The first item is gear. While commuting about 2 months ago during a pretty good rain, a guy pulled up next to me with what looked to be a great waterproof backpack. I asked him how he liked it and noted the brand. After doing some research, I finally located it. It can be found here: http://www.summithut.com/products/rkv-reykjavik/.
It’s made by Pacific Outdoors. These folks know WET. It’s a waterproof material and the zippers are welded so no water gets in. Absolutely no water has penetrated so far. I feel completely safe carrying my laptop in it during a downpour. I opted for the Reykjavik. It’s about the perfect size for carrying what I need on a daily basis. My laptop is 14”, but you may need the next size up if you are carrying anything bigger. It has lots of pockets for storing stuff. Most importantly, it has an upper chest strap and a lower belly strap which can be adjusted. It has some nice, vented padding on the back, too. When I wear this, I hardly know it’s on.
The second item is weather. Wow, it’s been pretty darn nice lately. I know it will end at some point but I’m enjoying it while it lasts. But, I’ve come to the realization that you CAN’T let weather serve as an excuse to be lazy and take the easy way out. Rain, no problem. Just pedal your ass off to work or home for 45 minutes and it’s over. I’ve collected enough various articles of clothing to get me through just about anything. Now ice and snow will require something special. Still not sure how I’m going to handle that one.
The third item is training. So far this has worked out well. It generally takes me ~30 mins to get to HP. That’s my warm-up. Then I usually bang out the workout for the day and commute easy home. So simple and the time savings I’ve added to my life has been great.
Having been commuting over a year now(through winter also) i found that snow/ice isn't nearly as bad as the rain when its below 50 (even at or around 50). snow glides off any type of jacket, or jersey for that matter and unless its more than a couple inches deep, its very do-able, even on 700x23c tires. For ice, i just make sure i stay on the main roads and a little more in on the road.
ReplyDeleteThats a nice pack by the way. Mine is water resistant, but i also dont carry a laptop.
What tires are you running when the weather gets slick? I was thinking about throwing on some 25's with a little tread so I'd have a little more grip.
ReplyDeletei actually use Specialized Armadillo's almost all year. which is what you dont want when the weather gets slick. But i'd rather go slow around corners than catch a flat once a week. And since owning those tires, i've only flatted once on them.
ReplyDelete25's are what i used from NOV to FEB. same brand/model though, Spec Armadillo's.
But tires with a bit of tread could be beneficial. The only real slippery concern is black ice, which nothing except proper bike handling will help. Snow is, like i said do-able, i honestly didnt notice much of a difference, and i rode in to work a couple times when i normally wouldn't have even driven in. the slim tired cut through the snow very easily.
So just be careful in the obvious areas when its wet and below freezing...
"These folks know WET." Hiyoooo!!!
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, those backpacks seem a bit Fred-tastic. When in doubt, I defer to city-chic Chrome.