All weather cycling

Autumn has arrived earlier than last year. We remember landing in Cambridge nearly a year ago and wearing summer clothes for several more weeks. We haven't reached our first anniversary of being here, but already we are wearing our waterproofs and sweaters. Today it seems that the clouds are too heavy for the sky to hold: the tops of the Boston skyscrapers are shrouded in gray and the air is so damp that it feels that you could wring it out like a wet face cloth. I rode into Boston this morning in a rain coat with both my bike lights flashing. The roads are still busy with cyclists, but there is a shared feeling that winter is close at hand.

For the past couple of months we have cycled everywhere. We bought a second-hand cargo bike, thinking that it would be useful for our weekly grocery shop (we're still a car-free household), but we soon realized that both girls could happily sit on the back. They love it! The cargo bike is big and orange and has become affectionately known as Bob (the Big Orange Bike). It's fantastic to ride in traffic as we are very large and very visible - cars slow down to look at us (normally because the girls are waving at them or singing loudly) and tend to stay out of our way (we have mastered the art of the occasional 'wobble' if cars have got a little bit too close, and this seems to be very effective in encouraging other vehicles to give us more space). The girls have a little cushion which fastens onto the back so that they can have a more comfortable ride and we've added a little set of handlebars so that they can hold on more safely.

We also have the tandem which was originally a wedding gift from Nathan's grandmother. Both Maya and Iola enjoy taking turns on the tandem - and it's proved very useful for visiting grandparents (see photo to the left). So, as a family of four we can manage quite well on two bikes. But two bikes are never enough! Nathan got a Surly cyclocross (see right) for his birthday - good for commuting and getting muddy on the tracks around the reservoir. Maya has an under-sized 1970s racing bike which we bought for next to nothing from a local shop and she's beginning to discover the joys of going fast. Iola has a children's mountain bike and takes her pleasures in haring across fields and down steep slopes with Nathan shouting encouragement and me covering my eyes in fear. When I'm not on Bob, I have a nippy roadster which is great for commuting... and Nathan has a unicycle (but is yet to let me take photographs of him riding this).

 

Cambridge is fairly good for cycling. The girls go to school about 3.5 miles from our house and we take a route which is primarily on cycle paths and relatively quiet roads. My route to the library is on busier roads and today I really noticed that the change in weather seems to bring about a change in the attitudes of motorists. I had the sense that people weren't really looking out through their windscreens. I understand that the weather is a bit dismal, and the view isn't as enjoyable as it normally would be, but I found it difficult to get car drivers to notice me (even with my fluorescent yellow jacket and flashing lights). I remember this from commuting in London: drivers put on their heaters, turn up the radio and their awareness of other road users dips. The council is being encouraged to make better provision for cyclists, but there is a backlash from motorists who object to cyclists who jump lights or zigzag about within traffic jams. Overall, the roads aren't as safe as they should be, but there is a chicken-and-egg aspect to the argument: better provision needs to be made for cyclists, but cyclists need to ride with respect for existing traffic. If you're interested (and there are lots of shots in the video clip of the roads where we ride) then you might want to look at this news story about cycling in Cambridge. I ride respectfully: I stop at red lights, stay close to the kerb, clearly indicate when I'm about to turn.... but today I spent a lot of the time just wanting to shout 'HELLO!!! I'M HERE! CAN YOU SEE ME!!'

 

I haven't tried to ride through a New England winter as yet. Last year, we didn't have most of these bikes and the bikes that we brought from England were still in transit. A local cargo bike rider has advised me that I will need snow tires for Bob and neoprene socks, gloves and hats for me. I don't want to just be a fair weather cyclist, but I'll let you know how far into the winter I manage to ride. In the meantime, if anyone has any advice on getting noticed by passing cars, please let me know...