AUTUMN CYCLING

Here comes the inevitable fall, and with it, the motivation-killing rain and darkness. We’ve worked so hard all summer to get ourselves into great shape through regular exercise and now we’re faced with the dreaded downward spiral to Trump-shaped doughiness. Here’s a better idea ... let’s keep active. Cycling is, of course, my preferred way to do this. Each year, the same old grumpy me reluctantly transitions from shorts and sunny summer riding gear to the tights and lights of autumn. The thing is, I find that once I have my gearing-up routine in place, my bike modified and my psyche ready, I can conquer the fall. The first thing to think of when riding in the darker months is safety. That means paying attention to the ABCs of winter cycling. A: Always on. Front and rear lights, day and night. Lights now are produced with the ability to be seen during the day, so imagine how good they will be at night. B: Biomotion. Highlight your body’s moving parts: your feet, your legs, and your arms. Cyclists who effectively draw attention to their moving parts are up to 83 per cent more noticeable. C: Contrast. Choose the right gear for night. Reflective gear at night makes you 72 per cent more noticeable. I personally feel there is no such thing as too visible. I often see cyclists riding in the deepest, darkest night with a small faint light on their bike, thinking that they are safe. We cyclists need to look at ourselves from the standpoint of a driver. On misty, damp Victoria nights, it can be hard enough to see the road, let alone a poorly lit cyclist. Bright lights are a must. The brightness of a light is now measured in lumens. A front light of 100 lumens and above will give you the ability to see on the poorly lit sections of the Galloping Goose. I always opt for two lights on the front: one constant beam to see and one flashing to catch drivers’ attention. We also need to consider our 360 degrees of visibility. If you are riding through an intersection and are only visible from the front and back, intersecting motorists can’t see you. This is where the biomotion and contrast come in. By lighting our bodies, we suddenly become visible from the side. This can be achieved by doing something as simple as adding a reflective leg strap to your pants. The motion of your feet will attract more attention than something stationary on the bicycle. Your feet are down low, though, so we need to consider adding something reflective at eye level, too. This would come in the form of a high-visibility jacket. These jackets can be water-resistant, too. OK, we’ve got this. Lights, high visibility, waterproof jacket. Add some fenders and you’re ready to go. Seems there’s one piece of the puzzle left, though: motivation. And that’s something you can’t buy. For inspiration, just consider the Trump-shaped consequences of letting things slide for the winter.