Why to wear bike clothes

Well I rode to church this morning in “real” clothes instead of “bike” clothes, and let me tell you it was like wearing a parachute. Between the baggy pants and the baggy t-shirt I was barely able to maintain 12 MPH downhill, and 10 MPH on level or uphill stretches. That’s it, I’m going back to more conformal clothing that doesn’t feel like I’m dragging a parachute. Regular clothes are nice in their place, but bike clothes are really best for bikes. I wasn’t on the bike long enough to rub any skin off with the bike seat and the center seam of my pants, but given long enough or enough miles I would have.

So, bike clothes are still silly looking, but they serve a valuable function of reducing the drag of air on the body, as well as preventing injury from seams in the wrong places. I still wore my spandex under my regular clothes because it helps my riding, even without that thick pad in the crotch. I would hate to think what riding would have been like with cotton briefs, even for only 3.55 miles each way…

Billed @$.02, Opus

Weekend updates and weird stuff

Not much came through the Feed this morning. In spite of hours spent clicking and reading there were only 2 articles that actually had somehing to do with bicycles.

The first report I have is yet another report on the walk/ride that was held at the New Year in NYC. I have lost count of the number of reports on this. Cyclists honor their lost with citywide bike ride It seems like every media outlet in NY has had something about this.

And from Malasia a cops-and-robbers chase results in an injured cyclist. Cops and robbers real-life drama As for how you can avoid finding yourself in this situation, there ain’t no way. The best you can do is stay aware and try not to be in the line of fire.

And that is everything I got this morning. I’ll be keeping an eye on things so expect more later, and keep an ocular organ pointed in this direction.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Another Good, Bad and Ugly day

With apologies to spaghetti western fans everywhere for the post title, that describes today’s Feed to a “T”. We have Good, convicted drivers getting long sentences for killing cyclists, we have the Bad, more drivers hitting cyclists from behind and then leaving them, and we have the Ugly, that “doctor” in SoCal pleading not guilty for doing a swoop and squat on 2 cyclists causing grievous bodily injury.

First up is a multiple on a cyclist in FL killed while trying to cross a highway. Cyclist killed in Land O’Lakes and Bicyclist Hit, Killed In Pasco and lastly with a couple of words different Cyclist Killed In U.S. 41 Crash Something is getting cyclists killed crossing highways in FL, this is the second killed in almost the same way since the new year started 17 days ago. I don’t know if it’s bad sight lines that prevent cyclists from seeing oncoming traffic, or if the cyclists are crossing with the light and the light changes long before a cyclist can make it across, or what. And some people’s attitudes that bicycles should be walked through intersections may also be contributing to the issue. After looking at Google Maps and using Streetview it appears that as you leave Lake Patience Rd your vision to the left is obstructed by trees and signs. Land O Lakes Blvd & Lake Patience Rd, FL 34639

Another report on the “doctor” that did the swoop and squat on the cyclists last summer. Doc pleads not guilty in cyclist crash

And in the Good News portion of the post, the kid that got drunk and killed one cyclist and severely injured another got 13 years supervision, the maximum sentence he could have gotten. Daniel Price sentenced to 8 years in prison for cyclist’s death I have to say tattooing the name of his victim on his wrist was a good touch, because for at least the next 13 years he will not be allowed to remove that tattoo.

An editorial that was run after a member of the editorial staff was hit-and-run while bicycle commuting. Point of view: When motorists don’t pay attention, bicyclists suffer There isn’t much I can add to this one, the cyclist was doing everything right and still got hit. You can’t control the guy in control of the other vehicle, that’s why you should always leave yourself an escape route, an “out”.

Sometimes riders do stupid things like misjudge the speed of a oncoming vehicle and whether they can clear it. UPDATED: 14-year-old bike rider injured in collision with pickup Unfortunately judging the speed of a vehicle and whether or not you can clear said vehicle is one of those things that comes with age and experience, which is something 14 YO boys don’t have.

A Scottish champion gets a ghost bike. Ghost bike tribute to killed cyclist This wreck was such a waste, even more so than usual.

And finally from Jolly Olde, police search for a hit-and-run driver who injured a cyclist. Cops hunt crash driver Not much to say here except that if you know the scum that did it then why are you reading this blog and not turning hims or her in?

That’s the whole mess. Keep an ocular pointed in this direction for more news later,

Billed @$.02, Opus