Two (4% down, 96% to go!)
Rode in a second time this last Friday. I took a slightly different route this time, and I think it worked out really well. Part of what I’m shooting for is to ride in mostly on residential roads and skip the whole traffic bit. With a couple of exceptions — a couple of blocks on Colorado near Baldwin and Del Mar between Wilson and Hudson — I’ve more or less got it down. Something I noticed on Friday helps greatly. There are two left turn lanes at Rosemead and Thorndale, and the traffic control lines are a great place for a bike to sneak across:
Likely I could just behave like a normal vehicle, take the lane and make the turn, etc., but somehow doing that off a side road on to Rosemead seems like a less than great idea. Anyway, I don’t mind cheating in this case.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Yeah, one of the advantages of repeatedly doing a route is that you get a handle on the most optimal (and safest) path. The other thing you pick up is being better able to time the lights. I’m willing to bet that that is most of the difference between our average speeds.
Other tricks I’ve learned: get a really strong rear wheel. LA streets suck, and neither of us is at the optimal 160 lbs. riding weight that mass produced bikes seem barely able to support. Gloves and crash-safe sunglasses are good as well. I haven’t got a rear view mirror yet, but it is clear that doing so would be a good idea (even if for nothing more than piece of mind). Oh, and don’t kid yourself: invest in a pair (or better still, multiple pairs) of bicycle shorts. Yes you’ll look stupid in them, but you can wear them under your pants to minimize embarassment. Hydration is key, but it turns out you don’t need nearly as much as you think. A glass of water 15 minutes before you go and the occassional swig at a red light are about all you need even in hot weather. Finally: gearing down is key. My brother told me 90rpm is optimal for pedaling, and I told him he was crazy… until I got my breathing rhythm matched with it and suddenly everything just became easier.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I’m an idiot. I just realized you already knew all this. :-(
May 9th, 2008 at 4:45 am
well done, cp! btw we’ve just ordered these very excellent big mirrors from rei. i think they’re called ‘mirycle’ or something naff like that. but they rock. it makes riding in traffic much easier.