While looking for things at the surplus to MacGyver the front fender, I also bought DOT-grade automotive reflective tape, the kind you see along the sides of semi-trucks and trailers. Come to think of it, I could probably have gotten it free. Ah nuts! I put some of the tape--red around the back of the bike and white around the front--on my bike last night.
This morning, having toe clips, fenders and reflective tape on my bike, I was excited to commute to work while it was still somewhat dark out. Jihan said, having watched me pedal away from the drop-off point, that the reflective tape was quite bright and really added to my visibility. I had some idea already, having photographed the bike last night and seen the bright orange and white reflection of the light from the camera's flash. I find it amazing how much brighter the reflective tape is than the bicycle reflectors on the wheels. I should probably add some little pieces to the inside of the wheels, following a suggestion made by Sheldon Brown, as reflections on moving parts make for even better visibility.
I found also that the toe clips really make a difference, especially on hills. Having my toes strapped in constrained, and therefore focused, the power of my legs and allowed greater application of force throughout the pedals' rotation. Without them, power is only directed forward and downward.
I also noticed, however, that my leg muscles were not used to working in this position. First of all, the toe clips force one to use the ball of one's feet on the pedals rather than the centre, the arch, and so utilize the calf muscles more. In fact, using toe clips caused a number of muscles in my legs to be used differently. There are parts of my leg muscles little used when pedalling with the arch of the foot that are letting themselves be felt right now. And my ankles, more noticeably on the ride home, also got a little tired. I suspect my calves, hamstrings and ankles will receive more of a workout over the next little while.
What I did not know, as the weather report did not predict it this morning, was that I would also be able to test my new fenders out this afternoon. People at work began freaking out shortly after lunch as they saw severe weather warnings on the weather network's website--thunder showers, hail, high winds, and possibly a small tornado. What would I do, they wondered, finally getting used to the idea of me commuting by bicycle. Shortly after they started talking about it, Jihan also called me to see if I wanted a ride home.
I decided to have her drive towards me, the rain having decreased a little by the time I got off work, while I began to make my way home. I was rather impressed with how the fenders kept the water away from both my feet and the rest of my body. My shoes used to get completely soaked even during light rain and all kinds of crap got sprayed all over me. Not any more. My shoes, even in fairly heavy rain, did not get nearly as wet as before. They mainly got wet from the top.
One troublesome thing after adding fenders has to do with my Saris Thelma 2-Bike rack. I began worrying about it while trying to get to sleep last night. I suspected the front fender would be in the way, so I brought a piece of packaging foam with me to insert between the wheel and the rack's front wheel holder. It turns out a bigger concern than the fender getting bent from the rack--it did get a bit bent, though I was able to adjust it quickly--was the security of the bike in the rack. It almost came loose on the way to the drop-point in the morning.
At work, during my lunch break, I checked the Saris website and they do indeed have a tiny asterisk with fine print stating that the Thelma rack is not designed to hold bicycles with front fenders. I used to love this rack! The fender prevents the front wheel from fully resting in the front wheel support and also prevents the strap from reaching around the wheel. That stinks! The front fender, as far as I'm concerned, is more important than the rear, yet that is precisely the one interfering. What I ended up doing on the way home, and it barely worked, was to simply place the bike on the rack, without any foam in between, and then to use two bungee cords to secure the front wheel, now not sitting as securely in the cradle. Maybe I'll come up with something better still... For now it barely works.

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