Merry Christmas!

Out doing some night riding....

Airport Cycling

I'm sitting in the Sea-Tac airport dreading flying to SFO for a work seminar that I couldn't care less about. It's not the flight that concerns me, or even the junk-groping peeping tom TSA agents. It's the fact that sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight is the only down time I'll have all week.

This is supposed to be the slow season at work, but it seems to be just the opposite.

My only saving grace is the new issue of Mountain Bike Action resting  on the all so comfortable airport seat next to me.  In just a couple of hours I will be in a cab with my 400lb (no joke!) chain smoking boss discussing work things...mostly how everything that goes wrong is my fault.

While he's huffing and puffing about some bullshit I don't care about, I'll be dreaming of cycling. Road cycling. Mountain cycling.

All things pedal powered and quiet.

Work Too Much Ride Too Little

Due to my ridiculous work schedule as of late, I've been driving to the office more and more and riding less and less, which makes me fat, tired and sad.
The fixie calls to me every morning when I wake up and the Raleigh Clubman glares at me each time I open the shed.

The only saving grace is that we've had great mountain biking weather on the weekends.

Untitled from Neal Poland on Vimeo.

Cycling Turkey Enthusiast

 Not only am I a commuter, but I'm an enthusiast in general. I go for a ride pretty much every major holiday just for grins. This Thanksgiving was mountain biking with the rigid Redline Monocog SS.

Enjoy!

New Helmet Camera Setup

Recieved a GoPro Hero camera for an early Christmas present. Here's some poorly edited footage of a quick winter cruise in the country. I'm currently using Open Shot for editing, but I've been having some issues with it as of late. Any suggestions?

Lucas Brunelle Line of Sight

I can't wait to get my hands on this. Lucas, do you know Kimball?

Lights, UFOs and Coffins

One of the smart ass sales guys at work sarcastically inquired as to if I had enough lights on my bike. After  debating whether or not to piss in his coffee, I realized that non-cyclists don't think about things like being seen.

You have lights on your motorcycle and on your car, so why wouldn't I have lights on my bike?
I ride 17 miles each way to work and back. This time of year, it's generally dark during my commute.

I need to see where the hell I'm going. I also need to make sure that all the idiots on the roads can see me.  If three taillights, a pair of headlight and SpokeLits are too many lights, then I'm guilty.Wouldn't be the first time I'd been charged with a crime.
Even with all those lights, I still almost get hit on a daily basis.

Does it look dorky?
Yep.
But I'd rather look stupid than look at the inside of a pine box.

  

A Few of My Favorite Things

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite commuter goodies with my dear reader(s?) so as to give you more stuff to add to the ever growing "stuff I want" list.

As a year round bike commuter and enthusiast, I prefer function and simplicity over form and style. I    live in the Pacific northwest, so I need gear that works in all kinds of weather. My tax bracket is also a bit below the average cycling enthusiast, so my budgets tend to be small and I try to buy stuff that will last multiple seasons.

First on the list is my Manhattan Portage Pro Bike Messenger bag...size Large.  I love this bag. I use it almost daily.


Manhattan Portage has long been known as the original New York messenger bag.

At 2400 cubic inches, the pro model is certainly large enough for just about any commuter to carry tools, work clothes, lunch, etc. it's PVC lined interior is waterproof....period. I'm pretty sure I could go through a hurricane and keep the contents of my messenger bag dry. It's single strap design works well when loaded, but does tend to slide around without anything substantial inside.  I've been using this bag for over a year for everything from commuting to grocery store runs, and it still looks like new. My only complaint about the bag is that it could use more small pockets for things like phones, cameras, pens, etc. The bag does have a large zippered pocket under the flap up front, and a smaller zippered inside pocket as well as a large exterior pocket for tools, maps, and other random items. The flap and back of the bag have silver reflective striping as well as safety yellow reflective stripes.

A large size bag will run you about $100. I got mine on clearance via the interwebs for around 80
smackers.



Second up is a pair of  Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek shoes. They look and function much like running shoes, enabling you to walk around town while off the bike without slipping and clicking around a duck on ice.  Their incognito looks go well with bike shorts or blue jeans. The mesh uppers keep your feet cool in the summer while drying quickly after getting stuck in a downpour. i use mine for mountain biking too, and they get pretty good traction in the mud too!
Around $90.

The Red Ledge Thunderlight lightweight rain jacket is the pacific Northwest bike commuter's savior. It's light, breathes well (as well as a rain jacket can) and stuffs into its own pocket or small stuff sack so it takes up minimal space in your messenger bag, pack or pannier. It's not a cycling specific jacket, so I bought it a size larger than normal so it covers my tail side. Under 40 bucks.


I've been riding the same pair of Canari Static Jammer gloves for three or four years now. I use them mainly for commuting, but I do take them mountain biking from time to time. They are windproof, highly water resistant and tough as Chuck Norris. Even when they are soaking wet, they do a good job of keeping your digits warm. At under $30, I'd say you can't beat 'em.

Louis Garneau makes these nifty shoe covers called the Power Seal. They keep your feet absolutely dry and toasty warm.  Plus they make you look fast.
A must for Pac NW winter riding.
Fitty dollah.

Panaracer Urban Max 32c Review

You would think that a 17 mile commute down Mountain Highway through towns such as Elk Plain would be a fun and scenic ride....but you'd be wrong.

While the area I live in may have been fertile and serene farm land at one time, it is now overrun with mobile housing, meth addicts and hicks.
Well....it's a small town, so I'm sure the hicks have always been here.
While the roads are generally in good condition, the shoulders and bike lanes through Spanaway are strewn with man eating potholes, glass, gravel, used needles and general Pacific northwest trash.

Only in Spanaway. What a classy town!

That all being said, I look for battle tough tried and true tires so I don't have to fix flats at 5AM in the dark and the rain.

I've run Panaracer tires on my commuter bikes on and off for about 10 years now. They are a viable, budget friendly alternative to Continental Gator Skins.

Not  as supple or performance oriented as the Contis, the new Panaracer Urban Max tires seem to be pretty bomb proof thus far. I'm running 32c on my Redline 925 fixie. They roll through the trash, absorb the potholes and ride like big, cushy balloon tires. They are certainly heavy and loud, but I'm willing to accept those downfalls so I don't have to sit in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree picking glass or heroin needles out of my tubes.

I'll give you guys an update in a few months after I've gotten more miles under the belts.

Time to Set It Free

As they say, "all good things must come to an end."

I recently purchased a Raleigh Clubman at the annual "Friends and Family" sale at the Raleigh corporate headquarters. I now own the bike that is actually featured in the catalog. Yes, the bike I ride is THE bike in the picture. I'd like to thank the people that made it happen: Thank you Kristy, and thanks to Raleigh America.

That all being said, my trusty, but heavy K2 Merge is now on the chopping block. Please give her a new home where she'll be ridden like a porn star.

Single Speed and Selfish

Redline 925. commuter bike. 

My name is Neal.

I'm 34 years old.

I weigh a few pounds more than I should thanks to the last half decade of jobs sitting behind desks punching buttons on a computer and jabbering on the phone.

I am the typical overworked, underpaid American.

I hold a faceless, thankless middle management position for a major corporation.
I don't own a home and I probably won't anytime soon.

I live with my girlfriend of nearly 4 years.

We have a dog, two cats, two cars, a truck and 5 bicycles... 4 of which are mine.

I am the face of the new mid-life crisis.....save for one simple thing:

I am a bicycle commuter and a militant cyclist.
I don't do it because I hate cars.

I love cars!
I am, in fact, a car nut.

I have more speeding tickets than you do.

I don't do it because I'm some militant eco-hippie. Those sons of bitches piss me off.

I'm not trying to save the world.

I'm equal parts anarchist and cyclist.

I do it because I lack patience and direction. I hate sitting in traffic. I hate stupid drivers. I hate stop lights and I hate being told what to do.

I hate paying $3.50 a gallon and the hour long trip to and from work is the only thing saving my last shred of sanity.

I do it for me.

I'm selfish.

Welcome to the REAL commuter blog.