Learning more about the commute

For example: I got rained on a couple of times today and yesterday, but it really wasn't too bad. When a shower approached (on three of the four legs) I quickly pulled out the rain jacket (both my jackets fit over the backpack, though not together, although I haven't tried that) and thus managed to keep my upper body dry. The showers didn't last longer than 5-10 minutes anyway. More encouraging: the combination of fenders, mud flap (on the front fender--still without seated female figure, the way you see them on trucks) and the excellent Sidi winter shoes kept my feet dry. I'm sure if I had non-stop rain the entire 55 minutes into Amsterdam eventually they'd get wet, but today the last ten minutes it rained pretty hard, and it really didn't matter. What does matter, I'm afraid, is that the chain etc. are totally exposed. I heard squeaking this afternoon, on only the second rainy day. I think I'll be cleaning and lubing my chain on a regular basis. Other discovery: I think I've got a pretty good parking place in the basement of my building in Amsterdam. Not only has my bike not been messed with in this first month, today I forgot to take off my nice bungee cord, which I use to tie my slippers to the seat-post rack (I use the slippers to walk from the locker room downstairs in my building to my office, where I keep a pair of regular shoes). When I returned to the basement early this evening I found it hanging off the seat, in full view, exactly where I left it this morning. Final conclusion (something I've know for a few weeks now): this little 14 mile commute is actually hard work in my current set up of 28 mm wide city tires (Continentals), seat post rack (with lock and cable), fenders and wind-catching mud flap, and backpack. Whenever I get passed by guys commuting on actual racing bikes with none of these accessories (except a little backpack), I just have to remind myself that the old green-yellow Trek really isn't a racing bike any more. Instead, it's a steady-pace bike ("doorfiets fiets," not a "hardfiets fiets"--in Dutch). I haven't taken it off the small chainring, for example, and I doubt if I ever will on these rides. Still, has to be pretty good base miles.