Another successful Friday Commute and in some interesting riding conditions. When I was leaving the house in the morning it had started raining but it looked like a passing shower so I headed back in to check the weather. It was indeed just a passing shower but looming off on the horizon was a huge rain storm. I went to Weather.com and checked their Future Cast and it said this storm was moving from west to east and just the lower tip may grace Danbury so I thought I would take the risk. It's always a risk for me in this type of weather because I have yet to get fenders for the Stinson.
Later at work I checked the Weather Wunder Map and it showed the storm tracking towards the southeast. Danbury would not only be graced by the storm but get a full helping of rain and lightning. Plan B, was to have the wife come get me and then I would try to get a ride to work so that I could ride home on Monday. Last check of the weather after my 3 PM meeting showed that it would free and clear for at least a couple of hours!
When I got the Timbuktu bag I recall reading that it was waterproof, however I only see that on the main compartment and the computer compartment hardly looks waterproof. I realized that one of those Fedex bubble padded envelopes fits my laptop perfectly so I sealed the envelope and took off.
I set the shoulder strap a little lower and I found the ideal riding position of the bag. Of course computer facing outward and main compartment facing inwards. By angling the bag so that one end is higher than the other it sits perfectly and doesn't move around.
Riding fixed means your legs are always moving which means that motion is transfered to your hips, pelvis and buttocks. If the bag isn't held tightly in place then it's going to move around and screw up your cadence and balance. During my last attempt to ride with the bag I tried to ride with it higher up but what I found with it there is that it kept moving because I was moving. When I descend my butt is on the seat and I am scrunched in to be more aerodynamic but for climbing I am off the seat. Given the weight of the computer and trying to keep it up on my shoulder I find that it moves around too much. Where I have it here (pictured below) is perfect.
I was really surprised at how clean I was riding home even though the roads were so wet. I got barely any road splatter up front and my garment bag pannier acted as a fender for my in the rear. I think it's time to get some fenders, though.
If you ride with a Timbuktu bag, what works for you?
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