In a previous entry, I outlined some basics on commuting and introduced my four recommendations for bike commuting.
KJ’s Four Recommendations for Bike Commuting
- Know your limits, and aspire to stretch them from time to time
- Become a devoted follower of multiple weather sources
- Get familiar with bus routes in case of bad weather or physical issues
- Fuel yourself appropriately
Let’s focus on #2:
2. Become a devoted follower of multiple weather sources
In speaking with a customer the other day about what type of clothing to choose when riding, it dawned on him that he was going to have to really know what the weather was going to do that day. In the summertime in Middle Tennessee, that can be a guessing game – but if you are in touch with the best sources for accurate weather predictions, you’ll be a-OK.
So if it’s going to rain in the summertime, and you’re already hot – and it’s not a lightning event – you’ll probably be fine, as long as you are comfortable with your route and riding in the rain. If you are not comfortable with either, get familiar with alternative routes home – or leave a little early (or later) if you can. Winter weather can be more daunting, especially if there is sleet or snow.
Nashville Severe Weather
http://www.nashseverewx.com
https://www.twitter.com/nashseverewx
Just go ahead and get a Twitter account if you don’t already have one; you’ll only need it to interact with these guys who are, in my opinion, the best weather source in the Nashville area. They will tell you that they are not the ONLY weather source, and you should indeed follow others; with that in mind, I will recommend a few more.
Wunderground
http://www.wunderground.com
Although purchased by the Weather Channel a few years back, Wunderground still retains some of its crowdsourced goodness with localized reporting and eeriely accurate rain predictions. (The other night I was in my kitchen and got an alert from the app that “rain will continue through 10:30pm; I said, “It’s not raining!” as I looked outside to see raindrops. Like I said – eerie.) They have an app, a website, and the usual social media channels too.
National Weather Service – Nashville
https://www.facebook.com/NWSNashville
https://www.weather.gov/ohx/
The National Weather Service (NWS) folks are serious and hilarious. A recent Facebook update proclaimed that “[t]he dew point temperature at Nashville has finally climbed above 70°, so the low humidity we have enjoyed these past several days is gone and it’s never coming back. Not ever.” Like I said, good stuff.