Bicycles will save America! - Democratic Underground

BiggJawn

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Fri Aug-12-05 10:26 PM
Original message

Bicycles will save America!

Frankly, I seriously doubt it. Bet we hear of the first midnight gas syphoner shot to death by an irate motorist before Thanksgiving.

I'm hurrying to get bags built to haul my "stuff" for work in, since I really think I'm gonna have to be riding to work in the next week or so.

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mike_c

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Fri Aug-12-05 10:45 PM
Response to Original message

1. what are you going to commute on?

Will you be able to ride all winter, at least most days, or do you have ugly weather to contend with?

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BiggJawn

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Fri Aug-12-05 11:04 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. This bike.

http://tinypic.com/2m9xm9
"La Velo Rouge"

And yes, we get some real suck-ass weather in the winter. Blizzards.
I'm hoping that I can save up enough between now and Hallowe'en to be able to buy The Precious Juice all winter...

15 miles one way. Takes a little over an hour and a quarter, I've done it before, but not on a work day.

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Longhorn

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Fri Aug-12-05 11:52 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. This is the tough time of year for my commute

with daily highs in the upper 90s and high humidity. I went for a ride after dark this evening and came home soaked and it was only in the mid 80s. I'm really looking forward to fall and winter!

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mike_c

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Sat Aug-13-05 03:13 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. nice commuter bike-- that is one HELL of a stem....

Edited on Sat Aug-13-05 03:14 AM by mike_c

Brooks saddle if I'm not mistaken-- that's my favorite too (and I've tried lots of saddles). A B-17? Are you planning to mount racks and panniers? Lights?

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BiggJawn

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Sat Aug-13-05 09:00 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. Lights, probably not racks.

This winter I WAS going to put either a Shimano or SON dyno-hub on it, but that was before I had to start putting my bike and grocery money in the gas tank. Need to come up with something else, but NOT that system I developed with the 15-pound lead acid battery...

Fortunately, at this time of year I can make the trip at both ends of the day in daylight. Won't need lights until late September...

The B-17 now has almost 500 miles on it and it's breaking in very nicely. That long stem helps me to avoid having to push my gut out of the way with my knees...:-)

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Kolesar

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Mon Aug-15-05 08:40 AM
Response to Original message

6. Can you stash a bunch of extra clothes at work?

Drive to work every week or two with a bag of clothes. Then you won't have to haul your work clothes in on your rack every day.

Commuting advice I have read is to "put reflectors everywhere". Buy some big reflectors and put them in extra places on your bike. Those 55 Watt car headlights will really light them up--much better than some leds fed by two AA cells. White or amber reflectors return more light, too. You can even have them facing aft.

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