Cycling in the Suburbs

Greetings from a sometimes-cyclist in the suburbs! Cycling here can be a bit frustrating because it is very hilly and the infrastructure is not set up very well for the slow speed of bicycling. The traffic is heavy and fast, the shoulders are small, and the signals sometimes ignore you.

Thanks for visiting!

Since you’re still reading, I assume you might be curious about using a bicycle for chores or commuting. Here are a few things you might not be aware of:

Compared to a car, it takes more time and effort to get ready for bicycle trips. Particularly in the winter, careful attention must be paid to wardrobe. If there is a chance of rain or snow, you must consider that. You have to check your tire pressure. If you use clipless pedals, then you need to change shoes. You might have to mess with your cargo rack or your bags.

There is more to do at your destination. You have to lock up the bike (and that may not eliminate the risk of theft, depending on where you live). If you don’t want your lights and accessories to get stolen, they have to be removed and brought with you. Detaching baskets or bags from your cargo rack may take some time. If you have a trailer, it probably needs to be detached and locked separately. During the winter you will also want to remove some of your heavy winter clothing (because businesses are heated to absurd temperatures).

At first, all of this will seem like a great hassle. But do not assume that it will always seem like a great hassle! Give it time. If you bike regularly and develop habits, it is not bad. You will eventually start getting ready 10 or 20 minutes earlier than you would for a car trip, and then everything will magically take care of itself as you go through your routine.

Unlike a car, it is very realistic to do most or all of your own maintenance on your bicycle. One book will teach you pretty much everything you need to know. Tools and replacement parts can be ordered online for delivery, so you don’t necessarily need a bike shop nearby. If you lack a car and don’t live in a city, this makes bicycle ownership a much more realistic and affordable option.

There are some tools which bike shops will have that are probably too expensive to own unless the nearest shop is more than a $100 taxi ride away. But these are only needed very infrequently.

When you are cycling in the suburbs, you really cannot skip checking the weather conditions! Sometimes I still forget, and sometimes I really regret it.

The weather conditions I try to avoid are: thunder, gusty winds, and ice/snow. Rain is not a dealbreaker, but anything beyond light drizzle is annoying with groceries. Also, in the winter rain is extremely cold! Rainy 34F can be more problematic than dry 0F.

You might find this surprising, but dry cold is no problem! Proper clothing is essential, but you can be very comfortable. I have personally cycled at 0F and I am sure you can go below as well. Getting stranded in the cold probably stinks (never happened to me). I also carry tire slime and a pump, and a cell phone for emergencies.

It should be obvious why thunder and ice/snow are risky. But when you’re cycling in the suburbs, even light wind gusts can be tricky because you’re probably riding near to traffic passing you at high speed without much regard for your safety or the weather conditions. And since sudden crosswind gusts can push you sideways into traffic with no warning, I think it’s smarter to postpone your trip in these conditions.

• Consider making a checklist and referring to it each ride so you don’t forget things.
• Occasionally you will crash your bicycle. It will happen! Wear a helmet.
  • It’s easier to crash when you’re carrying cargo, particularly cargo carried on top of your rack or in a backpack.
  • Consider putting cargo in pannier bags instead to lower your center of gravity and reduce the risk of tipping over.
• Find ways to help drivers see you:
  • During the day, consider blinking or strobing lights. Be considerate with these: in some conditions and situations, some blinking lights are too powerful and should be avoided.
  • Also, be aware that many drivers are secretly asleep and will not see you even if you run strobe lights. They will not yield to your right-of-way. So, ride defensively!
  • Nightime tips:
    • Use steady lights or dim blinking. Never brightly strobing!
    • Consider reflective clothing and reflective tape for the bike! These work even if your batteries die during the trip.
• Consider a mirror that attaches to your glasses or helmet. These make it very easy to see what’s behind you and work much, much better than mirrors mounted on the handlebars.
• To trigger traffic sensors, look for straight cuts in the pavement near the stop line. Try stopping in different places relative to these cuts. For example, at one local light I can trigger the sensor only by stopping on the center of three parallel cuts.
  • At least around here, some lights simply will not trigger.
  • If you stop at a light that won’t trigger, be mindful of motorists: they may stop too far behind you in a place that does not trigger the sensor, either. Most people don’t understand how the light sensors work.
• Sprinkles and light rain can make roads extremely slippery. Heavy rain washes the oil away and improves traction.

• Rather than bundling up toasty, dress to be a little bit chilly when you leave. Otherwise you will be hot and miserable once you get going.
• After a winter trip, write down what the temperature was, what you wore, and how comfortable you were. Eventually you will have a list of exactly what clothing works best at every possible temperature.
• If you wear something with a zipper, you can unzip a bit if you get too hot.
• You can bring an extra scarf or something if you’re afraid you’ll be too cold.
• Often snow is not a major traction problem, but ice is always dangerous. Bad drivers can make snow dangerous, too.
• Snow melt can create icy conditions on clear, sunny days long after it has stopped snowing.
• In the winter rain is extremely cold! Rainy 34F can be easily be more annoying than dry 0F.
• You may need a wind shell. Before I had a down parka, I used to wear a bright green windbreaker on top of layered sweatshirts. Without the windbreaker, you have to limit your top speed because the wind cuts right through.
• Road salt, and especially wet salt, will destroy your bicycle. It’s best to ride an old “beater” bicycle in the winter. Avoid salty puddles!
• At 10°F and below, it is nice to have gloves or mittens with long “tails” that keep the wind out of your sleeves.
• Mittens might be warmer than gloves at low temps, but they can also make it more challenging to operate shifters, brake levers, etc
• Consider oversized gloves or mittens: then you can wear glove liners or even another pair of gloves underneath. It’s also nice not to have your bare skin exposed when you have to remove the gloves to activate a headlight or adjust your gear or whatever.