in my schedule (its helps that whole work/life balance thing anyway!) and roll on two wheels.

Riding not only provides exercise, but mental clarity for me. Its my time to think and focus, free from distractions from other people (never mind the distractions of auto drivers that don’t see cyclists directly in front of them - that is another post), or distractions that come in on the computer. Riding often inspires writing for me. No wonder the words sound so similar!

Perhaps I needed to find a way to feel like I was “home again”. Returning to cycling after brief or lengthy hiatus always gives me that feeling of home when I start rolling down the street and feel the wind and sun on my face.

It feels good to be back.

Safety: See and Be Seen!

Isn’t cycling dangerous? How do I make sure I don’t get hit by a car? I won’t lie to you, there is a certain amount of risk with cycling. But isn’t there with just about anything? I am a pilot for my “day job” and yes, there is risk in flying too. And as pilots we are trained to evaluate and mitigate safety risks on a daily basis. The same principles can apply to cycling. At some point, I’ll write a more extensive post about risk assessment, perhaps. But for today I want to share some essential safety tips for getting you started with cycling as a lifestyle.

You don’t need to go crazy when it comes to safety (aka you don’t have to have every piece of reflective clothing on - you’d look like a bright reflective, yellow panda bear!), but bearing in mind a few tips will help reduce the risk of riding around with a bunch of people driving cars. And let’s face it. We know there are laws about driving and talking on the phone or texting. But it does not stop people from doing it. In fact, the two contacts I have had with moving vehicles (hard to call them crashes, more like braking to an almost stop prior to impact) have been with drivers yapping away on the phone.  Bottom line: ride defensively.  Okay, onto the tips!

• Error on the side of a Christmas Tree - or - Light ‘er up! You want to be seen! Especially in the winter. Use lights and reflectors, reflective clothing, etc. In the state of CA, the law states we must have side reflectors, a white head light and red tail lights or reflectors. I saw a bike on the Cal Train last week, that had 14 lights on the front! I wish I had taken a picture! LED lights are all the rage these days (at least with the “fixie kids”, but that is another post”!) but make sure you have at least 1 Watt on the front so you can see potholes or other debris in the road at night.
• Be PREDICTABLE - I can not stress this point enough. If auto drivers see you acting as if you were a car, they know what you are going to do. Coasting through stop signs with cars present is asking to get hit in my opinion. Make sure cars see your hand signals and follow the rules of the road. For a good site on safety, check out bicyclesafe.com.
• Listen! Ditch the headphones - If anything you want to know the situation around you as much as you can. Situational awareness is greatly enhanced by sound, and you can hear cars coming from behind (Prius’ are an exception at times) or coming from the side. Riding with headphones takes away a large portion of your situational awareness and increases the risk.
• Smile: I love this tip that I got from a fellow rider. Smile at the drivers! If you see them smile back, then you can be sure they saw you. Plus, it makes for a better ride if everyone is smiling :D
• Look too! Before you change direction, look behind you too. I know of a many cyclist/car collision that resulted from the cyclist changing lanes without looking behind him/her before doing so. If you really insist on jamming to your favorite tunes, then look around you to understand your surroundings.
• Door Zone - watch out for the door zone. New cyclists may not think about being door’ed, but it happens! You, as a cyclist, have every right to ride out of the door zone (approx 4’ away from parked cars). If its heavy traffic and you get squeezed a lot, then reconsider your routing. Here is where a bell is very handy. Just as you see a driver door crack open, start ringing the bell. I can almost 90% of the time bet the driver who just passed you and parked, doesn’t remember you are there! (btw, never underestimate the power of the bike bell - fun video)
• Seek out bike lanes and paths - Having dedicated bike lanes and paths are optimal. Explore  your routes to find the dedicated (car-free) bike paths and use bike lane streets often. Using these kinds of routes really does cut down the amount of stress a rider feels when riding in and amongst cars.

I wish you all great success in your using the bicycle for transportation. Feel free to contact me if you have questions, or if you live in the SF Bay Area - feel free to ask for routing suggestions.

Happy Riding! (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5)

Clothing, or How to Look Presentable by Bike

 What if I don’t want to ride in Lycra? or I can’t ride to work if they don’t have showers! All we have to do is take one look at Amsterdam to know that not only is cycling for transportation a viable method, but you don’t have to look like Lance Armstrong on the way to work! Lycra is not a requirement, though in the US, we still seem to think so. Cycling does not require, nor did it when bicycles were first invented, special clothing. So here are a few tips of mine on how to look presentable upon arrival at your destination.

• Weather appropriate. You want to check the weather before heading out and wear appropriate clothing for the weather. If its raining just a bit, you may not need any rain gear, but if its raining cats and dogs out there, you’ll likely want a rain coat, possibly rain pants and/or a poncho to keep yourself dry. If you ride in the snow like Dottie does (she writes a great cycle commuting blog about cycling in all seasons in Chicago called Let’s Go Ride A Bike), then you will want to bundle up or wear wool items to help with keeping you warm.

• Ride more slowly. If you slow down just a bit, you wont break a sweat. And unless your commute its crazy long already, you wont really notice too much of a difference on time. You may lose a few minutes, but if you practice riding more slowly, you can ride without breaking a sweat and arrive perfectly in your work clothes - no need for a shower. This also allows for riding in things other than lycra - see below.

• Layers, layers, layers. Riding does increase your body temperature, so start off bundled, but then you may need to shed a layer once you get going. Also, if you start off during the day, but it cools off at night, then you may want to bring an extra sweater or jacket for the cool ride home. Don’t forget the extremities either: gloves, hat, scarf all help in keeping the chill out if you are riding in cooler weather.

• Ditch the lycra. Like I mentioned above, you don’t need to be all dressed in lycra like Lance Armstrong to use your bike for transportation. I ride in every-day clothing, both casual and business clothing. If you have flat pedals, then you can ride in just about any shoe (even heels ladies!). Watch out for the exposed chain - use a rubber band, or special reflective band to bind the cuff of your pant leg on the chain side (prevents grease marks, or worse yet, tears from getting caught).

• Wear black sparingly. We don’t all get to live in Amsterdam or Copenhagen yet. So here in the U.S., we still need to make sure we are visible. During the day, try to wear colors other than black - driver’s don’t see it as well. At night, either wear bright colors or use reflective accessories to make your outer-wear more visible.

As its commonly heard in the cycling world,

“there are no bad days in cycling, only bad clothing.”

So you can see that wearing the appropriate clothing can make or break your day. It will take some experimentation as the seasons change and as you get used to riding to work. Some days you will be too hot, some days you will be too cold. Just learn to be flexible with layers and you will find what works for you.

Happy Riding! (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5)

Routes and Multi-modal Transport

So how do we get from Point A to Point B without being run-over by a rabid motorist? Well that is where picking your route wisely comes in. There are lots of places to start discovering which routes cyclists in your area take.  Also, when starting out, give yourself ample time. That way if you make a wrong turn to a dead-end, and have to back track a few blocks, you wont be late.

• Ride Residential: Riding residential streets may be windier, but by far they have less traffic.
• Google Maps by Bike: Google Maps now has a beta “by Bike” option on the web (sadly not on the iPhone Maps yet…*sigh*). This is a good place to start, but take it with a grain of salt. It’s been known to dump me onto busy streets before. Another similar site is called Map My Ride - its more sports centric, but may give you ideas to new route options.
• County route maps: most counties, like my own Santa Clara, will have route maps available for cyclists free of charge.
• BUGs (ha!): Bicycle User Groups, often found at corporations, like Google’s SF2G group, you can find groups to join where the focus is on commuting and cycling routes.
• Experimentation: Finding optimal routes will take some experimentation and collaboration with other cyclists. (Side-story: I was once flagged down by a motorist who saw me about 5 miles back, and then again just before his place of work. He was dying to know how I managed to get there before him so he could start riding to work using the same route!) Plus, once you master your most direct, shortest route from Point A to Point B, you will likely become bored. Mix it up and take the longer route!

Multi-modal Transport

But my commute is < insert appropriate whine here > so far away! How will I ever make it on time? Ah, this is where multi-modal transport comes in. You don’t have to ride all 22 miles one direction (unless you want to!). Start thinking about combining your trip with other means of transportation. Just because you may be thinking about going 100% Car-Free, doesn’t mean you have to on day one! My discovery of using CalTrain to supplement my commute meant that I could easily use multi-modal transportation every day of the week without feeling like I was training for the Tour de France! Now, I use a combination of the bike and Cal-Train every week and it allows me to reach further distances easily without having to resort to my car for driving.

• Corporate shuttles: again, larger corporations are trying to support public and alternative means of transportation. Check to see if your company provides such a service. Often times they are connectors between major public transportation routes and the office. Google has a pretty slick setup, and no, I don’t work for them :)
• Public Transportation: this is a great option and of course depends on your local area. Check to see what the rules are on carrying bikes on buses and trains.
• CalTrain: if you live in the SF Bay Area - CalTrain is a great option for getting up and down the SF Peninsula. They have at least one dedicated bike car on each train and have an easy system for bike arrangement. Plus the Clipper Card is now also accepted on SF Muni, BART, AC Transit, and GG Bridge.  VTA and SamTrans are coming.
• Car Shuttle: Create your own car shuttle. Drive part way of your commute, park then ride the rest. Or, drive to work one day, bike home - then reverse the order the following day.

Once you start finding a route, then start out small. Ride a once or a few days a week. Before you know it, you will crave the ride rather than fear it. I prefer to ride these days rather than drive - for all the reasons spelled out in Part 1 of this series.

Happy Riding! (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5)

Equipment 

My advice: keep it simple. Yes, it seems that any endeavor these days we can completely “gear up” and buy a lot of stuff. But the reality is you likely wont want all that stuff in the end. So start out simply with just the essentials, then you can add the extras later.

• Bike - obviously we need a bike. But don’t get hung up on whether or not you have the “right” bike. Any bike will do! I have commuted on mountain bikes, road bikes, cyclocross bikes and cruisers - they all have their pros and cons. Just get a bike and keep it simple, Craigslist is great. If you are new to cycling and think you will only do city riding, then check out Public Bikes - they offer affordable bikes built for city riding. First and foremost, get a bike that fits your size - a huge cruiser doesn’t work for my 5’0” frame.
• Lights - If you are riding with cars, you want to be seen especially at dawn, dusk and night. So get some lights and “light ‘er up”! You’ll want a rear light (red) and a headlight (white). I prefer rear lights that blink at varying speeds so that it catches the attention of the viewer. Also, for the front, you will want to see those potholes in the road, so get a light with at least one watt or greater in power, such as this one. Yes, there are some great lighting systems, but they can put you back a few coins at best. Start simple and then expand from there once your used to night riding.
• Carryall - You’ll need something to carry your stuff. I’ll expand on that below, but think about either a messenger bag, rack and straps or net, or rack and pannier bag. Some folks use baskets that are more utility or for smaller items. If your bike does not have the attachments (braze-on) for racks/fenders, etc, then think about a seatpost rack.
• Fenders - I love riding, I even love riding in the rain. But when I’m wearing non-lycra clothing and have a meeting at 9am, I don’t like arriving looking like a drowned rat! Fenders are the way to go. They keep the road splash and grime off and keep the bum dry.
• Appropriate Clothing - we’ll cover clothing in detail in Part 4. But suffice for now, make sure you wear clothing appropriate to the weather. I didn’t say cycling… as I commute in non-lycra gear… but appropriate to the outside conditions. This will highly depend on season, location, etc. Look for more detail in Part 4. 

As I commonly hear:

“There are no such thing as bad cycling days, only bad cycling clothing.”

Carrying the Stuff

A lot of this will depend on how long you are riding, or how much stuff you need to carry. You may find a messenger bag works well until you need to lug a laptop computer, etc. Oh, then there is the day you are invited out after work and want to bring a second change of clothes or a jacket. You may need to devise a versatile system that will morph and change according to your needs.

Often these days, I use a simple messenger bag or the rack alone on my bike. When I have more to carry, I look to a basket, milk crate, or grocery panniers. Regardless you’ll want to think about a system. Some other strategies include:

• Stash cache at work - keep items at work that you can use throughout the week: shoes, hairbrush, etc. Some folks use the car on monday to bring/swap clothing for the week and take home clothing from last week. When I worked in a cubicle (that’s a different story) I often stored shoes and basic toiletries.
• Go mobile - we live in an age where you don’t have to carry all those papers/books any more. Heck, you can even leave the laptop now and just carry an iPad. I have crashed on my commute, and in the crash have cracked the case of a laptop or two :( so make sure whatever you carry that is digital is well protected.

One of my favorite times of the year is here – the holidays. There are so many great things about the holidays that I love. I love the falling snow (yes I live in California and have to drive to see that these days But hey, I grew up in Colorado where I am used to free snow!)… I love spending time with friends and family… I love the cool, crisp air… I love the lights… the wonderful hot cozy drinks…and yes, I’ve even enjoyed hearing the same old tunes year after year. (iTunes is great, by the way, for finding fun new versions of old songs this time of year!)

The thing I don’t like about the holidays is the gift exchange. I am not the only one who feels this way. Leo Babauta over at Zen Habits wrote about this very topic this week. And so did Everett Bogue over at Far Beyond the Stars. Its gotten out of hand in our society and it just reminds me of all the horrible things about consumerism: the excess, the waste, the short-lived buzz of something new, the overspending and consumer debt that ensues… and all for what? To not remember what Aunt Jessie got you last year? Oh and then the clutter - where do we put it all? And do we really need all this extra stuff in a country where most of us have enough and if we don’t have it - it’s just a run to the local Target to get something imported from overseas for less than $20 bucks?

This is where I get a mighty case of the Bah-Humbugs during the holidays. So what is a girl to do to get back on the positive mindset? Well here are my tips on how to enjoy the holidays without all the STUFF!

• Make your gifts: each year I bake or give things I have preserved earlier in the year. I get lots of requests for repeat gifts of this nature.  There are many things that you can make (you don’t even have to cook) and have fun in the process! Here is a great post on other ideas!

• Give gifts that matter to you: If you need to get something, why not get something that could enable a relationship to stay in communication while someone moves abroad or goes to college? Or make monthly plans to be with a close friend - all of us could carve out a bit more personal time in our schedules, why not do that for a friend? More ideas here.

• Enable someone else’s world: giving gifts of education is awesome. It either helps fuels someone’s passion, or can help change a life forever. Here are some fantastic ideas on the topic. I would also include finding seminar’s about that recipient’s passions: gardening, cooking, what ever it tends to be.

• Fill another’s needs: rather than giving the latest whowhatzit gadget, why not consider another’s needs. Check out these ideas for what could make a difference in someone else’s life.

• Make memories: experiences are what make memories, not items. Possessions do little in the way of creating the memories that I cherish the most. It’s the experiences that we share with people that are the most valued. So take time this holiday to spend quality time with those that you love. And if you can’t see them this holiday, make a date for sometime in 2011 to spend that valued time. It’s really the people who matter in life, not the stuff.

So as I plan a bake-a-palooza this weekend, and sing along to my favorite holiday tunes, I invite you to make this holiday more special than ever. Just leave out the stuff!

Happy Christmas!

I just returned home from an evening with the Velo Girls cycling club. The founder, Lorri, asked me to lead a seminar on bike commuting and using the bike for every-day transportation. I never really knew how much I had to share until I sat down to prepare to lead this seminar. So I have decided to share all of this with you, but in blog-post-sized bits. So this is the first in a 5 part series. We’ll cover the benefits, equipment, routing, clothing and safety.

The Merits of a Cycling Lifestyle: Why I Ride

So my recent adventure of sorts has been trying out meditation. I would typically describe myself as a Type A (embarrassingly, my dear friend used to call me A+++): usually going about my day with slightly too much caffeine coursing through the veins, having a problem saying “yes” before I find out the request or assignment and generally being over-committed, packed with too much to do.

Recently however, and especially after reading In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honoré, I have realized that I need to slow down. Also in reading Leo Babauta’s new e-book, focus : a simplicity manifesto in the age of distraction, I came to realize just how distracted my mind is. I discovered it is really hard for me to focus on one thing. I have always prided myself on the ability to multi-task. But now I’m noticing that multi-task really means I do a lot of things poorly rather than one thing well. So, I thought I would try meditation to help.

I have read some about meditation. You can find many sites that claim the numerous benefits of a regular meditation practice. The ones that struck my interest were:

• improvement in concentration

• reduces stress

• increases creativity

Of course there are many more, but those were my top 3. So, I decided to get some instruction. A friend recommended to me a local resource here where I live called the Ananda Center. I have signed up for a 4 week course that is an Introduction to meditation and currently am in week 3.

The first few weeks seemed to amplify what I had already discovered in my other readings. Thought control was non-existent. My thoughts would attack my calming practice like a final level of Space Invaders, shooting from all directions. But slowly, as I have been practicing, its starting to get easier. I am able to have several minutes of calm and peace, free from my thoughts which I can keep at bay (for short periods).

Though it takes years for people to attain higher levels of mediation, I am already seeing some benefits in my own practice. I can concentrate on one task at a time without interruption or distraction. (Some of this, mind you, is set up by me by shutting off my phone, or not logging into chat networks, etc. for that period of time.) I have also noticed that I am much less reactive to my normal triggers of stress than I used to be. One of the things I hate the most about driving in a car is traffic. And the few times I have had to do that since starting meditation, seem to have me less stressed about traffic than before. So I think it is working!

Will I continue with Ananda teachings of meditation after the class? I’m not sure. I may experiment with different styles of meditation until I can find one that is particularly resonate. But, will I continue to practice some method of centering, or willed calm? That is certainly the intention at this moment!