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Bicycle commuting sure sounds good: it's environmentally sound, doesn't burn a drop of fossil fuels, saves you money, and is great exercise. Even if you only bike on casual Fridays, you're dropping your weekday transportation impact by 20 percent.
But a lot of people find the idea intimidating. What if it's raining? Can I really depend on a bike for the most important trip of the day? Won't I be tired and dirty when I arrive?
Commuting by bicycle takes planning. Do your homework, and you'll be surprised how easy it is to lighten your environmental footstep. Let's get started!
Make it work at work
There's an old saying that a journey starts with a single step. With bicycle commuting, though, your journey begins with deciding what happens once you arrive.
The first thing you need is a secure place to park your bike at work. Bikes tend to get in the way indoors, so keep yours out of hallways where people might knock it down or get their clothes greasy. A back room or storage area might work, but your best bet is probably outside -- a covered location, if possible -- with something solid for a locking cable.
Mornings are the coolest time of day to ride, but depending on the length of your commute, you may want a place to change or freshen up. Talk to your employer about your plans and the possibility of setting up a bike-to-work program. If there are no suitable facilities where you work, look for a public washroom (or even a gym shower) within easy walking distance of your destination.
Are you fit enough?
Probably so. Whether you're a casual commuter or a pro bike racer, cycling is all about pace.
The biggest mistake made by beginner cyclists is pushing too hard a gear. Regardless of how many "speeds" your bike might have, choose a midrange gear in which you can comfortably turn the pedals at 70 or 80 revolutions per minute. Over mixed terrain, use your gears to maintain this rhythm. This is the secret to efficient cycling. Spin -- don't grind.
Commuting should be a gently aerobic activity. If you're feeling winded, ease back. As your fitness improves, you'll be able to turn bigger gears at that 70 to 80 rpm cadence. Ride for pace, and the speed will come naturally.
As with all exercise regimes, consult your physician or primary care-giver before getting started.
Plan your route carefully
The shortest way to work may not be the best. Scout roads with marked bicycle lanes. If none are available, look for routes that avoid overly narrow roads, tricky bridges, and open storm gratings.
Routes through residential areas are pleasant and usually have the benefit of lower traffic. But keep in mind that people are heading to work at the same time you are, and the most dangerous place on the road for a cyclist is the foot of a driveway. Watch for distracted drivers backing into the street. Avoid the temptation to hop up onto a sidewalk: it decreases the time a car has to spot you, and bikes are a hazard to pedestrians.
Once you've found a good route -- find another. Part of the fun of cycling is slowing down enough to really see things. Vary your commute and keep things fresh.
Get the right gear
As Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong pointed out in his autobiography, it's not about the bike. You can commute on anything -- but the right equipment will certainly make your experience safer and easier.
If you're going to be riding before the sun is fully up or after it sets, you must have lights. Most municipalities have very specific regulations about the degree of lighting required by night-riding cyclists, and common sense dictates you get as bright as possible. Here's the good news: a properly lit cyclist in reflective clothing is generally more conspicuous than a daytime rider.
Whether they're legally required or not, ride with an approved and well-fitting helmet. A "lid" can be the difference between a scraped knee and a hospital stay.
We'll discuss the selection of commuter-specific bicycles in future articles. But rain fenders and a good bike rack will keep you cleaner and make your bike more useful.
What to carry
Some commuters cycle in their work clothes. Depending on the length of your ride, your fitness, and local climate, this might be an option for you.
Otherwise, you'll want to carry a change of clothes on the bike. A towel and a washcloth in a ziplock bag will make freshening up a breeze, along with whatever cosmetics or personal items you'll need for the day.
It's smart to learn how to change a tire. Most bike shops will be happy to show their customers the ropes, and it's a quick roadside job once you're in the know. You'll need a flat kit: a spare inner tube, two or three tire levers, and a rag to check the inside of your tire for glass.
Buy an impressive lock. Kryptonite is the dominant manufacturer in this field. In any case, look for a case-hardened chain or heavy aircraft cable model. Bicycle locks can be defeated, but a sturdy chain wrapped through your frame, both tires, and a secure anchor will make your bike much less attractive to a casual thief.
Finally, carry water. You should drink regularly while riding -- at least one standard water bottle per hour. Diluted sport drinks work well, too. If you're thirsty, you're not drinking often enough.
Enjoy!
Traveling by bicycle is a healthy way to move around. Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine -- and check back with Lighter Footstep for more commuter tips.
Are you a bicycle commuter? What's your best pointer for new riders? Please share in our comments section!
Readers have left 31 comments. 1. Untitled
ron klein, Guest "Most municipalities have very specific regulations about the degree of lighting required by night-riding cyclists..."
Well, maybe in the States they do, but not here in Israel. Bicycle commuting has become very popular in Tel Aviv in the last few years, but Israeli authorities, as usual, haven't the time to catch up with modern needs.
Primitive, faulty bike lanes, unenforced parking laws resulting in jammed sidewalks, etc. We have a lot to learn from modern European and American cities. 2. Untitled
Bob McInnis, Guest Be aware of your surroundings. For may motorists, you will be invisible. Watch for turning vehicles and corners and drives, passing vehicles, and stopped cars. I try to use trails as much as possible (in Calgary we have more than 400 km of paved trails) and avoid heavily used roadways and peak traffic hours.
I agree that commuting can be the best time of your day and it is amazing how quickly your fitness can improve. 3. Untitled
Pal, Guest Also remember that as a cyclist, the road is just as much yours as a driver. If you attempt to hug the curb as you ride to "stay out of the way", cars will not move much as they pass you. I've had cars pass within inches of me without moving from the lane. Combined with a sudden storm grate, you either hit the grate or the car. Give yourself a few feet into the lane so you can maneuver around debris and other obstacles, and cars can shift over a lane to pass you, even if it's "inconvenient" to them. 4. Untitled
Duncan, Guest Excellent website. Am an occasional fair-weather commuter by bike, but it is 14 mile round trip over steep hills, so I have to be REALLY DETERMINED to get up in the morning and hop on a bike.
But I do like the quick fitness I get from doing it... 5. Untitled
Eva, Guest Excellent article! I just started commuting by bike a few weeks ago. I have some more tips:
Avoid wearing a backpack, it will make you sweat too much. I strap my backpack to my luggage rack with bungee cords and this keeps me noticeably cooler.
If there are no shower facilities near your workplace, antibacterial wet wipes can work wonders. Change into clean clothes and you'll be fresh as a daisy again.
If you think your commute is too far, try to drive to a park and ride lot, taking your bike with you and riding the rest of the way. Buses and light rail systems will also let you take your bicycle with you (some require a permit).
Don't over-pack. Leave your shoes at work instead of carrying them back and forth. Stock up on foods and snacks on the days you use your car.
And finally: enjoy! Bicycle commuting is a great way to wake up in the morning and wind down after work. 6. Untitled
Janette, Guest Great stuff! Also, for people living in the UK, you can get started cycling for practically no money. The government offers a plan to let you buy your bike tax-free through your employer, and then pay it off in 12 monthly installments. These installments come out of your paycheck, effectively lowering your salary. You therefore pay less income and NIS tax. I saved 47% on the price of my new bike and equipment in this manner. You can do this program through any bike shop, but Evans cycles' Ride to work program (http://www.evanscycles.com/ride2work.jsp) and Cycle Surgery (http://www.cyclesurgery.com/article/mcs/art/49) make it easy.
(I don't work for either of those companies - I am just very happy about having saved so much money!) 7. Untitled
Sarah, Guest I ride my bike to work at least four days a week. Because I'm in LA (crazy drivers!) I ride on the sidewalk, but am lucky that I rarely pass pedestrians in my area (no one walks in LA!).
I ride like absolutely no one sees me, and try to ride defensively to prevent accidents. In bike vs car, the car always wins!
8. Untitled
driver2, Guest I'm sorry, but bicycles don't belong on the road. It is insane that cyclists expect 100 cars to slow to their speed behind them until they can change lanes and pass them. Personally, I will never move over, and if they get hit, so be it. A few of them have learned the hard way. 9. Untitled
ianmack, Guest great guide to bicycle commuting. i've been doing it for almost a year now, and can't even fathom giving it up. some mornings it's tough to get the nerve, but once you're going, it's much easier. and coming home, weaving through lines of stand-still traffic is massively satisfying. there's no better way to spread the word to vehicle bound commuters than whipping by them with a big smile on your face.  10. Untitled
biker1, Guest Dear driver2:
In whatever country you are in, I invite you to call the police and let them know about your premeditated intent to break the law.
It will help the court case later. 11. Untitled
YearRoundCyclist, Guest A lot of cyclists get hurt and even die when people in parked cars throw the door open without looking. It's a fairly easy thing to avoid, though; ride just outside the "swing range" of the car doors. The right distance is if you can stretch out your hand and just about touch the cars. Of course, this means that you are taking up half of the right lane, so that cars have to shift lanes to pass you. This is actually a good safety measure as well, because it causes the car traffic to slow down quite a lot, and slow traffic is safe traffic. Drivers may find it inconvenient, but their convenience is far less important than your safety. If drivers don't like being inconvenienced, they can switch to bicycling. Also keep in mind that if drivers honk at you or harrass you, you can take down their license plate number and report them to the police for road rage, and have them sent to special classes, while their license is suspended. Know your rights! 12. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Ron: as energy pressures continue, there will be more cyclists. That should mean better facilities for cyclists, even where you are.
Great tips from everyone. Keep 'em coming. We're looking forward to getting forums rolling this week so more of these good ideas can fly around.
Pal brings up a really good point: riding too far to the right is dangerous for everyone. It's easy to lose control of a bike if you encounter the edge of the blacktop, a sewer grate, or debris.
Lighter Footstep is based in Florida, and the law here (which explicitly affirms the on-road status of bicycles, by the way) states that cyclists should ride as close to the white fog line as is practical. Six to nine inches off the fog line -- two or three feet from the curb -- is usually about right.
Keep your head up, ride in straight lines, and don't do anything unexpected. Make eye contact with motorists at intersections, and don't be shy about hand signaling. Assume cars don't see you. If you want to be treated like a vehicle, act like one. Report aggressive drivers immediately.
And consider joining a bicycle advocacy group. We're safer acting as a team. 13. Untitled
Rick Palmer, Guest Good article! I'll be starting a new job this week that's within 10 miles of home, and I hoped to start riding my bike in to burn some calories and save big on gas money. 14. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest Rick, I hope you share your commuting tips and experiences with us.
Rick's homepage, Road Bike Addicts, is full of great cycling tips. Here's a particularly helpful article about a puncture-resistant tire by Continental (my favorite brand) called Ultra Gatorskins:
http://roadbikeaddicts.com/continental-gatorskins-to-the-rescue
This sort of technology is a real boon to commuting cyclists. 15. Untitled
Kristen, Guest Buy a bell!  They're inexpensive, super-fun, and make passing people/cars/etc. a lot safer. Bicycle commuting has improved my work-life in so many ways. Seriously...it doesn't matter how stressful your day is, as soon as you hop on your bike all of it melts away. It's like a mini-vacation each and everyday. I ride rain or shine because I love it so much. But if that sounds too hard-core for you then I recommend trying it on the nice days. 16. Untitled
Dave, Guest Good comment re: backpack... but an over-the-shoulder messenger bag works just fine because if you have it adjusted right it sits right on your very low back, below the belt, where you don't sweat much (the reason they call them "messenger bags" is because messengers have found this out). If you're fortunate enough to have bike paths where you live you're safe from cars but not from joggers... even if there's a seperate lane for them a certain elite few will jog in the bike path and they will, repeat, will, forget where they are and pull a sharp U-turn right in front of you at some point in your commuting life.  Ringing a bell or calling out is alwas a good idea but lots of joggers listen to music so they can't hear you. Give them lots of room... 17. Untitled
Maree, Guest I've been commuting by bicycle (about 10 km, or 6 miles, each way) on and off for a couple of years and recently for 5 months straight. I find commuting to work makes you a happier person, you eat better, and you sleep better. For those who are starting out, it may seem like a long way or an effort at first, but soon you don't notice the distance, its something you look forward to, and you start enjoying the 'scenery' more.
Check out http://www.bikely.com to see if there are any suggested routes in your area. Often there are little shortcuts you only learn about through word of mouth can save you some miles or avoid some hills. 18. Untitled
Tom, Guest I've been multi-commuting for about a month now, using a combination of light rail and bicycle to get to work. For the most part, even in a city known for being bicycle friendly (Portland, OR) you are invisible to drivers, especially in the suburbs. Since getting hit by a car last year (minor dust-up, bruises and scrapes) I've had a hard time getting back to asserting my right to be on the road.
It has been the greatest stress-reliever for me. I can have the night from Hell adn when I throw my leg over the bike, it all goes away. Oh yeah, good rain gear is a must...hate getting to work all soggy!
19. Untitled
Clint, Guest Great article and excellent discussion! Definitely ride like nobody sees you for your safety. Building and maintaining a commuter bike can be fun as well - with a little trial and error, a how to book, a $49.00 set of tools, I built an http://www.xtracycle.com from some ebay deals, some used parts and a kit! Now I can carry a full grocery load with no problems, a surfboard, or a passenger with ease. I posted some photos on http://www.theseep.com .
But if you're not sure of your maintenance or building skills, take your bike to a mechanic regularly for a safe ride, tuneups run around $30. Lobby your local government and seek out local bike organizations to improve biking conditions in your town, and above all, have fun! 20. Untitled
Cass, Guest Great suggestions!
May I also suggest that there is another option for some people who might want to commute even more days and reduce their footprint further, but may have a long distance to commute, or lack shower facilities, or plain just don't have the energy after a long day at work to pedal home: human/electric hybrid bicycles have come a long way and many new models are barely distinguishable from a non-hybrid one! Also there is evidence that you can be getting a healthier workout and keep your heart rate in the target zone for fat-burning exercise! And they will almost definitely cost you less than 10 cents a day in electricity. 21. Untitled
Damian Cugley, Guest @driver2 - You should be pleased if people switch to bicycles because it means fewer cars for you to get stuck behind; if you cannot overtake cyclists then the roads in your area are dangerously narrow. Even if you do have to follow a cycle for a few hundred metres, once you pass them you should be able to increase speed to make up the difference in a matter of seconds.
Having said that, I am writing from a city with a long history of bicycle use, and with various amenities to make cyclists and motorists move more smoothly. I even have a choice of routes in to work, one largely through side-streets and along a river, and the other direct through town when the weather is bad. 22. Untitled
Rick Palmer, Guest Thanks for the link Chris! Here's another article that your readers might find interesting, that discusses a trick I learned for getting my chain back on without stopping or reaching down to touch the chain: http://www.roadbikeaddicts.com/chain-trick Kristen, I'm not sure I could react fast enough to reach down and ring a bell if drivers don't see me. Take my ride last week - I was just finishing up a short 10-mile cruise and was about 4 blocks from home. As I started to cross a 4-way stop intersection, I could have sworn I saw the driver on my right look right at me... as she proceeded to start into the intersection and almost run me over. It was only my loud "HEY!!" that snapped her back into reality and only then did she notice me. I don't think I would have had time to reach down and ring a bell to avoid getting ran over on that occasion. I guess you just can never take for granted that a driver sees you, and you just have to be extra cautious in traffic. 23. Untitled
Frith Lane, Guest Dear Driver2,
Please come near me when I am next out cycling and try and hit me. I dare you. The last person that did that ended up spending 2 hours searching for their car keys after they knocked me off my bike. I hit the ground running and when they stopped at the next lights, they lost their keys to me. I simply grabbed the keys and deposited them down the nearest storm drain.
If by some amazing chance you get away, I will still get you registration and it is a simple process to have you arrested for failing to stop at the scene of an accident, especially since the cyclist was "badly injured" and needed extensive hospital treatment. (regardless of what damage you actually did). You see in every situation you loose. Get used to it. People like me who drive and cycle will always beat people like you.
24. Untitled
Rick Palmer, Guest driver2, you might want to check out the laws in your area regarding sharing the road with bicylcists: http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/bikelaw.htm 25. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest The good tips just keep on coming. :-)
Our next bicycle commuting article will be on selecting a bike that works for you. We'll publish this as a feature under our "Sustainable Living" department, so please be watching for it.
driver2 is probably just trolling for attention. I rarely delete comments, but left it to demonstrate that there really are drivers who feel bicycles have no place on the road and treat us aggressively. The best tactic with these folks -- and I must confess to not always taking my own advice here -- is simply to give them a wide berth.
Note the plate and vehicle description, pull over somewhere safe, and call 911. It may be possible in your area to swear out a police complaint. Take the time to do so, and help make the road safer for the next cyclist. Vehicular assault is a felony. 26. Untitled
Mr-Jalle, Guest Follow the traffic rules! Here in Stockholm many bike riders think they're above the traffic (and psychics) laws and constantly run red-lights and uses pedestrian lanes when there are nice bike paths available.
Be an example; use bike paths, be friendly and hug each other in the traffic!
Peace
/Mr.J 27. Untitled
SJ, Guest I have the non-emergency number for our sheriff's office on my cell phone - this is great to have to report things that need to be reported but don't rate 911, including traffic lights gone awry or animal issues or reporting things that you just don't feel right calling 911 about. I get a *lot* of positive feedback when I'm riding when I am attentive to traffic flow and communicate clearly where I am and what I'm doing, and am all kinds of lit up at night. (The Christmas Tree was especially popular - cars *do* make way for the emotional equivalent of Santa Claus!) It helps that I once rode a motorcycle and never got into the geurrilla style sidewalk-hopping, light-running "style" of cycling. I hope a few folks *will* take the leap and get out there now that it's Bike month Start small and go! 28. Untitled
SJ, Guest Oh, and getting a bit out in the lane isn't so much about being assertive, which is what I believed at first. It's just a question of what drivers pretty much automatically do. THey're not thinking, "Oh! An assertive bicyclist! I shall give more room!" They're automatically processing "slow vehicle - need to pass carefully" when I'm that extra little bit out into the lane ... instead of "person beside the road that I can ignore" that never even really gets into the conscious mind. I rode many miles down a busy road with somebody and it was amazing that the drivers were *all* "better" when we scooted out a foot into the road (about where the right wheel of a car would be), but they rode right next to us if we were hugging the line. We didn't inspire any road rage, either. 29. Untitled
Eric, Guest Do you guys recommend road, mountain, or "hybrid" bikes for those of us who are new to the idea of cycling to work?
It seems funny writing hybrid bike, but there really is such a thing! 30. Untitled
Chris Baskind, Guest SJ: that's right, it's not being assertive -- it's being smart. We need to be unambiguous in traffic, and that can't happen teetering next to the curve. Riding out a bit brings you into the driver's field of vision, and makes it less likely that he or she will just try to squeeze past you.
Eric: that's a big question. I'm planning to post the follow-up to this article, which is on choosing a commuter bike -- on Monday. To answer your question directly, road bikes are the most efficient choice on pavement. Some riders prefer a more upright position, in which case a hybrid might be a better idea (hybrids are a broad class, though).
More soon. :-) 31. Untitled
BAW, Guest Driver2, by the laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, bicycles have every right to use the roads except on limited-access freeways and other places where they are specifically forbidden.
I don't know where you are, but I promise you that if you deliberately run me down, once the Public Prosecutor is through with you my (or my estate's) attorneys will leave you on the street in your underwear. |
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