by Cyril Jay Rayon
As the owner of an endurance sports nutrition store, I know how proper nutrition can help you reach your performance goals. However, if you don’t stay active and on the move, especially during the long winter months, don’t count on any food to keep you healthy and fit. That’s why my secret “superfood” is not a supplement or food at all. It’s commuting to work on my bike. And, here’s why. Commuting to work on your bike is the best way to find time you thought you didn’t have to stay active on a regular basis.
I live in Los Angeles, one of the least bike friendly cities in the US, but I still found a good route to ride to work. My car commute is a minimum of 30 minutes to work. When I ride, it’s 1 hour and more reliable so I know exactly how long it will take me to get to and from work. So, for less than 1 hour more of commute, I get 2 hours of exercise per day. It took me a while to find a good route but I enjoyed creating the best route over time by trying different roads. I actually have different routes to keep it more interesting. I have my fastest route and then a few other options to add some time or hills when I have time. Mixing up my route keeps things interesting and less of a routine. Like with a lot of things in life, I try not to be too dogmatic so I do drive to work from time to time. After a day of driving to work, I’m excited to commute on the bike once again.
Aside from an effective use of my time getting to work, bike commuting offers numerous other benefits. One of them is that I get uninterrupted time to think. It’s amazing how much clarity I get after thinking through a problem on a ride. I often leave home burdened with issues only to arrive at work with a clear idea of how to take on the day. To me, my bike commute time has become an integral part of my decision making process. Another advantage is that no matter how tired I might feel at the end of a work day, I have to ride back. No one is coming to pick me up so I just saddle up and ride. Without exception, the fatigue evaporates within minutes of starting to ride and the shear pleasure of riding returns. When I get home, I’m always invigorated and enjoy my evening much more. I also don’t have to motivate to go exercise once I get home. It’s already done. An obvious side benefit to all this bike commuting is that the car stays in the driveway saving me on gas, car maintenance, and reduces my carbon footprint.
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Tail Lights Add All-around Visibility
Tail light comparison - VIS 180 on the left
With the uptic in this season’s night-time commuting, it is important to have lights that provide you with all-around visibility. Many cyclists have some kind of light of the “be seen” variety of “blinkies” but these lights don’t help you see and are easily overwhelmed by urban lighting and hardly stand out in rush-hour traffic, or at dawn and dusk.
Cyclists’ greatest fear is getting hit from behind, yet bike/motor vehicle collision statistics indicate that it’s actually not very common. However, it’s one of the hardest collisions to avoid, since you’re not usually looking behind for traffic and these accidents are often the most serious.
Accident Data: NYC Traffic Accident Statistics and National Highway Institute Meta Data
The riskiest place to be on a bike is at intersections where 72% of accidents occur. Cars don’t see you at a time when they are most likely to turn across your path. Investing in a really bright tail light will give you visibility from behind and at the side showing cars you are up ahead, along side, and in the intersection. This all-around visibility is good safety insurance and will give you more confidence to ride at night.
For more information see Light & Motion’s complete Safety Report. For a detailed performance of the VIS 180 tail light see the review by Bike Rumor.
By Cary Smith
There’s nothing like an epic ride with a group of friends under a bright sunny sky, except an epic ride with a group of friends under a bright moonlit sky. As the days shorten into fall, either the after-work ride gets cut short or the lights come on. I prefer the latter. As a bike nerd with a very limited social calendar I figured Friday night would be a perfect night to organize a group ride. For the last few weeks a small group of mountain bikers has met at the base of the ski area in Jackson, WY, to satisfy our singletrack stoke. And we have been blessed with ideal conditions.
Riding at night changes the “backyard” trails into something new and exciting. The incredible brightness of Light & Motion lights illuminate roots, rocks and berms in such a way that you find yourself taking different lines that translate into more speed, better rhythm and more fun. People that have ridden these trails all summer find themselves wondering where they are, and how they got there so fast.
I dubbed these Friday night rides “Friday Night Lights” in reference to the book and movie about high school football. Two weeks ago, our adventures on the forested trails, although far removed from the high impact gridiron, brought us to the top of Josie’s Ridge, looking directly down on the local high school stadium. We all stopped for a few moments to watch the tiny figures running up and down the field as they experienced their own Friday Night Lights, unaware of our happy group.
The next week, with a clear sky and a moon only two days removed from being full, we headed the opposite direction, deep into the woods. The loop over Game Creek into West Game Creek is not a ride that any of us do alone at night. There is a reason it is called Game Creek. Riders commonly see deer, elk and moose, with the occasional bear or mountain lion sighting. I know people who have modified water bottles to carry pepper spray, “just in case.” Passing through dense underbrush near the creek bottom, our group keeps up a constant banter, unusual at our effort level, but we are all trying to do our part to avoid an unfortunate encounter.
At the end of the ride, the topic turned to weather as a front was supposed to move in over the weekend. Was that our last ride of the year? When will the snow bury the trails? Luckily, most in the group have adapted to being cyclists in snow country, so we will still get together to ride, albeit on snow bikes with 4” tires. And if it gets too deep, our lights will undoubtedly make skiing this same area all the more fun.
Fran on 
Chantel Touryan on 
jacob on