More bike commuting thoughts

The least appropriate bike for city road commuting, is, ironically, the road bike. I decided to change it up a bit and take my 80′s Nishiki to work today, and it was overall a bad experience. The posture is too low, the ride too rough without front shocks, the brakes are too far to reach and hard to operate due to the road handlebars. The wheels are too thin – you end up worrying about the smallest of road hazards. My hands were numb by the time I arrived, even thought this  is exactly the condition people use the road handlebars to alleviate.

Having commuted by bike for about 6 months, below is my list of bike requirements for short-range (under 10km) all-weather four-season commuting.

1. Hybrid or mountain bike with smooth tires. My personal preference is 29er cross-country mountain bike. You want thicker tires to jump the occasional curb and smooth out the bumps in the road.
2. Upright handle bars (flat, mustache etc.) Accessible brake levers.
3. Disk brakes (especially in the winter)
4. Large pedals with a good grip (clips optional)
5. Front suspension (save your elbows and wrists)
6. Fenders.
7. USB-rechargeable lights.
8. Rear or front basket in order to use a normal bag. I am not a huge fan of panniers for commuting.

I will write up my list of cycling clothing at a later time.

Field Note 12/08/2011

Inspired by s hawkng’s grand design and John Conely’s ‘game of life’…

If god exists, his manifestation will be in the free will mechanism. A sufficiently complex alien robot would effectively be considered ‘alive’, because we could not calculate his actions deterministically. Free Will is likely an irrelevant concept. And so is god.

December night

Decompressing at the office after a full day before heading out. Changing into the riding clothes. Winter bike commuting is far easier than I anticipated. It’s borderline more pleasant than summer riding. Streets are cool, bike lanes deserted. No sweat, no worries, only freedom to roam.

Checking out some ride porn before climbing my own bike and heading out into the darkness. I am in a good place.