Why don't more ride early evening?

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In article ,
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.


_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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In article ,
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.


_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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In article ,
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.


_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
(church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
day, that there was still time to get out there.

And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
(Highway 35).

The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
(church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
day, that there was still time to get out there.

And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
(Highway 35).

The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
(church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
day, that there was still time to get out there.

And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
(Highway 35).

The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.