Since my wife’s aunt and uncle are on their European vacation for the next few weeks, it’s left my wife and I to shift our schedules to bring either of our sons to a different caretaker/daycare each day of the week, and therefore, putting my commute via bicycle on hold for the time being. Dang it!
So I’d like to take this time not to whine but to talk about things surrounding my commute. For this post, I’ll be talking about a couple pieces of equipment that aren’t essential to one’s commute but to me, personally, are needed.
One piece of equipment that I’ve seen a few times when I used to run regularly, was Road ID. I got a 10%-off coupon in email and decided it was well worth the 18 bucks. My wife is always worried when I ran early in the morning and at night, even if I wore one of those reflective vests, she typically doesn’t trust any motorist during the twilight hours. So in an emergency, these Road ID’s are the perfect sort of ‘dog-tags’ if the worse does happen.
It shipped within a week and the service was great. I have the wrist band and it has my name, my city/state, my wife’s cell and home number, and finally, there is etched a cheesy “Train Hard, Train Safe” line as my quote. I know the folks in bike forums have far better ones:”Save My Bike First” or “If You’re Hot, Please Give Me Mouth to Mouth”. Road ID also come with interactive versions, where an EMT or whoever would look up the personal information on the web. They also have dog tags, shoe attachments as well as an ankle version. I keep mine at all times and am getting used to the feel of wearing them even when I’m not riding/running.
The other piece is my trusty Timex Ironman Triathalon Watch. I still have my CatEye computer, and it has great features, but I use the Chrono on my watch to give me a total trip readout, so I know my total time of when I leave my house right up until I get changed from the bathroom at work. I also use it at certain points of the trip when I’m thinking I’m making good time or not. It’s also good when I step out for lunch and walk to a nearby store, and I time how long it takes on foot so I won’t have the wrath of my boss or my coworkers if I come back over my given hour break. It also has the cool ‘flix’ feature, which, when I put in ‘night mode’ I flick my wrist, and the indiglo light turns on for a few seconds. It takes a little practice, but it’s a nice ‘hand’s-free’ feature nonetheless.
I’m sure I’ll be adding other ‘non-essential’ gear posts in the future as I get crazier and crazier with the addiction that is…
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