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10 Tips to Start Bike Commuting
posted by id* at 03:00 PM on May 27, 2008
10 Tips to start bike commuting
So Bike to Work week got you motivated to ride and now you’re thinking – I should bike to work but what do I need to do it properly. Well here at Riders Club we’ve received lots of questions about this too, so we came up with 10 ways to get ready to become a bike commuter!
1. Get a bike. Ok that seems obvious, but it’s important to get a bike that will be comfortable for your commute and that will support your type of riding. If you commute on a gravel path you’ll want a different bike then if you have to commute up a 5 mile climb! Any bike for commuting is better than no bike, but take a look at where you will be riding and make sure your bike is appropriate to you commute.
2. Find your route. Once you are committed to making the commute by bike you will have to figure out how to get there. If you normally drive to work on the freeway that isn’t going to work with your bike – take a look at local resources for local bike lanes or bike path maps, scout routes to where you work that have less traffic, use resources like www.mapmyride.com to determine distance. Once you know your route – consider riding it on a weekend as a test, or driving it one day to and from work to check it out.
3. Get your bike set up for safe commuting. Once you have your bike you’ll need to get it ready for commuting. First step – get a good helmet, your brain is worth it. Second step – get a front and rear light! Third step – decide if you need fenders and a rear rack. Fourth step – make sure your bike is tuned up and in good working order that means check the brakes, shifting and tires.
4. Try your route out once. It’s always a good idea to incorporate your ride to work in one of your weekend rides if you can before you commit to riding to work so you know how long it will take, what the traffic light situation is and check for any problems. Nothing is worse than being late on your first day of bike commuting because you misjudged the time it would take to get there.
5. Get your cycling clothing ready. Here in Northern California it’s cool in the morning and hot in the afternoon so that means longs sleeves for the AM but short sleeves for the PM. Make sure you have the equipment you need to keep you at a comfortable temperature and if you live somewhere with variable weather DRY. It’s important to make sure you have a waterproof jacket for wet days, but one that allows ventilation for when your body heats up. As with your ride route – try your equipment out before you commit to a long ride to work. Your commute will be a lot more fun if you are comfortable the whole way!
6. Decide how you will carry your clothes to work. You can use many ways to get what you need for the work day to work with you. Some options are: Use a backpack; use a messenger bag; get a co-worker to drive your stuff to work; use a rear rack and some panniers. However you decide to make the commute make sure you are comfortable on your bike with your chosen method.
7. Get clean once you get to work. When you arrive at work, how will you prepare for the workday? Some commutes are short enough that you can ride in your work clothes, but others are so long that you’ll need to have a shower when you arrive. Does your building have showers in it you can use? Is there a gym or YMCA nearby that you can get cleaned up in? Is there another way to great ready for work without a full shower? Take a hint from us – don’t plan to spend the day in your bike clothes if you want to enjoy the ride home!
8. Learn to fix your bike. Learn how to fix a flat and put your chain back on. There are some great How To videos on the D4W site which will get your started. Check them out here http://www.d4wgear.com/bc/d4w/index.html
9. Think about food. A lot of people misjudge how much they will need to eat or drink to make their ride to and from work. Make sure you take enough water with you for your ride, and make sure you get something to eat before you leave the house in the morning. If you have a long ride, think about ways to refuel on the way home if it’s going to be hot.
10. Recruit a friend. Nothing makes bike commuting easier than someone to share it with! The more the merrier. If you can get a group to ride with once in a while you’ll have almost 30% of your energy when you let someone else ride out front in the wind! The more people you can convince to ride with you the more fun your commute will be and the more you are apt to keep at it. If you want to meet new friends, post your ride on the Riders Club at www.specializedriders.com and see who will join you.
And finally one bonus tip!
Ride within 2 miles of your home. Think about travelling by bike beyond just riding to work. We’ve started looking critically at our travel habits here at the Riders Club and one thing we are encouraging everyone to do is try to ride more within 2 miles of where you live. Print a map of your neighborhood, put a 2 mile circle on it and think about whether you could ride instead of drive when you are travelling in that circle!
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Comments (7)
08:52 AM on May 29, 2008 UTC KitC wrote:
For the technologically-inclined, you can also point your browser to http://www.2milechallenge.com, a Clif Bar sponsored site which allows you to use Google Maps to visualize that 2-mile circle around your house (or any other street address). It's amazing just how big of a circle that is!
04:35 AM on May 30, 2008 UTC Stargazer wrote:
It is easier than many people think. You just have to do it. I used to ride about 15000km a year when I was younger and then I started to study opened up a shop, built a house and my wife got our first kid and I always used the car, because it is faster and consumes less time. I then discovered that my trtousers did not fit anymore, and I did not feel good. I missed riding my bike. So I started in Febuary to ride to work about everey day which is about 12-14 km one way and started adding up my time. It takes me about 35 min. to ride to work, that means I am about 1hr.10min. per day in the saddle. When I go by car i drive about 15min. but I drive in my break back home. That is about 1hr. in the car. No real time loss !! And I work through our midday break ( 1hr 30min.) and that is time I used to work in the evening. So after all I am even saving time, because I can ride earlier home and see my baby son. I lost weight, I feel better and i do not pollute the environment that much. All I can say is: Ride to work, it will do you and your environment good.
12:11 AM on June 01, 2008 UTC KaosDucci wrote:
I bike to work every day. I ride from Mountain View, Ca to San Mateo Ca every day. I leave 5 hours early for work just so I can get some coffee before I work. It's awesome.
08:10 PM on June 02, 2008 UTC Richard Aronson wrote:
Hey Guys.
I haven't really biked since I was a little kid, and even then, nothing outside of my Cul de Sac in suburbia. I just bought a Spec. TriCross Sport for my 25th Bday (this past Sat.) and I am devoted to commuting to work as much as possible (hopefully at least 3 days a week). My work is app. 10 miles away. Today was my first day, and it wasn't that bad, but it took me 40 mins.
Biking is awesome! I enjoy the exercise, and the Karma I get from leaving my SUV at home.
I just wish we had showers at my office building, and that I didn't get saddle sore.
Keep on Truckin'!
09:49 AM on June 04, 2008 UTC Michael Salhaney wrote:
I often ride to work here in south-east Michigan, home of the automobile. I leave early and use a backpack to haul my work close and lunch. Here are a few useful tips:
1) Roll your pants and shirt to minimize wrinkles. Better yet, drop them off one day when you do ride.
2) Leave home a bit early, so you don't have to hammer your ride to work. That way, you minimize sweat and stink.
3) Go to Costco and buy a package of baby wipes, and use them to clean yourself up once you get to the office, if you do not have access to a shower.
11:01 AM on June 04, 2008 UTC Nhan Nguyen wrote:
Don't forget about a mirror! Ups the confidence and safety levels big time.
08:27 AM on June 05, 2008 UTC Greg Guinther wrote:
I've been bike-commuting in Richmond, VA for 14 years and it's a great way to start and end the day. If you go year-round you'll need a good selection of clothing to layer since the conditions invariably change from morning to evening. As Nhan says above, get a good helmet-mounted mirror. A $30 LED headlight and flashing tail light are useful if you leave in the dark. I also use a reflective triangle and leg bands. Illuminite jackets, booties and helmet covers make you impossible to miss! It takes a while to establish a routine whereby you've got the work clothes, lunch, riding clothes, work stuff, and bike stuff ready, but after a week it becomes pretty natural and you'll find driving a car gives an odd feeling.