Why I Love my Commute, Part Two: The Weather

It seems that I would be a slave to the weather as a bike commuter, and I am. I am also, however, completely in love with the weather. Most people think of weather in their commute as something that they have to deal with getting into the car and then the office. Not I. For me, it is something I feel every minute of the ride. I am directly affected by every aspect of the day's weather. All day long. If the weather calls for possible storms in the afternoon, I have to be careful not to get stuck at work (not experienced enough to ride in the rain AND dark).

Windy days are both good and bad. A strong head wind is great when going downhill on a hot day but terrible when going uphill in the cold or spitting rain. The wind changes when it is about to rain. I can feel that. I can tell you if a storm is coming...the wind shift, the air smells differently (comes from a gas called petrichor) and the colors are particularly sharp.

Sunny days are sometimes worse than cloudy or windy days. I have awakened to a clear, sunny day and dreaded my ride. Sunny mornings mean less visibility and blinded driveron certain streets. It also means heat. Here in the southeast, even in the winter, sometimes it is too much heat for a vigorous ride. What I wear is dependent on the weather, and not just which umbrella to use or which jacket to throw on. Cold, sunny days mean layers and layers. Sunny summer days mean bringing an extra set of clothes.

The day (actually hours) after rain is wonderful. Clear and crisp and the fresh smell of trees and earth. Even in the city. However, I must remember that the roads also have extra grease and debris on them and ride accordingly.

Cars also act differently depending on the weather. Sunny days equal more speed and less patience for me. I get a lot of honks and yells on sunny mornings! Cloudy days people seem to be more tired and act more recklessly, cutting me off and swerving into my lane. Chilly mornings and everyone is so nice, feeling sorry for the poor little girl riding her bike to work in tights and a skirt (Ha! Jokes on them).

My favorite weather to commute in is a brisk (55-65 degrees), breezy, slightly cloudy day. You couldn't pay me to get into my car on days like those. Unless I have overslept, but that is for another day's post...

*side note: An alleycat race is taking place this Saturday, 4pm at Linn Park. Come out and be a part or just hang out (they could use some help manning stops). The proceeds benefit Bici Coop, a community bike shop that is in the works. Fun AND philanthropic, who can pass that up? Plus, you could win a Triathablog Tshirt!

Why I love my commute, Part One: The City

This is the first in a series of posts describing my favorite things about my bike commute. Today I focus on the city.

The city is an active participant in my trip. The life of the city is not shut off from me by metal and glass, and I love it. When you are on a bike, you feel the city more. The roads, the animals, the garbage collectors...they are no longer something I feel or see out my window, they are something I interact with.

The way I see the city has changed. It may sound cheesy, but the city has different moods. In the morning, it is wide awake and excited. Afternoon is slower and gentler. Night is quiet and solemn, with an edginess to it that is indescribable. I get to see all the shadows that are missed at 30 miles per hour and the flowers growing up in the cracks (which I often narrowly miss).
I can tell you who had a baby recently and who gets packages that they leave on their porches all day. Wondering when most of the city gets home each day? I can tell you...around 5:25. Before that the driveways are mostly empty.

I smell the city when I ride. I can tell you who is eating bacon and what time the BBQ joint starts smoking the meat for the day (around 7). I smell when a truck has recently been on the road, and when a woman in a convertible has worn entirely too much perfume (yes, this happens more than you would think). I can also smell the morning, all dewy and fresh. Morning smells completely different from evening, when the shadows are longer and the smells are more industrial. Exhaust, tar, burned rubber, these are the evening smells...occasionally punctuated by the smell of someone cooking on the grill. The night smells change often and are harder to describe, but I get to smell each one and I consider myself lucky for that.

I hear the city. I hear children yelling inside houses before school and dogs barking (a LOT of dogs barking). I hear lawnmowers and car doors slamming. When a car hits a bump, I hear it and automatically move more to the side. Leaves crackling, branches falling, I hear all of it. I hear people cursing the traffic when their windows are open and kids talking about their day excitedly on the way home. I hear the music people listen to, which is often surprising. The city has a beat that I pedal to.

So many of our communities are full of strip malls and large roads. Every time I ride, it feels like I am reclaiming my city. Refusing to experience it from a distance. Loving it in new ways each and every time I ride. I live in the city.

So get out there and reclaim your city. You would be surprised at how different it is.

Image from BikeHugger.com