Mischief Managed

[mousme]

I rescued my bike from my parents' place and brought it to Eddy's Bicycle Shop where they gleefully told me that they could have it ready by tomorrow, Friday at latest. Apparently with the rain today they got a jump start on all their work.

So the next thing to do is to get myself a backpack (hard to bicycle with a purse, don'tcha know), and the first day of good weather will see me cycling (very, very slowly) to work.

Now I just have to muster the energy to get back out there to go grocery shopping before I have to leave for work. Meh. Don't wanna. I also have to change into my work clothes. Moving bicycles is a messy business.

Comments

[ashforestwalker.livejournal.com]

Wish I was able to bike to work.

I could get here by following all the bike paths for LaSalle to St-Lambert but it would take me more the two hours. I would also be a salt stain at the end of it.

HRH.

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's only about 30km; and my average cycling speed on bikepath / good roads when I'm in shape is 25km/hour - so with a bit of practice you could probably do in in about 1h15min (I used to do my parent's place in St. Lambert to Place Alexis Nihon for work every day in 45 mins). You would be a salt stain for sure, but surely Champlain has showers that you can use? You would be in such great shape if you cycled to work!

[pasley.livejournal.com]

No, Champlain has no showers. (Sounds strange, and correct me if I'm wrong, Ron, but I seem to recall students complaining about the lack of showers.)

[ashforestwalker.livejournal.com]

No we have showers. There are staff that work out in the morning and at lunch that use them.

HRH.

[ashforestwalker.livejournal.com]

Yes, It would get rid of a few pounds at least. Hummm I'll have to give it a try one friday. What I need now is a bike!

HRH;)

[ai731.livejournal.com]

http://www.velomakak.com/

Good store for a quality used bike in good condition at reasonable prices. It's a shed *full* of bikes run by a guy with a shaved head and a bunch of tattoos - who really knows his stuff. They're just off Wellington, two blocks west of Peel.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yes, It would get rid of a few pounds at least.

That's part of the idea for me, too. Better for the environment is a pretty important consideration. Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that it may take me less time to bike to work (once I'm in better shape) than it does to BMW it. :)

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Swap your BMW for a VW: vélo-walk ;-)

[mousme.livejournal.com]

That is the idea, yes. All I need now is a working bicycle, a couple of extra bits of gear (pannier, reflective vest), and a whole lot of willpower to actually get going. :P

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

I agree that a pack is good on a bike, but I have ridden a bicycle with a purse with a shoulder strap more times than I can count.

Do you have any baskets? You could always put a purse in a front basket and bungee cord it down. When I, once upon a time a long time ago, bought a brand new bicycle I insisted on it being a lady's bike, having a basket in the front, fenders, and one of those flat things in the back that you can attach stuff to. And, of course, reflectors, lights, and a bell.

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Cycling with a backpack in the summer is really quite uncomfortable. I highly recommend a rear rack and panniers instead. Or, as taxlady says, a basket for your purse.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Rack, that's the word I was looking for. I agree that paniers are more comfortable than a pack. Some paniers have back pack straps.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Good to know. My bike does in fact have a rear rack, so maybe I can improvise something that way. I don't have a basket, but perhaps I can purchase one at Eddy's.

That reminds me: I need to get a reflective vest of some sort, so that the traffic doesn't squish me. That, and bungee cords. Oh, and a working bicycle lock. :P

[ai731.livejournal.com]

My bike does in fact have a rear rack, so maybe I can improvise something that way.

I would highly recommend getting a proper pannier rather than trying to improvise, especially when it comes to things that would normally be in your purse (wallet, ID card, lunch, etc.) - especially since you were planning to buy a backpack anyway

This one is a low-cost, minimalist pannier that will do the job:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442617970&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681156

This one has the cool convert-to-backpack feature that taxlady mentioned. It's a very handy feature to have for things like shopping at the Atwater market, because carrying a full pannier around by it's little handle is a pain:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619352&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681153

This is the one I've had for almost 15 years; and it's still in perfect condition. Very, very rugged:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442617969&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681148

And for reflective cycling clothing, I recommend this jacket in yellow:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442624749&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692501&bmUID=1215641165700

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

The yellow vest I use is this one (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442530821&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692343&bmUID=1215641556319). I like it because it's not really another layer of clothing, an important consideration at this time of year.

As for bags, I'd suggest also looking at MEC's range of panniers, as ai731 suggests below. They seem to be a lot cheaper for quality than anyone else in Montreal. I started off using a backpack, and the Sweaty Back Syndrome(tm) is rotten at this time of year, even late into Autumn. Best to keep your back free and breezy.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Neat. Is their equipment only available at their store on de l'Acadie, or can I get it somewhere that's not quite so far away?

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Yeah, de l'Acadie is their only shop in Montreal, unfortunately.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

The alternative would be to mail-order with them. They accept Interac which is handy for me because the Canadian banking cartel has decided (based solely on a single digit in my social insurance number, no less) that I can't be trusted with a credit card.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Enh. It'll be faster if I go in person, even if it does take a couple of hours. The shop called today at *noon* to tell me that my bike was ready. I am very excited, and going to get it tomorrow. Then I'll get the rest of my safety/transportation gear, and I'll be set!

I should get a bicycle icon...

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

If you do go with a basket, watch out: it's a bit unwise to put a lot of weight on the handlebars. It makes your center of gravity high, and can make it hard to steer. Panniers don't have that problem.

As for reflective vests, they all well and good but they're not enough to ensure your visibility if you're riding at night. You really want front and rear lights for that; fortunately, you can get cheap lights with 3 LEDs that are fantastically bright and last for eons for pretty danged cheap.

All this said, yay biking! Riding to work makes me so very much happier than taking public transit. Not to mention that if you get into the habit, you can save a surprising amount on STM passes.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Excellent point about the lights. I am a big squealing fanboy of the Planet Bike Super Flash rear LED light because it's so damned bright and flashes in a noticeably distinct way, and MEC at the moment are doing a bundle offer (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442623127&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1215660277810) of that rear light in combo with the half-watt Blaze front light for $33.50, which saves a dollar on buying them separately.

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice. I've just got a white (well, greenish) inferior equivalent of that rear flasher up front, which is fine for being seen in town where there's streetlights, but doesn't really light much up.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Up front I've got a big bright thing similar to that Blaze one in the offer and I can tell you it doesn't light much up in front of me either, the city is just too brightly lit already. However it's great for being seen by cars, especially at dusk when the sky is still a bit light. I even use my lights on dark rainy days now as well.

[grimmwire.livejournal.com]

Just got my bike back from Eddy's on the weekend; they did a fine job.

Yay for bikes!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear it. They seem like a good place, so it's good to have outside confirmation of this.

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

18 miles each way, uphill in both directions. No really, I have to cross a rather steep sided valley. And then riding home at 02:30 or later. Wish I could but it ain't happening.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm pretty lucky in that I'm about 5km away from work (so roughly 3 miles) and it's only vaguely uphill on the way in. 18 miles sounds like a really, really long way to go. At least an hour and a half, I'd guess, if you're doing the uphill thing. On the plus side, you'd be in great shape in no time. ;)

Biker Phnee

[ankhorite.livejournal.com]

So proud of you, you go, grrrrrl!

Yes, panniers or a basket. Not a backpack.

Go go go!

Re: Biker Phnee

[mousme.livejournal.com]

I'll check out baskets and a reflective vest when I go pick up the bike. I apparently have it on good authority that backpacks are undesirable in the summer. :)

[chasingthenuns.livejournal.com]

I'm a huge fan of the basket. I have one on the front of my bike (Daughter rides on the back) and it comes off so I can bring it in the store with me. I love it.