Korey Pelton's Cycling Blog

Bikes and Trailers

As you may have read in my past articles, every year my buddies and I have to do a cycle camp.  The summer is just not complete without one.  They usually involve cycling too far, carrying too much gear, exhaustion, and heavy drinking.  :-)

We enjoyed camping in Goodenough Canyon near McCammon, Idaho in the past so much that we decided to do it again this year!  The distance is good (30 miles one way), there’s plenty of trees (a rarity in southern Idaho), and McCammon is only a few miles away from the campground.  I was late, as usual, arriving at our meeting spot near the south end of Pocatello, so we set out at about 9:30 am.  I was riding my Windsor Tourist touring bicycle and towing my Nashbar Kid Karriage trailer full of firewood, sleeping bag, etc.  Dan Lloyd was riding his Motobecane 29er mountain bike and towing a Burley Nomad trailer full of supplies.  And Travis Poppe was riding his Surley Long Haul Trucker with his massive Ortlieb panniers stuffed full.  Yeah, we weren’t planning on averaging more than 12 miles per hour on this fine Labor Day weekend.  :-)

Ahh, The Great Outdoors

After passing the usual 500-or-so Pocatello Marathon runners that are usually on this stretch over Labor Day weekend, we arrived at the Inkom town park feeling fine; after resting for a bit and refilling water bottles, we continued on to McCammon on Highway 91.  In McCammon, about noon, we locked our bikes up at our restaurant of choice, Subway, and went in to get some lunch.  Wow, a foot long cold cut combo sandwich loaded with veggies tastes great after towing a trailer by bicycle for 25 miles!  After Subway, we cycled over to the nearby convenience store and loaded up on beer, hot dog material, chips, and extra water.  Our rigs now weighed significantly more than when we arrived.  Oh well, the campground was only a few miles more, weighing a ton is no problem!  Yeah, those were famous last words.  ;-)

The campground lay to the west, and is about a 600 foot elevation gain from McCammon, with the first part of the climb being very steep (over 10% grade).  Trudging up the steep road in our lowest gear was slow, and we each concentrated on our own method of climbing.  It was about 1:00 pm and the temperature had reached 95 degrees, according to Dan’s fancy digital watch.  I was pedaling very slowly, concentrating on my breathing, and just focusing on getting through this last part of the journey.  My attitude was pretty positive at this point, since slow, torturous hill climbing is something I have mastered over time.  However, it was difficult staying positive in the next portions of this climb.

The Camp Site

After what seemed like an eternity, the road leveled out and then turned to gravel.  I was sweating buckets and drinking water frequently while continuing to low-gear along the road.  As I continued along the canyon road, the temperature seemed to be getting hotter and I began splashing my face, head, and neck with my water bottle and maintaining a steady pace.  And next I saw the trees in the distance and I was very glad.  Some thick clouds covered the sun a few times and the temperature felt like it immediately dropped 10 degrees; and then the sun came back out and I was in the oven again.  After I felt like I was doing to die, I reached the top of the last hill of the road, sped down the other side, got off my bike, laid my bike down, and dumped more water on my head and back.  Oh my god it felt good getting off that bike.  After a minute, Travis caught up and next came Dan.  We all looked at each others sweaty, red faces and Dan said his watch said 101 degrees.

Relaxing With Beer!

We got to the campground, put our stuff down, and began cracking open the beers, which were still cold.  I swear, there is nothing in the world as good as a cool beer after putting yourself through a long, hard, and hot bike journey.  The beer helped us relax and improved our mood 100%.  Soon, we were jolly and thinking that this trip wasn’t so bad.

We talked for a long time, drank all our beer, played some Frisbee, made a fire, cook hot dogs and marshmallows on sticks, and went to bed.  The rest of this trip is rather uneventful, except for the stupid large rodent that got into our trash that night and was clinking beer bottles all night long.  I think we were all just too tired to get up and shoo it away.

Click the photos to see the gallery!

Trying to look like a real MTBer.

A few months ago, a couple of friends of mine, Dan and Darren, expressed their yearning for a mountain bike ride, so being the avid cyclist that I am (or try to be), I agreed to come along.  I’ve never been very good at mountain biking for several reasons:

1. I weigh 200 lbs, so I am not optimally designed for hill climbing.  Dan and Darren are a couple of lean, mean, climbing machines.  Yeah, skinny dudes.
2. My bicycle, a Motobecane 300HT (see bikesdirect.com) cost me $199 on Ebay back in 2007, had a 28 tooth granny chainring and a 28 tooth large cog.  Yeah, not the best for climbing steep grades.
3. Besides not being a big fan of climbing steep grades, I also don’t like descending them, unless it’s paved and I’m riding my favorite road racer.  Descending trails around Pocatello usually means bouncing over roots and rocks, and trying to avoid deep ruts and other nasties.  I’m not exactly an adrenaline junkie, ok?

But I went along anyway because I love riding bikes and exploring the great outdoors at the same time.  It’s awesome.

We began the ascent on one of the trails near Scout Mountain (I forget the name), and things were lovely.  It was a not-too-steep trail through some shady forest, and we were having a great time.  And then about half way up the trail, things got a little more rough and steep.  Then we eventually encountered snow (welcome to spring in the Rockies).  Trudging uphill through deep, sloppy snow and mud proved to be very difficult.  It made winter commuting through urban Pocatello to work every morning seem not so bad.  I would spin out in the snow, tip over a little, and feel the goo seep into my shoe.  I wanted to head back, but my nutty cohorts were enjoying themselves, so we made our way through.

After reaching a bend in the trail, we decided the few hours of climbing we’d done was enough and that we’d head back.  As to be expected, the adrenaline junkies sped down the trail and were soon out of sight.  I meandered my way down much slower, with my ass over the rear of my saddle, and my fingers carefully pumping the brakes.  Oh crap, a root, a rock, aahh!  Oh snap, here comes another tricky part.  Blargh, mud, slippery, gah!  Ah, whew, some straightaway section… gah, more tricky stuff!  I’m sure some of you can identify with my trail anxiety disorder.  I only fell off my bike three times.  :-)

I was so damn glad to see the entrance to the parking lot.

Windsor Cliff 4300

So, anyway, I recently sold my Motobecane 300HT along with my Dawes Lightning Sport.  Yup, it was time to push out the old and buy something new!  I’ve been wanting a mountain bike with lower gears and some disc brakes!  I want the lower gears so that I can climb easier without fatiguing my legs so much, and I want the disc brakes so that snow doesn’t muck up my brakes in the winter time.  Introducing the Windsor Cliff 4300.  It’s got a 22 tooth granny gear, a 34 tooth big cog, and some cheap-o disc brakes.  I’ve been warned by a few people about buying cheap disc brakes, but I really can’t afford a bike with nice disc brakes right now.  If I decide I hate the cheap ones, I’ll just replace them in the future.

Stay tuned for my future review of this bicycle!

My good friend and cycling buddy, Travis, really, really cares about his cycling experience and he is serious about it.  He only buys excellent quality equipment with rave reviews.  His touring bicycle is equipped with a Tubus rear rack ($90) and a pair of Ortlieb panniers ($150).  That equipment is probably going to last him a lifetime and is never going to fail under a cross-country tour.  He says that the rack comes with a warranty that states that if it ever breaks, the Tubus company will send someone to where ever god forsaken place you are in the country and replace it for you.  Wow, that must be a really good rack.

But we aren’t going to talk about Travis’ gear today.  We’re going to talk about racks and panniers that aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg, and that are sufficient for weekend get-aways, commuting around town, and other more common cycling activities.  These are the kinds of racks and panniers that I buy, and for the past 3 years they have held up very well and work fine.

I have bought about 4 different rear racks during the last 3 years, and the racks certainly vary in hardware style and quality.  The sturdiest rack I own is a Bor Yueh rack from Nashbar.com (it still appears to be listed in their rack section if you want to take a look at it).  Surprisingly this rack is only $15.99.  The only thing I don’t like about it is that it is hard to attach the bottom hooks of my Avenir Metro Pannier to it due to the shape of it’s “legs”.  However, you can still jamb the hooks onto a section of the legs of the rack and make it work.  It’s just hard getting the panniers off and on.

Topeak Explorer Rack

The best advice I can give you is to look for racks with thick-looking tubing and preferably with 3-tube leg support, similar to the rack to the left.  You can also read reviews, compare rack descriptions, and so on.  The rack you see on the left, by the way, is the Topeak Explorer Bike Rack and is about $28.  I have never used this rack, but it looks pretty good.  Also, the Avenir pannier I refered to earlier would fit well on this rack since its bottom hooks would fit perfectly under those little flared bits at the bottom of the legs of this rack.  Most racks and panniers work fairly well together, but it’s nice to pick a pannier and rack that are as well matched as possible.  A pannier that fits well on a rack and is easy to take off and put on makes your life that much easier.  :-)

Whether or not you even need panniers depends on what you’re going to be carrying around.  Are you going to go grocery shopping for a lot of little things?  You might want to use panniers.  Are you going on a beer run for a 30-can case of Hamm’s?  All you need is your rack and some short bungee cords (I do this all the time, by the way)!

Avenir Metro Panniers

I have only bought one set of panniers in my 3 year cycling career and they have worked out pretty well.  The Avenir Metro Panniers have 2,165 cubic inches of cargo space, 1 large top pocket, 2 medium side pockets, and 2 small side pockets.  I’ve been using this rack a lot over the past two years and I’m really surprised none of the zippers have failed yet.  I was sure one of them would break by now, seeing that I bought these panniers for only $40.  But, by heck, they have held up fine.  Also, if you need to strap that case of beer to the top of your rack, you can leave that big top pocket empty and it just lays flat.  If I’m going for a six-bottle pack of beer, I usually end up taking the bottles out of the box, putting them throughout the pockets of my panniers and throwing the box away.  This is because a six pack box usually isn’t sturdy enough for bungee cords, and a six-bottle pack just doesn’t fit very well in any of the pockets of these panniers.

Yes, cycling and buying beer go together well and should be an important consideration in your cycling equipment decisions!  You have been warned!

I recently received an invitation from the Bannock Transportation Planning Organization to attend an open house to discuss needs and strategies to address problems with our streets and highways, how these problems effect cyclists and pedestrians, and problems with our transit system.  I won’t be able to attend the open house due to prior commitments, however I would really like to contribute my thoughts to this extremely worthy cause.  So, I’m writing my thoughts here on my blog!  Feel free to link or post this article anywhere you deem appropriate.

My Perspective

Just so you know where I’m coming from when I write this, I’ll give you some basic information about myself.  I am 30 years old, I live on the east side of town with my wife and 2 children (a 3 year old and a newborn), my job is 2 miles away from my home, and I work in the Information Technology field.  I’m a home owner, and I own 1 car and 4 bicycles.  I very seldom drive to work because my wife usually needs the car to run errands, take the children to activities, etc. Additionally, I would really like to use my personal savings for other things besides buying another vehicle.  Along with these logistic and financial reasons, here is a description of my reasons for my transportation choices.

Reasons I Ride My Bike And Take The Bus

Have you ever stood on the corner of an intersection at rush hour and watched everyone driving by?  Stop and go traffic, engines heating up, exhaust filling the air, tempers flaring, inattentive drivers on cellphones.  People get from place to place hauling 4,000 pounds of metal along with them just so they can sit in a sofa-like seat while doing it, and so that they can get to where ever they need to go in the shortest amount of time.  There has got to be a better way to get a few miles across town than this.  I really think a single occupant in a motorized vehicle is a pretty danged inefficient method of doing this.  With some strategy applied to this need for short-distance travel, we should be able to save a lot of money and make the air cleaner, wouldn’t you say?

By choosing to ride my bike and take the bus, I have saved a lot of money that would otherwise been spent on another car, more vehicle maintenance, more gasoline, more insurance, and so on.  I have also stayed in good physical shape and discovered a love for cycling.  Because of my cycling, I have a good chance of avoiding common heart and metabolism illnesses that appear to be becoming increasingly more common nowadays.  Also, cycling to work is a stress reliever, while driving to work only adds stress to your day (unless you listen to soothing New Age music on the way, or something).  :-)

Reasons People Don’t Ride Their Bike Nor Take The Bus

Most people automatically assume that driving a vehicle all by themselves around town is the most convenient and quickest way to get to their destination.  They don’t have to consider the transportation needs of any other occupants of their vehicle (since they’re all by themselves),  and they can accelerate up to the speed limit as quickly as possible in order to get where they are going in the most time-efficient manner.  Why would anyone use any other kind of transportation?  Single occupant motorized vehicles are surely the best of all transportation types.

Pocatello and Chubbuck together only cover about 5 miles east to west (at its widest point) and 6 miles north to south.  And there’s a ton of intersections with stop signs and traffic lights in between.  It would be efficient to be able to cruise 30 miles per hour without stopping from point A to point B.  But, that isn’t possible.  With all the stops and slowing down you have to do in town, the best you can hope for is maybe a 20 mile per hour average.  You aren’t going to do much better than that unless you are flooring it away from every stop sign, and then you’d be wasting a lot of gasoline.

By bicycle, you can easily average 10 miles per hour in any journey across town, even if you aren’t in the greatest shape.  According to Idaho code, cyclists may treat stop signs as yield signs, and red lights as stop signs.  Many times, this law allows a cyclist to look around for traffic while still moving, and pedal right on through a stop sign.  It’s perfectly legal.  I commute by bicycle on the residential back roads, and I’m usually the only one at most intersections.

So, really, the only reason people are driving motorized vehicles is to get that extra 10 miles per hour of speed?  You’ve got to be joking.

Ok, sorry, I’ve gotten off on a tangent there.

A lot of people don’t ride their bikes for transportation because they don’t like to be sweaty, they are afraid of getting hit by a car, they are unsure of their cycling skills, and they don’t know what to do if it gets too dark, too cold, or too hot.  I think that about covers it.

People don’t ride the bus because they assume it’s not going to fit their busy, hectic schedule.  They want the freedom to be able to drop their daughter off at soccer practice in the morning, run a few errands at lunchtime, and pick up a loaf of bread after work on the way home.  Sorry, but trying to fit all that into a bus schedule would be a serious, and probably futile, endeavor.

So, What’s Wrong With Our Transportation Infrastructure?

Nothing.  It’s just fine for Pocatello and Chubbuck.  I’ve been using my bicycle and the bus for 3 years now, and I have no complaints.  Sure, that’s easy for me to say.  My life isn’t terribly hectic, and I live only a couple of miles from the middle of town.  Then again, I would wager that at least 60% of the population of Pocatello and Chubbuck has a similar life as mine (in terms of busy-ness) and live approximately 2 miles from the center of town or less.  Remember, this town is only 5 miles by 6 miles.

So, What’s The Solution, Mr. Bike-And-Bus Guy!?

There’s 2 really good ways of selling any idea.

Simple and accessible education (otherwise known as good marketing strategies). People don’t know if commuting by bicycle and by bus is right for them or if they’re going to like it.  Well, show them what to do.  Show them what bicycles to buy, what cycling clothing to wear, what bicycle accessories they’ll need to make their bicycle commuting experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible!  Make it SIMPLE and EASY or people aren’t going to do it.  The auto industry has made using cars ridiculously easy (at a big price, but who cares, right?) and that’s why everyone is doing it.  We can do the same thing with bicycles with some strategy and effort.  People don’t know if taking the bus is going to meet their needs on a given day.  Well, why isn’t there a nice little online web application where they enter in all the points they’d like to go today, and the web application spits out a bus schedule for them?  Wow, that would make taking the bus SIMPLE and EASY, wouldn’t it?  People also need to be educated on the idea of lowering the number of trips they have to make around town.  Buying a few loaves of bread on the weekend saves more time and effort that buying one loaf of bread several times a week.

Show them their return on investment, and remind them of it every now and then. No one does anything without reaping a decent benefit.  And they aren’t going to do it in the first place if there’s too much risk involved, no matter what the benefits are.  With cycling, people need to learn how to cycle safely and how to buy bicycles and accessories that aren’t going to cost them as much as the car they bought last year.  People need to be sold on the health and environment benefits of cycling.  People need to be reminded of the money they’ll save and pollution they’ll reduce by taking the bus.

So, How Should BTPO Invest Its Time And Money?

In my opinion, the best way for the Bannock Transportation Planning Organization to spend their money and time in the next few decades is to get that 60% of eligible citizens I mentioned previously to ride their bike and/or take the bus at least a few times a week.  And they should do it by creating a variety of tools that educate the masses and show them the return on investment of commuting by bicycle and bus.  We know that doing these things is good for the people and good for the community, now all we need to do is help the people understand how and why.

In closing, I would like to say that so far the BTPO is doing a really good job of increasing community awareness about alternative transportation and I truly applaud you for it!  Keep up the good work, you are going in the right direction!

Sincerely,

Korey Pelton

Bicycle commuter anatomy

Portneuf Valley Bike To Work Month is during the month of May!  Wooo!  Time to get into shape, save some money, and breath some cleaner air!  Let’s do it!

I have written this article to give a few tips to those of you who are brand new to commuting around town by bicycle.  At first, you may be apprehensive about cruising around Pocatello on a bicycle, but after you’ve done it for a month or so you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along.  In my 3 years of commuting by bicycle, I have observed that Pocatello is one of the safest places to ride a bike in the nation.  Motorists in this city are some of the most courteous I’ve seen anywhere, and most of them are happy and inspired to see citizens who are using an alternative form of transportation.

The image to the left shows a few items that can make your commute more comfortable, but you don’t need them all.  I drew this image as mostly a humorous addition to this article (the cyclist is my buddy, Travis).  Wear whatever works for you.

The following is a list of best practices that have worked for me.  But, as I have said, everyone has different preferences for their cycling style, so be sure to take a few weekends to get to know your bike and ride a few miles before you set out on your Monday morning commute!

Safety First!

One of the best resources for learning how to cycle in an urban environment is the booklet known as Bicycling Street Smarts.  You can read it online at bikexprt.com, you can order a free copy from the Idaho Transportation Department, or I believe you can even pick up a copy at Scott’s Ski and Sports.  I highly encourage you to read it, and then practice what you have read.  At first, some of the concepts in the book may seem strange to you (what, you want me to ride in the lane?!), but after you get out on the road, the reasons will become clear to you.

Also, make sure you have a good idea of what the best cycling route to work is, and take some time to bike it to see if it works for you.  I would not suggest riding on a high traffic road with no shoulder, such as Yellowstone Avenue!  It is much safer and more enjoyable to use low traffic residential streets for the majority of your commute.  A friend of mine (thanks Hans!) reminded me of the new, nifty cycling tool on Google Maps!  Type something like “123 Something Street Pocatello to XYZ Company Pocatello” into the search box, click “Search Maps”, select “Bicycling” from the drop-down menu at the left, and click “Get Directions”.  This will show a cycling-friendly route on the map connecting the two points!

What Should I Wear?

I have to wear professional clothing for my job (button up shirt, sometimes a tie, dress pants, and dress shoes).  Does this stop me from enjoying my morning ride to work?  Heck no!  Here’s how I do it:

1. Don’t overdress.  Even if it is 30 degrees in the morning, the only thing you need on your torso is your shirt and a windbreaker.  If you wear anything more than that, you’ll arrive at work all sweaty.  If you are particularly susceptible to cold, though, you can wear an extra layer.  Then, if you overheat, you can always take a layer off and throw it in your pannier or backpack.
2. Wear a helmet.  Not only does a helmet give protection from any head injuries, but it also catches the attention of motorists.
3. If it is below 50 degrees, I recommend wearing a thermal beanie under your helmet.  I get brain-freeze if I don’t do that (then again, I also don’t have any hair), and that is no fun.  You can pick one up at a local bicycle shop, at nashbar.com, performancebike.com, or one of the many online bike stores you can find via Froogle.com.
4. Pick up a couple of Velcro leg bands at one of the above mentioned places.  You can get them for like $2 at Scott’s or Barrie’s in Pocatello.  They will keep your pants from catching on your bicycle chain rings.  Oh, and if your shoes have long laces, tie them in 4 or 5 knots so they are up and out of the way.  It sucks to be cycling along, having a great time and then having your gears eat your laces.
5. Carrying your lunch to work in your backpack is simple and easy.  But, to avoid a sweaty back, I recommend a rear rack and a pannier.  You can get a rear rack from the above mentioned stores for usually about $15, and you can get low cost pannier or set of panniers for around $30 if you shop around.  That way, your back stays dry and you keep weight off of your lower back and crotch!

Those are the things that many beginning cyclists tend to forget.  I’m sure you can fill in the rest of the clothing related details.  :-)

My Bike Is A Mess!  What Shall I Do?

Most local bicycle shops can service your bike and get it running great for $30 or less.  If you’d like to give it a try yourself, here is a few very common maintenance items.

1. Turn your bicycle upside down, spray some orange degreaser into a rag, and run your chain through the rag until most of the dirt is gone.  Then dribble some general purpose oil (NOT WD-40!!!!!) along the chain and wipe the excess oil off with a rag.
2. Get a pump with a built-in air pressure gauge and air your tires up to the PSI specified on the tire’s sidewall.  Inspect your tire for wear and any hissing noises.  If you’ve got a leak in your tube, search google.com for bicycle tube repair.  There’s about a million pages online on how to do this!
3. Ensure your brake pads are making adequate contact with your wheel rims and are in-line with your rims when you squeeze your brake levers.  Ensure that they aren’t touching your rims when you aren’t squeezing your brake levers.

Those are about the 3 most important things.  There is really a ton of Youtube.com videos and online tutorials on how to solve any bicycle problem imaginable.  Bicycle repair and maintenance is actually pretty simple and is kind of relaxing and enjoyable.  Now, go get that bike out of your garage and give it some love and attention!

How Can I Get Involved With This Bike To Work Month Thing?!

You can get involved in 1 of 2 ways!

1. If someone in your work group or company has already volunteered to be the leader for your Employee Challenge team, I’m sure they will be contacting you soon!  Take this as an opportunity to give bicycle commuting a try!
2. Want to participate, but you’re the only one in your company who is interested?  Become an Employee Challenge leader!  It’s easy!  Just be sure to get your supervisor’s permission first, though, before you start mass emailing your co-workers about this event.  :-)

Good luck and I’ll see you out on the road!

Schwalbe Marathon Winter bicycle tire

A few weeks ago, Pocatello, Idaho experienced a fairly heavy snowfall of about 6 inches or so.  This was followed by temperatures ranging from -10 F to 15 F for several days after.  None of the snow melted for an entire week, which made all the roads turn into snowy chocolate mousse (see this icebike.org page for a better description of this).  I had recently purchased some better studded snow tires for my mountain bike in an attempt to improve my winter cycling experience.  However, this turned out to be only one part of the formula for making it from point A to point B on snowy roads.  The other part of the formula being practice, practice, practice.  :-)

The Monday morning after the heavy snowfall weekend, I set out on my mountain bike shod with studded tires.  Wobbling and slipping around in the thick, partially-packed snow for a few feet made me quickly re-think my decision.  I wussed out, put my bike away, and began sweeping the snow off my car, feeling defeated.

The next few days of that week were terribly cold with morning temperatures regularly hovering around -10 F.  After looking at the bus routes on the Pocatello Regional Transit web site, I found that there was a very convenient route within 5 minutes walking distance of both my house and my workplace.  So I rode the bus the rest of the week.  Driving your car to work is just wasteful, inconvenient, and bad for the environment.  It’s also expensive if you work for Idaho State University, which charges employees a hefty fee for parking.  :-(

Merrily Cycling Through The Snow!

A week later, temperatures were back up to normal levels, and so my buddy, Travis, and I decided to practice our winter cycling around town that weekend.  Travis is a lot more confident riding on snow and ice than I am, so I was really interested in taking note of his techniques.  I was secretly hoping to see him wipe out, which might make me feel less like a goof.  :-)  Cycling to Travis’ house by myself was a bit nerve wracking, but after a while I was getting the hang of it.  Travis joined me at his place and we headed out to Sacajawea Park near the West Bench area of Pocatello.  This park trail had plenty of snow on it in several places which proved to be a pretty big challenge.  This ride, and Travis’ coaching, taught me several things about bicycling on snow:

1. You aren’t going to wipe out unless you do something stupid like turning sharply.  Your body automatically corrects your balance as you slip around on uneven snow, chocolate mousse, etc.
2. Cycling in fresh snow is a piece of cake.  It is much easier than riding on trodden snow, which is the tricky part.
3. Keep your gear low and spin.  Take your time, there’s no rush.
4. Keep your hand off the front brake.  Use your rear brake, especially while descending a hill.  Your front wheel needs to remain moving and as straight as possible.
5. Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires are worth the $60/tire.  They bite into ice better than cheaper tires and they will last for several winters, whereas the studs on cheaper tires get very dull after only one winter.

After about 15 miles of riding around town in all kinds of different consistencies of snow, I was actually feeling good about riding in snow and enjoying myself.  The next Monday, I got up, hopped on my bike, and cycled through the chocolate mousse with glee!  I actually purposely plowed through some thicker snow just to put a little excitement into my ride since, by then, there was plenty of bare pavement to ride on.

Winter cycling isn’t for everyone.  But if you’re looking for an alternate winter transportation method and some serious fun, buy a good pair of studded snow tires, get out there and give it a shot!  But, beware, it really does take some practice to get over your initial nerves, or at least it did for me!  It’s a lot like learning how to swim for the first time.  But after you get past your fears, you gain a lot of confidence and you get a feel for it.  Several sources online claim that winter cycling improves your overall cycling stability and confidence on all kinds of terrain, and I can definitely see the truth in this.

Here are some useful and interesting winter cycling links!

• Icebike.org – Lots of great information on how to dress, cycling techniques, etc.
• Winter Cycling According To Pete – A humorous account of how Pete Hickey commutes by bicycle in the winter.
• Jill’s Subarctic Journal – A woman in Juneau, Alaska who rides a Surly Pugsley.  Very inspiring!

Korey the cyclo-cross fan.

Ok, I’ve never competed in cyclo-cross, but I love watching cyclo-cross, so that counts for something!  And yesterday I did some off-road hill-climbing, maneuvering tricky descents, and riding through mud and snow -laden trails on my touring bike.  Ok, I never had to dismount and carry my bike, but I think this ride was adequately cyclo-crossish and it was a great workout.  Additionally, I found the correct path between Trail Creek Road and Michaud Creek Road, whereas I failed before!

The forecast for Thanksgiving in Pocatello sounded awesome: 45 degrees and lots of sun!  This was the perfect time to reattempt the route I had  planned; namely going from Trail Creek to Michaud Creek road rather than the other way around.  I was bound and determined to find the correct trail this time!  Due to the recent snow and ice on the roads, I had put my studded snow tires on my mountain bike, so my trusty touring bike was my only option today.  It really wasn’t a bad choice since this route requires about 50% on-road riding.

Near the top of Trail Creek Road.

This route begins at the bottom of Trail Creek Road on the southwest end of Pocatello (commonly referred to as the West Bench area).  The steady climb up this road is a great warm-up.  The pavement ends after a few miles and you’re on a well maintained trail after crossing a cattle guard.  It was at this point that I had to take my gloves and windbreaker off since I was roasting to death after this long climb!  And then the climbing just goes on and on until you can see most of Pocatello in the distance behind you.  The sun was so brilliant, the wind was still, and I could feel the warmth of the suns rays and hear the distant sound of shots fired from people practicing for hunting season.  Aaah, Pocatello is a rather nice place.

Soon, I was at the top and I recognized the trail intersection here from what I had seen on mapmyride.com.  After some looking around, I found the trail that must be the path to Michaud Creek Road; it was on the other side of the ridge and didn’t look like much at first since it was less maintained and skinnier than the other trails.  And this is where the sloppy cyclo-crossing fun began!  This trail was cut rather deeply into the hill, so it was plenty snowy and muddy.  After a few near-spills, I got the hang of where to put my front tire to keep from slipping out.  It was quite fun practicing this slippery decent in such nice weather with no traffic around!  I highly recommend it!

View from the south side.

The decent on the south side of the ridge is very gradual, with fields of tall grass, junipers, and sage brush all around you.  In the distance, you can see the Arbon Valley and the American Falls Reservoir.  My tires were soon coated in thick mud and I was glad for my fenders.  I came upon a BLM Trail Management sign and a gate, and carried my bike around the gate.  Oh, hey, I guess I did have to carry my bike!  I wouldn’t recommend running around the gate with your bike, however, since it was rather hard to get through and there was a cattle guard you had to walk across on the other side of the sign.  Cattle guards are very slippery when your shoes are wet, so be careful  :-)

Wheee!

After a few more miles, the trail ended at Michaud Creek Road.  On this end of the trail, there is an ancient-looking, rusty no-trespassing sign, but I really don’t think it has been applicable for a few decades since this was the only no-trespassing sign I saw on the entire journey and there was a BLM information map a few miles back.  Trespassing shmespassing!

I think I will try this route again from the other way on my mountain bike in the spring!

The above map shows my intended route for my Saturday afternoon ride.  However, I went too far up Michaud Creek Road and ended up performing a hike-a-bike over a very craggy, rock-strewn, god forsaken mountain top trail, then trail riding down City Creek trail (runs parallel to Trail Creek Road about a mile or so to the east).  Yeah, I didn’t see that coming.

The ride started along the Frontage Road highway towards American Falls.  I had never cycled on Michaud Creek Road, so I was riding my touring bike in case I had to do some unimproved road riding.  Later in this story, you will see that this was the understatement of the week. I turned left onto an unmarked road that I assumed was Michaud Creek Road since it was right where it was supposed to be (just east of the Pocatello Airport).  I keep looking for a road sign on the way up the road but never saw one.  It turned out to be a pretty nice road.  It was scenic, I saw 3 pheasants, and the road is sheltered on both sides by hills, so Pocatello and the Simplot factory disappears from sight.  You also can’t smell Simplot from Michaud since the wind blows from the west!

I cycled past some cows that were wandering loose at the side of the road and after quite a few miles of constant uphill cycling I started to wonder when the heck this road would turn to dirt; but it just kept on going.  Eventually the road turned north and the pavement started looked pretty old and weathered, and the grade increased too.  Then I was in my lowest gear and crawling up the steep grade.  The mountains near Kinport peak looked quite close and the surrounding hills looked very familiar to me as those I’ve seen around the City Creek area, so I knew I was nearing the top.  Also, the wind is blocked in the Michaud Creek Valley, but now that I was above the valley I was feeling the cold October wind.

Finally the pavement ended at the top of the ridge and I saw a small pond nearby, which was quite a surprise.  It must be a low point between the mountains where run-off collects.  I got off my bike like an old man with arthritis and walked up to the highest nearby point to take a look around.  I tried to get an idea as to where I was.  I could see the blinking towers on top of Howard Mountain.  Kinport peak was blocked from view by some foot hills.  I could see Holt Arena directly to the North.  I must have been very close to Trail Creek Road, but I could not see any clearly defined trail.  I walked up another hill to take a better look, but I could only guess the direction I should be going.  My better judgement told me just to go back from where I came, especially since it was downhill all the way back to Frontage Road, and then the west wind would blow me back to Pocatello.  But my adventurous side won the battle and I began hiking my bike up the most likely looking trail.  As soon as the trail leveled out a little, I hopped on my bike and rode a ways.  Then I hopped back off, cursed the rugged, rocky, steep trail and hiked some more.  I kept reminding myself of the past experiences I’ve had that told me what a glutton for punishment I must be. Had I been riding my mountain bike instead of my touring bike, I might have rode more and hiked less.  But, really, I’m kind of a wuss when it comes to traversing rocky, steep, technical trails.  I’m an explorer, not an adrenaline junkie.

Finally, the trail turned a lot easier so I hopped on my bike and made some time.  The trail eventually turned onto City Creek trail to my utmost glee.  I was so happy to see a trail that was familiar to me.  I met a hiker and another guy driving up in his truck.  I hadn’t been away from civilization very long, but I was really happy to see another human being after being alone and lost for the past hour or so.  Riding down the trail on my touring bike wasn’t very fun.  No shocks, no upright position, and cantilever brakes that required me to grip them as hard as I could to get any stopping power.  Yeah, I’ve read before that the mountain bike brake lever position and V-brakes were designed with stopping power in mind and I have personally discovered that to be the truth.  You can get better stopping power with cantilever brakes if your hands are in the drops, but you don’t want your hands in the drops when your descending a bumpy trail.  Yeah, remember folks, for best results, use a mountain bike for mountain biking.  Just a tip :-)

I got home about 3.5 hours after I started my journey, and I drank plenty of beer to ease my frazzled nerves, my sore hands, and several other overly used muscles groups.  Next time I will probably cycle up Trail Creek Road and see the situation from a different angle.  I’m anxious to figure out where I went astray.

Want a body like mine?  Yes you do (ok, maybe)!  What’s my secret?  Eating a sensible diet (most of the time), eating junk food occasionally, drinking loads of beer, and cycling to work everyday!  :-)  Just look at that sculpted arm from years of lifting heavy mugs of beer!  Just look at that not-too-big beer gut!  Look at those cyclist legs!  This is the diet breakthrough of the century, folks.

But, anyway, on to today’s story.  I didn’t have time to bring lunch to work today, so I took glee in the opportunity to cycle on over to a nearby McDonald’s and get a few McDouble Cheeseburgers and McChicken Sandwiches!  Mmm!  Having McDonald’s too often would get pretty boring, but once every few weeks is a treat.

After riding into the parking lot, I noticed they had placed a bright yellow bike rack on the sidewalk.  Wow, I guess they got tired of me and the other cyclists chaining our bikes to the kiddie playground fence!  I was elated!  It’s also a very nice bike rack that holds your front wheel and makes it easy to fasten both your front wheel and frame to the rack.  Way to go McDonald’s!

I walked in and got a slight grin from the girl at the counter who tried to hide her expression as she looked at my Velcro straps around my pant legs.  Ok, I guess I did look a little geeky with my plaid button-up shirt and dress pants with straps.  Ah, well, cyclists do their thing and we don’t care how we look, mmkay?  ;-)

After taking my order, I said, “Wow, it’s nice that you guys put a bike rack outside, I’m lovin’ it!”  Then I quickly grimaced in pain and said, “Umm, sorry I said that.  I hate that slogan.  Gah.”  They snickered and handed me my order.

Do you want to be a hardcore bicycle commuter?  Do you want the ability to cycle to work in comfort no matter what the weather is like outside?  This can be quite a tough challenge to meet, but with the right equipment and clothing, it can be done, and all for under $100 bucks (assuming you have a touring, commuter, or mountain bike already)!

Here is the equipment and clothing list that I’ve used in my 3 years of bicycle commuting experience.

Clothing

1. Beanie – This is a thin, thermal layer of synthetic material that fits under your helmet for temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or so.  Without it, you’ll get brain freeze!
2. Windbreaker – Cycling generates a lot of body heat.  A windbreaker is the only protection you’ll need in temperatures above 10 degrees F and can be bought online for around $20.  If you’re wearing a sweater underneath it, you’ll sweat to death, even on most winter days.  Be sure and buy a cycling specific windbreaker since they zip up closer around your neck better than the average windbreaker and are tapered so they don’t act like a parachute.
3. Rain jacket and pants – This is only necessary on rainy days.  They work great, even if you do look silly.  The whole outfit can be had for around $25 if you shop around online.  I recently got my rain jacket from Nashbar.com for only $9.99 and it works very well at keeping me warm and dry during a shower.
4. Pant leg Velcro straps – These wrap around the bottoms of your pant legs and keep them from catching in your drive train or on a water bottle cage.  They are $2 a pair.
5. Gloves – During cool weather, I use cheap gloves I bought from Wal-Mart ($8).  During cold weather, I use more expensive ski gloves I bought from Fred Meyer ($15 on sale).

Bicycle Equipment

1. Fenders – Fenders are used so that you don’t get sprayed with water and mud kicked up by your tires.  I commute to work in semi-formal clothing, so this is a must.  I use some SKS brand mountain bike fenders that I bought online for about $25.  If your bicycle doesn’t have eyelet mounts for fenders, you can go to your hardware store and buy p-clamps (sometimes they go by other names) and fasten your fenders to the clamps which go around your fork or seat-stays.  The only department I found these in at Lowes was the electrical department.  They are used in electrical work for holding wiring to walls or something.  They come with rubber strips, which are useful for mounting to skinnier frame tubing.
2. Studded tires – These are only necessary if you plan on winter commuting.  Ice is really the only surface you can’t cycle on with regular tires.  Trust me, I’ve crashed several times attempting to riding on ice with regular tires  :-)  Studded tires can range anywhere from $35 to $70, so shop around and see what works for your budget.  Last year, I used the low-end Innova tires which were about $35 a tire, but I’ve noticed that the steel studs are starting to show some wear after only one season.  A friend of mine bought Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires for a bit more money, and they feature carbide studs which last much longer and feel sharper than regular steel studs.

Anyway, there is the list of things that has worked well for me in all kinds of weather.  I’ve left out some general equipment, such as racks, baskets, lunch boxes and such, but I hope this list gives you an idea of what you need and why you need it!