By the way, they finally filed the pocked bike lane area around Linda Vista and Napa. That's good.

Yeah. That's on my daily commute and it's been driving me crazy for something like 6 months now.

I don't see what the big deal is about riding in the rain. There are certain precautions you need to take but really, it's not so bad.

Yesterday on the way home I had multiple people open their car windows to tell me how I had balls to ride in the rain. Whatever.

Velo Cult:has the last 4 days had anybody considering fenders? good for rain and good for keeping your bike clean in dry weather.

I commute on a touring bike and already have full fenders. They don't actually keep the bike that clean. I suppose it's not as dirty as it would be without them but the fact is there's still enough space underneath the back of the front fender for it to throw up muddy water onto the drive train (so dirt can get up there even when it's dry), and my feet, and the lower part of the frame. Muddy water is also thrown off the front tire in front of the bike, but the fender keeps it from going very high. It does come back though (or more accurately, the bike catches up to it) and so I get plenty of muddy water on my fork, and even the top of the fender itself. At least the fenders keep the muddy water from shooting up high enough for me to be catching it with my face, which was the thing I always hated most about riding in the rain before I had fenders.

William:It was a great ride today.

Until my seat post snapped, a big wobble, and then a crash.

Ow!

billd:

They don't actually keep the bike that clean. I suppose it's not as dirty as it would be without them but the fact is there's still enough space underneath the back of the front fender for it to throw up muddy water onto the drive train (so dirt can get up there even when it's dry), and my feet, and the lower part of the frame.

Get some full fenders, or add a mudflap. Brooks makes 'em, and there are fancy leather ones from Velo-Orange. Or you could just use an old inner tube or plastic bottle, scissors, and duct-tape. I'm the fool who rides fenders on most of my bikes most of the year. I like the look (I rode 3 speeds exclusively for about 10 years), and full fenders do keep things clean - especially at the beach. I hope we get more rain - we need it.

William:

il Pirati:I see that so often. I'm not trying to pass judgement, because there is plenty more I could do to live more harmoniously with the planet, but I feel like organic food and vegan clothing has become trendy, and therefore easy. So it's pretty easy to say, I'm going shopping at a farmers market, and only eating local, and eating veg. But getting on a bicycle to do these things takes actual effort. It isn't hard, but the effort lies in doing your day to day tasks in a different way than you are used to. It seems hard. So those who are into the whole "green" thing because it's trendy (and now easy) hop into their hybrids. My bike gets way better gas mileage.

I'm thinking of makeing a sticker that fits on the rear triangle of most frames:

"my bike>your hybrid"

And one for my car.

"my bike makes this a hybrid"

Seriously.

Perhaps shirts:

(picture of bike frame)
OG Hybrid transportation

(more a joke than not)