Many of us think this is the most wonderful time of the year to ride. How can you not love the cooler afternoon (for the most part) temperatures and the beautiful evening light and colors? (Here insert shameless plug for October 25 leaf peeping ride, see Oct. 6 blog). Yet some people actually hang up their bikes until late next spring, this is nuts! If you’re riding after dusk or early morning though, you will need lights. Word on the street is that riders both young and adult have been spotted without lights when they should have been using them. This is easy to do, especially after the time change coming November 1st, so I recommend having your lights along even when you think you won’t need them. Some commuters may opt out of riding for a lack of decent lights. At the very least, inexpensive lights can be found that allow motorists to see you. Especially important are rear lights; I like to keep mine on my helmet, where it’s less likely to get covered up and it’s more at the motorist’s level. You can get a headlight that will help you be seen, but if you want one bright enough to also allow you to see where you’re going, it needs to be at least 100 lumens. Also, don’t forget the reflectors on your spokes, or reflective striping on your tires. I addressed lights more in depth in the Sept, 7 blog. Also, if you haven’t read over the latest mobility plan and left your comments, follow the link in the Sept. 28 blog post.
In these next few days we’ll be having cooler mornings, but that’s no reason for the fair-weather cyclists to hang it up, either.
Have some gloves with you, and a light jacket. Remember to dress for 10 minutes into the ride, or stop to take off a layer, unless your ride is only 10 minutes long to begin with. There is quite a lot of cycling specific gear out there, but if you wear a breathable light layer and/or topped by a wind resistant layer, that should be enough into the 30s. Remember that your hands are going to be chilled in the wind, so if you tend to get cold hands, try some gloves that block the wind. If your face gets cold, try a neck gaiter or face buff. For more in depth recommendations, you can read the previous blogpost https://www.bicyclincoln.org/2023/10/30/trail-ramblings-its-time-to-get-out-that-cold-weather-cycling-gear/