Bike Commuting Tips

[biking_stickman]

Would those of you who commute to work be willing to share some tips to help those of us who are considering it?

For example:
How do I get my work clothes to work without them being wrinkled in a backpack or sweaty from wearing them?

Can we have a "Commuting" subject added to the main Forum list? It seems to be generating much discussion recently.

Thanks

[steef]

Well, I'm lucky and just wear what I ride in. :D
Some people drive in one day with a week's supply of clothes. It all depends on the clothing requirements of your job.

[Benjamin Severns]

Now I don't commute, per se, but I live in Minneapolis, and in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you'll almost never see me driving, because driving is silly. But I've found that a decent sized messanger bag, like my Banjo Bros. bag and having my clothes all folded up nicely usually gets me to my job without too many issues, I just make sure my clothes are nice and dry, and made of fabrics that don't wrinkle super horrible, and I'm pretty golden. Other than that I don't know what I do, I just kinda ride fast, and brakeless

[ZippyZoe]

I've been commuting by bicycle for about 3 months now and average about 150 miles per week. Bike commuting is an excellent way of getting exercise while not going bankrupt at the pump. If you're within 15 miles of your workplace, I believe it's worth while. Glad you're considering it. I have saved a small fortune in gasoline expenses this summer!

Here are some of my tips and experiences. Keep in mind I DO NOT have access to shower facilities, so what I bring with me and leave at the office may not be applicable to you. If you do have access to a shower, lucky you! Also, my one-way, shortest point-to-point route in the morning is 10 miles. On the way home the route is my choice. :)

So here goes my rambling...

Bike:
I started out using my MTB with slick tires for commuting. I really didn't want to put service hours on a $$$$ mountain bike, so I bought a friend's Nishiki road bike for $100. (best $100 spent let me tell ya) Most of my bicycle budget goes into MTB, but now I'm delving into the roadie side of things just because of the great cardio workout.

Stay on top of the maintenance as well. Check your tire pressure daily and be sure to keep your bike in tip-top shape. If you're caught in the rain, be prepared to give you rig some TLC before the next day's commute. Common sense kind of stuff, basically.

Gear:
The Nishiki doesn't have all the special mount points for racks and such, so I purchased a Topeak QR Beam rack that attaches to the seat post. I then attached an Avenir pack which is sufficient for carrying most of my clothing.

For lighting I have a front halogen CygoLite and a rear tail light. Make sure you buy a tail light that blinks. You are much more visible in the early hours of the morning that way.

Also, have a basic toolkit. You know, the spare tube, tire levers, multi-tool, mini-pump, etc.

I also take along two water bottles. One is sufficient for the ride in, but I fill both for my longer route home.

Clothing:
I'm sure you know the basics about wearing a helmet, gloves, glasses, clipless pedals, etc...

I wear clothing that maximizes my visibility in the early morning hours. I typically leave at 5:15AM and it's dark out there! I wear your typical biking shorts and jersey just for comfort's sake, but for maximum visiblity, I bought a cheap reflective vest to wear over my jersey. I don't have the standard reflectors all over my bike either, and rely on sufficient lighting and reflective stickers instead to get the job done.

Have some kind of identification on your person. By that I mean a RoadID bracelet, dog tag, or simply putting your driver's license in one of your pockets.

The hydration pack stays at home because of how sweaty your back can get on the way in. Again, lack of shower.

I find that rolling my shirt and pants is the best thing to do. This allows you to keep them very compact and resistant to wrinkles.

Also, pick up a "third eye" to keep an eye on your six. It's a special mirror that attaches to your glasses or helmet. You can then spot the redneck trying to graze you with a mirror.

Stuff at the office:
Shoes (these are bulky to put in the pack so I have an extra pair at the office)
Baby wipes (yes, these are the best and are made to get rid of nastiness)
Soap
Comb
Deodorant
Foot powder
Toothbrush (I don't know, it's refreshing after a ride)

Misc:
One of the philosophies I live by when bicycle commuting is "traffic avoidance." In that I mean stay away from busy roads. Enjoy the back routes through neighborhoods. I always look forward to my ride home because I carve a new route just about every day, not to mention how great I feel when I get home.

Obey traffic laws. Stop at 4 way intersections and yield right-of-way. Afterall, you represent cyclists and blowing through stoplights doesn't score points for our cause.

When you get close to work, consider walking the last eighth of a mile. This allows your body to "cool down." You don't want to be sweating as your cleaning up. That will defeat the purpose.

I could go on with other details, but I think these suggestions point you in the right direction. You can also do some Googling to find a wealth of tips. That's how I got started.

Enjoy...

[gordanfreeman]

i am lucky whereas my job doesn't require me to look good when i get to work, so i can simply ride in my work clothes (yet another benefit of loading packages at UPS! :eyeroll: )

my roomate, however, does have to loko somewhat presentable and has found keeping an extra set of 'work clothes' stashed in a locker at work helps alot. keeping stuff off your back helps battle sweaty clothes but we both simply prefer a large camelbak/messenger bag to stash our stuff. i'd rather add some weight to my person and not my ride, but thats personal preference.

[LightWeight]

My commute is 8 miles (one way) and I'm fortunate to be able to ride on EXTREMELY un-busy roads. Some mornings I'm lucky if I see 10 cars. I ride a cheap Trek hybrid and keep the lock/tire levers/extra tube and pump in a larger saddle bag. I carry my clothes in a medium-sized backpack. I usually wear jeans and a polo shirt in the office so carrying my clothes in everyday isn't a problem. We have showers and lockers in our building and with the recent decline in bike commuters, I never have to wait to get cleaned up. I usually leave my house around 6 which leaves plenty of light in the summer, but pretty shortly I'll be needing to pull out the lights.

Plan out your route and ride it on the weekend to give you an idea of how long it will take. Sometimes it's hard to get on the bike in the morning, but once I start out, I'm always glad I did - rain or shine.

[Konaboy]

Depending on where you work, you could try this. Drive in one day with your bike, ride home, then ride back the next day. It's an easy way to try commuting and will commit you get out of bed and ride in.

[bike>>rider]

What I do is bring a week's worth of clothes in (by car) over the weekend and stash them some place (usually in a closet that other workers use for coats) and then tote the dirty clothes home each night after wearing them. It's an extra weekend trip but beats hauling clothes in each morning with the chance that you'll forget something and then be screwed. This way, the clothes stay nice and ironed, etc. Good luck.

[Aaroneous]

My office is buisiness casual, so I just throw a polo shirt and pants in my messenger bag and ride in shorts & a t-shirt. Then I change when I get to work - I have some of those wipes, but don't ever use them...

And I leave my shoes at work - no sense carrying them back and forth. My lock too - I just leave it locked to the rack outside my bldg.

Tips, tips, tips... hmm... uh... I think the best one is to just start doing it. You'll figure out better ways of doing everything pretty quickly.

[rigtenzin]

I roll up my clothes and put them in my bag. This seems to prevent wrinkles. But I just wear jeans or khakis, not a suit.

I take a wash cloth bath in the restroom when I get to work.

I use two pairs of shorts for the day -- one for the ride to work and another for the ride home. This has ended my old problem with saddle sores. I also clean the funky areas with baby wipes when I arrive at work. This should also fight the bacteria.