May

10

Cycling on Nevis

Filed Under Caribbean Living | 

i like my bike

i met a new MUA student last night who is also my new neighbour! she is from New York and somehow found this little site before coming to Nevis to start pre-med. upon reading the fact that i cycle to and from school every day, she decided to buy a used bike and bring it down with her. a great idea!

but she claimed she was more than a tiny bit discouraged on her first attempt. it was hot! the campus seemed too far away! how on earth could she do it with a heavy school bag on her back?? and EVERYDAY?? ugh.

i struggled with every single one of these issues way back in September when i first arrived. in fact, the initial “oh let’s see how far it is” trip that Jonathan and i took on our bikes from my house to campus really really really really really sucked. it only took about 20 minutes, but felt like FOREVER. i was hot. and slow. and sweating like a maniac. and disappointed. this super cheap good plan of mine to save on transportation cost might not actually work out after all.

as most of you know, the story has a happy ending. i stubbornly got on my bike every morning and stubbornly pushed myself into the blasting wind, stinging rain, and blinding sun. and i came to absolutely adore my morning ride. i LOVED it. in fact, the days when i had a flat tire or the road was washed out due to heavy overnight rains were downright disappointing.

however, while i think Nevis is a great island for cycling, there are definitely a few drawbacks. as such, i figured it was high time i got around to writing a post i have had in the back of my mind for months now: a post about my experiences as a new cyclist and the good-suck-love-hate relationship you can have with your bicycle in the Caribbean.

for those of you that don’t know (or somehow ended up here through Google)…

no, i did not ride a bicycle at home before coming here. in fact, i bought my beloved Brodie Dynamo just last summer and barely spun the wheels in Vancouver before packing it up for the long plane ride. i live across the street from the airport. the terrain to school is a slow grade uphill pretty much the entire way. after 8 months, i can get up the 4.3km in about 15 minutes. at the end of the day, i zoom (mostly) downhill home in under 10 minutes. i do not know what it’s like to cycle around the entire island. i do not use my bike to go into town to get groceries. i’m not a pro and i do not participate in any of the wonderfully cool triathlon stuff here.

this is by no means a comprehensive guide. these are just the trials and tribulations that i personally encountered riding my bicycle to and from school every day for 8 months.

1) flat tires suck.
bring a lot of tubes. bring a patch kit. bring a foot-floor pump. ride with the highest PSI you can get away with for your weight and tire style. i have had more than my fair share of flats (last November royally sucked) from both mysterious and obvious causes. the single change that i have noticed made the biggest difference: having a foot-floor pump that can get my tires up to 90PSI instead of 60PSI.

someone mentioned on my site awhile back that i should try airfree tires. and i actually ordered them on November 5, 2007. but they haven’t even shipped from their factory yet. i can’t say i recommend the company (or the tires) because i wasn’t informed of this delay before my purchase, most of my enquiries go unanswered, and it’s been SIX MONTHS! i’ll let you know if i change my mind if and when the tires finally arrive. until then, bring lots of tubes.

2) weather can really suck.
hi, we’re in the Caribbean! we get hurricanes here between June and November! we get rain and sun and wind for the rest of the year round. i have been brutally soaked from the tip of my hair to the inside of my underwear on many many many occasions. i have pulled over because i couldn’t see through my eyes squeezed shut against the pins-and-needles rain blasting horizontally. very often i can’t get out of first gear going downhill because the wind is so strong.

weather is something to be aware of, respect, and get over. once you just admit to yourself there is no way you’re staying dry, it’s actually a lot of fun to ride in the rain. forget the rain jacket. leave it at home. get soaked and change clothes when you get to school. it’s actually better than #3 below…

3) being sweaty sucks.
there aren’t any shower facilities at MUA. this sucks. i bring a change of clothes and mop myself down with paper towel in the bathroom each morning. thankfully, the classrooms tend to be a bit on the Absolutely Freezing side, so you can typically cool off before the first class is over. cycling as early in the morning as possible (ie: as soon as the sun comes up around 6am) is a good idea because it is MUCH cooler. even one hour can make a huge 5-10oC difference.

4) drivers here mostly suck.
the main road has great pavement all the way around the island, but can be pretty narrow for the wiiide trucks that like to zoom by at a zillion miles an hour. scary. always ride with a helmet and as much reflector tape or flashing lights as possible. i prefer to ride with traffic (on the left side of the road) with a bright red blinking light clipped to the back of one of my bike bags. i haven’t had a single “close call” in the last 8 months and most people are very courteous and will give you a wide berth when they pass.

i never cycle after dark. i don’t care how bright the flashers are on my helmet or reflectors on my frame, drinking and driving is common here and obviously much more common after dark.

sounds like an awful lot of suckage, no? well, there are a few good things…

5) saving money is good.
gas is expensive! rental cars can run anywhere from $300-700+ per month. purchasing a vehicle will probably get you your money back at the end of MED 5, but you’re stuck with any repairs in the meantime. and getting parts can be very expensive and time-consuming.

6) having energy all day is good.
i found my morning ride did a better job of making me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed than the best cup of coffee i could brew. and after sitting in class all day, it was really awesome to stretch the legs on the way home with an adrenaline kick to keep the evening going.

7) being comfortable is good.
i most often cycle in flip flops, loose capris, a long tank top, and a sports bra. i also bring a full change of clothes (including underwear) because unexpected downpours are common. and sitting in class while sweating and stinking just isn’t any fun.

i use bike panniers — for books, clothes, water, snacks, whatever — because i would rather not have any extra weight on my already sticky sweaty back.

…

and now that i’ve typed up all of that, it’s time for me to admit that i have actually rented a (*GASP*) car for this month and possibly the rest of this term. i have a few reasons for this bizarre turn of events (Tiffany’s visit this week included), but my new automotive adventure deserves its’ own post.

Comments

4 Comments so far

  1. Allison on May 10, 2008 5:37 pm

    In my time (many many years now) as a bicycle-commuter, be it to classes or to work, I have found that after even a short break from pedaling everywhere, #6 on this list always reassures me that this is a great way to get around! Also there is the bonus of working my workout into my daily activities, which is how I think things are supposed to be…

  2. Chris on May 11, 2008 8:16 pm

    This is where my expertise comes in, about sweating anyway. Invest in a couple of biking jerseys. They are phenomenal. I used to just where a t-shirt when I first started and it would be a wet rag when I finished. The jerseys pull the sweat away from your body pretty efficiently and move it to the outside where the air dries it. You still sweat, but you cool off much quicker. I find when the sweat moves to the outside, it acts like a little air conditioner too as it drys. It’s pretty wicked and well worth the cost. You look pretty Lance Armstrong cool too.

    Can’t do much about all the other sucky stuff, especially drivers. If you bike, they always suck.

  3. joelucas on May 12, 2008 1:17 pm

    Great post.
    A excellent compilation of all the bike posts.
    I find around here drivers have to watch out for the bikes. They ride 5 and 6 side by side, ignore most traffic laws ride like the Nevis drivers.

  4. Danielle on May 31, 2008 7:18 pm

    hi, its your neighbor from NY, remember to mention to bring a bike Basket. That is what I should of brought. Biking is ok, I am glad I brought it.

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