NYC Bike Commuter
My life on two wheels in NYC. On September 19, 2011, one day after I completed my first Century Bike Tour I decided to become a bike commuter. It is not easy, but it's definitely an experience.
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Has anyone every bought a bike online? Where did you get it from? What was your experience? Do you recommend it?
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After looking into a few different baskets, someone suggested I consider a pannier. But if I get one of those I would rather it also be a backpack so it’s easy to carry when I am not on the bike. Any suggestions of where I can get a good one that is also not expensive?
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Do any of you have them? I think it’s time for me to get one. I learned today that my shoulder dislocations happen because there is a tear in my labrum. I had been sitting in the doctor’s office for a long time and wanted to get out of there so I didn’t think of asking the doctor how the tear happens. But my dad said it’s possibly from carrying a heavy backpack on my back on a bike. That makes some sense to me. So now I am researching baskets. Even though I don’t really like them. What is the difference between baskets in the front or back? Also I have seen collapsible baskets but those look smaller than regular ones. Any suggestions?
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I had no idea this foursquare badge existed, and I love it. I never realized there were other people checking in on their bikes.
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Bikes taking over the streets off the Manhattan Bridge.
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Has anyone replaced their bike brakes on their own? Is it difficult? Mine are worn down and need to be changed. Any tips? How do I know what kind of brakes to buy?
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I went to get my bike today and discovered it had a flat. Something felt funny on my way home yesterday so I checked it before putting it away. It just seemed like the back tire was low on air and I thought I would fill it in the morning before heading out. But today it was flat. I found a tiny piece of glass in the tire. I didn’t have enough time to fix the flat this morning, so I went out on my mom’s Biria cruiser bike. It’s very pretty and comfortable but a very different ride from my Trek 7.1FX. Also, I felt like I should be on a boardwalk at the beach, not the streets of Brooklyn. But I went on my way and took care of what I had to. On my way home the bike started making a little sing-song kind of sound. I pulled over to check out what it was. The fender was out of place and the tire was rubbing against it. Fixed that. When I got back on the bike a guy came over to me and said “Here’s a rose for your bike” and proceeded to place it between the handlebar and the handlebar bag. Totally not me, but it looked nice on the bike.
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This morning I read about a biker who was killed by an 18-wheeler truck that was making a turn and didn’t notice the biker (http://bostonbiker.org/2011/12/28/cyclist-killed-in-collision-with-18-wheeler-in-cambridge/). About an hour later on my commute I saw it almost happening. I was biking on Flushing Ave. alongside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There are trucks entering and exiting there all the time. There was a biker a little bit ahead of me and a truck to our left that was slowly creeping into the bike lane to turn into the Navy Yard. I watched as he almost crushed the other biker until the guy yelled. The truck stopped merging. I did not want to risk anything so I let the truck make the turn before I continued. This will not make me stop biking. I’m just letting the world know I am afraid of trucks on the road.
Today also happened to be my coldest bike ride yet-25°F. Apparently what I wore when it was 30° is not enough. I wore my hood under my helmet to keep my ears warm, which worked great. For the most part, after the first five minutes I stayed warm. Except for my thighs. I need to buy those heat tech leggings from Uniqlo.
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It’s been a while since my last post. I did not bike during the last two weeks of the semester because I needed all the study time I could get. Until I could figure out a way to study on a bike that means I use the subway time. Although I did discover that if I use the bike with the seat back at the gym I could study while exercising.
The problem that came up with not biking was that I challenged myself to some goals on socialworkout.com-biking 100 miles in a month, and crossing 10 NYC bridges in a month. When I signed up for them I didn’t think it was a big deal. But last Wednesday was the last day of my month and I still needed more miles and to cross 1 bridge. The weather was absolutely miserable, wet and misty, but I’m very competitive with myself and I didn’t want to finish with less than 100%. So I got on my bike. Literally that was the only reason I biked that day. With the weather getting colder I don’t think I’ll be signing up for challenges like that until Spring.
My next ride was today. Over Chanukah I have been eating a lot. I was heading to the gym today but biking there and back would burn more calories. The streets were pretty empty, but the wind was strong. There were times that I was struggling to move on a flat street. Also, I feel like because there were fewer cars out, the drivers who were out were being more careless. I had to sound my airhorn way too many times today. I almost got hit by a truck backing up because he was oblivious to me crossing the path behind him. And ever since they switched the pedestrian and bike lanes on the Manhattan Bridge I’m noticing more and more people getting in my way. People don’t read signs and I don’t think many people realize the lanes were switched.
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I guess the best way to figure out cold weather biking is trial and error. From the few times I biked in the cold so far (though it hasn’t gotten that cold yet-30’s°F), I discovered I don’t need more than a sweatshirt and gloves to keep me warm. I also wear a scarf so I don’t get sick. It will get colder though. I wonder at what point I decide it’s too cold for me to bike.
