Intown Atlanta Hill Documentation

 

I had mentioned in a recent post about one of my -- I really don't know a good word that describes it -- frivolous routes, that I wanted to show the hills better. Evan likes gmap, and Apertome mentioned that bikely.com's elevation profile works pretty good (850 feet of climb on this route). What I'm after IS visual, but in a different way.

It's my DIY helmet cam. Duct tape is prominently featured, but this is pretty much a stiff metal base with a 1/4" thread bolt attached and then the whole thing is taped to a spare (if not somewhat out-dated) helmet. I'll have a tether attached in case of accidental detachment, but initial testing shows a low likelihood of this occurring.

I've practiced starting and stopping of recording without taking the helmet off and will be conducting road tests before long. Then we'll see some of Atlanta's hills as they are experienced.

Slowing Down

I've been riding a lot lately, and the energy drop from inadequate rest has me reconsidering how I ride. I've been logging my miles for years, but only in the past two days have I realized how attached I'd become to average speed. I was happy to find I don't have to worry about my average speed dipping if I don't enter a time for the trip. I still get credit for the miles, but I don't wear myself down trying to keep a certain pace when what I really need is rest.

And today, for the first time in 10 days, I didn't get on the bike at all. (I do have an itch to get out, though.)

It is perhaps for this reason, the following blog caught my eye: Slow Bicycle. I wouldn't have given a second look to a site about riding slow on 3-speed bikes if I hadn't reached my personal epiphany regarding average speed. The "style over speed" perspective brings into sharp focus a lot of the reasons we ride and don't ride in the US.

Slow Bicycle goes hand in hand with another recent development I need to post about: since early July, I ride a heavy commuter bike to work instead of my road bike. It's another trusty touring frame, but instead of 9-speed indexed shifters and aluminum frame, this commuter is a steel-framed friction-shifter from the early 80s. Complete with kickstand. A fellow rider donated the frame because it matches my size better and I've been happy to put it back into service.

But it is heavy and I ride to work a good 10% slower on this bike even with more effort. It's the extra effort that has been wearing me down. The old bike is helping me adjust my attitudes.

So speed has been one of my barometers for how much I'm getting out of the miles I put in and how smart I am with my rides, but I'm also reminding myself there are other ways to measure the rewards of time spent in the saddle.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 0
Number of Cyclists seen: 0
In-bound Route: bedroom downstairs to office
Out-bound Route: office to kitchen
Weather: Outside the window, looks pretty warm.

Bit by Bit - Easing into Bike Commuting

When I first started commuting by bike, I rode on days when I had plenty of time, the sun was shining but not hot and I had not gotten exercise in a while. I had a car which could conveniently get me to work and operating the car was relatively cheap back then, but I thought it was a good way to get exercise and to enjoy a ride during the middle of the week. I was getting good miles on the weekend, and wanted to ride during the week, so an occasional commute to the office gave me an extra 15 miles per trip.

I didn't have a rack, lock or other accessories. I just put everything in my backpack, rode in my work clothes (keeping a pair of shoes at the office), and parked the bike inside my office. Since I could pick and choose which days I would ride, weather or sweat was rarely an issue.

Over the years, I would add accessories such as the rack and panniers. I started with the panniers when I began making camping trips by bike and soon found I could carry groceries in those panniers. The recreational riding often seemed to lead to more utilitarian uses. That was 20-30 years ago.

Then, for several years, I had gotten away from cycling: I was coaching my kids soccer, my job was 25 miles away with no mass transit, and my 25 year-old bike needed a great deal of work. But a few years ago, I switched jobs, my kids outgrew my coaching ability, and I got a new bike. I immediately started riding with fellow soccer dads on Sunday mornings.

As before, the weekend rides had me looking for miles during the week. Since I had done this before, commuting to the office was an obvious first choice.

I'm still riding for fun, but over the years, bit by bit, I've expanded both my array of accessories and my repertoire. This has allowed me to abandon the car completely for trips to the office. I can deal with weather, sweat, transporting my laptop, customer meetings, you name it.

This didn't happen overnight. I've reached daily bike commuting by increments over a period of years. It's been driven by my desire to get exercise and my enjoyment of being outdoors, but over time, I've come to recognize a multitude of other benefits. I'm hooked now. Even if gas were to go back to 1980 prices, I'd still be riding.

If a bike is your primary means of transportation, you know what I'm talking about. If you've ridden recreationally, but haven't tried getting to work, pick a favorable day with favorable conditions and try it out. If you choose well, the experience will probably have you looking for more opportunities to enjoy the trip by bike.

If you've tasted the fruits of bicycle commuting but have found some obstacles, try working through some alternatives. I know a few people who put their bike on the back of the car, park a reasonable distance away from the office and then ride the remainder along a nice route of their choice. One guy I work with brings his bike on the bus in the morning and then rides home in the evening.

There are all sorts of ways to commute recreationally. You'll be taking it one trip at a time.

To off-road or not to off-road

Many of my fellow cyclists spend time riding off-road. This is something I haven't tried before, although I'm sure I would enjoy it. Here's a jumble of my thoughts. I hope spelling them out will help me sort out whether or not to venture down the off-road path.

I've ridden road bikes -- touring frames specifically -- for almost 30 years now. It's no small part of how I see myself.

Each road bike I've owned worked fine for commuting, touring, and group rides around town. In most groups, it may only be the back rack that might stand out. Otherwise, this single bike blends in with most riders I ride with. If I were to take up off-road riding however, I would get another bike. More on another bike later. It's probably worth a post by itself that as much riding I do (about 100 miles/week) that I would have at least a couple of bikes to spread the load across.

There are off-road trails reachable by bike, but many of the better trails you would drive to. I'm against getting in a car to ride a bike. This is one of my "good ride, better ride" comparisons.

At first glance, the off-road bike would be purely recreational, but I can see the off-road bike serving as a suitable urban knock-about as well. If sufficiently beat up, I'd feel more comfortable about leaving it outside of the grocery store for example.

Since I'm in my late 40s, keeping in shape has depended on staying injury-free. I've got a friend my age who recently messed up his knee off-road. I get bummed out missing 2-3 days of riding much less several weeks.

If I were to get an off-road bike, I'd probably find a used frame and build it up. I'd actually enjoy doing this and may build out a frame for the fun of it whether it becomes my off-road bike or not.

Acquiring a bike probably isn't an issue, but keeping it in the house may be. My wife doesn't understand that a man needs more than one bike.

I've mentioned my situation with a few cycling friends and they suggested I try out bikes they aren't using. This might be a way to ease myself into this. Another option is to try renting a bike at the trail when I happen to be near one already.

For those that have gone down this path, I'm interested to hear their experiences.