By Peter Burns

Helpful Hint 

Clear safety glasses or goggles are a great option on a cloudy day or when it is dark outside. You can get them at a hardware store. They protect your eyes from dust, bugs, or snow when you don’t need protection from sunlight.

By Peter Burns

Helpful Hint

To be seen by motorists run front and backlights, day and night. If your front light is very powerful, turn it off when you are on a bike path to avoid disconcerting oncoming bike riders and pedestrians. I prefer rechargeable lights to ones run on batteries.  You can also get battery-free lights charged by the motion of the bicycle. If you choose not to ride with lights during the day consider wearing bright reflective wear.  A lightweight reflective vest is a good option. I think my black and yellow one is rather stylish. I have had a headlight stolen from my bike. Now if I am going to park in one spot for any length of time I take my lights off the bike and put them into my pannier. So far they have been safe there.

By Peter Burns

Helpful Hint for the Month

Stuff a plastic bag under your bike seat or in your backpack.  You can use the plastic bag to cover the seat if you have to leave your bike out in the rain. I still have a bunch of plastic shopping bags from when they were in use in Vermont. When they run out I will use the plastic vegetable bags most grocery stores still provide. Plastic bags are also good if you find something on the ground in the rain. Sometimes I find a wet bandana or tee shirt or some wet fruit and I put the found item in the plastic bag so the inside of my backpack does not get wet.

By Peter Burns

Hat and Coat

This past spring a friend told me about an Ibex wool cap she had seen in the parking lot of the paintball place on East Road in Colchester.  I am proud to say that over the years I have trained her to be a scavenger.  Unfortunately, she was with her boyfriend who strongly objects to bringing home found items.  She let me know about the hat instead of picking it up herself.  A few days later I rode out East Road.  It is not my favorite route.  The road is too narrow, people drive too fast and the sightlines are bad. I went because I wanted that hat!  I found the hat and put it in my backpack.

By Peter Burns

Bike Computer

Sometimes people ask me how many miles I ride each week.  I used to say that I did not keep track because I have OCD tendencies and it would be all too easy to get caught up in mileage.  In June my OCD  got the upper hand.  I went on the Vermont Bike Commuters Facebook page and asked about bike computers.  One member told me that she was getting a new bike watch and that I could have the old one for what I thought was a very reasonable price.  I biked out to Hinesburg and picked up the watch.  It took me a couple of weeks to figure out how it worked.

By Peter Burns

Wrong-Way

One July morning I was walking my bicycle toward the corner of South Union Street and College Street.  South Union is a one way street with a one-way bike lane headed south.  I saw a young woman going the wrong way in the bike lane.  Disobeying certain rules puts the rider in danger and is annoying to drivers but I most strongly object to behavior that makes it harder for other bicyclists.  That what riding the wrong way in a bike lane does.  When she reached the corner of South Union and College she very conscientiously signaled for a right-hand turn.  This seemed ironic for a couple of reasons. First of all, because she was going the wrong way, there was no car traffic behind her to signal to, and there was also no oncoming traffic either.  It also seems silly to blatantly disregard the bike lane rules and then be so careful about signaling. 

By Peter Burns

My Bike

I ride you almost every day, all around the town;

You are my faithful steed and friend, none better to be found.

Yellow is your color, Salsa is your brand;

You are the finest bicycle, for you I’ll take my stand.

Yes, you have some nicks, some paint that’s wearing thin;

But if we stick together, we will always win.

Twelve months a year I’m riding, through sunshine rain and snow;

You’ll always be with me, no matter where I go!  

You may be made of metal, with plastic accessories,

But in my mind, you are as alive, as birds or beasts or bees!

I am forever grateful, that you are in my life;

If you were only human, I’d ask you to be my wife.

By Peter Burns

Panniers 

I have a rack on both of the bikes I use for commuting.  I have two large panniers and two smaller ones.  The large ones are red and the smaller ones black.  Most days I use just one pannier, but sometimes I need two.  Ortlieb is the company that makes my panniers.  The panniers are waterproof and sturdy but from time to time the plastic buckles break.  Ortlieb has been good about replacing the buckles.  I know that the panniers are waterproof because a couple of years ago when I was riding on a narrow dirt path next to Gilbrook Pond in Winooski, I lost my balance and tumbled into the pond, bike and all.  Luckily I was not hurt, but the bike was briefly submerged and so was I.  Later, when I opened the pannier, I discovered, to my surprise, that everything inside was dry.  I was grateful for the high-quality equipment and also grateful that nobody saw me falling into the pond!  

Pannier is an interesting word. Outside of the biking community, not everyone knows what it means.  It comes from the Latin word for bread.  Originally a pannier was a basket for carrying bread.

By Peter Burns

During the current crisis,  I have continued to work full time at a group home for people with psychiatric disabilities.  It has been a blessing to have some structure in my week and a paycheck.  I know many people have struggled financially.  I  miss teaching classes and contact with friends.  I walk and ride.  I have not been able to swim so walking and riding have become even more important than usual.

By Peter Burns

During this time of the Coronavirus, bike riding and walking remain a viable way of getting around and staying mentally and physically healthy. The days are getting longer and the temperatures are slowly climbing.  One silver lining to this terrible crisis is that there is much less traffic than usual.  For that I am grateful. Until we are told otherwise we should get out and walk and ride.