The Ideal Commuter? - Part 5 My Ideal Commuter Bike

Okay, at long last, here is the final installment. As always, remember that this is merely one person's opinion and what I think as the ideal commuter bike may or may not be what you (or anyone else, for that matter) think. Also, the bike I've chosen is also (for lack of a better term) a dream bike, as in "only in my wildest". (Hey, if the automakers can make dream cars, why not a dream bike?)

The bicycle that I feel makes the ideal commuter is Tout Terrain's Silkroad.

Okay, what makes this bike so special? Let me start with the obvious features. First, the rear rack is actually part of the frame; that makes the rack and frame that much stronger. Also, fewer bolts that can come loose. Second, the frame is designed to use disc brakes and only disc brakes. For anyone who commutes in snow, ice, or rainy conditions, disc brakes will stop you a lot faster without fear of the rims being slick from ice or water. Also, in the event that your wheel is damaged, your brakes will still work and will not wear down your rims prematurely.

The not so obvious, but oh so well thought out details include stainless steel braze-ons and drop-outs; an asymmetrical front fork to withstand the torque from the disc brake; guides for brake lines and wiring; internal routing of wires to the tail light; a handlebar stop to prevent the fork from moving more than 90°; and an integrated stand mount, among others. Be sure to read Peter White's description of the Silkroad for more information.

The frame comes in two flavors: the standard derailluer set-up (as shown above) or with an eccentric bottom bracket and mounts for a Rohloff Speedhub, giving you 14 speeds of internal gear goodness. Now, I know what you may be thinking right now: I can get more gears with a standard derailluer set-up. Well, technically, not so much.

Take a standard hybrid set-up, say a 28-38-48 chain ring with a 11-28 9-speed cassette. Mathematically, that gives you 27 speeds from which to choose. However, if you plug those numbers into a gear inch calculator, you'll find that 6 gear combinations are almost identical (28x21 & 38x28; 28x18 & 38x24; 28x14 & 48x24), while eight more are within one gear inch (28x13 & 38x16; 28x12 & 38x16; 38x14 & 48x18; 38x11 & 48x14). That drops the number of gears from 27 to 20. Also, due to the angle of the chain going from the smallest chain ring to the smallest cogs and from the biggest chain ring to the biggest cogs, you eliminate another 4 to 6 gears, so your usable gears drops from 20 to 16 or 14 gears. Calculated for a 26"x1.25" tire, your gear inch range is between 24.5 and 106.8 gear inches.

Compare that to the Rohloff hub with a 48 tooth chain ring and a 16 tooth cog with a 26"x1.25" tire, which yields a range of between 20.5 and 107.7 gear inches. Not only do you get a wider range of gears, you get the added benefits of a cleaner chain line, no derailluers that need adjusting or could be damaged, and the ability to change gears at a dead stop. Granted, it does come at a cost, both in price and weight. The Rohloff hub runs about $1300US to $1600US, depending on the version (start saving those pennies now), and weighs in at around 1847 g, or roughly 0.5 kg (about a 20oz bottle of water) more than a standard derailluer set-up.

The frame itself is not inexpensive, either. Peter White sells the frame for $1500US. However, if configured with some forethought (and Mr. White's recommendations), you will have a bicycle that will not only be an excellent commuter, but will handle centuries, brevets, and fully-loaded tours with style. In other words, think of the Silkroad as a Land Rover rather than as a Ferrari.

There are a couple deviations I would take from Mr. White's recommendations, but then again, everyone has their preferences. First, I would opt for Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes rather than hydraulic brakes; a single adjustment knob without having to bleed the brake lines. Also, I would add a trekking or butterfly bar instead of a more traditional mountain bike bar, for more positions to reduce fatigue.

Is the bike pricey? Oh, yeah. Is it worth it? Depends on who you ask. I simply name this as an ideal commuter, a gold standard if you will, by which all others are compared. If you have the resources available and you are interested, by all means pursue it. However, most of us (myself included) can only look at this bike and dream of owning one.

Now, it's your turn. If you have a commuter bike that is your idea of "heaven on two wheels", let me know what make, model, and why you feel it is worthy of being an ideal commuter. And, yes, I will post any and all replies here. I will be taking a short holiday break from the blog, but I look forward to continuing this after the new year begins. So let me wish all of you out there reading my humble blog a Happy Holidays and a bright and prosperous (let's hope, at least) New Year.

Active Transportation Leads to Leaner Nations

File this under "Well, duh". Apparently, countries that have higher rates of bicycling, walking and mass transit usage are populated by leaner people.

Study: Leaner nations bike, walk, use mass transit
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD

Jim Richards is no kid, but he loves to ride his bike. At 51, he has become a cycling commuter, pedaling 11 miles from his home in the suburbs to his job in downtown Knoxville.

"It really doesn't take that much longer" than driving, he insists.

And he gets 40 minutes of exercise twice a day without going to the gym, which he attributes to a 20-pound weight loss.

New research illustrates the health benefits of regular biking, walking or taking public transportation to work, school or shopping. Researchers found a link between "active transportation" and less obesity in 17 industrialized countries across Europe, North America and Australia.

"Countries with the highest levels of active transportation generally had the lowest obesity rates," authors David Bassett of the University of Tennessee and John Pucher of Rutgers University conclude.

Americans, with the highest rate of obesity, were the least likely to walk, cycle or take mass transit, according to the study in a recent issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. The study relied on each country's own travel and health data.

Only 12 percent use active transportation in the United States - 9 percent walk, 1 percent ride a bike and 2 percent take a bus or train - while a quarter to a third are obese, the study said.

By comparison, 67 percent of commuters in Latvia, 62 percent in Sweden and 52 percent in the Netherlands either walk, bike or use mass transit. Latvia's obesity rate is 14 percent, the Netherlands' is 11 percent and Sweden's is 9 percent.

A similar pattern was found in Canada (19 percent active transportation, 23 percent obese) and Australia (14 percent active transportation, 21 percent obese).

Overall, Bassett said, "Europeans walk three times as far and cycle five times as far as Americans."

The authors say it's more than lifestyle choices that lead Americans to use their cars more. Europe's compact, dense layout and infrastructure are more conducive to getting around without a car.

Europeans on average walk 237 miles and cycle 116 miles per year; U.S. residents walk 87 miles and bike 24 miles. Bassett and Pucher calculated that translates into burning off 5 to 9 pounds of fat annually for Europeans compared to only 2 pounds for Americans.

While the analysis doesn't prove that transportation keeps obesity levels down "they make an excellent case," said Susan Handy, who heads the Sustainable Transportation Center at the University of California at Davis.

"The question, then, is what do we do?" said Handy, who was not involved in the study. "How do we get more people walking and bicycling in the U.S.?"

Anne Lusk, a research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health, said the study's results make sense.

"What I found most exciting about this excellent research is the applicability," she said. "The issue then becomes should we improve our transit, walking or bicycling opportunities simultaneously or should we focus on one of the three?"

Lusk said her first choice is bicycles - and not just because of global warming, fluctuating gas prices or the economic downturn. When Dutch researchers asked people to match emotions with various forms of travel, she said, "The greatest emotion was joy for bicycling."

Richards rekindled his love affair with a two-wheeler a few years ago while visiting bike-friendly Sweden.

Back home, he has a couple of things going for him. Richards lives in a medium-size Southern city where police officers can be found patroling on bikes and the mayor sometimes cycles to city hall.

The car is still king here, like most places in the United States, but Knoxville has developed a 41-mile greenway system that keeps Richards mostly on paved trails and off city streets.

He also works for an environmentally conscious employer. The country store-themed Mast General Stores of Valle Crucis, N.C., pays Richards and his co-workers $4 a day to ride, walk or catch a bus rather drive than their car.

After a year, his annual checkup shows the results: his heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol all are down.

"I just love riding," he said. "It's like a double-shot of caffeine in the morning."

Well, isn't that surprising. Okay, not really, but this has an implications for Mississippi. As you are probably aware, Mississippi leads the nation in obesity, and ranks high in the number of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. Also not surprising is that Mississippi ranks near the bottom (47^th) in bicycling. For those who live in Mississippi who bicycle and/or walk, please consider donating Bike Walk Mississippi, supporting Let's Go Walking Mississippi and, whenever possible, use your local mass transit system.

More Letters to the Editor

As a follow-up to an earlier letter to the editor in the SunHerald that I mentioned in a previous post, the bicyclist in question responded.

Law requires drivers and cyclists to share the road

Responding to [name withheld]’s letter of Nov. 17, “Few Coast streets are built for bikes and cars to share,” I am the menacing cyclist [name withheld]refers to. I cycled to work during the 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s before retiring. Setting the record straight I maintained a 1- to 2-foot distance from the road edge to avoid being side-swiped by passing cars.

Many motorists do not share the road. To protect myself I checked my rear-view mirror and, when seeing an approaching car, I moved toward the road edge to allow the motorist safe passage. Such defensive strategy protected both driver and me. I steer away from the road edge to avoid debris, stones, broken glass and holes which invite a flat. [Name withheld] should understand there are very few places to pull over on River Road.

Newspaper readers may remember “Mississippi Jack.” He complained about “the arrogant biker who, instead of driving on the extreme right, demanded the center of the one-lane Frederic Street Highway 90 underpass” and motioned for Jack to stay behind him. Yep, I was the arrogant biker trying to avoid being side-swiped in the curved, narrow underpass, which was lined with broken glass and debris, until I could ride through and move out of his way. Another example of a motorist refusing to share the road.

Mississippi state law says cyclists must ride as close as is safe to the right-hand edge of the roadway. A driver when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction is required to leave a distance of not less than three feet between the motor vehicle and the bicycle.

More cyclists ride today than ever before. Riders, wear helmets, obey all traffic laws, signal when slowing, stopping, or turning. Ride in the same direction as auto traffic, stay as close to the right edge of the road as possible, walk across busy intersections. And to all the drivers, do not view cyclists as a traffic obstruction. Resist succumbing to road rage. We may be “losing money to a ticking time clock or missing appointments” or trying to meet a deadline. Thank you for your courtesy and consideration.

Name and location withheld.

SunHerald, Saturday, December 13, 2008

Then, the next day, I read this lovely piece.

Some people grow old, but they don’t grow up

Someone told me that I should exercise at a gym rather than walk or cycle outside. Sorry, lady, but although it might be too embarrassing for you to be seen bicycling in public, I like to inhale fresh air. Also, it is not scary for me as it might be for you. This is probably why I see a lot of women walking in pairs across the Ocean Springs bridge.

A lot of males think it is “macho” to honk, yell or say stupid things to me when I walk or cycle. I can understand such lack of maturity in a youngster, but many of these people are over 70 years old. Isn’t it time to grow up?

Name and location withheld.
SunHerald, Sunday, December 14, 2008.

Amen to that. To both authors: I will ride with you, any time, any place.

The Ideal Commuter? - Part 4 A Selection of Commuting Bikes

First of all, let me apologize for the delay of this post. Crazy busy.

Now, for the next installment in the series, I will highlight some (certainly not all) bikes that I feel make ideal commuters. Like before, I'm going to (try) and divide them into short-trip (<> 5 miles) categories. Remember, just because I list a bike as a short-trip commutes does not mean it can not be used for longer commutes, and vice versa, this is just one man's opinion and your mileage may vary.

Short-Commute Bikes

Just about every bicycle made would fall into this category easily. Having said that, there are some bikes that are ready, right off the floor, that are ideally suited for commuting, namely what has become known as "Dutch-style bikes". While there is not an official category (even the Dutch do not refer to their bikes as being Dutch bikes), they all have some common features. As an example, I will use Azor's Opa.



This is the "classic" Dutch-style bike, the kind you'll find in Amsterdam or Copenhagen. First, check out the head and seat tube angles; very relaxed. The geometry of this bike screams upright, relaxed, stylish. This is not a road racer. The handlebars are also a classic cruiser-style. You will also notice the fenders (also called mud guards) with mud flaps, a sprung saddle, a kickstand, a generator hub, lights, a chaincase, a tire pump, a rear rack, and a coat/skirt guard on this bike. Some of the less obvious points of interest include roller brakes, an 8-speed internally geared hub, reflective sidewalls on the tires, and an integrated rear wheel lock. This bike is meant to be ridden as an every day bike with every day clothes; no spandex needed.

Electra Bike had a series of Dutch-style bikes called their Amsterdam line, with the Royal 8 as the flagship model.



Specialized has their Vienna Deluxe like the Vienna Deluxe 3 (sorry, no coat/skirt guard).


If you're not into black or dark blue, you can get Velobris Scrap Deluxe for the "naked" bike look. (Insert remark about blondes having more fun here.)
Of course, hybrids are popular, as are mountain bikes (but more on that in a later post).

Long-Distance Commuters

Now we're talking some long haul bikes. Granted, the bikes mentioned above could get you to your destination, but if you're facing a 20mph head wind or having to climb a lengthy and/or steep hill along the way, you may end up regretting the choice later. For longer rides, you might want something designed for long-distance riding, namely a touring bike.

Like the Dutch-style bikes mentioned above, touring bikes have a more relaxed geometry than most road bikes, but not quite as extreme as the Dutch-style bikes. Most touring bikes come with standard drop bars, but European trekking or butterfly bars are also popular. These bikes are designed with all day riding comfort and cargo capacity in mind, not necessary speed.

Raleigh's Sojourn comes tour/commute ready with fenders, rack and pump. It also comes with an aged Brooks B17 saddle, Brooks leather bar tape, a WTB Mountain Road Drop handlebar, and disk brakes. Just throw on a set of panniers and hit the open road.



Kona has two models that are commuter worthy. The first is their touring model called the Sutra. Like the Sojourn, it comes with a rear rack and disk brakes, but also a front rack and no fenders.



Kona's other commuter worthy model is new for 2009, the Dew Drop, part of the Dew series of hybrids. With a similar geometry as the Sutra, the Dew Drop comes without the racks, but also comes in at a lower price point, as well.



One of the most popular and highly praised bikes is Surly's Long Haul Trucker. The LHT, as it's affectionately called, also comes as a frameset so you can add your own components.



Again, this only scratches the surface of the myriad of bikes available and suitable for commuting. In my final installment, I will talk about my dream commuting bike. Until then, stay safe and ride your butt off.

The Ideal Commuter? - Part 3 My Commuting Setup

In my last entry in this series, I discussed the basic differences between a short-distance versus a long-distance commuter bike. This time, I will talk about my commuter, what accessories I bought and why I chose them.

The Bike

Any commuting bike starts with the bike itself. In my case, it is a 1992 Specialized Crossroads Trail hybrid that I bought when I was in college. It replaced my trusty Specialized Hard Rock that was stolen. (This is what happens when you don't lock your bike, but that's for a different post.) The frame is made from chromoly steel and weighs in at about thirty pounds. The drive train is a 30-40-50 chain ring with 12-28 seven speed freewheel. The wheels are 700c, which makes them slightly larger than the 26" wheels that were on my old mountain bike. The bike remained stock until this past year when I started commuting.

The Commuting Essentials

The first change I made was to install a rear rack. I bought a Bor Yeuh rack (the rack in the link is similar to the rack I own) from Bike Nashbar for $10 on sale. While not the greatest rack around, the price could not be beat. The downside I found with the rack was what I believe to be a pitiful lack of clearance over the rear tire. Therefore, I recommend that in looking at racks, especially for 700c tires, that you look for one that is either specifically designed for 700c wheels (most should fit) or, better yet, look for one that has adjustable mounting brackets, especially where the rack mounts at the rear drop outs.

I also needed panniers. I bought a set of Nashbar Daytrekker panniers, but was unsatisfied with the capacity, so I built a pair of panniers from a couple of plastic buckets that held cat litter (another future entry) that have proven to be very capable and voluminous.

Next, I swapped out the tires that I had (which were dry rotted anyways) with Specialized Infinity Reflect 700x38c. I chose these tires for the puncture resistant Flak Jacket casing and the reflective sidewalls. The tread is a little aggressive for pavement, but then again, parts of my commute involve construction zones that may have sand, dirt, crush limestone, and/or gravel.

The stock saddle was starting to crack and fall apart (note: avoid vinyl covered saddles), so I did some research and decided on the Brooks B17 saddle. A little pricey compared to other saddles, but it has proven to be very comfortable once broken in. If you decide a Brooks is the saddle for you, I would advise buying a tin of Proofide at the same time, and a saddle cover to protect it from the rain.

Speaking of rain, I wanted my bike to be an all-weather commuter, so I added a set of SKS P50 Chromoplast fenders and added a couple Brooks leather mud flaps as a finishing touch. I chose the SKS fenders because, unlike other plastic bicycle fenders, the SKS fenders are made with thin strips of aluminum encased in plastic. This gives them a bit more rigidity and, in my opinion, durability. In fact, you can mount a tail light on Chromoplast fenders; something that plastic fenders cannot do.

Being Visible

Since I know that I will eventually end up riding at dawn/dusk times and even at night, staying visible is a high priority. My philosophy when it comes to being visible on a bicycle is, "Too much is never enough". I believe in having a balance between active lights and passive reflectors; never rely on just one type. When in doubt, repeat this mantra: "Redundancy is good. Redundancy is good."

The biggest fear among bicyclists is getting hit from behind. But as I pointed out in an earlier post, those accidents are far outweighed by frontal and side collisions. I have two Plant Bike Superflashes mounted on my rear fender and red reflective tape on the backside of my seat stays, on the back of my rear rim and a red reflective sheet on the back of both my bucket panniers.

Up front, I run a pair of Romisen RC-N3 CREE Q5 LED Flashlights mounted with a pair of Twofish Cyclopblocks hanging off of a pair of Minora Swing Grips. The Romisen flashlights have only one function (steady), put out a lot of light (over 200 lumens), can run on either one CR123A or two AA batteries, and have a decent run time (I have heard over three hours, but have not confirmed this first hand). I use rechargeable NiMH batteries for the lights (both front and rear) to cut down on battery costs and lessen my impact on the environment. I also have white reflective tape on the handlebars, down the front of the forks, and on the back of my front rim.

The final touch is an amber dual tube Down Low Glow mounted on the down tube and left chain stay. If you never heard or seen this product before and do any amount of night time riding, do yourself a favor and check out the site. During the day, the DLG is pretty much useless, but at night, cars will not only see you, but often times give you an entire lane's worth of space when they pass you. (Yes, this is from first hand experience). Not only is there an enhanced safety factor, this is also the coolness factor. I have had more than one person say, "Cool" or "I like your bike" when I'm on my night rides.

Visibility is not just limited to the bike, but also extends to the rider. Depending on the weather, I wear either a short sleeve jersey or a long sleeve jersey in Hi-Vis Yellow. I also have a Sugoi Venture jacket in Hi-Vis yellow. At night, I will add a reflective vest over my jersey. The one I currently wear is a green safety vest with silver reflective trim, but ideally I want to get a Hi-Vis yellow vest with safety orange trim and silver reflective tape. With all the road construction along Highway 90 recently, I found that this combination is highly visible even in fog.

Room for Improvement

Now after all that, you'd think I'd be satisfied. However, there are some areas that can be improved upon. First, I am still working on a nagging issue of the best hooks to use on my bucket panneirs; I currently use latching fender hooks to keep the panniers from bouncing loose. Second, I would like a second set of wheels (front and rear) as a backup in case one the current wheels gets damaged. I also want to try a different set of tires, namely Schwable Marathon Plus tires, which have superior puncture resistance, but also a high weight factor.

Even though the lights I have are suitable for the job, it would be nice to have lights that do not rely on battery power. Therefore, a generator hub (either Shimano or Schmidt) and coupled with a Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ Fly Plus headlight and a Busch & Müller 4D Lite Plus tail light would make an ideal companion to the battery powered lights and allow for longer night rides. Speaking of longer night rides, a better battery pack for the DLG would be a nice extra. I would also enhance the reflectivity of the bike by using SOLAS tape one the front of the bucket panniers, as well as the rims.

And as a final Fred touch, I would add a Mirrycle Mountain Mirror (two, actually) to keep an eye on things behind me (like overtaking cars) and an Incredibell Big Brass bell (the ring tone reminds me of the bike bell my parents had on their Schwinn Tandem).

Now is all of this really necessary? No. Is it overkill? Probably. Do I feel safer at night? Most definitely.

The next installment will cover a selection of different commuter bicycles, with comments on their strengths and weaknesses. Stay tuned.