Commuting rituals?
10-19-19, 06:24 AM
#26
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Pre-stage necessities in the same places the night before. Panniers packed the same way so I don't forget something. Location and repeated motions keep my wonderfully wandering mind on the necessities of the moment. Also uses least amount of time.
Blow a kiss to my sleeping wife as I leave....
I do smile when doing my initial, rolling, left foot mount followed by a strong right foot stroke! Gives me focus and internal fortitude for the ride and day
Blow a kiss to my sleeping wife as I leave....
I do smile when doing my initial, rolling, left foot mount followed by a strong right foot stroke! Gives me focus and internal fortitude for the ride and day
Last edited by Digger Goreman; 10-19-19 at 12:00 PM.
10-19-19, 07:19 AM
#27
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Commuting rituals?
Checking the weather and dressing are the essentials of my pre-commute, especially for inclement / winter weather:
The finishing touches are precisely timed: to go to the bathroom, and then add the final layer(s) so I won’t be too warm before I descend the stairs from our second floor condo.
Finding a bathroom en route on my 14 mile one-way commute and accessing through a few layers is a hassle, especially because of cold weather diuresis:
One of the funniest posts I have read on Bike Forums was this description of a commuting ritual:
As a cycle commuter with convenient Commuter Rail alternative, I check Weather.com forecasts starting five days prior.
On the day of a ride, if it looks questionable I check current Doppler to decide, and depending on the conditions if I ride in the rain I use my beater road bike.
On the day of a ride, if it looks questionable I check current Doppler to decide, and depending on the conditions if I ride in the rain I use my beater road bike.
…Just this year (2009) inspired by BF I have accepted riding in the rain. I used to consider it a game: if I rode and it rained, or I didn't ride and it didn't rain, I lost; if I rode with no rain or didn't ride and it rained, I won.
Now I win or lose depending if I ride with the appropriate bike: beater in the rain, road bike when dry.
Now I win or lose depending if I ride with the appropriate bike: beater in the rain, road bike when dry.
The way I organize my winter dress is by levels (link), 1 to 6. (I got that scale from whitewater rafting, where difficulty of a river is rated from 1 to 6, and it works for me). The levels do not mean layers, but the combination of gear for temperature intervals, in increments of about 10 degrees F…
The level makes the job of selecting clothing very easy for that decision to be made on the morning of a commute, without going outside. Sometimes I may bring along a piece of apparel from a higher level just in case.
The scheme is particularly useful at the change of seasons to remind me of what works. Also, I choose by ambient temperature and usually ignore the reported wind chill temp, because there always is a wind chill on the moving bike.
I’ve shown this scheme to a few acquaintances at work, and when they ask “How (cold) was the ride?,” I can reply, for example “Level 3,” as happened just this morning.
The level makes the job of selecting clothing very easy for that decision to be made on the morning of a commute, without going outside. Sometimes I may bring along a piece of apparel from a higher level just in case.
The scheme is particularly useful at the change of seasons to remind me of what works. Also, I choose by ambient temperature and usually ignore the reported wind chill temp, because there always is a wind chill on the moving bike.
I’ve shown this scheme to a few acquaintances at work, and when they ask “How (cold) was the ride?,” I can reply, for example “Level 3,” as happened just this morning.
Finding a bathroom en route on my 14 mile one-way commute and accessing through a few layers is a hassle, especially because of cold weather diuresis:
I was gratified to read about this phenomenon a few years ago, called “cold diuresis.” A nice explanation is provided in Outside Magazine:
Here in Massachusetts, there are stories (? urban legends) about scofflaws diuresing in public being tagged as Level I sex offenders. So one has to be careful….
Originally Posted by Outside Magazine
What you’re experiencing is called cold diuresis, a phenomenon that occurs for reasons that are not entirely clear. One theory that remains popular—though it has been contested—explains how it works like this:
When your temperature starts to drop, your body will attempt to reduce heat loss by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the surface of the skin.
When that happens, your blood pressure will rise, because the same volume of blood is flowing through less space in your body. In response, your kidneys will pull out excess fluid to reduce your blood pressure, making you have to pee.
“A full bladder is a place for additional heat loss, so urinating will help conserve heat,” writes Rick Curtis, the director of Princeton University’s Outdoor Action Program…
When your temperature starts to drop, your body will attempt to reduce heat loss by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the surface of the skin.
When that happens, your blood pressure will rise, because the same volume of blood is flowing through less space in your body. In response, your kidneys will pull out excess fluid to reduce your blood pressure, making you have to pee.
“A full bladder is a place for additional heat loss, so urinating will help conserve heat,” writes Rick Curtis, the director of Princeton University’s Outdoor Action Program…
I mentioned this topic the other day in my thread about getting motivated in the morning. There have been more than a few days where I have my gear on, ready to taxi out the door and all of a sudden.....damn it.
By the time I'm done, the launch window has past. Commute aborted. Where are those damn car keys.
The worst case is when you just know the bomb bays are full, but you just can't the doors to open. So you have to sit around the hangar and wait.
By the time I'm done, the launch window has past. Commute aborted. Where are those damn car keys.
The worst case is when you just know the bomb bays are full, but you just can't the doors to open. So you have to sit around the hangar and wait.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 10-19-19 at 07:29 AM.
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10-19-19, 11:44 AM
#28
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Commuting rituals...for me, it's more like a mad dash to get out of the house in one piece.
Coffee. Take dog out. Finish coffee. Take meds and turn on sink for cats (really). Check weather, choose and prepare appropriate bike. Get dressed. Pack bag: laptop, charger, lights/reflective gear for night, wallet, phone, work clothes, extra plastic bag. Keys.
Once I'm on the road, it's a bit more relaxed!
One possible benefit of multiple cats: one of ours (I call him our grumpy ol' man kitty, also the district manager) has taken on a managerial role in our household. He breaks up conflicts between the other two cats and even keeps the dog in line. I actually kinda trust him. Incidentally, he's also the one who gets noisy if the sink is not left dripping.
Coffee. Take dog out. Finish coffee. Take meds and turn on sink for cats (really). Check weather, choose and prepare appropriate bike. Get dressed. Pack bag: laptop, charger, lights/reflective gear for night, wallet, phone, work clothes, extra plastic bag. Keys.
Once I'm on the road, it's a bit more relaxed!
One possible benefit of multiple cats: one of ours (I call him our grumpy ol' man kitty, also the district manager) has taken on a managerial role in our household. He breaks up conflicts between the other two cats and even keeps the dog in line. I actually kinda trust him. Incidentally, he's also the one who gets noisy if the sink is not left dripping.
10-19-19, 06:10 PM
#29
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Life has been a mixture of hurry up and wait for me for years, and getting out of the house in the morning is no exception. Even if I prepare the night before or not, I start out early and then end up late to leave, and then realize I'm on time in the long run. I figure the extra stress helps me get more exercise by pedaling faster to make up for thinking I'm late and it all works out in the end.
10-20-19, 07:20 PM
#30
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A couple people wanted to know how I placed the camera. I put the corner of my phone against a certain patch of lichen on a tree branch, then tried to center up the bend in the river. There was a lot of futzing with the photos in After Effects to get them sort of lined up!
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10-21-19, 08:28 AM
#31
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Routines, but not Rituals...
For me, it has to be routines. But they're mostly done the night before.
Check weather and determine riding gear for am and pm
Select bike based on weather/Pump tires
Charge lights
Make/pack lunch
Pack clothing needed at work
Pack any sundry items needed to carry
Lay out am riding clothes
In the morning, coffee and muffin, ablutions, dress and ride in...
Check weather and determine riding gear for am and pm
Select bike based on weather/Pump tires
Charge lights
Make/pack lunch
Pack clothing needed at work
Pack any sundry items needed to carry
Lay out am riding clothes
In the morning, coffee and muffin, ablutions, dress and ride in...
10-21-19, 09:38 AM
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10-22-19, 04:33 PM
#33
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I'm a full time teleworker now. Before that I was a hard core year round bike commuter for 11 years. The main ritual was checking the weather the night before and the morning of my commute. One of my more memorable winter commutes was, as I called it, my boulder ride. 
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10-23-19, 09:05 AM
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Laundry didn't get put away. Where is it?! Got to pack lunch, add more to lunch bag. Will it fit? Where's my belt? No, no, the other one! Geez, the weather report sounds cold, winter wear's still stored, where's my warmers? Dang, shoes are still too wet. Wasn't planning on that. Oh, yeah, spare pair's in the closet.
15 minutes later than normal, I headed out the door. Maybe I DO have a routine, it's just so, routine, I never paid attention to it.
Once I'm on the road, it's a bit more relaxed!
10-24-19, 05:40 AM
#35
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^so I realize that this is mostly written in jest. And we all misplace something from time to time, right?
But what the heck have you been doing for the past month as colder weather approaches? Rotate your storage from warm weather to cool weather gear prominence? Take inventory? Mend worn items?
What do you do 90 days before an important event? 60 days? A month? In the days prior? And what do you do after dinner the night before a ride?
Planning is everything, the plan is nothing. - Dwight Eisenhower
But what the heck have you been doing for the past month as colder weather approaches? Rotate your storage from warm weather to cool weather gear prominence? Take inventory? Mend worn items?
What do you do 90 days before an important event? 60 days? A month? In the days prior? And what do you do after dinner the night before a ride?
Planning is everything, the plan is nothing. - Dwight Eisenhower
10-24-19, 06:44 AM
#36
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Commuting rituals?
I recenly posted to this Winter Cycling Forum thread,
I usually don’t have cycling plans beyond the week. Once though I described my preparations for an organized ride months in the future.
^so I realize that this is mostly written in jest. And we all misplace something from time to time, right?
But what the heck have you been doing for the past month as colder weather approaches? Rotate your storage from warm weather to cool weather gear prominence? Take inventory? Mend worn items?
What do you do 90 days before an important event? 60 days? A month? In the days prior? And what do you do after dinner the night before a ride?
Planning is everything, the plan is nothing. - Dwight Eisenhower
But what the heck have you been doing for the past month as colder weather approaches? Rotate your storage from warm weather to cool weather gear prominence? Take inventory? Mend worn items?
What do you do 90 days before an important event? 60 days? A month? In the days prior? And what do you do after dinner the night before a ride?
Planning is everything, the plan is nothing. - Dwight Eisenhower
"Winter is right around the corner"
On several threads, I have posted my slogan for winter riding, “Gear and Gumption,” obviously mostly clothing. For me, it takes a while to make the transition between warm and cold and vice versa….
As for the bicycle, the definitive transition to winter is mounting the studded tires, early in December, and removal signals winter is over, usually in late March.
On several threads, I have posted my slogan for winter riding, “Gear and Gumption,” obviously mostly clothing. For me, it takes a while to make the transition between warm and cold and vice versa….
As for the bicycle, the definitive transition to winter is mounting the studded tires, early in December, and removal signals winter is over, usually in late March.
As a cycle commuter with convenient Commuter Rail alternative, I check Weather.com forecasts starting five days prior.
On the day of a ride, if it looks questionable I check current Doppler to decide, and depending on the conditions if I ride in the rain I use my beater road bike.
On the day of a ride, if it looks questionable I check current Doppler to decide, and depending on the conditions if I ride in the rain I use my beater road bike.
I am now registered. No idea yet where I'll stay, how I'll get there or whether my wife will be able to go, but I'm in.
As a veteran of four Fifty-Plus Annual Rides, I had made up this (updated) Preparation Schedule for myself as a working professional with a family:
- schedule time off from work: two driving days, 2-3 days for Ride(s) and to hang out [return driving day is Columbus (holiday) Day]
- train with winter commuting, then intensify in mid March, and continue to train
- ask Family permission to go away for one week (they probably would not want to go)
- arrange accommodations [I use the AAA Regional Guidebooks.]
- pre-ride bike check at LBS
- rent car if necessary
- map driving route (~500 miles)
- pack
- Register for event [Even for professional conferences, I usually register on-site, in case of exigencies, but I plan to be in. The Pennsylvania Ride does offer a $10 discount before August 1.]
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 10-24-19 at 08:56 AM. Reason: added after dinner story
10-24-19, 09:01 AM
#37
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˄˄˄˄
I don’t really have any special after dinner rituals, but I did post about this gathering after dinner the night before the Third Annual Fifty-Plus Ride in 2011.
I don’t really have any special after dinner rituals, but I did post about this gathering after dinner the night before the Third Annual Fifty-Plus Ride in 2011.
…At the table shot, I'm in the striped collared shirt against the wall, and clockwise are Irwin against the wall, Freedomrider, John, and rtool.
Our pleasant waitress insisted on clearing the table but allowed me to finish my pasta plate down to the last millligam of carbs. We didn't have pie, because we weren't sure what kind would go with beer (just John, rtool, and me).
Our pleasant waitress insisted on clearing the table but allowed me to finish my pasta plate down to the last millligam of carbs. We didn't have pie, because we weren't sure what kind would go with beer (just John, rtool, and me).
… I left off my last report as we were having a lively discussion about our cycling lifestyles at my motel on Friday night. Unfortunately everyone suddenly got very tired when I offered to show my mileage training graphs, so we dispersed for the night.
I found the downside to staying at a motel before a ride is watching movies until 12:30 AM.
I found the downside to staying at a motel before a ride is watching movies until 12:30 AM.
10-24-19, 09:51 AM
#38
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I forget my badge about half the times I drive to work, exactly because when I bike I have a ritual that I can fall back on, but when I drive, I have to actually REMEMBER to grab my badge out of the kittier
