Last week we had a fairly pleasant weather. I only had to wear rain gear for one of my commutes and it was warm enough in the evenings to leave off some of my layers. Though this is nominally an improvement for my commute, the warmer weather makes up for the marked uptick in bike traffic. That equals more people being rude on the road.
Category Archives: cycling
It’s Raining
The rainy season has finally arrived in Little Bay Root. We had a few false starts, but mostly it has been dry and cold, with a bit of moist to keep us on our tows. The current storm is the first real all-day rain that we’ve had all winter. Yesterday there was snow overnight and rain in the morning, so the morning commute was through wet slush. A sure recipe for cold riding.
Dark and Cold
Winter is in full swing here in the city of bridges. A cold lingering fog has kept the temperature from climbing above the low forties for the last few days. The days are short too, with the sun setting before five each night. This makes for difficult commutes and little incentive to to leave the house.
Raining
I’ve now had my first real day of commuting in the rain for the season. In the morning I went for a run in the rain. Then I rode my bike to work in the rain. Finally, I rode home in the dark through gusty wind and rain. An exciting weather day here in Little Bay Root.
Darkness
The time changed this weekend and so I had my first night time commute of the season on Sunday. Riding at night is different. It is easy to become paranoid with all of the lights and shadows. Not only do I find myself scrutinizing every bump in the road, but I have to keep a constant mental inventory of the other road users around me. All of this is made even more difficult thanks to the frequent negligence on the part of cyclists and pedestrians when it comes to making themselves visible.
Hydrophobia
It rains a lot here in Little Bay Root. Not as much as it does in some places, but we still have three good rainy seasons. I was raised with a lot of rain, so I find it fairly comfortable. I tend to take the view that getting wet is inevitable and focus on damage control. I ride my bike in the rain and I walk in the rain. It really is inevitable.
Rudeness
I ride my bike just about every day. I have a 9 to 5 job downtown, so I usually ride during rush hour. I share the road with cars and bikes. Everyone is in a rush and often impatient. I understand, as I don’t like to waste time on my commute. Somehow, I am continually amazed at how rude and thoughtless other cyclists are. It is true that pedestrians and motorists do their share of uncool things, but for the purposes of this rant, I think that I will focus on the lazy selfishness of other cyclists.