The Reflective Bike of Authority
Everyone knows you need at least three road bikes – two if you’re absolutely determined to make a point about minimalism. Bike Number One is reserved for good weather and events, and the Rain Bike for inclement weather. Just like our guns need to be pampered and rubbed down whenever we’re off the bike, any time Bike Number One isn’t being used as a weapon of Mass V-struction, it should be pampered and polished lovingly. Best to leave the dirty work of training in Rule #9 conditions to a dedicated, loyal workhorse with less expensive componentry. It isn’t so much that a bike can’t handle getting wet – don’t be ridiculous – but rather that everything wears more quickly; road grit gets into the drivetrain, water seeps into bearings, and brake pads and rims wear like butter on a grindstone.
I find myself in the enviable position of having my repaired Cervélo R3 holding rank as my current Rain Bike. Having such a steed at hand any time the rain falls makes riding in bad weather all the more enjoyable. I did make some modifications to it, however. For starters, the cassette and chain are both Veloce instead of Record; not only are the less expensive, they appear to be more durable as well. As for hoops, a pair of Mavic Open Pros can’t be beat for durability and reliability.
But perhaps the most important modification centers around making the bike elegantly hi-vis. In addition to Lezyne flashers front and back for visibility, I have also applied strips of black 3M reflective tape to the chain stays, seat post, crank arms, down tube, and head tube. When a light isn’t shining on the tape, you can’t even see its there, but under the shine of a car’s headlights, the bike springs to life.
Riding in bad weather is all about durability and safety; the bike should be outfitted with reliable parts, and the rider should take care to be safe and visible. So whenver you’re riding in Rule #9 conditions, remember these safety tips:
- Assume the cars around you do not appreciate the dangers of being on a bicycle in the rain. If you find yourself being followed by a car at a point where it is unsafe for them to pass, either be assertive and take the lane to prevent them making a move that could put you at risk, or pull off the road completely to allow them to pass.
- Ride with confidence and make predictable movements. Always signal clearly when making turns. Make eye contact with drivers at intersections and clearly indicate your intended direction of travel.
- Always assume cars around you do not see you. Use flashers in any low light situations and give plenty of room to allow for increased stopping distance.
- When riding at night, the use of both a helmet mounted light and handlebar mounted light helps drivers realize you are a bicycle and not a motorcycle. I’m not sure why this is, but experience has proven this to be the case.
- Avoid riding through puddles, especially ones you can’t see the bottom of; potholes can be bigger than they appear or hidden completely by standing water.
Riding in bad weather means you’re a badass, but it also means cars are less likely to see you or expect to find you out on the road. In accordance with two of the V Tenets of the Velominati, we are to Look Fantastic at All Times, and Return Home Safely To Ride Again Tomorrow. My Reflective Bike of Authority plays nicely in both respects.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
@Frank It’s been a while since I’ve had my pedant hat on but I don’t think you meant “In accordance with two of The V Tenants of the Velominati…” unless it was a deliberate error, which to all intensive porpoises it could be.
V tenants would imply they were temporarily renting space, whereas V Tenets would mean they were fundamental principles.
@ChrisO
delightfully done.
Cycling in LA county is often harrowing enough without water falling from the sky. That being said, I get pretty damn excited when it does (I miss Portland), but it turns it to total shit storm of vehicular mayhem, but I am starting to find routes that are not outwardly cycling hostile, even when rains, and even if that rain only happens 5 times a year.
Cheers, Ride Safe, Go fast
@Giles
Shirley the whole fuckin’ post!?!
@frank
Yes it basically evolved into a semi-MTB 9 speed drivetrain with STI but didn’t start that way.
The bike came with a 50×34 front and an 11-32 rear 9 speed (with Tiagra STI) but that just didn’t cut it for me on thick gravel and 20% grades of the hills of Hermann MO (good training ground for the DK200). So I changed the rear to an 11-34 9 speed and the front to a 38×26 SLX. I swapped the rear derailleur to an XT long cage just because the original Deore LX was destroyed when I took a dive riding home from work on one of those rainy, dark 3 degree C nights trying to avoid a jogger on the bike path.
I can tell you the set-up for me is perfect, I am most comfortable at high cadence (90-100 rpm) so with a 38×11 I usually top out at about 50-55 km / h on a downhill. For me it is worth it for the low end climbing Belgian hills with a 10kg backpack full of cloths and computers.
From what I understand, the STI road shifter cable pull ratio is the same as 9 speed Shimano MTB components but when they changed to the Dyna-Sys 10 speed the shifter ratio changed so it no longer works with STI.
Hope this helps!
@frank
@frank
Yes it basically evolved into a semi-MTB 9 speed drivetrain with STI but didn’t start that way.
The bike came with a 50×34 front and an 11-32 rear 9 speed (with Tiagra STI) but that just didn’t cut it for me on thick gravel and 20% grades of the hills of Hermann MO (good training ground for the DK200). So I changed the rear to an 11-34 9 speed and the front to a 38×26 SLX. I swapped the rear derailleur to an XT long cage just because the original Deore LX was destroyed when I took a dive riding home from work on one of those rainy, dark 3 degree C nights trying to avoid a jogger on the bike path.
I can tell you the set-up for me is perfect, I am most comfortable at high cadence (90-100 rpm) so with a 38×11 I usually top out at about 50-55 km / h on a downhill. For me it is worth it for the low end climbing Belgian hills with a 10kg backpack full of cloths and computers.
From what I understand, the STI road shifter cable pull ratio is the same as 9 speed Shimano MTB components but when they changed to the Dyna-Sys 10 speed the shifter ratio changed so it no longer works with STI.
Hope this helps!
Blimey, due reverence to rain bikes – dismantled my rain bike last weekend, and was overcome with guilt and expense as every fourth bolt I released snapped off, leaving me with two banjaxed derailleurs and a cahin that makes a circle in two separate planes!
This despite regular degreasing and dry lubing – I’ll not describe the state of the headset bearings for fear of a lifetime ban
That said, I’m flogging the frame (giant Defy Aluxx) as I just hate riding it, and am swapping in a new Canyon Aluminium Ultimate AL SLX frame – can’t wait – plan is I will want to take the long route home, where the white Defy (actually my wife’s bike which I have pinched) is just too much like a busted sofa to make me want to ride it anywhere further than a crow’s line home – anyway, it certainly owes me nothing, but I owe the LBS a few quid more than I thought I would – seems like a mothly full overhaul for the #2 next winter is in order
@Frank Being blessed to live in the best country for riding a bike … Greece (with just 30 days of mild rain at worse a year, mild weather during the winters ok to handle hot days during summer) I don’t really own a winter bike becaue I do not need it. So after my modern carbon bike I applied the n+1 rule for the number of bikes a man can own and I made a modern build of a 1972 Colnago Super. Boy … I love steel now. So … here comes a new savings account for the next target of the bunch … a full custom geometry Pegoretti or Speedvagen ( I am still pondering on aesthetics).
Here comes the question : If you do not own bikes depending on weather conditions but on aesthetics and the hip they create on your heart and the n+1 rule applies to you in continuum, how do you decide which bike you ride, which bike is for what and most importantly : Do you ever sell a bicycle that you got attached with when u climbed mountains at audaxes and kept thinking ” Why did I come here ? Why did i do the same mistake again?”, since you may not ride it for months but you still love it when you use it again ?
@Dr C I’m flogging the frame (giant Defy Aluxx) as I just hate riding it
Nice sales pitch!
@Kupepe a full custom geometry Pegoretti
Yeah I’ll second that, my savings account too or a Feather……
Great fucking article, Frank! And wow, I never even knew about black reflective tape. Great idea!
I use a Planet Bike rear helmet light for commuting, but it swivels and that breaks the Silence when doing road riding. I’m eager to try out the Lezyne Zecto, haven’t grabbed one yet. Since we’re talking lights…the Serfas Thunderbolt is an awesome tail light for road bikes. It secures almost anywhere with rubber straps, thus useful when you have many road bikes AND since you don’t need a mount, doesn’t clutter up the N.1. I use one on the seatpost or seat stay, then a PB SuperFlash as well. Oh, and the Thunderbolt is usb rechargeable. Those two, paired with a rear helmet light makes you bright as.
Excellent riding tips for bad weather! Instead of yelling or arguing with drivers, I’ve been more and more assertive lately. Taking a lane when necessary, putting out a hand as in “don’t even think about passing me here, I can see further up the road than you…and I don’t have a metal cage” and the like. I find out it works pretty darn well. Most people chill the fuck out for a minute and the wackos who don’t, well, they’re fucked already.
Nice timing, as spring showers welcome in the new season.
Thought for a moment this was a posting for April fools day- reasonable, well thought out, encouraging function over form/appearance and without hyperbole. Alas, I checked the date and has to concede that it was just a decent thoughtful article.
@KW
I’ll try and get a WI cogal set up for this summer. It’ll be on the good roads in Washington, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac and possibly Ozaukee counties. Well away from the burbs . . . unless you count Kewaskum as a burb of West Bend . . .
@wiscot
Most all of my rides take me north and west of the city. I get into Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties quite a bit. Some fantastic roads up there. Makes me feel like I’m in Flanders with the aroma of all the cow shit.
@KW
We have a mix of great drivers and horrible drivers around the Fox Valley. Love riding in Ozaukee (son and daughter-in-law live in Cedarburg) and Washington (Sister in Richfield) Counties. Two weekends ago was able to ride around the Pewaukee Lake area — great riding, and some nice little hills to boot.
We have plenty of Flanders smells around here; this was only a few weeks back. That’s not exposed dirt from snow melt in the background….
@sthilzy What do you need to have a gun there though?
@teleguy57
Ah, I can smell it just looking at the photo.
Pewaukee Lake is a great ride–one of my favorites in the area. In fact it might be on this weekend’s agenda. It’s a nice 70-75km loop around the lake from my house. More climbing than you might expect at first too.
Now that it doesn’t rain in Texas anymore I have no use for a “rain” bike… it is now simply known as “#2”. That doesn’t mean there is no Rule #9 riding…. Quite the contrary. Extremely bitter winter (for us) with morning temps consistently in the 20’s & 30’s for waaaay longer than past years. Oh and its often ridiculously windy as well. You want to ride those Zipp 404’s? That’s fine- just stay in the back of the pace line because nobody wants to ride behind you today. Good advice on the visibility of riders. Most of our rides begin in the dark and I’ve never heard anyone complaining of being too visible. We also put a premium on respectful riding while in traffic zones…. Nothing like a group of 20 blowing through red lights with their team kit on… Thank You sponsors!
@KW
Ok, ok, ok. I will get a WI cogal on the slate soon. Sounds like there’s a bunch of us riding around unaware of our mutual Velominati status. Any of you guys doing the Cheesehead Roubaix? The UPAF ride in Mke is too easy. The Oostburg Christian School does a nice 160 kms ride in spring. If you want an awesome late season ride, the Maywood Nature Center in Sheboygan do the best 180 kms ride around. Great roads, organization and a nice, brutal route.
@wiscot I agree with Wisconsin drivers. I once had a woman stop and flag me down to apologize for passing so closely. Thing about it was that I hadn’t noticed.
A WI cogal is a necessity.
Cheesehead Roubaix is definitely on the agenda this year. I did the Door County Century last year. Very well run event.
I’m still not sure which other big rides I’m going to be able to do this year. Our baby is due in early September, so I’m afraid that a lot of late season stuff may have to go by the wayside this year. That said, I’d like to do Race the Lake. We’ll see what happens.
@KW
I’ve also committed to ride the Cheesehead Robaiux (looking for tire advice) and hope to do the Ridges Ride in June. I agree on the DCC . I’ve done it for the last 4 years but will miss it this year. Am planning on the new Peninsula Century the following Saturday. Congrats to you and your misses.
BTW, nice to see the Wisconsinites hijack the thread (sorry @frank!).
Where’s @The Oracle??
@KW
RedRanger should stick its head in here too.
@KW
With the weather we’ve been having, all we can do is talk about cycling. F**k’n snowing at this very minute.
@Puffy
Adidas is not going to like the three stripes being used here. Adidas bought the trademark way back when and will always object to the use of 2, 3 or 4 stripes along the side of sweat pants that aren’t theirs.
@Kyle
I had a woman pull over on 144 north of West Bend a year or two ago to warn me that she’d heard there were thunderstorms heading in our direction. I was 10kms from home as it was and I thanked her profusely. Got home dry and she restored a little bit of my faith in humanity.
@wiscot There British broadcaster/writer Frank Muir and in his autobiography wrote that he was driving down a country road in an open top sport car, a woman going the other way yelled “PIG” as they passed. He was just thinking that was a bit rude when he crested a hill and hit a pig that was just over the brow.
@DeKerr
What the fuck is molding tape? Yes, I mean the stuff you pointed to!
@Barracuda
I have it on the sides of the head tube, and on my cranks as well. I’ve put a planet flasher on my helmet at time too; when its really dark. I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too visible so long as you still Look Fantastic. The flasher on the helmet is borderline.
@Puffy
Same here, bees and honey and all that. If someone does something bad, its most likely that there is no reasoning with them, but yelling at them will only make them (a) defensive or (b) reinforce that cyclists are assholes.
The only success I’ve ever had was explaining to the driver what a bad situation that could have been and approach it in terms of a learning experience. Even then, the pickings are slim.
@ChrisO, @Mikael Liddy
Indeed. Corrected. Gives you an idea the kind of work our Editors had on their hands. Its a miracle the book got printed at all.
@Dr C
Just wait till you pull your BB. You will say to yourself, “I thought these were sealed?..”
I can’t overstate how important it is to have a good rain bike and that its one you enjoy riding. It doesn’t have to be an R3, for fucks sake – that just happened through stable attrition – but you have to be comfortable on it. First, you are in a riskier situation, so comfort and dependability is criticial, but also you’ll ride it as much or more than your #1, so its worth the extra care to get it right.
@therealpeel
If there is an April Fools aspect to this, it is those Camo kits.
I do occasionally give in to reason. But I have thankfully manage to keep it to a minimum.
@frank
My Giro DND Green Camo/Gum gloves are retired.
@frank
I will tell the VMH that Frank says I need to get another bike so I can make my current #1 my rain bike. That will go over well.
@Nik
Sitting in my office taking to your dad. Surreal. He wondered what “nine bike” meant. Ha!
@frank Thanks for the ruling on helmet lights. I have one but was worried that they may succumb to the masturbation principle. It’s barely a step up from a beanie with a propeller on top, but a tad more effective at stopping you from getting an SUV up the ass.
@KW
Hey, we’re in the Final Four too, so it’s all good.
@wiscot
Of the teams that are left, I’m pulling for Wisconsin.
@wiscot
Keep me informed. I have no idea where those places are but I cant be all that far from them. Also Im signed up for the second annual Bear 100(100k in my case) Its north of here about 80 miles.
@Teocalli
That is an awesome story. And while yours does have the added advantage of being true, it does remind me of one my grandma used to tell about two hobos on top of a train. As they approach a tunnel, one yells “duck!” The other replies “duck nothin’, thems geese.” I sense a collective groan from my children even now, but it still makes me smile.
A whole family just rode by this bus stop on foldable bikes.
@teleguy57
Why is that perfectly serviceable Nine Bike laying on the ground, on it’s side, in the mud, cow manure, and the snow? I may only may be a lowly Velominatus Level 4 Pedalwan, but the shame!
On Wisconsin!
University of Wisconsin, 1982
@piwakawaka @Giles @Blah @Ken Ho @DerHoggz @Marko
yeah, it was foolish on that day. My son’s b’day btw.
could’ve gone with this;
http://road.cc/content/news/115466-uci-announces-change-direction-southern-hemisphere-track-racing
thanks Frank for the heads up on the black 3m reflective tape. Getting me a few meters/yards (Rule #24 here as we’ll?)
@Optimiste
From my memory of Frank Muir I would not guarantee the story was true just because it was in his autobiography! Yours is very much like the “What’s the famous last words of a Redneck?”….”Hey bud, watch this”…….
@G’rilla
Is there a collective noun for that?
@wiscot
I’m not a basketball fan, and I’m not that big a Badgers fan (non-native Wisconsinite). But even I have to be excited about this one. On Wisconsin!
@RedRanger
That looks like a great ride! Beautiful area up there. We’ve got a cabin in Florence County and we’ll occasionally take the long way up through the Nicolet Forest.
Where are you located?
I am currently building my nine bike. I look forward to the commute on the new steed! Anyone have recommendations on tasteful lights?
@Minnesota Expat
Appreciate your concern for my Nine (love that new term). What doesn’t show in the pic is the small hunk of wood under the handlebars, which by the way, are on snow and not mud. All for arts’ sake. It does get mud on it from riding, as as a Wisconsin grad and Minnesota expat your know everything gets snow on it here at some point or another so that I’m not too worried about.
I do have a small pump garden sprayer which I keep filled with water, and any bike ridden in Rule #9 conditions gets a quick spray upon arrival back home, then a bit more of a cleaning once I can feel fingers/toes again.
@Teocalli
Brilliant. I can almost hear him recounting the story on Call My Bluff.
@KW Im in the Wausau area. Recently moved here from Arizona.
@RedRanger
My googly maps tells me you’re about 250km from West Bend where @wiscot is based.