need prep advices on Portland commuting
Might get the opportunity to move to Portland OR for work. Very likely I will be living in the city outskirts and rely on MAX light rail and/or bus for work, with the last miles at both ends by a folding bike (Tern Verge D9) I want to be well prepared for what the commuting would be like:
1. Drizzles/rain: I bought a used Tern with disc brakes specifically for the weather. for those who have used disc and rim brakes, would you say disc brakes do make a positive difference in safety? What about tires, any benefit in changing out the treadless tires for something with more treads/grips in wet. If so any tire recommendation? (my tern runs CST 37-451 now)
2. what is the "norm" for carrying a folder onto a MAX light rail? The Tern Verge D9 I have (running 451 wheels) fold a little bit bigger than a typical 20" like Dahon. Do other passengers in general accept/despise such practice? (Don't want to be too much of a nuisance) Is there a bike specific car? (eg. Caltrain in the Bay area has a bike specific car that pretty much all bike commuters jam into with bikes stack one over the other)
3. For buses (city/local) do they usually have a rack in front of the headlights (like a lot of San francisco buses) that I could tie my bike onto? If buses don't have racks, similar to the question above, what is the "norm" for carrying a folder onto a bus?