Check the batteries in your lights!

Now that it's going to get darker earlier in the evenings, you need to make sure that your bike lights are working fine.

Yes, I did say lights, plural. The law requires that we have a bright front white light and a rear red reflector, but a better practice is to have a red rear light and a red rear reflector. I mean... what if they guy behind you forgets to turn his headlights on? No light to reflect. And, if your light malfunctions, at least you've got a reflector as a back up.

Personally, here is what I use in the darker months; a bright front light, a low mounted red rear reflector & non-blinking light combo device, and a seat mounted blinking red light (PlanetBike SuperFlash). Also, I wear an ANSI-approved highway worker's vest from AlertShirt.com, and reflective ankle bands. One of my bikes has two red SuperFlashes and an amber reflector in addition to the red reflector. Amber reflectors are 2.5 brighter than red reflectors of the same size, according to John Forester, but are not recognized by the law, unfortunately. So mine is there to provide additional support, it's not the "legal" reflector.

Does this sound excessive? It all a lot less expensive than an MRI, emergency surgery, Life Flight ($25,000?) or a funeral.

At the end of the day, I look at my lights before I turn them off. If they look dim, I check the batteries. I also check every 60 days on a schedule.

By "checking" I mean I pull the batteries out and put them on a simple DC voltmeter. If the alkaline batteries are running below 1.4 volts, I replace them. The batteries are still good for non-critical uses, but I just don't like batteries lower than that on my bike. If they are 1.0 volt or below, they are too weak for anything, and get tossed out (new alkalines start out at 1.6 volts or so).

Often, when a light is going dim, one batt is fine, but the other is dog meat. No need to toss both out, just replace the bad one.

For my bright white front light, I run rechargeable batteries, which I top off every week or two. My reason for not running rechargeables all the way around is that I don't want to spend my life charging batteries, yet I want to do something to cut down on battery disposal, so this is a compromise. Charging 4 cells at a time is OK with me. My charger, a Maha conditioning charger, holds 4. I do have some extra rechargeables so I could run the whole bike on them if I had to.

Now you see why the "no batteries needed systems" like on the Breezer Bikes hold so much appeal. For the habitual night rider, they can be convenient. However... they are costly systems, if (when?) the dynamo hubs go bad, then you're out quite a lot of money. Also, you can't move the lights to another bike. Lights are getting better, and it's hard to upgrade a fixed system. Battery lights you can move from bike-to-bike, which I do all the time. I have matching mounts on different bikes, and I just unclip and reclip the lights.

Even with all the lights, though, I don't burn through many batteries. Maybe 8 a year? That's not a big load on the environment, not compared to impact of driving my car.

LED lights are the way to go for entry-level AA or AAA battery lights. Real "bulbs" are old, inefficient technology that will waste your battery money. Now, higher-end "HID" lights with dedicated batteries are not LED, but they are in another price category. They are very bright.

The brightest rear taillight in the world is the DiNotte 140. I don't think I need that one yet. Definitely if gas goes to $15 per gallon someday and I have to bike commute all the way down SH6 with 50 MPH traffic. This one will keep them off my a**.

Please show up for this photo opportunity!

We need ALL cyclists to show up at UH Downtown METRO train stop at 6:00 am on Monday 7/19 to take pictures in celebration of expanded bike hours on the train! METRO Board Member Christof Spieler will be there to meet us.

Looking back on '09

Another year is upon us and I'm reflecting. This time last year I had so much ambition for cycle commuting that I was looking forward to doubling my 2008 mileage. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. My milage for the past year was only 957.52 miles which is 1175.53 Miles short of 2008's total.

What happened? Three things: Health, weather, and work. In 2009 I lost my race with type 2 diabetes. As much as I rode and exercised I could not get control of my blood sugar. Not until I was put on medication and a radical change in diet did it approach normal levels so for a time I just had no energy to ride. As for weather, the last half of the year had to be the wettest and coldest on record. Cold I can almost handle at least into the mid 50's; however, below that I simply don't have warm enough clothing and in sufficient volume to ride consistently. Add rain into the mix and riding became an impossibility. At work, around June I was given additional duty that stationed me away from my office and far across campus from the Rec Center were I have shower privileges. Plus, in order to ride I need access to a changing area before 6:30 am where I'm close to my bike and my temporary station did not open until 7:30 am. So my '09 ride season effectively ended at the halfway point

67° and dead routine.

Shooting for a minimum of three rides this week, today (Mon), Wednesday, and Friday. This morning was rather cool at 67°, but I didn't mind because it kept the sweat down. I also made a rare stop on my way in. I didn't really have anything at the house for breakfast or lunch so I stopped at Kroger's at Wirt and Westview and picked up two Antone's Po'boys and Cokes. Unfortunately, I discovered later that compared to the genuine article the ones I picked up were incredibly dry and tough to chew on; however, they are better than going hungry.

I didn't really come across anyone while transiting Memorial Park; however, just before making my turn on West Alabama I crossed paths with a young female bike ninja who went East onto West Alabama. The rest of the ride was pretty routine and enjoyed the sun rising and not needing to run lights.

The ride home was uneventful also until I got back to the 610 loop and Memorial Drive. I discovered there that as I made a left onto Memorial I had turned into a very extended pace line as I could see a commuter about 3 blocks ahead of me and just beyond him by another 3 blocks I could make out yet another cyclist. I never caught either one as I exited onto Antoine and both were well beyond that intersection.

5/26 Warm Warm! 76 Degrees

It was a balmy 76 Degrees. A hot weather kit day. Ride was routine and observed 3 Rec riders on my way in. One smoked past me as I got to the Memorial Expressway.

The 5/20 ride 69 Degrees

I haven't been blogging much do to time constraints. Plus, compared to Noah in KC there just isn't much happening here in Houston. I can't really stop and take interesting photos and my bike handling skills in traffic requires two hands so so much for photos on the fly.

I road in this morning and when I left the temp was 69 degrees. It was just warm enough to wear summer wear (Sugoi shorts, Old style polyester Performance jersey, sweat cap, cotton socks, Fingerless gloves) but it was a little chilly starting out. By the time I got to the office the mercury hit 61. The ride in was routine. On Memorial Dr. I got passed by two rec riders who I could tell were marveling over all the gear I was hauling.

Safe Passing Bill At Risk

EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET ON THE HORN TO THEIR SENATORS AGAIN, BEFORE 11 AM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2009 !!!


From BikeTexas:

Safe Passing Bill At Risk
Contact Your Senator NOW!

Today, Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) introduced the 2009 Safe Passing Bill (CSSB 488 / CSHB 827) on the floor of the Texas State Senate.

In a dialogue with Senator Ellis, Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) raised concerns about several aspects of the bill. Senator Ellis chose to withdraw the bill, pending additional discussion this evening with Senator Patrick to address these concerns.

BikeTexas had provided bill language and other information to all Senators' offices since the start of the session and had not been made aware of any concerns by Senator Patrick. BikeTexas staff are now preparing additional documents to submit to the offices of Senators Patrick and Ellis in preparation for tomorrow's session.

What you can do:

Please contact your State Senator no later that 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8th!

Click here to find your senator, then:

* If you live in the district of an "Unconfirmed" Senator, including Senator Patrick: Call or email his office immediately to ask him to support Safe Passing. The list of senators is below.

* If you live in the district of a "Supporting" senator: Call or email his or her office immediately to express your thanks for his or her support for Safe Passing. The list of senators is below.

As always, please be sure to be polite and professional in your communications, whether your legislator supports or opposes CSSB 488.

Unconfirmed
Kip Averitt (R-Waco), Dist. 22
Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls), Dist. 30
Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay), Dist. 24
Chris Harris (R-Arlington), Dist. 9
Glenn Hegar (R-Katy), Dist. 18
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-Mission), Dist. 20
Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), Dist. 3
Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), Dist. 5
Dan Patrick (R-Houston), Dist. 7

Support Safe Passing
John Carona (R-Dallas), Dist. 16
Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth), Dist. 10
Robert Deuell (R-Greenville), Dist. 2
Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), Dist. 28
Rodney Ellis (D-Houston), Dist. 13
Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), Dist. 1
Mario Gallegos (D-Houston), Dist. 5
Joan Huffman (R-Houston), Dist. 17
Mike Jackson (R-La Porte), Dist. 11
Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville), Dist. 27
Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville), Dist. 12
Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), Dist. 31
Florence Shapiro (R-Plano), Dist. 8
Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso), Dist. 29
Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio), Dist. 19
Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), Dist. 26
Kirk Watson (D-Austin), Dist. 14
Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio), Dist. 25
Royce West (D-Dallas), Dist. 23
John Whitmire (D-Houston), Dist. 15
Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), Dist. 3
Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), Dist. 21