Archive for the ‘commute’ Category
Jesus does not love cyclists
I was just given the finger by a woman with a needlepont crucifix hanging from her rear view mirror. I didn’t get out of her way with enough speed to her liking. There’s a cliche here about the universality of grouchiness on the road, but I don’t know what it is.
Filed under: commute | 2 Comments
Tags: bicycle, bike, commute, jesus
Where’d the bike rack go?
Where I work, bicycles and motorcycles share the same little corner of one of the back lots for parking. Most of the time there’s plenty of space to go around, but on clear summer days like today, the cyclists get this scenario above in which the bikers park their motorcycles right up to and around […]
Filed under: commute | 1 Comment
Tags: bicycle, bike, commute
I got hit on Bike to Work Day
After eight years of commuting by bike, I got hit by my first car today, Bike to Work Day. I’m fine, by the way. I came to a stop at a T intersection. I positioned myself in the cross walk because I like to be as far out as possible so everybody sees me. A […]
Filed under: commute, My Bike, Try not to do this | 5 Comments
Tags: bicycle, bike, car, taco, wheel
We have a perverted work ethic. What may have started as a religious drive to be closer to God or the effort needed to coax blood from the field stones of New England to survive has in the intervening years turned into nothing more complicated than brute-force quantity over all else. Our work days make […]
Filed under: commute | 1 Comment
Tags: bicycle, bike, commute, sick, work
Dear Rain
Dear Rain, On behalf of the plants, we thank you. Everybody else is still pretty pissed. Personally, I’m looking forward to you clearing out of my basement already so I can relight my pilots. We’re cold. Sincerely, BCW
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Tags: bicycle, bike, commute, flood, rain
Dear Drivers
Dear Drivers, I’m a driver too, so don’t be insulted: you can’t have it both ways. Four-way stops are tricky. I don’t ever try sneaking through. I always stop at the sign when other cars are present or slowing to stop. I’ve seen drivers’ reactions when cyclists float through. It’s not pretty. So when I […]
Filed under: commute | 1 Comment
Tags: bicycle, bike, drivers, four-way stops
Lap dogs
Did I miss a trend in US Weekly? I have seen a dozen drivers with dogs in their laps on my commute during the past few weeks. This morning I passed a woman at a stop sign with a terrier pressing its face against the driver side window. She was of course on the phone at […]
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Tags: bicycle, bike, cyclists, dog, drivers, lap dog
Return to Raleigh
Back on the Raleigh today after nearly a week breaking in the bakfiets. Riding to work felt like I’d stepped out of the on-deck circle and slipped the donuts off my bat. The old steel of the Raleigh rode like it was built for the Tour in comparison. I like to talk about frame weight […]
Filed under: commute, My Bike, Useful Things, Winter | Leave a Comment
Tags: bakfiets, bicycle, bike, carbon, frame, Raleigh, steel, weight
Snow power
Modern bottle generators are quiet, reliable, efficient, and cause relatively low drag. They can slip in the rain, but I’ve never had any issues with mine when it’s wet. My tires have a grooved band for the generator wheel to grab, so everything stays pretty much where it should be. This morning, however, I discovered […]
Filed under: commute, Winter | Leave a Comment
Tags: bicycle, bike, generator, lights, snow, winter commuting
Bikes Can Work 