Bike commute day 10, heading home

Today is the 10th bike-commute day of the month of March. A few bike-able days occurred in the month without a bike-commute, but not many. In years past, my earliest start to regular bike commutes was in April.

Temperature: 42 to 48°F at 18:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Skinsuit; ankle socks.; open-finger gloves.
Time: 0:47:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: - cyclists, - pedestrians, - dogs

19:02—depart from work.
19:13—trestle remains at Linden.
19:23—west gate to Eastwood Park.
19:34—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:49—arrive home.

Bike commute day 10, to work

As I rose to the top of the banks above the Mad River, which stretches from the Findlay Street bridge to the firemen's training yards at McFadden Avenue, I saw a white van on the adjacent stretch of Monument Avenue. His window was open, despite the below-freezing temperatures; his hand was up to his ear, indicating a split attention between driving and using his cellphone. I called out, "Get off the phone" loud enough that he glanced over at me. I smiled, which along with my nose was probably the only visible part of my face shrouded in a full-head stocking cap and smoked glasses. He nodded, smiled, and then resumed his phone conversation.

Bikeway (magenta) above the Mad River from the Findlay Street bridge to the firemen's training yards
March 2005 photo from Google Earth

It doesn't bother me greatly when as much as 25 yards separate the bikeway from the roadway, but inattentive drivers can be a real hazard on my route along residential streets in the first tenth of my commute and at the ten crossings once I've joined the bikeway. The Ohio legislature is due any day to vote on whether texting while driving is allowed or outlawed, which is outlawed in 30 states; but the legislature missed the mark many years ago in making it against the law to use a hand-held cellphone while driving, which is outlawed in eight states.

Of course, it is inattention of any sort that contributes to auto accidents ...and collisions with cyclists. If it were possible, could legislatures outlaw these activities while driving, which I have seen as a cause for a swerve or drift in a car's position in the road?

• Lighting a cigarette
• Eating
• Tuning the radio
• Changing a CD
• Reading the newspaper
• Consulting a map
• Writing notes
• Changing clothes
• Talking animatedly
• Reprimanding a child in the back seat
• Reacting to spilled coffee in the lap

Temperature: 29°F at 07:30, 29 to 33°F at 09:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: none
Clothing: Top with 4 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit, arm warmers, poly fleece vest, Lycra-wool jacket); Bottom with 2 layer (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks. Quilted gloves. (Comfortable; toes and fingers began to notice cold. Light sweating in chest & back.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:50:00 (approx.) for 11.86 miles
Bikeway users: 1 pedestrians, 6 deer, 1 cat

08:12—departing from home.
08:24—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
08:36—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.
08:48—passing the trestle remains at Linden.
09:02—arriving at work.

No bike commute today—Mr. Sunshine does not help

At 6:45 this morning, I wrote

I've gotta getta start much earlier than usual today, since I need to get home in time to shower and drive (!) downtown to dinner and theater. The curtain time is 19:30; the will-call desk is probably open at 18:00 or 18:30; the closest restau doesn't take reservs. So I hope to be home by 17:30, leave work by 16:30, start work by 08:00, and leave here by 07:15. If there is enough daylight by then. That's really my gating factor.

That gating factor, enough daylight to be seen by motorists, is a safety factor. Though I may be able to see well enough even at 7:00, it does me no service if a driver fails to see me and runs me down through both inattention and dim lighting.

Some fellow cyclists might refer to the superb illumination now available with LED lamps, and I acknowledge that they greatly improve the odds of being seen. But for me, it's a matter of trust and a knowledge that today's drivers are multiply distracted. Often too distracted to notice well enough that wobbly, weird light on the road.

Now at work, with benefit of my minivan, I feel more comfortable with the timing of the evening's activities. I effectively have given myself another hour to work, eat, attend, and arrive alive.

On the subject of illumination and being noticed, I found this product video from MonkeyLectric that is both fun to watch and consider buying.


But for me, the $60 price tag might be okay if the lamps were easily ported from one bike to another, and if the lamps were actually visible from behind and head-on. Unfortunately, the lamp assembly is attached to the spokes with cable ties, and the light show is visible only from the side.

Bike commute day 9, heading home

As I approach pedestrians and fellow cyclists from behind, I usually give a shrill, two-finger whistle from about 100 feet, and then I repeat it from about 30 feet. On rides that require gloves and prevent my whistle, I'll call out "On your left!" from about the same distances.

Tonight, one of the cyclists I overtook gave no notice of my first call, nor of my second. As I passed him, I saw that the reason was a pair of headphones had made him blissfully unaware of his sound-surroundings. So much so that he was startled at my passing by.

I tried for a week or so to listen to the morning news from WYSO while I was riding with earbuds. I found the idea fruitless, and not only that, unsafe. The reception of the radio signals varied so much from one area to another, that I had to readjust the tuning or antenna often. The batteries lasted too short a time also, perhaps because it was so easy to forget to turn off the device at the end of the ride. Then a couple times, a passing cyclist startled me. And once I nearly missed the noise of approaching traffic at a crossing. So I quickly stopped using sound devices while riding.

If anything should be reason for traffic laws tailored to cyclists, it would be riding with on- or in-ear devices. And texting while riding a bike, of course.

Temperature: 43 to 46°F at 18:00, 42 to 45°F at 20:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: none
Clothing: Top 3 layers; Bottom 2 layers; light full-finger gloves.
Time: 0:45:00 (approx.) for 11.86 miles
Bikeway users: 2 cyclists, 4 pedestrians

19:07—depart from work.
19:19—trestle remains at Linden.
19:30—west gate to Eastwood Park.
19:39—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:52—arrive home.

Bike commute day 9, to work

Notice: Today's entry is a Dear Diary entry that some readers might find embarrassing or even offensive. If so, read elsewhere today.

It's a ride like this one today that stresses how the things that might seem insignificant can affect the pleasure and efficiency of a ride. Soon after I started, even at turning the first corner, I knew that I was uncomfortable. I tried to shift my "junk" with a grab for it, but the quilted gloves I wore took no hold, and the quilted tights and skinsuit were too resistant to manipulating what was inside. Without even a bit of success, I kept on pedaling in hopes that everything would shift around as I continued on.

I tried again and again: grabbing occasionally, realigning myself on the seat, standing on the pedals, back down on the nose, trying another grab. Still the end was stuck between my leg and the abrading edge of the crotch padding. Then finally a bit of a change happened, to something less noticeable, more bearable.

But the easy unity of man and machine was elusive. Every two-dozen pedal strokes, the abrasion edged in again, then gradually shifted to some more relative comfort, only then to reiterate. My mind was on my body instead of on the road, the machine, and the dynamo that I should have been in the equation.

What could have been an opportunity for relief, a side trip to buy lottery tickets at a gas station near the bikeway, wasn't useful. I was off the bike, gloves off in the quick-shop area, and shifted the underlying skinsuit to fit in tighter to the crotch and bring the package up and out. Ah! Finally, a bit of comfort that the support brings! But by the time I returned to riding on the bike, the had skinsuit loosened, and my junk shifted again and settled into the same irritating position.

What many new cyclists don't take to heart is the advice that the cycling shorts are meant to be worn without underwear. There are tried-and-true reasons behind going commando.

1. The pad, whether the older chamois or newer engineered fabrics, can absorb and wick away sweat or even water taken in from a rain storm. If moisture is not wicked away, it adds a chafing element to any movement between skin and shorts. 
2. Cycling shorts are cut to limit the amount of hemmed fabric at the points of most contact. The seams, as small as possible, are along the perineal suture and at the outer sides of the hips. 
3. The most recent saddles incorporate a hollow that matches the perineal suture, to further avoid irritation at the one seam in the saddle area.
4. If underwear is worn, the hems along the leg openings and the bunching up of excess fabric all collect and hold sweat, which contributes to abrasion at every contact point with the seat.
5. My dermatologist has advised using A+D Cream liberally in the crotch to give further prevention of chafing and moisture irritation. I've found this zinc oxide cream a great improvement over using chamois butters and other creams.

But my experience today shows that everything inside needs to be well positioned. So forgive that cyclist you see abruptly adjusting the family jewels before he swings a leg up and hops onto the saddle.

My times today belie the lowered efficiency. Three minutes additional time in the downhill first leg, but still I rode within the usual split times for the second and third legs.

Temperature: 29 to 31°F at 07:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: none to light
Clothing: Top with 4 layers=too toasty (longsleeve Lycra undershirt, skinsuit, fleece vest, arm warmers, wool-lycra jacket); Bottom with 2 layers=just right (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks, quilted gloves.
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 1:00:00 (approx.) for 11.85 miles
Bikeway users: none others

08:24—departing from home.
08:41—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
08:52—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.
09:06—passing the trestle remains at Linden. Side trip to buy lottery tickets.
09:24—arriving at  work.

Bike commute day 8, heading home

I kept a running checklist on my assertions made in this morning's entry. Indeed, it is about 20 minutes where the pain of the work completes a change to enjoyment and easier exertion for the same result.

Housekeeping
The three glass sites were cleaned up, but now small glass pieces were littering the bikeway in the copse north of the Multi-Service building.

Temperature: 37 to 40°F at 19:35
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm
Clothing: Top 3 layers; Bottom 2 layers (quilted tights); ankle socks; quilted gloves. Almost warm; light sweating.
Time: 0:49:00 (approx.) for 11.86 miles
Bikeway users: 12 pedestrians, 1 dog, about 9 deer

18:58—depart from work.
19:11—trestle remains at Linden.
19:22—west gate to Eastwood Park.
19:33—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:47—arrive home.

Bike commute day 8, to work

I oiled the chain on my Trek 850, since it was noisy last night. Did it affect my efficiency then? I think so. It felt so. My time was much slower then. But time is affected by many factors. My pedalling seemed smoother this morning, but my work was still labored.

Since the first quarter of my commute to work is downhill, I get little sense of how I feel. I could be horribly tired, even achy, and I could still make it to the first checkpoint (at about mile 2.8) in a normal time.

It's the second quarter (from miles 2.8 to 5.6) where I discover suddenly that I may not be up to the commute today, or so I think momentarily. The terrain is generally flat, along the Mad River, but it is also gradually uphill—Google Earth reports the rise as 11 m, about 36 feet. My legs seem leaden, my heart thumps loudly, my left arm aches from the heart exertion, my breathing is labored, my sinuses fill repeatedly, I cough phlegm clots, even my contact lenses ache from the attacking cold air. I think alternating threads: I'm gonna have a stroke; then Wow, so this is what it means to be alive today! and when I swerve around where the Canadian geese have dropped white and green poop sticks, Some day I'm gonna bring some rat poison-laced bread for these damn geese; and If only it wasn't so fucking cold! but also, almost simultaneously, What a fragrance that is from Requarth Lumber's millworks! and again, Oh no, I've hit that pocket of cold again, same place every day; and, approaching the Findlay Street underpass, Ugh, that stench of burnt carbon from the foundry! lasts until I pass the low gate near the Irwin Street entrance, while I picture some momentary, fragmented scenes from my 19th Summer when I worked in the grinding room of C-E Ehrsam Foundry in Enterprise Kansas.

Usually after about 20 minutes of riding, as I start the third quarter (from miles 5.6 to 8.6), the aches and pains give way to endorphins, and I relax into the smooth turns and glides through the quiet morning. —And I just realized now while refining the route in Google Earth, that this is a slight climb in my morning commute, of 30 m or 100 ft over the 3 miles.

As I approached the Burkhardt Street crossing, for the first time this year I heard a cyclist behind me, announcing his intent to pass. I turned to say hi as he passed, and instead said, "Well hello, Jeff! I just mentioned you in my blog about commuting by bike." I increased my speed to nearly match his, he slowed a bit, and we continued a conversation until we separated at the trestle remains north of Linden Avenue. Some of the talk helped clarify what I know about his commute, and I will add a correction to the posting of a few days ago.

Bikeway housekeeping
Now for some notes for cyclists using the path today:

• Small amount of glass on the in-road marking on the north side of the crossing at Airway.
• Broken glass bottle on Creekside Trail, about 0.25 mile south of the Airway crossing.
• Broken glass bottle on Iron Horse Trail, about 0.3 mile north of the Woodbine Avenue crossing.

Temperature: 32 to 35°F at 06:50 and at 09:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: none to light
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, longsleeve skinsuit, arm warmers, wool-poly jacket); Bottom with 2 layer (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks. Woolen full-face stocking cap, quilted gloves. (Comfortable; a bit sweaty in the last half of the ride.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:53:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 1 cyclist going my way

08:21—mile 0.0; departing from home.

08:35—mile 2.81; passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.

08:46—mile 5.59; passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.

09:00—mile 8.59; passing the trestle remains at Linden.

09:14—mile 11.86; arriving at  work.

Bike commute day 7, heading home

Gary C. was out the office door at the same time I was this evening, and he asked me if I was dressed warmly enough. My three layers don't look too bulky, with every layer a tight-fitting, relatively thin fabric. I assured him that whatever the weight of the fabric, I would be warm enough, given that the cycling itself provides some heat from inside.

He also noted how the fluorescent yellow of my jacket sleeves make me much more visible, and I agreed that it helps a lot in the early evening of such a gray day. On my way, I wondered why so many cycling outer layers are black or dark. It seems that all tights and quilteds should have at least a reflective stripe, piped on the outside seams, much like the satin ribbon on tuxedo slacks. Similarly for jackets and arm warmers, some reflective areas should be a standard part of the design.

Temperature: 37-39°F at 19:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the west
Clothing: 3-layer top; 2-layer bottom, closed-finger gloves.
Time: 0:51:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 0 cyclists, 9 pedestrians

18:33—depart from work.
18:46—trestle remains at Linden.
18:58—west gate to Eastwood Park.
19:09—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:24—arrive home.

Scoping out your commute(Bike commute day 7, to work)

In an earlier post, I list the clothing and toiletries you need for commuting day-in, day-out. But you need to be ready psychologically too, comfortable in knowing you can make it to work on time, certain of the route, and not so tired that your presence is less than the usual energy you need.

Scope out the route with maps. Do some homework with city maps, Google Earth, and the maps published by MVRPC and Five Rivers Metroparks.*Note: Both of these links go to locations that are in development while a new set of maps is being published. In the meantime, some older maps are here.*

Bike the route first on a weekend. Do it leisurely, and note the time at several checkpoints. Note the road conditions, especially if the route has areas that may damage tires. Note where the ride depends on safe conditions with other vehicles, and where road crossings may have heavy traffic during rush hours. Develop a call list for alerting agencies of unsafe conditions, starting with the numbers for Five Rivers Metroparks (937-275-7275), the Miami River Conservancy District (937-223-1271), and the street maintenance official for each city on your route.

Find alternative routes. On the same weekend that you scope out the commute route, or soon after starting to commute, ride through some alternatives to your normal route. Even the bikeways have times when a section is torn up or when the river floods a significant stretch. It's really easy to take a wrong turn or lose your sense of direction while you navigate a detour. So find some alternatives when there's no pressure to get somewhere on time.

Get comfortable with changing a tube. With the increased mileage that commuting builds, you can be certain that you'll get a flat tire on some ride. Three of the four most common sources of a flat tire are broken glass, sharp rocks, and metal trash. No matter how much you try to avoid these, tires seem to be magnets for sharp objects. The fourth source of flats, and the most common for many, is low tire pressure. Always check the tire inflation with a squeeze of your thumb and forefinger. If there's any give, use a floor pump to add air and check the pressure. The usual pressure for a 1.25-inch tire is 40 to 60 pounds, and a narrow tire (about 0.75-inch) holds about 110 pounds.

So before you need to change a tube under time pressure or in cold weather—or in a cold rain, at night, with dogs snapping at your fanny—practice the change in your living room. And then change the tube for the back wheel, with its gummy black gears (if you don't keep them nicely clean and the chain lightly oiled). Change both tubes, especially if the bike has been hanging from the rafters or leaning against the wall over the Winter. Those tubes may be old and crackly if you haven't ridden in a long while. Change them! The practice will do you well.

Just remember that an experienced cyclist can change the tube inside of 10 minutes. That's a goal you can reach with just a little practice.

Commute record
Temperature: 31 to 33°F at 07:30, 30 to 32°F at 09:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: none to moderate, out of the east
Clothing: Top with 3 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit, arm warmers, and wool jacket); Bottom with 2 layers (skinsuit and Lycra tights); ankle socks. Closed-finger gloves. (Comfortable, a bit cool; fingers too cold.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:51:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 2 deer, 8 tree trimmers

08:22—departing from home.

08:35—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway. Winds against me, sometimes perhaps 10 mph.

08:47—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.

09:00—passing the trestle remains at Linden. Long wait for signal at Research Boulevard.

09:13—arriving at  work.

Accessibility by bike from the Miami Valley bikeways

At the dinner meeting of Dayton Bicycle Adventures, I asked several people if they planned on commuting to work by bicycle. —Now I didn't ask everyone there, just those few sitting near me.— Most replies were along the lines of "I don't have a way to freshen up after the ride." "The distance is too far." "The bikeways don't connect directly enough." "The streets from home (or to the workplace) are too busy."

The last two reasons are a heart breaker for me, since we often celebrate the 300 miles or more of bikeways in the Miami Valley. But the reasons reveal an essential truth.

How the Bikeway System Fails the Suburbs
Here is the Dayton-Xenia bikeway system plotted over a Google Earth map. The brighter green paths are the Great Miami River Trail (GMR) and the Little Miami River Trail (LMR). The pale green paths are the Creekside Trail that connects the GMR and the LMR trails and the Ohio to Erie Trail that connects toward Columbus and northeastern Ohio. The blue paths are various trails that are presently incomplete, with plans from the MVRBC and Metroparks to complete them.

Click the image to see a larger version. Then click Back on your browser.

 With those incomplete trails, the Dayton area has these conditions.

•  Much of Kettering, Oakwood, and Centerville are cut off from the bikeways. 

• Northwest Dayton and Trotwood are effectively cut off from the fully-connected system, with the poor state of the bikeway adjacent to McGee Boulevard.

• Englewood and Union are similarly cut off, with the lack of a connector from Englewood Reserve to, for example, Sinclair Park.

• Huber Heights has access to the bikeway, but only at the extreme west edge of the city.

• Fairborn is also cut off, due to the inability to develop the right-of-way through Riverside and the Dayton well fields that otherwise would connect to the Huffman Reserve and the Huffman Prairie bikeway.

• Two of the four largest potential sources of enthusiastic, year-round bike commuters—Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University—are poorly served by gaps in the bikeway system.

• And finishing our clockwise survey, the Iron Horse Trail edges toward The Greene, then feints westerly before it disappears in the recreational facility around Delco Park. Thus Bellbrook, once the area renowned for superb cycling roads, is left isolated, even from the Little Miami Trail.

I'm one of the very lucky cyclists, for whom home is less than two miles of quiet residential streets from a bikeway (in my case either the Wolf Creek Trail or the Great Miami River Bikeway) and work is less than a mile from another point on the bikeway (in my case Research Park from the Iron Horse Trail).

But I too look forward to the day when all the trails are contiguous. Some day the system will look like this, with the violet paths connecting the green and blue bikeways that exist now.

Click the image to see a larger version. Then click Back on your browser.

How the Bikeway System Fails the Commuter
or the Errand Runner 
I'm also lucky in how well my bike commute correlates to my auto commute. My 12.5-mile commute, which has 85% of it on the bikeway, is an ideal distance for combining transportation and exercise. With very little exertion, it is a commute of an hour and 10 minutes. With a training intent, it is a commute of 45 minutes. On the other hand, my most direct commute by auto is 9.5 miles and takes about 20 minutes. The same route by bicycle takes about 30 minutes at the highest intensity. (Though that timing is from my experience of more than 15 years ago, when I was much stronger—and less cowed by auto traffic.)

I know of only one cyclist who regularly commutes between Miamisburg and the Research Park area. I see him (Jeff) only during the "rush hours" of long Summer days, since his bike commute requires more than an hour door-to-door.*Corrections at the break.* I estimate that his auto commute is 15 miles, and that his bike commute is 20 miles. He follows the auto route in outline, going north to downtown Dayton, east, and then south to Research Park. But his bike route goes to the Dayton hub on the north side of downtown, while the auto route goes to the freeway junction at the south side of downtown. That lack of correlation would dissuade most cyclists from commuting. Other cyclists consider this 20-mile distance much too far for commuting, and I believe Jeff commutes by bike frequently only during the Summer.

The regional bikeways follow a modified hub-and-spokes design. The design has two hubs: Dayton and Xenia. Each of these hubs have five spokes. The Dayton hub spokes are...

• GMR trail north to Taylorsville Reserve and on to Troy
• Mad River and Creekside Trails to Beavercreek and Xenia
• GMR trail south to Miamisburg and Franklin
• Wolf Creek trail eventually to Trotwood and Verona
• Stillwater River trail through DeWeese and Wegerzyn Parks to Sinclair Park and eventually to Englewood

The Xenia spokes are...

• LMR trail north to Yellow Springs and Springfield
• Ohio and Erie trail to Charleston and London
• Ohio Mound trail to Jamestown and eventually to Washington Court House
• LMR trail south to Waynesville and Loveland
• Creekside and Mad River trails to Dayton

The hub-spokes system works well enough if you want to ride from the periphery to the center, or from the center to one of the spoke ends. But what if you want to bicycle for an errand to a neighboring town, for example from Miamisburg to Centerville, or from Vandalia to Englewood? Then you have to bike to the hub and out on an adjacent spoke.

I'll offer an idea in another post.

Monday is a rest and crosstraining day

It had been threatening rain, even actually dropping a bit of precipitation overnight. In this morning preparation time, there was a faint sheen of wetness on the brick walkway. The forecast for the full day included moderate, intermittant showers. So by the time for leaving on the bike, I decided that this is a rest day.

But that didn't mean a total rest day, which I had taken on Saturday. On my way home from work, I stopped at Practice Yoga for my crosstraining, and it was a superb workout. The 5:30 Open-Level Vinyasa, a popular time, was directed by Kathi Kizirnis, a popular leader. At least 20 yogis were in the practice room, and each had a separation of four inches from another yogi.

Soon enough the sun will set late enough to allow me to bike to the Oregon District for a 7:15 class. (Sun move fast!)

Sunday ride, no commute

Sunday was a super day. First, it was the last day of Winter, hurray! Second, my neighbors Frank and Kay were hosting a game day in the afternoon, meaning fun and good times with several regulars. And third, the weather was good for a spin around the bikeways.

So I pumped up the tires on my Lotus fixed-gear, because I believed—or rather, hoped—that the bikeways were sufficiently cleared of debris to offer no problems to its smaller and thinner tires. I left the house at about 11:45 and headed through the neighborhood, across Salem, down Grafton, across the Monument Avenue Bridge, and down the ramp to the Great Miami Bikeway. So far, nothing differing from my commute route.

During this warm-up, I had wondered, Hmm. Should I go to the gym? No, there's not enough time for even a two set workout. So I guess I'll head south, though the way may be messy, as high as the river has been. So my direction was set as I cleared the ramp.

Well below street level, inside the shelter of the high retaining wall between street level and the river bank, I could feel ripples and eddies of wind. The pylons and plinths supporting the freeway overpasses prevented any immediate perception of wind speed and direction. Down on this level, areas of dust-mud and debris indicated that my choice of the Lotus was questionable—I would have to keep a close watch to avoid occasional trash on the way. Further south along the bikeway, some new construction access had been cleared recently, leaving a long 50 feet of navigation through stones.

As the bikeway lifted just north of Stewart Street, the crosswinds were light but noticeable, and became more evident as the path opened out at the approach to Carillon Park. The bikeway curves toward the west, and the wind gradully addressed my face. Good thing I'm taking this on the way out. My return should be just a bit easier, if the winds don't shift.

Beyond Carillon Park, the bikeway drops again near river level and turns south along a large silt meadow. A copse of river birches standing between the meadow and the river still held nests of debris from the floods, as high as seven feet above the bikeway. But the way was clear, and freshly sawn flotsam wood was evidence of hard work by the Five Rivers Metroparks crews over the past week.

At the turn from River Road, two dozen cars were parked along the road, and they indicated that the University of Dayton crews were doing their river work today—indeed, Spring has come. The bikeway passes close by their sheds, and two teams carried their sculls across the way, down to their dock. Others were already rowing, and still another team or two had yet to ready their craft for portage to the dock.

A half mile further south, I turned to check traffic near the public boat dock and I noticed another cyclist about a hundred feet behind me. I crossed the intersection and picked up speed for the cruise along the levee toward West Carrollton, expecting a hello and a bit of conversation. But the cyclist never cleared my shoulder, and instead took advantage of my slipstream. I kept my pace until, close to my turnaround, I needed to clear my sinuses. I motioned to him to pass me, emptied out twice—like a farmer on his tractor, and then pulled off into the shelter area. 9.28 miles was my halfway point, and a chance to ride easily and speedily back home.

Bike commute day 6, heading home

It had begun to rain very lightly by 16:20. I closed up work as quickly as possible and headed out for the commute. The object: get home safely, not necessarily quickly. Accomplished, though the ride was generally pretty good with the rain letting up to a sprinkle from Woodman through the end.

Temperature: 62°F at 16:25, 53°F at 18:10
Precipitation: light rain
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the west
Clothing: Skinsuit; ankle socks; open-finger gloves. Very cold.
Time: 0:56:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 10 cyclists, 13 pedestrians

17:02—depart from work.
17:17—trestle remains at Linden.
17:30—west gate to Eastwood Park.
17:40—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
17:58—arrive home.

Bike commute day 6, to work

Yippee! I dropped a significant amount of time from the morning commute! So it's clear that my heart and lungs are responding well to the intensified work. I'm still healthy, if any doubts were present.

But it wasn't only the heart and lungs (and legs and bike) that contributed to the improved time. I had a superb tune running on "repeat track" in my head. One that starts each phrase with long, connected tones that then release into measures of flowing, sinuous melody without a break for a breath. No words in the opening section, a soprano hums her langour as cellos accompany in a blend of arching melody and quick staccato.

It is Villa-Lobos' "Aria (Cantilena)" from Bachianeris Brasillianas #5. My mind's ear hears Joan Baez in one rendition, then Dawn Upshaw in the next. Both sopranos carry me forward on a swift wind and the intensity of describing the moon's beauty.

Aria (Cantilena) (Ruth V. Corrêa, 1938)

Tarde, uma nuvem rosea lenta e transparente,
Sobre o espaço sonhadora e bela!
Surge no infinito a lua docemente,
Enfeitando a tarde, qual meiga donzela
Que se apresta e alinda sonhadoramente,
Em anseios d’alma para ficar bella,
Grita ao céo e a terra, toda a Natureza!
Cala a passarada aos seus tristes quiexumes,
E reflete o mar toda a sua riqueza…
Suave a luz da lua desperta agora,
A cruel saudade que rie chora!
Tarde, uma nuvem roséa lenta e transparente,
Sobre o espaço sonhadora e bela!

Late through the spacious heavens' beauty waft rosy clouds, slow and wispy! The moon surges quietly from the infinite depths and glorifies the evening as does an innocent beauty, clothes her soul to shield the beauty, and the earth and heavens—and all nature—greet her! Birds end their sad complaints and the seas reflect the moon in total calm... Except the light disperses in a cruel salute like an evil smile. Late through the spacious heavens' beauty waft rosy clouds, slow and wispy!

 I try from mile to mile to reproduce the lyric abandon and flowing line, in a bright whistle that breaks with each breath from my exertion. No matter that one long tone breaks before the next tone, that the flowing sinuousness abruptly stops mid-phrase for another inhalation. It is enough to follow the sopranos' swift lead through the route from downtown to Research Park.



Temperature: 63°F at 07:30, 61°F at 08:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: none
Clothing: Top with 2 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit); Bottom with 1 layer (skinsuit); ankle socks. Open-finger gloves. (Warm, almost comfortable.)
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 0:47:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 0 pedestrians, 5 cyclists, 9 deer

It's a gray, overcast day, and I wait until the clouds transmit a gentle light some time after sunrise. Rain is forecast for the evening, with clearing skies to quickly follow.

08:19—departing from home.

08:31—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.

08:41—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.

08:53—passing the trestle remains at Linden.

09:06—arriving at  work.

Bike commute day 5, return home—first windy day

You know that strength and esteem that a tail wind provides? I was so proud of my dynamo legs as I left the traffic signal at Research Boulevard. Then perhaps after a quarter mile, I felt it, that slight rush of wind past me, as a gust moved just a touch faster than my actual speed.

"So I wonder then what it'll be like, when I get to the open areas along the Mad River?" I mused. But I put aside that thought, momentarily observed, and dropped into the Savasana that is cycling along a well-known route. My concentration turned to each shift needed, each awareness of the road, the traffic, the irregularities of the path. And I flowed in the smooth speed that comes with the assist of the Southwest Zephyr.

Once I turned onto the tree-sheltered bikeway between Spaulding and Woodman, the push of the winds faded, and indeed my legs were strong, my heart beating against the inside wall, "Let me out! I want to see what my power can do!"

Each slight opening among the enclosing trees reminded me that I would refind the challenge of sailing against the wind, once I no longer had the friendly shelter I could enjoy through the first nine miles of my commute. "Best enjoy the wind as a winnable challenge, something that those stationary bikes can only pretend to. Best accept it as the alternative to the easy flatness of the river corridor bikeways. And best know that the exertion is temporary, since there is another shelter of housing and trees on the other side of the Monument Avenue Bridge."

Temperature: 68°F at 19:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 15 mph from the south and west
Clothing: Skinsuit; ankle socks.; open-finger gloves.
Time: 0:47:00 (approx.) for 12.5 miles
Bikeway users: 17 cyclists, 35 pedestrians, 9 dogs

19:02—depart from work.
19:13—trestle remains at Linden.
19:23—west gate to Eastwood Park.
19:34—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
19:49—arrive home.

Logistics of Biking to Work

At a dinner meeting of Dayton Bicycle Adventures, I asked several people if they planned on commuting to work by bicycle. —Now I didn't ask everyone there, just those sitting near.— Some replies were along the lines of "I don't have a way to freshen up after the ride."

That's often a truly fundamental issue about commuting by bicycle. If your expected commute covers more than a few miles, or if you are a cyclist who just will not take an easy ride, you'll find it important to have a shower when you clip out from your commute. Here's what you need to plan for—or at least what a guy would need to plan for. (I'm pretty much removed from knowing exactly the typical woman's needs for a refreshed feeling after a bike ride.)

Cycling clothes
You'll need three kits of cycling clothes.

•  One kit to wear to work, wash, and let dry. 
•  A second kit that is waiting at work, cleaned and dry, which you can wear on the ride home, to then wash and let dry. 
• A third kit waiting at home, cleaned and dry, which then becomes "Kit One." 

The kit usually consists of these items, at least.

• A skinsuit (or jersey and bibshorts)
• Cycling gloves
• Socks

One pair of shoes should be sufficient, unless you ride in the rain or on wet roads, in which case perhaps two pairs will do.

Cold weather may mean at least these additional items.

• Two pairs of Lycra tights
• Two pairs of quilted tights
• Two pairs of quilted gloves

Even with the hardest ride, you'll sweat much less during the winter. So two pairs of these items are enough.

Safety gear
Make sure you have

• Two or three helmets, enough to allow cleaning and drying between rides
• One or two pairs of impact-resistant glasses with dark, clear, and yellow lenses
• A bike chain or coiled cable with a lock
• Personal identification with Medical Power of Attorney information
• Cellphone

Repair pack
Make sure the under-saddle pack is filled with these essentials.

• 1 tube
• 3 tire irons
• Patch kit
• 2 CO2 cartridges (or a frame pump
• Multi-size hex wrench set
• Multi-tool.
• $1 in change
• $5 bill

Toiletries
At the workplace, you'll need these items in your shaving kit.

• Shorts & jersey cleanser
• Facial scrub
• Shampoo
• Body wash or bar of soap
• Razor
• Shaving cream
• Baby oil or moisturizer
• Towel
• A+D cream
• Baby powder
• Tube of antifungal cream

Work clothes
If you don't have a locker or storage at work, you'll need to pack this minimum to go with each commute.

• 1 pr jeans
• 1 shirt
• 1 pr socks
• 1 pr shoes
• 1 pr underwear
• Jacket at work for lunches out with coworkers

With a locker available, you can add this clothing for the week, as desired: 1 or 2 pr jeans, 1 to 3 shirts, 2 pr socks, 4 pr underwear.

Look forward to a later note on how to prepare for actually biking the commute.