Another morning commute....detours and other cold weather riders.

There is some road work on Mill St. just east of the Automobile museum that detours traffic into the bike lane (just a heads up).  It's short and doesn't cause any real issues.  However, it always makes me wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to require this type of lane shift to have a sign out front that states bicycles may use full lane (or similar).  Anyway, just a thought.  

In other news, 36 degree temperatures don't scare off all the other bicycle traffic!  I saw 5 people out on my way to work, including this guy.  I'm always pleased to see other riders making the effort.  This one is even better because he's the newest guy working at my office and he bumps the "nutter" winter riders in our office to two!  If anyone's doing the math....this means we have increased ridership in our office by 100 percent!  What can I say....I take what I can get!

So buck up...throw on some layers...get a good light and enjoy the only traffic free lane on a road near you!

City of Reno Worker Involved in Hit and Run with Reno Cyclist.

Just saw this on RGJ.com....

Why should we care about the Truckee River Bike Path?

Over the last month or so I've posted a few times on the River Path evaluation I'm trying to get some of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) folks (and you...if anyone reads this) interested in.  Just the basics really....how wide the path is, the asphalt condition, lighting, etc.

So why do I care?  Well, it's a direct link between Reno and Sparks for bikes and pedestrians and you don't have to worry about interacting with traffic.  It's scenic....it follows the river the entire way!  And if cleaned up and actually promoted for runners, walkers, bikers, etc. it can lead to things like this!


Bikes, Beer and Business: The Flat Tire Lounge from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

They exist....

*** Note.  Read this in your best Serengeti Documentary Voice. ***

Here we see the rare and elusive pack of commuting bicyclists.  This photo of a pack of younger riders is even more unusual due to the cold, rainy conditions present of late.  The only reason the picture was even able to be captured was they had uncharacteristically paused from their normal fluid motion, to wait for a straggling member of the pack (less he be picked off by one of the many predatory "autos" that hunt in this region).  Once he rejoined the group they quickly disappeared down the unique trail system they have built throughout the cityscape.  You may even have seen these trails and not even recognized them....they are know as "bike lanes".

These younger cyclist groups seem to be increasingly common in places that have plentiful food and watering holes (like the Mid-town province).  So the question about why we're seeing increasing numbers in the desolate region of Eastern Reno would appear to be a bit of an anomaly.  However, we believe we've discovered the source of these increasingly frequent sightings.   The Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology (AACT) high school is just down one of these "bike lanes" less than a mile from our office.  The current theory is that this organization has an alpha male who is influencing the student body to make smart decisions in life with respect to personal transportation, health, literature, and engineering.  So be on the lookout for these roaming groups....you too might experience the wonder of a sighting as their numbers grow!

Wet weather riding...riding the ride.

It was definitely raining on the commute home last night....the jeans were quite wet by this point!

I wrote a nice little piece yesterday about riding when the weather shows up.  You might have notice in the photo yesterday morning, there was no real weather.  That changed after I got to work, leaving a very wet ride home from the waist down (I forgot my rain pants)!  I remedied that this morning and even with the steady rain I made it to work 99 percent dry.

Ok....your head and hands might get a bit wet.  Like I said...99% dry!

The real question is why would anyone do this....ride a bike in the rain, when I rode past my perfectly functioning truck as I left the driveway?  In some ways it's just my routine.....wake up, coffee, check some web sites, shower, pack the bike, ride to work.  I really don't watch the weather that closely, because 90 percent of the time you don't really have to in Reno.  And that's what makes the snowy or rainy days fun.  They're different and it makes the commute interesting.

And I guess there's the real answer.....it's FUN!  We all did this when we were little.  Ran around (or rode) when it was raining.  Headed straight for the mud puddles.  We didn't care that we got wet or dirty.  It only takes a second to change into dry close!  So get out there and recapture what you had before you got all serious and didn't want to get wet, dirty, or plan how to have FUN!

Impending weather....makes you decide whether to commute.

Yep, grey skies and almost foggy conditions in some places this morning.  Along with the threat of a winter storm warning for this evenings return commute.  The question is did you still pull on an extra layer and head out the door? 

A little bit of weather makes everyone ask the question, "Is it worth it today?".  For me the answer on these days is usually yes.  For whatever reason, I almost like the challenging days (riding in the rain or snow or whatever) more.  Part of it is for the bragging rights to say I did it, but the other part is that you really get a unique set of sights, sounds, and even smells with a commute in different weather.  You probably know what I mean in some respect....we all have smelled the "fresh" ozone smell after a big thunderstorm....or noticed the smell of sagebrush after a gentle rain.  The same is true of riding during a snowstorm and seeing the snow start to stick to the ground for the first time.  So don't give up on the stormy days...they might just lead to a unique riding and sensory experience.

For the Record....A Redemption Picture.

Since I had to scour the internet for that fairly embarrassing crash sequence that I posted last week, I also happened across a picture from an older race (that used a portion of the Truckee bmx park).  I don't think I'd known there was a photo of this. 

I'm posting it purely as a redemption shot, to show I do have some cyclocross skills!  That being said...the second bump ended up giving even more air....and I completely overshot the landing ramp, landing rather unceremoniously in the flat.  It didn't result in a crash but I definitely didn't air it out like this on the remaining laps!