In a past life I was a cycling club president. The onset of cold weather meant rummaging through my cycling clothes and stuffing a backpack with enough gear to demonstrate appropriate clothing for temps ranging from the 60s to some degrees below freezing. And while I miss sharing know-how with new cyclists, the thought of snapping pics of limp cycling clothes to do the internet version is less than appealing. Nor am I in the mood to write a step by step how to. But I figure I can still offer some insights/concepts to surviving the colder months on a bike.

Staying warm is all about managing moisture and convection (sweat and wind) rather than radiant loss (what would happen if you were standing around). Its important to think about sweat and wind together because the ideal clothes for one is the opposite of what you want for the other.  And despite what the label may tell you, windproof (waterproof) is not as breathable as you need it to be. However, there is one unique aspect about cycling that lets you get out of this tight spot; the wind is always hitting you from the front. If it hits you from the back you are not riding fast enough. The directionality plays in your favor. A happy sweat/wind balance can be achieved by clothes that block wind up front and while allowing sweat to evaporate off your back. As it turns out, the humble wind-vest (windproof up front, mesh in the back) is cheap and can transform anything warm and breathable into ideal cold weather gear. The opposite is true for anything with a windproof/waterproof back. You’ll be great for 10 but eventually enough sweat collects to thoroughly soak everything through. Adding sleeves to a jacket (unless you have large underarm vents) compounds the situation. Limmit the windproof stuff to the chest and collar and you’ll stay dryer and ultimately warmer. 

Sweat management extra credit goes to goats “About an hour and a half into my ride I stopped and stripped off the wet stuff, put on new dry stuff, and was completely comfortable the rest of the ride. (Except my feet, but I’ve given up on trying to keep my feet warm.) In my opinion, an essential trick to staying warm on a long winter ride, ski tour, or whatever.” The physiology of sweating happens to be that you sweat like crazy for the first 30 min to 1hr and then taper off after that (even if you are still over heating). So changing clothes makes a whole lot of sense. Another variation is to under-dress to allow evaporation for the first half hour then add some extra windproof layers; again wind-vest or add the shell over your glove liners or put on a hat.

Now lets get to the backpack. I really did have a reason to mention it. When stuffing the backpack I didn’t have much room for redundant gear. Combine that with being a poor student and I was forced into rule number 2. Don’t use redundant gear to cover multiple temps i.e. advanced layering for stingy people. So you’ve already got 3 or 4 short sleeve jerseys that are perfect for 80 degrees. Don’t buy 3-4 long sleeve jerseys when you can buy 1 pair of arm warmers. Don’t buy 3 or 4 thicker jerseys when 1 wind-vest will do. You only need 1-2 pairs of tights if you just slip them over your regular shorts (make sure to buy tights without a chamois). Also baggy base layers that you might have, for say skiing, can be converted to cycling gear by throwing a jersey and arm warmers or tights on top to keep them from flapping in the breeze. A thin pair of glove liners will turn your regular gloves into cool weather gloves, and cool weather gloves into cold weather gloves.  

The last rule I have for clothing is that It won’t keep you warm if it cuts off blood flow. This concept is essential for keeping feet warm. Don’t try to stuff thicker socks into tight shoes. Instead go with form-but-not-tight-fighting booties. If booties don’t cut it a chemical warmer over the shoe but under the bootie is worth a try. And if you store your shoes in a garage or someplace cold bring them in the night before. Nothing will cut off the blood flow quicker than stuffing your feet into ice cold shoes. And once the blood flow stops there’s little chance things are going to warm back up.

For a quick check once your dressed, stand outside for 5-10 min. If you start to get chilly but aren’t shivering you probably got it about right.

And one non-clothing rule; Eat. When its hot you drink a lot. If you use a sports drink thirst usually ensures a steady caloric intake. But take away the thirst (like when its cold) and you just lost a huge cue to take in calories. You must consciously remind yourself to eat. It takes a lot of energy to produce heat, so bonking equals cold and miserable.

 To sum it up; windproof up front/breathable in the back, arm warmers and a vest and tights(or knee warmers) will double your wardrobe, and remember to eat. 

Wouldn’t it be sweet if Google Maps had a Bike There option? You could find a route with all bike lanes or all side streets, may be even one with coffee shops along the way. Atlanta ITC got me thinking a bit by posting a link to the Google Bike There petition. There already are several great examples from RoadBikeRides, Bicycling, and Bikely of what is possible with current software and a little user involvement. But Google could be a resource on a whole different level. Not because it would be any better technically but because EVERYONE has played around with Google maps. Throw a “Bike There” option up there and a huge demographic that would never seek out such a resource just might be curious enought to plot a route.

Go ahead click the link.

Just a quick thought.

My main commute takes me across two major roads Grant and Campbell. Both are 2 lanes in both directions divided by a turning lane. At Campbell, things are simple. Its a 4 way intersection with a traffic light. When the light is green I go. But Grant gets a little confusing.

See the street that I take across grant is paralleled by a striped pedestrian crossing. It also has the light (not a full traffic light) activated by a button. Normally, in traffic i act like a car. But because of the pedestrian crossing, when I stop like a car, some cars think that I’m going to act like a pedestrian.

So even though I didn’t press the button cars sometimes stop. Kind of them, but risky since the driver in the next lane may or may not stop and my view sometimes gets partially blocked. What I end up with is one of those I wave the driver on then they wave me on so I start to go but the other guy doesn’t look like they are going to stop so I hesitate but then they do stop but the driver who first stopped starts to go because I hesitated. What a mess.

Sometimes I think I should just hit the button?

But if I hit the button I feel like I should walk my bike across the street. Which I wouldn’t and that would make me feel like a sidewalk riding fraud.

I know several. Some people are self proclaimed bike bums but they are just posers. Here are some of the fine points of bike bumming…

1) You must work no more than 4 hours a day, or 24 hours a week. Hilarious, Dano I wish you success.

The original title for this post was going to be: Can We Afford Great Cycling Cities? But Dano’s post provides some needed humor and perspective before we dive into the morass.

And on to the morass…

Consider the scenario: You got the whole sustainable living message early. You chose to live close to work, bought an affordable living space, you sold the SUV, and bought a bike to use for your daily commute. Congratulations you are a shining example of eco-financial responsibility. We salute you. But now would you mind picking up the tab for your supersuburb McMansion with a Hummer in the driveway peer that just declared bankruptcy. 

Its a bit of a stretch, right?

Well maybe, maybe not. Bail-out back-lash is starting to build. It seems like 1 in 3 callers on any given talk radio show is someone who is pissed off because they were responsible. Even traditional print media is publishing stories about responsible people expressing their frustration. The basic theme is something like “I wanted to buy the large expensive house but didn’t because I couldn’t afford it. And now I’m going to be stuck paying to keep my neighbor in the big house that they couldn’t afford.” Add to that the parallel plot unfolding in the the auto industry. Apparently the memo about how selling cars by making them bigger with more horsepower would reach a point of unsustainability somehow got to Detroit a little late and still caught them by surprise. I can’t help but share the Are you freaking kidding me? sentiment.

So if the automaker bail-out occurs…

Every citizen will be chipping in to put the current incarnation of the American dream on life support. Ironic that money you thought you were saving might end up going to subsidise the ultra commuter life style. A lifestyle that when not bound by some sort of geography sprawls so much that alternative transportation becomes almost impossible.

This post is not an argument to give up the dream of car-non-dependent communities. But the current numbers who are willing and able to take on their city as is just doesn’t amount to a critical mass in most places. The economic reality is that visionary projects; Springfield: The Next Great Cycling City? will take quite a bit of cash. And at this time, any extra cash is in danger of being sucked up by any industry that can make a legitimate threat of taking down the economy.

So as a Society we’ve kind of gotten ourselves into a we can’t afford the changes that we can’t afford not to make sort of spot. Cycling/Alternative Transportation Friendly Cities, Green Cities, Sustainable Communities or whatever you want to call them have come into their own as a viable concept. Yet the very factors that have ushered in their time now threaten to swallow the concept whole. Fortunately, there is always the Bike Bum option to fall back on if things get a little to bleak. 

Its admittedly a stretch to write a legitimate cycling story about this historic election. But the stretch might not be quite as far as you think. It was widely reported that the economic crisis was the top issue on voter’s minds as they cast their ballots. Tied closely into this discussion was the debate over energy and environmental impact. And with ballots cast and counted, it is clear that America rejected “Drill Baby Drill” as the way to continue moving forward. Instead, voters endorsed Obama’s New Energy for America plan which has an unmistakable undertone of less is more. Specifically, Obama’s idea of more livable communities includes sketches of a plan to use federal funds to nudge cities away from a car dominated past.

Just months ago, talk of Copenhagenizing our cities might have sounded like a treehugging fairytale. But that was before the president-elect transformed “Yes We Can,” and directly challenged this country to live up to itself.

Below are the relevant excerpts from his platform.

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities. Over the long term, we know that the
amount of fuel we will use is directly related to our land use decisions and development patterns.
For the last 100 years, our communities have been organized around the principle of cheap
gasoline. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that we must devote substantial resources to
repairing our roads and bridges. They also believe that we must devote significantly more
attention to investments that will make it easier for us to walk, bicycle and access other
transportation alternatives. They are committed to reforming the federal transportation funding
and leveling employer incentives for driving and public transit.

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities:

Require States to Plan for Energy Conservation: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require
governors and local leaders in our metropolitan areas to make “energy conservation” a required part
of their planning for the expenditure of federal transportation funds.

Hop on your bike, ride to the polls, and cast your ballot.

At some point it has to happen. You mount a new road bike tire at it goes through its entire life without a single flat. But, was it coincidense that my first no-flat perfect-tire also happened to be a Hutchinson Road-Tubeless with Stan’s?

With one tire worn through, one prematurely retired, and a third well into its tread I thought it was time to offer some long term observations.

The first thing worth reporting is the lack of flats. Most high end racing tires have a decent puncture resistant layer. Usually, the difference between flat protection has more to do with luck than the tire itself.  The tires have picked up glass and rock chips. I have done routine checks of the tire to pick out debris. But no more often than usual. And so far, nothing has brought about the dreaded hiss of escaping air. I even had the bad luck of locking up a rear tire to avoid a high speed crash in the first few miles of a road race.  The skid was bad enough to expose a good half inch of casing. The tire however survived another 50 miles to get me to the finish line without incident.  At this point the Hutchinson Stan’s combo is starting to convince me that a little more than luck is at work here. 

The one (non) problem with the lack of a definite puncture is that its hard to know how well the Stan’s would actually seal a flat. Its possible that punctures had been sealed without me realizing it. But with mountain bike tires there is usually some sort of damp spot or dried sealant as evidence of a puncture. If I’m curious enough I just might do some experimenting with a sharp nail when the next tire is ready to be replaced.

Another highlight, is that the ride-quality and grip was significantly better than a comparable clincher for the life of the tire. This is not a surprising finding as these tires can be run with a good 20 psi less than clinchers. Going even lower is possible, but I stopped at 80 psi in the rear. At this pressure things still felt stable without any squirming tight turns.

Longetivity of the tire was a mixed result. In the past, the Hutchinson casing has tended toward the fragile side. Its not unusual for a racing tire’s life to be cut short by road debris. The Road-Tubeless casing on the other hand seems relatively bomb-proof. Its only a suspicion, but Hutchinson likely erred on the side of beefiness to prevent reports of Road-Tubeless failures. There is definitely room to go lighter and still maintain reasonable durability. Now the actual tread is a bit disappointing. Yes its not a training tire. But there is only one option available at this time. I would have preferred a longer wearing tread especially in the center of the tire. And with the increase grip at lower pressures, any traction given up to a harder compound would probably go unnoticed.

Another area where some improvement is needed is with airing the tires up after they have some miles on them. A quick blast of CO2 always did the trick. But they would not air up with a floor pump as they did when new. A couple extra layers of tape or a dedicated tubeless rim could help. But to convert the masses, airing up reliably with a floor pump is a must.

The other trouble spots I ran in to were with the valve stems, tape, and availability. If the rubber at the base wasn’t molded correctly it was difficult to get a good seal. Buying an extra valve stem is much easier than trying to get a finicky stem just right. The tape is fine, but it is a one shot deal. If you have to remove it for some reason, such as replacing a spoke, you can’t just put it back on like cloth tape. It tends to fold over at the edges and not stick as well leading to sealant seeping in between the layers. Finally, road-tubeless tires are a rare sight in most of the shops in my area. An unexpected need to replace a tire meant that I had to throw on a regular clincher until the replacement arrived.

Overall, I’m confident that Road-Tubeless is better than traditional clinchers for high-end racing tires. I expect the gap will only grow as the technology is refined. For training its still a toss-up. It depends on whether you think ride quality and performance or longevity and reasonable price are more important. If you are on the fence the Stan’s conversion is a reasonable way to try Road-Tubeless without committing to a new tubeless compatible wheel-set.

Fort Lewis College and Appalachian State University took home the overall title in Collegiate MTB for Div I and Div II respectively. Both contests came down to the final event to crown the winner. USA cycling has the complete results, race summary, and photos from the Nationals weekend.

Division I Team Omnium Standings
1. Fort Lewis College 698
2. Lees-McRae College 678
3. University of Colorado-Boulder 572
4. Lindsey Wilson College 371
5. University of Vermont 336

Division II Team Omnium Final Results
1. Appalachian State Uninversity 585
2. Colorado School of Mines 575
3. Warren Wilson College 533
4. Brevard College 532
5. Union College 490

DI Men’s Individual Omnium Final Results
1. Eli Krahenbuhl (University of Wyoming) 272
2. Scott Stewart (Lees-McRae College) 262
3. Aaron Bradford (Lees-McRae College) 216
4. Jean-Nicolas Enjalbert (Colorado State University) 205
5. Bryan Alders (University of Colorado-Boulder) 174

DI Women’s Individual Omnium Final Results
1. Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College) 494
2. Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder) 422
3. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) 380
4. Jamie Dinkins (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga) 374
5. Sabina Kraushaar (Fort Lewis College) 275

DII Men’s Individual Omnium Final Results
1. Zach Winn (Union College) 392
2. Matthew Williams (Warren Wilson College) 301
3. Greg Gibson (Union College) 292
4. Daniel Ennis (Brevard College) 239
5. Alex Hannah (Appalachian State University) 207

DII Women’s Individual Omnium Final Results
1. Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College) 500
2. Rebecca Tomaszewski (Appalachian State University) 500
3. Melissa Marts (Colorado School of Mines) 389
4. Rachel Millsop (Union College) 347
5. Julia Tellman (Brevard College) 330

Division I Men’s Dual Slalom
1. Weston Pope (Lindsey Wilson College) 32.83
2. Erik Nelson (University of Northern Arizona) 32.24
3. Arthur Daley (Fort Lewis College) 31.21
4. Ben Hulse (Lees-McRae College) 32.83
5. Chris Scannel (University of Vermont) 33.03

Division I Women’s Dual Slalom
1. Chloe Jackson (Lees-McRae College) 40.36
2. Emma Millar (Fort Lewis College) 40.42
3. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) 41.64
4. Neven Steinmetz (University of Colorado-Boulder) 41.89
5. Alisha Gibson (Fort Lewis College) 39.58

Division II Men’s Dual Slalom
1. Deider Barrick (Colorado School of Mines) 33.98
2. Geoff Fryer (East Tennessee State University) 33.34
3. Daniel Ennis (Brevard College) 34.59
4. Andrew Mueller (Appalachian State University) 37.02
5. Michael Thomas (Appalachian State University) 34.27

Division II Women’s Dual Slalom
1. Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College) 38.46
2. Robyn Embrey (Sierra Nevada College) 43.64
3. Jamie Bourgo (Michigan Tech Copper County) 40.11
4. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines) 41.32
5. Rachel Millsop (Union College) 40.45

Collegiate Cycling powerhouse Fort Lewis take the win in the Men’s Div I cross-country race. Once a secret weapon, 28 year old Ben Sonntag defended his title from his 2007 break-through win. Teams from across the country are competing this weekend for National Championships in Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, and Dual Slalom. The event is being hosted by Lees McCrae College in Banner Elk N.C.

(Sharrows) are especially intelligent lane markings because they educate cyclist and motorist alike about proper use of lanes.

The article, and link to the wiki, are a a must read if you are a commuter and aren’t familiar with sharrows. This type of marking was new to me and makes a whole lot of sense especially from the standpoint of educating motorists AND cyclists.