Nice day for a ride

Plopped the kids in front of a DVD and stole away for a quick ride this afternoon.  

The roads are really nice right now.  

I put these moustache bars on my road bike for the winter.  They are mitten-friendly and are an absolute blast.

Spooky winter woods... 

A Good Ride

In the summer, pretty much every commute is a good ride.  The air is warm.  You can speed along without having to look out for patches of ice and snow.  It's never dark out.  You smile a lot. 

In the winter, however, you can go days on end without a good ride.  It's cold, dark, and lonely, and you often wonder if it's all worth it.  Oh, I know I'm supposed to say that every ride is a "good ride," and I suppose they all are to the extent that you get to breathe fresh air, exercise, save the planet from vehicular destruction and all that.  But a ride that feels good on a soul level - those are few and far between this time of year.

Last night, I had my first good ride home in over a week.  The arctic grip had loosened a bit. The wind had abated, and there was a faintly perceptible lightness to the air.  I don't know what it is about really cold air, but it has a thickness such that you can pedal with all your might and yet you still don't seem to be going anywhere. I haven't been out of my middle chainring since November.  (I'm sure my Neanderthal era mountain bike outfitted with heavy studded tires and full panniers, together weighing a click less than a loaded school bus, doesn't help matters.)  It's been so frustrating lately, hopelessly spinning my wheels through this cold weather, that I've taken to riding out of the saddle a lot more than I do during the summer, just so that I can feel like I'm making some progress.  But last night was different.  I hammered on the pedals and I moved.  My tires skipped across the pavement.  I went fast.  I smiled.

This morning was similarly delightful, and I saw more cyclists out than I've seen since before the snow came.  I know it won't last, but the good rides last night and this morning are tiny glimpses of that ecstatic delight that a winter commuter feels when the spring finally arrives. Then I look at the calender in disbelief that it's not even winter yet!

You still riding?

If you're a year-round bike commuter in Milwaukee, you already know that from now until the thermometer hits 65 again you will be the regular recipient of one question from co-workers and acquaintances.  That question is: "You still riding?"  I suppose it beats the stock "how's it going" or "what's up" that usually follow the initial greeting, but after a while it becomes a tiresome question to answer.  I know that I should relish the opportunity to share with others the "good news" about bike commuting and how it is surprisingly easy to do even during the winter (if I can pull it off, believe me, anyone can).  But it does get awful tiresome.

If in a feisty mood, I'll respond with snottiness.  For instance:

"You still riding your bike to work?"

"Yep.  You still driving your car to work?"  

       or...

"Hey, I saw you riding your bike today!"

"Oh yeah?  How 'bout that.  I saw you driving your minivan today!"

But that's not a nice way to behave, so usually I answer the question by reciting my general winter riding rule: "I ride unless it's below zero."  I'm not even sure if that's really my rule because, come to think of it, I haven't had many opportunities to ride below zero (although it does sound unpleasant).  Maybe I share that rule with others because people are comforted by the idea that even insane people have boundaries, however unreasonable those boundaries may be.

I know the real winter weather hasn't yet begun, but riding around in the chilly weather has been so fun lately, my answer ought to be "Hell, yeah, I'm still riding!"

Late November on the Oak Leaf Trail

Beautiful day today.  Low 20s.  A little windy, but the skies were blue and the sun felt good.  

 

2010 Milwaukee Bike Plan Approved

Good news for cycling in Milwaukee!  The City of Milwaukee's Common Council approved the 2010 Milwaukee Bike Plan yesterday.  Read about it here.  For more information about the Bike Plan, look here. 

Fenders

Back when I was a kid growing up in Southern California, the only folks who had fenders on their bikes were leathery old white guys weaving down the Venice Beach boardwalk on beach cruisers high on airplane glue. That was the '70s, and unless you had a racing-style "ten speed" bike with skinny tires, you weren't shi'ite. Nowadays, utility bikes are becoming more popular, and, as a result, more bikes are sporting fenders. This is a good thing. 

I'm a firm believer in commuting in whatever bike you got. So if you've been meaning to try out the bike commuting thing and all you have in your basement is a carbon fiber time trial bike or a rusty old Huffy, then go ahead and ride it for crying out loud. It'll work for the time being, and then you'll figure out what exactly you need to make bike commuting more of a long-term reality. I commuted for a while in the Midwest without fenders and it worked out fine, but once I installed fenders on my bike, I found that I was able to ride more days and arrive at my destination looking considerably more dignified. Nothing like being drenched from your crotch down with brown street water (even when it's not raining) to make you realize that fenders are required equipment. 

I'm always happy to see other bike commuters out on the road. When I see a commuter riding a bike with fenders, however, I smile. I interpret it as the rider's declaration that his or her bike is a respectable mode of transportation, which it is. Plus, I think fenders look nice. Fenders are cheap and most bike shops carry a good selection of them. They're easy to install if you feel like trying it yourself. Otherwise, the bike shop will do it for you.

How to bike commute if you have to wear a suit to work

photo by .faramarz

I'm from Southern California, so it goes without saying that I hate wearing a suit. That's not to say that I'm a slob. I harbor no fantasies of being able to stay home all day in my PJs. I like to put on nice clothes, get out of the house, and project a respectable (albeit false) image of myself in public. I just think there's something weird about wearing a color-matched wool body suit, buttoning up my shirt to the point of semi-strangulation and topping it off with a completely useless band of colorful fabric tied around my neck. I mean, you can't even wash the outfit without hiring someone who is trained in the chemical process known as "dry cleaning." 

Look, I knew when I signed up for law school that I would have to wear a suit from time to time. However, coming out of law school I wound up getting a job with an old school, suit-and-tie-all-day-even-when-you're-in-the-office law firm. Just my luck.

Having to wear a suit at work poses interesting logistical issues for the four-season bike commuter. First, let me say that unless I'm riding from my office to the courthouse, I never ride in a suit. I know that it's fashionable nowadays to engage in Web-inspired fantasies of importing elegant Euro-style cycling to America. Cycling in a suit is feasible in a place like Denmark because their 50-pound "city bikes" never top 6 miles per hour and the commutes there are generally flatter and shorter than they are here. Plus, Europeans don't have the hang-ups we Americans have about body odor. In America, commutes can be long, hilly, and downright sweaty. Suddenly that dashing Euro-man cycling in the suit doesn't look so dashing any more. In fact, now he looks like a lunatic. And he smells bad, too.   

So here's what I do. I keep every suit I own in my office. This works out well because I've been able to declare my home a "suit-free zone," which contributes to my overall piece of mind when I'm at home. During the summer, I commute in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt and change when I get to the office. I keep all my ties and my dress shoes in my desk. I get my suits cleaned at a cleaners near my office. As for my dress shirts, I wash them at home because I'm cheap. I roll the shirt carefully and place it in my pannier (bike bag) before my ride. Rolling the shirt - as opposed to folding it - keeps it from getting wrinkled.

If I have to go to court in the middle of the day, I'll ride across downtown to the courthouse with my suit on, Copenhagen style. My commuter bikes all have platform pedals (no toe clips or clip-in shoes) so I can ride in dress shoes. At the end of the day, it's off with my suit and back into my causals so I can sweat to my heart's delight. Logistics during the rest of the year are not much different, except that I trade my shorts in for old khakis or cords. In the cooler months, I'll wear my dress shirt on my commute because I don't sweat much and it's just easier.  

That's all there is to it. So even if you have to wear a suit at work (my condolences), you, too, can be a bike commuter!

New and Downgraded - Now with Less Content!

Looks like I've been having too much fun bike commuting to write anything here. If you've been out cycling here in Milwaukee, you know how great the summer has been. For those who are thinking about riding their bike to work but haven't taken the plunge yet, just remember that Milwaukee sinkholes only swallow big hulking Escalades, not dainty little bikes.

My own fear of sinkholes (which has proven to be not as unfounded as it used to be) has inspired me to sell my car. In the spirit of full disclosure, however, it should be noted that I can borrow my wife's car whenever I need it (some restrictions apply), so I'm not like a total eco-stud or anything. Still, it's nice to be down to one car and to depend on the bike more to get around. My bike feels more secure in our relationship, too, now knowing that "the other woman" isn't sitting out in the garage waiting for the next sub-zero winter day to whisk me away in a cloud of heat and quality sound. Everyone wins!

My Bikes (Part I)

I'm kind of a private person.  Having a blog like this is a little out of character for me, but I guess I'm getting used to it.  Actually, it's not really such a threat to my privacy needs because no one actually reads this blog anyway.  However, I really stepped out of my comfort zone during this past week when I set up a Facebook account for myself.  I know.  Everyone else has been on Facebook for the past five years already.  I've always been a late bloomer. 

One thing that I have been hesitant to do on this blog is post photos of my bikes or discuss anything gear-related.  I know that other people with bike blogs like to do those kinds of things.  Again, being a man of privacy, I have carefully avoided that level of self-exposure.  But since I went ahead and did the unthinkable by joining Facebook, I figured that I might as well bear it all here.  Also, I firmly believe that anyone can get out there and commute by bike.  It's not that hard, and you don't need fancy gear to do it.  And what better way to demonstrate that fact than by showing you photos of my positively mediocre bikes.  So here's the first in a series of three posts about my bikes (although the second and third posts may never happen). 

I have three bikes.  I know what you're thinking.  Mr. Fancy Pants Lawyer has lots of disposal income to spend on toys.  Well, let me tell you, all of my disposable income goes towards buying disposable diapers, and whatever is left over goes to the student loan mafia.  So don't get any funny ideas.  Actually, two of my bikes I found for cheap on Craigslist.  The third one I bought new at a bike shop.  Here's one of my Craigslist beauties:

This is my winter and bad weather bike.  It's a 1988 Stumpjupmer.  Since most of my major life decisions are dictated by nostalgia and weak sentimentalism, this late '80s masterpiece of mass-produced steel has a special place in my heart.  I went to college in Northern California from 1988 to 1992.  Back then, I tried desperately for about a year or so to become a hippie.  Turned out, I wasn't very good at it.  All the Berkeley hippies that I tried to emulate, however, had super-cool Specialized mountain bikes.  Mostly Rockhoppers.  A couple of trustafarians rode Stumpjumpers, but those were pricey.  These were Specialized's mid- to upper-level bikes. 

So during my first winter vacation back in L.A., I headed over to I. Martin Bicycles and bought a bike.  Actually, my dad bought it for me.  I guess I didn't make such a strong pitch to dear ol' dad because I wound up with a Hardrock - Specialized's entry-level machine.  None of my hip Berkeley buddies rode a Hardrock.  I promptly removed most of the incriminating decals off the bike, leaving only that sweet Specialized "S" intact on the headtube.  Maybe no one would notice.

Over the next few years, I rode the living snot out of that bike, even after I gave up on the idea of being a hippie.  I commuted to school and various jobs on it.  I rode it offroad on beautiful trails in the East Bay, Santa Cruz and So Cal.  It did everything I wanted.  Then, I settled down in L.A. and got married.  I had a job that required a lot of driving around, and the couple of times I tried to commute on L.A.'s westside scared me half to death, so I gave the bike - which wasn't functioning very well anymore - to a Jewish charity thrift shop on Fairfax and went on with my life. 

A year later, I was in law school in St. Louis and, nearly two thousand miles away from L.A.'s traffic, I started to miss my old Hardrock.  I wound up buying some ungainly twisted hunk of aluminum and malfunctioning shock absorbers - a mountain bike I was told - off some guy used.  I rode it through law school, but I could never get that magical feeling of vintage Specialized out of my blood.  When I moved to Milwaukee, I dumped the bike and found this old Stumpjumper on Craigslist. 

I had to put a few dollars into it to make it rideable.  It's a good commuter.  There are tons of old mountain bikes out there that can be had for not too much cash and can be made into commuter bikes.  In the winter, this bike gets Nokian studded tires for the ice and snow.  The rest of the year, I put skinnier city tires on it.  Since there is plenty of clearance for big tires on this bike, fenders are easy to install.  I have SKS 50 fenders on this one. 

The best part of this story is that I finally got the bike that would have made me the coolest rich-boy Deadhead back in Berkeley in 1988.  So what if it has 20 years worth of rust on it.  I like it like that.

Baby, You Can Drive My Bike

"Fancy riding" ban got you down?  Well, then here is a bicycle on Craigslist that you might want to consider:

As is apparent from the description provided by the seller, this bike is not ridden in the typical manner of most bicycles.  Instead, this bike is "driven."  Must be quite a unique machine!  I'm thinking that this bicycle might fall outside the scope of the Milwaukee bicycle ordinance since it is "driven" instead of ridden.  And there aren't any laws on the books banning fancy driving as far as I know.  As a lawyer, I couldn't advise you to do something so daring, but it's food for thought.

But while we're on the subject, as long as we have a ban on fancy riding, we might as well also ban fancy driving.  Frankly, fancy driving is much more of a threat to public safety than some guy riding his bike with no hands.  I can't think of anything fancier than texting your friends at the same time that you're propelling a 5,000 pound vehicle down the road at high speeds.  Can you?

Fancy Riding Revisited

I'll admit it.  I've been asleep at the handlebars.  I missed the big news.  A while ago, I commented on the absurd ban on "fancy riding" contained in Milwaukee's cycling ordinance.  I have previously shared with you how I am gripped with terror every time I ride my bike to the courthouse dressed in a suit and tie due for fear of being cited for riding while "fancy." 

So I just recently got wind of the fact that the city's Common Council had the opportunity to revisit this landmark piece of legislation last month.  Here's a link to an article in the Journal Sentinel outlining the substance of the Common Council's changes.  If you're as obsessed with silliness as I am, the first thing you'll notice about the recent changes is that the Common Council did nothing whatsoever to clarify its "fancy riding" ban.  The ban is left completely intact. 

Notwithstanding this glaring oversight, there are some positive developments coming out of the Common Council's changes to the cycling ordinance.  For instance, if you've been guiltily riding two abreast with your buddies around the streets of Milwaukee, you'll be relieved to know that that nefarious activity is now legal.  Also, the requirement to obtain a license for your bike is now ancient history.  Personally, I've been riding around with that black cloud over my head ever since I arrived in Milwaukee. 

I think the Common Council missed a golden opportunity, however, by failing to explain the scope of its "fancy riding" ban.  I will continue riding my bike to the courthouse in my suit and tie regardless, but it looks like I'll never know whether doing so is illegal.  I guess life involves some degree of risk-taking.  There is a silver lining, though.  At the very least, the city's continuing ban on "fancy riding" will ensure that Milwaukee will not play host to a "tweed ride" anytime in the near future.  And that's a good thing. 

It's a January Thaw!

I have been remiss in my blogging duties lately.  I'm not sure how it happened.  I got busy at work, and then I just sort of forgot about this blog.  My computer at work broke and I got a new one that didn't have all my passwords saved as "cookies" or whatever they're called.  I couldn't remember my Blogger password.  I came up with some other good excuses for not blogging, but I can't remember them offhand right now.

However, today something exciting happened that reminded me that I used to write silly things here about riding my bike.  After two colds months of making my lonely commute into downtown from Milwaukee's westside, I finally saw another bike commuter this morning.  I was thrilled.  I felt like I had run into an old friend.  Well, I guess, some old friends you don't want to run into.  That's why they have fallen into the "old friend" category to begin with.  So let's just say that seeing another commuter this morning was like running into an old friend that I actually wanted to see. 

After this brief encounter, I thought to myself, "Gee...it sure would be nice to see more people out cycling."  I don't want to sound preachy, but now is a really good time to get your bike out for ride if you've spent the past couple of months hiding indoors.  Predictions indicate 30+ degree weather for the next week.  The city streets are mostly clear of that white garbage (some people call it "snow") that fell out of the sky last week.  It's really quite pleasant out.  Take advantage of it.  It will be cold and miserable again soon enough.