How to build a bike habit

What is my bike commute like?

Someone on bikeforums asked whoever would answer what our commutes are like. He asked about terrain, length, clothing, time constraints. Here is the response I wrote.

I commute from near the southern end of Manhattan (south of 14th St), to the northern end and beyond into the Bronx. I work at 238th St. In NYC, 20 blocks is one mile. The total distance is 13 or 14 miles, depending on the route I choose. It's a very urban commute, but I'm very lucky, because most of it is along the Hudson River Greenway, the US's most heavily used bike commuting route. I don't know how many cyclists I pass, but it's several hundred. After 125th St, there aren't as many bike commuters, and very few are going in my direction. The route is mostly flat, as it's along the river, on a part of the island that is landfill. It is also a pretty noisy route, as it is almost completely next to a highway. Headwinds in the morning can be very strong. Towards the end of the route, I hit a killer hill and then some lesser hills. The killer hill isn't long, but it's steep. The last couple of miles is in motor vehicle traffic. Most of you all would call it heavy traffic, and it is, but it's a lot lighter than it is in Midtown Manhattan, where it is insane beyond belief. Thank goodness I don't have to ride in Midtown often.

The route is terribly scenic. The Hudson River is over a mile wide. New Jersey is on the other side, with cliffs facing the river. Also along the path are some very good looking people riding their bikes and jogging, so that's another kind of pleasant scenery.

If I'm lucky, on my ride home, the wind hasn't shifted to become a headwind. It happens sometimes. Usually the direction is the same but the intensity is less, so I don't get as much of a boost going home as a challenge I have in the mornings. In the winter, the riverside is colder than the rest of the city, and boy, is it cold and windy. I'm going to try riding in heavy boots this winter.

I'm supposed to be dressed somewhat conservatively at work. Jeans are officially not allowed but are tolerated. I don't care, as I don't like jeans any more. Men aren't supposed to wear sandals, which I think is dumb, but those are the rules. Polo shirts are OK, and they are my favorite type of shirt. I usually wear my work clothes on the bike. Sometimes I'll ride in wearing shorts, and I'll change upon arrival. When I ride, I usually wear sneakers with SPD cleats on them. I don't know if they are allowed, but no one has complained.

My kids are adults, and my wife often works in the evenings, so I often have no reason to rush home.

I ride my bike to work about two days a week. The other three or so days I take the subway, which has its upsides. It is relaxed. I'm headed against traffic, so it's not terribly crowded. I get to read. The subway ride takes the same amount of time as the bike ride, so my decision of which mode to use isn't based on time. I also get to look at all the different people, which I enjoy. New York is a great city for people watching. I think I might see a thousand faces in a day. Stop and think about that. How many faces do you see in a day?

Parents don't want a Citi Bike station near their kids' school

I don't understand their concerns. Why are cyclists more of a threat to children than adults on foot or in cars? Why is a child more likely to bump into a parked bicycle and get hurt than into any other fixed object?
Citi Bike Station in UES School's Play Space Is a Hazard, Parents Say

Hudson River bike path, Garmin profile

I was on the Hudson River Greenway bike path today at around midday. The sky was grey, and the humidity was rising rapidly, which made for a nasty feeling, though it wasn't brutal at all. I was surprised to see how empty the path was. I'm sure the lull was related to the middle of the day between rush hours, but still, I think today marks the time when many cyclists decide not to ride for the rest of the time from now through winter. Sorry, but I can't bear to call November the winter. It's too depressing.

I plan to keep riding this winter, and I plan to toughen up a bit. I'm interested in seeing how comfortable I remain in bad weather by dressing for the conditions.

In looking up the Hudson River Greenway, I came upon this web page, for the Hudson River Park. The bike path runs through that park and beyond. The first sentence is:

The Hudson River Park Bikeway is the busiest in the United States.

Wow. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am impressed. Sometimes, I get a question on bikeforums, such as "How often do you see a bike commuter on your route?" The question is odd to me, because I can see dozens at any given moment. How often do I not see a bike commuter, would be a better question.

I don't remember if I mentioned that my Garmin public profile is here. In theory, you can see all the rides I take. In practice, I don't always carry my Garmin device. I haven't used it for ten days, but actually, I ride several times a week. I think I better get back into the habit, because I'm interested in keeping a good tally of my total miles. I thought I would want to review things like top speed and average speed, but as more data comes in, the little details become less interesting.

Stop demonizing “bike culture”!

No group of people is perfect, and that certainly includes cyclists. But I am troubled by the depiction of cyclists as a huge problem, even when people acknowledge that not everyone rides dangerously. Let's put the problems in perspective. When you are crossing the street on foot and a cyclist passes by too quickly, perhaps illegally, it is annoying and scary. We should solve this problem with better facilities and training and enforcement. But let's not lose sight of the fact that danger from cars is hundreds of times greater. We don't notice that because it has been present (and therefore normal) for a long time. But it's not very rational to discount the bigger danger merely because we're accustomed to it.

Please read this piece from Salon. It expresses how I feel pretty well. I hadn't even thought of why the current facilities encourage us to break laws. It's not just the facilities, it's the general chaotic nature of New York traffic. We have to adapt minute by minute and second by second. Survival and courtesy sometimes require law breaking. There are orderly and considerate ways to travel, and I do my best to use them. I try not to make anyone nervous with my maneuvers. This means I have a higher standard for myself than the law.

Link to Salon piece

Sturmey Archer nursery rhymes

I've always liked Sturmey Archer. They've been around a long time. Their most famous product is the three-speed internally geared hub.

http://sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/2013/03/sturmey-archernursery-rhymes.html

Making an old Motobécane hum

I received this email:

Hi Tom
Went to the blog site and found you.  I just got a gift of an old motobecane 27" 12 speed mixte...guess is 1980s?...silver and ok shape...needs tune up and some new parts...
any thoughts about making it hum?  I ride my original 1982 peugeot mixte and like it better than my newer cannondale, so I am thrilled to have received the Motobecane as a gift.

Congratulations!

Making the new (old) bike hum is a matter of setting your budget, seeing what it needs, seeing what it wants, and seeing if it all adapts to what you want to do with a bike. Does it run OK now? If not, what is lacking? Can you provide pictures, thoughts, dreams?

Tom