Category: Commuting
Posted: May 28, 2010 at 8:37 am
May isn’t quite over, but I’m moving this weekend, so this will be the final tip… and this one is easy. Just get out and ride!
It’s often too easy to get information overload on a subject and overthink it. Bike commuting can be one of these. When I first started commuting 2 years ago, I read up on the subject a lot before I took the plunge. I assumed the more I knew, the better off I would be. What I didn’t realize is that experience counts for just as much, your bike, your route, your city, your weather, and you are all unique. No source of information will prepare you to ride like riding itself. So get out there, make mistakes, wear the wrong clothes, get your pants caught in a chain, get a pinchflat halfway to work with no spare… learn from the ride itself!
Posted: May 21, 2010 at 10:49 pm
No matter how enthusiastic we are about riding bikes, there are days you wish you could just take a car to work. Riding alone can be a bit boring at times, so try and ride with someone else.
If you have a co-worker who lives nearby, encourage them to ride to work so you will have someone to share the ride with. I have a couple co-workers who ride occasionally and riding with them breaks up the everyday routine quite well.
Posted: May 20, 2010 at 5:23 pm
When you first ride a bike to work, chances are you will take the same route you would normally drive. Many times this will not be the best route by bike.
Take the time to explore other routes, you might find that a slightly longer route will help you avoid traffic or certain inclines. Thanks to Google Maps, finding a good bike route is easy, just put in your source and destination address and use the bike directions. When I first used this feature it showed me a route that I didn’t previously know. The new route had less traffic and more shade, score!
Google maps is a great place to start, but by all means explore other routes yourself. I have a few different ways I can go and I’ll pick one depending on how I feel that morning. Mixing up your route is a good way to keep your commute from getting boring.
Posted: May 20, 2010 at 8:41 am
We all know that riding a bike instead of taking a car will save you some cash, but how much?
This handy calculator will help you estimate your savings. With a short ride (5 miles one way), no parking fees or tolls, I end up saving $2 a day.
Posted: May 19, 2010 at 4:31 pm
In the excitement of starting to commute by bike, you might be tempted try riding every single day. While it might be possible, you could bite off more than you can chew and end up not enjoying yourself as much as you could.
To start out, pick one day of the week to ride your bike. This is an easy commitment and will probably leave you wanting to ride more often. By only commuting to one day per week, you also have the opportunity to pick the best day to ride based on weather or other factors.
It doesn’t take long before people at work refer to you as “that nut who rides to work in the rain”, but there’s no need to earn that title too quickly. Take it slow and have fun!
Posted: May 18, 2010 at 11:25 am
Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days, I was out of town for a job interview.
This tip is about a polarizing issue in the cycling community, wearing a helmet. I still don’t wear one all the time, but I know that I should.
The fact is, even if you ride safely, accidents can still happen. Even at slow speeds, falling from your bike down to the concrete is enough to put a hurt’n on your noggin. A crash which would normally give you a little road rash with which to impress others could turn into a serious head injury. Sure they make look nerdy, but they could save your life or at the very least prevent a really bad headache.
I used to argue that people in Europe didn’t wear helmets and they have a lower injury rate than in America. I finally came to the realization that this isn’t Europe and riding here is not as safe in most cities. This is due both to lack of cycling infrastructure and the awareness of motorists towards bikes on the road. So now I’m a helmet convert (mostly) and you should be too!
Posted: May 14, 2010 at 3:28 pm
While riding a bike to work you may me tempted to put on some music to make the ride even more enjoyable… don’t! You may not realize it, but your hearing is a very important sense in keeping you safe on the road. Listening to music could stop you from hearing a car come up behind you that you had no idea was there.
You might think that you can visually check to see when cars are near, but sometimes this can fail you. I personally came close to being hit because I was listening to music, even after reading the same advice I am dispensing now.
Posted: May 13, 2010 at 4:34 pm
My ride today over fresh asphalt (which makes all sorts of grime stick to your bike) made me remember todays tip: clean your bike regularly.
Not only will this keep your ride looking great, but it will also prolong the life of the frame and components. I personally like to take a sponge or scrub brush with some simple green and scrub down everything I can once every few weeks. Be sure to hit the drive train especially, when grease builds up, it will trap dirt and other contaminates which will grind down on gears, chain, and dérailleurs. After cleaning and drying your drive train, apply a light layer of chain oil to keep things running smoothly. I’ve been using Tri-Flow for years with no problems, but any dedicated bike oil should do fine. Just remember not to use WD-40.
Posted: May 12, 2010 at 10:20 am
How often do people you encounter say something like “Oh, about a month ago I almost ran you over!”? This has happened to me a few times and again very recently. It’s always an odd conversation as they tend to laugh it off (and oddly enough so do I).
How do you respond when people tell you this?
Posted: May 11, 2010 at 2:50 pm
If it seems like many of the commuting tips posted refer to safety, that is by no mistake. While bike commuting is a fun, healthy, and safe alternative to driving we are out numbered by vehicles much bigger and faster piloted by drivers who are not always on the lookout for cyclists. Making drivers aware of you is a big deal.
Exercising your right to ride on the road is one step, by being in traffic and not beside it, you force drivers to notice you more. This also goes with not riding on side-walks where you are more likely to be hit but a turning vehicle because they don’t see you coming.
Wearing bright clothing is also a big help, it’s no secret that yellow is a popular color in cycling apparel, this is because it stands out at all times of the day. If you can get something with reflective trim it will help after the sun goes down.
And finally, a good set of lights is essential. Even in a well lit area you should have both head and tail lights. The headlight can be set to blink mode if street lights provide enough lighting, set it to solid otherwise. The rear light should always be set to blink.
Previous Page
