Bicycling adventures

[pegkerr]

This afternoon was one of those first occasions which was actually perfect for bicycling. Sunny and 61 degrees. I kitted up, stowed my bags and put my commuter cup, filled with water, in the water bottle clip. [I put homemade coffee latte in it during my morning ride (well, now tea) and water on the ride home.]

I've had bad luck with commuter cups. I had one that I'd used for probably over five years, and within one week of starting to bicycle, it bounced out of the clip and the outer casing cracked, so that coffee started oozing between the layers and I had to throw it away. I bought another one, and sure enough, three days later, it bounced out of the clip and broke the outer plastic casing, too.

I took it back to the coffee shop I'd gotten it at and convinced them to exchange it for one that was stainless steel. THIS one had no outer layer, so I figured I was set. It had a tapered middle, too, so I hoped it would sit better in the clip.

I pulled into traffic and got into the bike lane. After about ten blocks or so, I came up behind Mr. Casual Biker. Now, I've been passed by EVERYONE I've encountered on the road so far. It is rather humiliating. But Mr. Casual Biker was actually ACTUALLY going slower than me. Much slower. I waited a block or so to be sure and then decided to pass him. I gave him a cheerful and polite "On your right" (it was a one-way street, and so the bike lane was the farthest one over to the left) and pulled ahead. Yes, dear reader! I actually pulled anead!

I had about ten seconds to savor this minor but still very satisfying victory, when I hit a patch of combination potholes-and-gravel--and my brand new commuter cup bounced out of the clip yet again. This time, I actually managed to run over it with my back wheel. Fortunately, I avoided totally dumping the bike.

I immediately slowed to a stop, and Mr. Casual Biker whizzed on past. A man passing by on the sidewalk retrieved the cup from under a parked truck. It is scratched along the top and has a two inch dent in the side. (And I'd post a picture if I could find the digital camera, but the girls have absconded with it and now deny knowing its whereabouts.)

I've owned it all of four days. Well, it still closes securely, and the exterior is one layer, so I don't have to throw it out. Yet.

I was lucky. If I had fallen, gee, I could have gone under that truck.

It has given me pause for thought. I had been wearing gloves previously, because of the cold, but my hands were bare this afternoon for the first time. If I had fallen, they would have been pretty chewed up. I think I need to get some biker's gloves with netting on the fingers and leather on the palms, to protect me if I fall.

I still want to get that bike odometer, and this helmet mirror is driving me crazy. Definitely handlebar mirrors for both sides.

Would a small bungee cord hold the damn cup in place?

(Argh. Riding a bicycle was supposed to save me money.)

Comments

[katharine-b.livejournal.com]

Random comment here, but: maybe you could use an insulated bottle, like one of these Siggs (http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/search/Google/sigg?cm_mmc=ps_google-_-Category%20-%20Camp%2fHike-_-Camping%2fHiking_Hydration_Sigg-_-sigg)? They have small enough mouths that they're easy to drink from. (We have one that my boyfriend uses for storing wine once he's opened a bottle.)

[jbru.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you might be using the wrong device to hold your liquid. If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, those are engineered to fit nicely in the cup holders of vehicles. Your bike's water bottle holder is designed to hold a different sort of bottle. Your commuter cupt might be too narrow to be held properly. Optionally, your holder might be bent out of wack.

You might look into getting a lexan water bottle; that would hold hot or cold liquids and might be a better fit for your bike's holder.

[tinymich.livejournal.com]

I know nothing about bicycles, but is there a chance that your cup clip is faulty / too loose / etc? (Or, as suggested, that the clip's not being used with the right kind of cup?) 3 times in close succession seems to indicate a bit more than "bad luck"...

[whiskeychick.livejournal.com]

yeah a mini bungee cord might not be a bad idea; however, sounds to me like ur cup is the wrong kind for the bike. you can get the mini bungee cord at a dollar store or like in the end cap or cashier impulse buy area at a sporting goods store.

[ame-chan.livejournal.com]

my bike basket does that and what I did was rig a bungee cord on the handlebar and wove it in the basket, which makes a nifty cup holder :-)

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Peg, I think you've said, but just checking: you are wearing a big ol' ugly reflective vest every time you ride to work, right?

Yes, you need those biker's gloves.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yep, I wear the orange vest every time!

[lisatheriveter.livejournal.com]

A hair tie might be the right sort of mini bungee cord to hold your cup in place...

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

A google on bikeforums.net yields these threads:
"If you are a coffee drinker"
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-105051.html
which points to these:
http://somafab.com/morningrush.html
http://bicyclecoffeesystems.com/

It seems like most folks just brew up and carry a thermos in their bags and drink when they get to work. I can't stand coffee myself so I am not going to be a ton of help.

Alternatively, there are insulated water bottles. Zefal and Polar both make them. However, they have the standard sippy top, and drinking coffee out of that may be just wrong. But if they bounce out of your cage, it's DEFINITELY adjusted wrong. You know that you can bend the cage to snugly hold your bottle, right?

drinkin' 'n' ridin'

[laytonwoman3rd.livejournal.com]

I have trouble imagining drinking coffee out of any kind of vessel whilst riding a bicycle. I can't manage it in the car without christening the carpeting (and often, myself) with caffeine. Should you stick to water, and the bottles designed to fit in your clip, when you're wheeling along?

(Oh, Hi! I've been reading you for a while. Enjoy your observations. I'm less prolific, but feel free to drop by.)

Re: drinkin' 'n' ridin'

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Hello, and welcome to my journal. Oh, I agree. I only drink when I am stopped at a stop sign or stop light. There are LOTS of them along my route. I never drink while actually riding.

[katakanadian.livejournal.com]

If your ride is not overly arduous I would recommend simply not drinking during the ride. Put your coffee in a thermos in your pack. You will not become seriously dehydrated during an hour's ride at moderate temperatures. Have something just before you leave home and another drink when you finish, drink enough the rest of day and you will be fine.

[zephyrious.livejournal.com]

Bike gloves are a good idea. They provide some cushioning, which you may not need for commuting, and they'll protect your palms when you brush glass off your tires. You may not be up to doing that maneuver as you ride, yet, but it is a useful skill for a commuter.

I meant to comment awhile back about falling too. I recommend going to a field and practicing falling. Especially, make sure you don't try to use outstretched arms to break your fall. That tends to result in broken collarbones, which are *no* fun.