Shirley's Spa Day

Every month, I bring my bicycle to the shop for some maintenance work. It gets washed. The chain and the crank get re-lubricated. And the wires for the brakes and the shifters are tightened.

In September, I rode Shirley a total of 480km. Giving her a spa treatment is a small price to pay to keeping her in tip-top shape.

Shirley getting stripped "naked"

Manong Rudy giving Shirley the VIP treatment

Good as new!

Biking in the Rain

It's been raining a lot in Metro Manila. That's to be expected in a tropical country. But weather patterns have been displaying extremities like the very high temperatures last April and this severe volume of rain we're experiencing now.

As mentioned in my last post, I have three ways to deal with the rain.

Large garbage bag for my messenger bag

Newly-installed fenders

My rain poncho

As I've tested yesterday, the poncho and fender combination is quite effective in keeping my clothes dry (I was wearing a shirt and a pair of shorts). The key is to hold the poncho over the handle bars so that it'll act like a tent covering my legs and my bicycle. This allows for maximum coverage of the bicycle top tube and the rider's thighs. The opening underneath the cape ensures ventilation. Wearing traditional rain coats while biking can cause a lot of sweating so letting the air in is very important.

 How to wear a rain cape / poncho on a bike

Image borrowed from Diane's blog - unfoldandcycle.com

My rain poncho isn't really designed for this function. It doesn't have a clip for handlebar attachment nor thumbs loops to keep it in place when I stretch out my arms. I actually have to hold the poncho onto my bars with my hands, thus making it impossible for me to signal with my hands. I also need one that has a better coverage for the side. My rain poncho is quite open on the sides so it flaps with the wind and so there isn't much coverage for the lower part of my legs (i.e. wet shoes).

I originally wanted a Carradice Pro-Route cycle cape, like the one my friend Diane had in the picture above. Unfortunately, it can only be ordered in the UK (and in some select stores in the US) and is quite expensive (mostly because of the shipping fee). According to Diane, it was also quite heavy and bulky so she eventually sold it. She now favors cheap PVC rain ponchos, which I guess are similar to what I'm using now. So, now I've been researching alternatives online.

Below are some of the options I'm currently considering. All of these can be ordered online from the US.

Grunden's Bike Poncho from Rivendell Bicycle Works - $122

Ultrex Rain Cape from Oregon's Center for Appropriate Transport - $79

Rain cape from J&G Cyclewear - $49.95

Bicycle cape from Campmor.com - $34.99

Ventura Rain Poncho from Amazon - $13.51

Bike rain poncho from The Monkey King - $9

If I had the money, I'd go for the Grunden's rain poncho because it offers good bike and leg coverage. But I looked for reviews of the Campmor bike cape and I think it's also a very decent cape for a lower price. So I've decided I'll save up for that one so I can buy it together with my tires and pedals. But I might also purchase the one from Ventura or The Monkey King just so I can have a comparison.

For many, the raining is enough a reason to not even try biking as a primary mode of transportation but there are several means to work around it. With traffic getting worse and worse everyday in Metro Manila, it's about time people start thinking of riding a bicycle as a viable means of transportation, even in the rain.