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Any bike commuters here?
I just started biking to work this week, and I'm loving it so far. I still need a lot of gear for max comfort, and I need to work out whether to shower at work or what, but I'm excited to figure those things out.
Wondering if anyone else on Tildes commutes by bike, what your experience has been, any tips you might have!
Yes. I commute on non-wet days, so maybe a bit less than half a year.
In my case the distance is not too big, ~5Km, but it's way faster by bike than with public transport.
I did the shower at work thing for a while, but I found the amount of extra gear and time I need for that exceed the benefits of using the bike. Currently I just pack a change of t-shirt and wet-wipes. I do a quick wipe and change in the bathroom.
I don't take my bike if I have to leave it outside, even with a good lock. Thieves will notice bikes that are regularly in one place and it becomes vulnerable when unattended for an 7+ hours period. Maybe it's fine if your building has an inner yard with people guarding, but I got one stolen like this in the past, I don't want to repeat that.
I don't use my bike in the rain (as I said) again the gear and the bike cleaning are lowering the enjoyment of commuting (I really like my bike and I hate when it's muddy).
The city I ride in is pretty cycling friendly so I mostly get no issues from drivers, but I do participate in traffic as a predictable vehicle so I assume they don't get any issues from me either. I have clothes/shoes/bag with reflective patches and lights for the evening/nights.
I try not to race other people (but this is hard for some reason :(). When I manage to do it I end up less sweaty at the end of the ride and need less cleaning time. This being said, a good strong ride in the morning makes for a better energy booster than two cups of coffee in my opinion.
In cold I layer up. I feel like the most important piece of clothing for my comfort is wearing proper wind-proof gloves. In really cold days (lower than 5C I wear glove liners also). Ears and nose also important in extreme cold, so I wear a fleece balaclava.
A balaclava is a great idea. It doesn't get too cold here in Louisiana (coldest is usually around ~5 - 10 C, but that's maybe a few days a year, it snowed .. 2 years ago?), but when I was riding yesterday my face hurt from the wind.
I was just talking to a friend about wet wiping, I think I'll try that! Thanks for the suggestion :)
When I go into the city office, it's about an 8 mile roundtrip, so not super long nor super short (like my prior 0.5 mile roundtrip commute in my old job). At that distance, I have to think about whether I'll show up a sweaty mess, but I've found that as long as I don't push the pace too much, I can arrive without having to worry about how I'll smell all day. I do often bring a t-shirt or something lighter to change into on the way back though, as the return trip is much more strenuous with an uphill component. Even with this, I've found that by switching to athletic-fit jeans, I can bike no problem and not worry about tearing seems like I did with all my older, slim-fit jeans.
No matter what, get good bike lights on the front and back, and, if you can, opt for a bike rack on your back wheel and some panniers so you don't have to carry weight on your back. That reduces sweat and makes your life a lot easier.
Number one thing I'm saving for atm is panniers and a rack! Thanks!
I used to bike to work when I didn't work at home, it was about 9km each way and occasionally a nice 25km trip out to another site (much of which was on unlit roads which was fun in winter). I rode in all weathers apart from snow/ice, and honestly cold and rain is fine once you're going. If you're riding in the cold/wet, get good weather gear. I can recommend SealSkinz gloves, they're warm and comfy and totally waterproof.
Lights. Get some really good lights. Not flashing lights. Bright, always on lights and run them even in the daytime. Wear flouro, yellow is the most visible, and reflective stuff is also good but bright colours are better because they work in daylight too. Get, and I cannot stress this enough, visible.
I'm not sure what country you're in but if it's one Aldi operate in they have really good, cheap bike stuff when they have bike stuff in stock.
I really miss having an enforced bike ride five times a week.
I didn't know that about Aldi! I'm in the us which has Aldi but I've only seen groceries? I'll have to see if slash when I go again. The rest of the advice is great, thank you!
It should be noted that Aldi has a history of treating their workers like shit and maximizing everything for profit. It's cheap yeah but it comes with a price...and it ain't quality in any sense.
I mean every time I've been in one the produce didn't look like something I wanted.
I bike to work In Denver, Colorado, USA when it’s not snowy/icy outside. It’s about a 3 mile round trip, so I don’t even need to change when I get to work. Most of drivers here seem to be very friendly cyclists, it’s a very active state so there are lots of cyclists on the road too. It takes a little bit of experience to be able to coexist with traffic. There are times when you need to take the full lane (when trying to turn left, for example, or when cars don’t have enough room to pass you safely but might try anyway).
I always wear a helmet and obey most traffic laws, including waiting at red lights. For stop signs I slow down and check cross traffic and don’t stop if it’s all clear.
I have a set of flashing front and rear lights that are on 100% of the time when I’m riding in traffic including in the daytime. I’m pretty sure these have saved me from accidents when drivers would otherwise not have seen me. For these to be effective though you need high quality lights that are bright enough to be seen in the daytime. I use these. I also use SPD clipless pedals, I wouldn’t be able to go back to normal biking shoes.
I also have a bike rack and panniers, so my back doesn’t get sweaty in the summer from wearing a backpack.
I've been having the sweaty-back problem lately, that's why I want panniers too. I'll have to look into different pedals; I never thought they'd be that different with shoes/without/clipping/not. I only ever just wear my regular shoes.
I do the same thing with lights and stop signs too! So far I've just had one guy say I ran the light as he drove past, but what he didn't know is that another driver waved me on. so that was annoying.
Yes, biking to work is great! I try to bike every day for my 5.5 km commute to work. I'm fortunate in that I don't have to bike on busy roads and a good portion of my biking is on a trail.
I monitor my heart rate and don't allow myself to get too hot going to work so I don't have to shower. I have recently quit wearing my helmet to work as I am usually going slow and don't ride in heavy traffic.
I have a giant escape 3 with banjo bros side pannier.
I've been looking into Banjo Bros, specifically their backpack pannier. I'll have to look into Giant Escape, thanks!
🙋♀️
That said, my commute is about 1km, almost exclusively on a shared bicycle/pedestrian path, so I can't offer much in the way of advice on longer commutes. I used to ride a Lekker Amsterdam Elite NuVinci which was an absolute joy, but that got stolen so now I'm on a cheapie 😭.
My #1 tip is probably this: You need to top up the air in your tyres way more often than you think.
Fully pumped up tires (with the max pressure as indicated on the side of the wheel) are heaven. It’s insane how much easier riding your bike is with pumped up tires
I feel like I've heard that a lot. I'll check em tomorrow!
Oh yeah! But I take the train for a large part of my commute, so the bike part (via shared bikes) is fairly minor - only 3 km round trip. All of it is on protected bike lanes.
How long is your commute? What are the infrastructures like?
My commute is 3.3 miles, about 5.3 km, each way. It's all on the road, but there's a bike lane for most of it, slash it's through residential neighborhoods, so it's not too bad. There was one scary portion, but I figured out a way around it, so that's no problem now.
There are roads here that I absolutely would not bike down though. People've been killed.
What do you mean about comfort. On the bike? In weather?
About lights: you're getting a lot of conflicting advice for how to run your lights, and I'll tell you one important thing: None of it matters. If a driver thinks they can make it past you in a tight gap, they'll generally do it without regard for your safety, much like they would with other cars. Road positioning is key, and lights help with the enforcement of this. I personally run a rapid blinking 150 lumen tail light at night to indicate I'm a slow moving vehicle, and a solid 150 lumen headlight at night only. This has helped people see me, or take more more seriously if they would have seen me anyway, and I've had far fewer people jump in front of me out of perpendicular streets. I've found urban bike riding to be as much about psychological games as vigilance.
I'm switching from what I lovingly referred to as my pickup bike, which is a Mercer Kilo WT with a Wald 1275 basket on the rear rack, lengthwise, to the same bike with panniers, and am getting my convertible backpack tomorrow. If you want to know how it is, hit me up in a week. I may buy a second higher-end one for school, but I'm going to see if this meets my needs first. I also have a market pannier coming in, which will be used for those random trips I occasionally have to make around town, and probably carrying my work bag until I get a longer-term solution figured out.
For footwear, I don't think anybody but racers need clipless. After a couple of supposedly comfortable purchases, I couldn't find a shoe I could walk around in at school/around town all day, so most of the time I wind up riding in my Xero Shoes Prios, or whichever Vans I can buy in a size 14 when the current pair dies. I run Fyxation Mesa pedals, though, which are wide as hell, and foot straps because I ride fixed gear, but have never had an issue with this setup. I recommend avoiding cushy shoes, though. They cause compression issues and can make your feet fall asleep, same as your junk if you have a bike seat with too much padding.
Clothing: I have a pair of shorts committed to my three mile ride to work, but I wear normal underwear under them, and my undershirt. I've never been smelly before a shift, but I shower right before I head out the door, however hot or humid it was. Going to school I typically wear shorts, but have been wearing jeans in this cooler winter. I'll get a little bit of a sweat smell on my shirt on a hotter day, but I sort of figure when it's that hot everybody smells a little funny. Otherwise my clothes won't smell funny if it's below 80 until I walk a couple miles to go to a store near campus, but then it's the walking doing it instead of the cycling.
Really on the bike. I need a pannier to keep the weight off my back -- I'm actually looking at a Banjo Brothers convertible; so I'll ask you about it in about a week! -- and a patch kit, bell, etc. Basic stuff. Weather-wise, I'm really only worried about pants, but if I wear shorts to bike in and change that problem's solved.
Thanks for the detailed response regarding shoes and clothing! I have a similar commute length and it seems "sweat style" as you, so I'll probably wear shorts as it warms up and switch to pants for work. I also didn't know that about shoes and padding, so thanks.
Panniers and a rack are so so so worth the expense. I opted for a convertible backpack/pannier which is pretty good at doing both. Big advice for panniers -- make sure you get one with actual clips. There's a few that are coming out that try to pull it off with magnets and a strap and it's honestly a hazard riding with one, as they pop off your rack now and again.
I'd say fenders are maybe even more important though. In the pacific northwest of the US it rains basically non-stop from October to March. Fenders: 1) keep your butt dry, 2) keep everything that your wheels kick up off the ground (mostly) out of your chain/gears, which makes maintenance so much easier, and 3) aren't actually that much work to adjust as long as you get a set that fits your bike and wheels well. Go to any shop -- they can help with this.
Baskets are also pretty nice if you're like me and don't want to bother with an extra set of shoes. You'd have to find a set that fits all the types of shoes that you're going to wear biking, which can be challenging for some folks.
I'm so glad that you've found something that you love! Biking to work is honestly such a mood/energy/mentality game changer for me that I don't know how I'd give it up, although it isn't always pleasant getting soaked on rainy days.
Can you elaborate on this? I'm interested!
I need to look into fenders, as well. All this is going to cost money, but I keep telling myself that it's way cheaper than a car or its payments -- an 'expensive' job for a bike runs maybe 150, whereas that's an impossibly cheap job for a car.
Of course! And yeah, every time I get a thing to make biking better, I remember 1) How much cheaper my car insurance is, given how little I drive, 2) How much I save on gas, 3) How awesome it is to spend money on a think that's aligned with my values and makes be happy. Also, the vast majority of bike repairs you can learn to do yourself with a pretty small set of tools (or, most major cities have a community run bike shop that'll let you do your own repairs with their tools). I've had times where I left my bike out overnight in the winter for a couple days and had the chain seize and a bunch of other things break and it was like $35 in parts for what would've been around $150 at a shop, maybe took 2-3 hours on a weekend. I look at it more this way -- my bike setup with panniers and fenders and everything was probably $800 total, and it's around $40/year in maintenance with me biking almost every day. You'll never get that with a car.
For baskets, it really depends on what the forefoot height of your shoes are (distance from ground to top of shoe in the forefoot region of your shoes). That was the main factor for me -- given the shoes that I generally bike in, which shoes have the greatest distance in forefoot height and smallest distance so I can (try) to find something that'll fit both ends of the spectrum. I got mine used for like $5, so it was mostly just trial and error and finding a set that I could adjust to fit all of my shoes. My partner got a set that works for most of their shoes, but not Docs, which they wear fairly frequently, so it's more of a struggle for them to find a set that fits than it has been for me.
Yes! Just reading your comment makes me so excited to keep riding. I'll look into baskets for my shoes.
I think soctar means to look for pedals with baskets/cages so you don't have to have clip in bike shoes. My bike has cages (something like this https://www.amazon.com/State-Bicycle-Pedals-Toe-Cages/dp/B00GDDG3G8 but mine aren't as narrow, which means I can wear pretty much any shoe and get away with it).
Oh okay, thanks! Would you say it really helps you pedaling?
Having a good connection between your feet and your pedals really changes they way you bike, I feel. Definitely worth trying out.
What might feel like a surprising fact is that cages are harder to get out of than clipless pedals, so I feel like clipless pedals are safer. The downside, like others have said, is that you need a special set of shoes.
I can start with cages and then switch over if it works really well. Thank you!
It helps a little bit, I'd say. The whole point of clipping into a pedal is to make sure the full range of motion of your pedal (both up and down) powers the bike's movement. With cages, you get some of that benefit but none of the hassle of clips.
Have you tried both? I have. I'd say cages are way more of a hassle than clipless pedals.
I haven't, so can't say with an informed opinion. But since I commute and run errands, I don't want to have to change shoes each and every time I get off my bike. Going to the gym? Just ride over, lock up the bike, and you can work out straight away. No can do with bike shoes you have to change out of and back into when you're done.
“Road bike” shoes you have to change out of because the cleats stick out and you clip-clop around if you don’t change. “Mountain bike” shoes have the cleat recessed into the shoe, so other than it being slightly stiffer than a normal shoe, I don’t notice any difference running errands in them.
(I’m not trying to argue with you, I just want other people to have all the information 🙂)
Do you guys not wear raingear up there? The rain gear I buy is made there (J&G, they had to relocate to Arizona but kept their manufacturing in Oregon). Hell, I don't think I saw a single fender on a bike when I was up there for a week in Salem, Eugene and Portland, and I run mine in dry weather to keep my face clean (I'll find specs of road debris on my forehead if I don't).
I'm actually looking at the 2020 Plus+ pannier backpack as it's the only thing that seems to be like an actual backpack that's big enough for me to bring to school. If you can answer one question for me, at least for the previous year model: Will it hold a 32 oz Nalgene or Hydroflask?
Oh, many do. It's usually not too rainy (just drizzles), and I'm too lazy to bother with rain pants on a daily basis. I'm still at biking with leather shoes regardless of the weather; I'm definitely not the picture of "prepared for the rain".
And if you're asking about the water bottle pouches on the side, then yes! Though, you'll probably need to put your water on the side that'll be closest to the back of your bike -- otherwise your heel will probably hit it when using the backpack as a pannier
I actually have a Widefoot LiterCage for carrying my bottle on the bike, I'm more worried about off the bike. That's good to know, though.
I bike pretty much every day to and from work, a trip of 4.5km (2.8mi) each way. I don't do exceptions for weather (in the 2.5 years I've been working at my current office I only had to skip once, and that was because my bike was broken), I've got clothes for al kinds of weather. Currently, we have storm Sabine going on in large parts of the country and I did think about taking the bus, but ended up on my bike.
I personally don't shower at work, it's not a long commute and mostly downhill from my place so I'm not sweaty.
I don't own a car, and public transport would take me a bit more time and bind me to its schedule, so I consider my bike the best option
Stay safe in the storm!
Biking does seem to hit the sweet spot between ease of a personal car and economy of public transit.
Yes! It's only a couple kilometers, which takes about 10 minutes. It's faster than public transport and the route is pretty good. Weather doesn't bother me as long as you don't arrive soaking wet.
This is why I'm really excited about doing it -- depending on traffic, biking can be even faster than a car. And it's energizing and healthy!
Me! The past year or so I had a weekly commute that was doable by bike (7.5-8mi each way) so did that, whilst driving the 20mi by car the other four days.
Now, I’m working closer to home with a commute that’s 6mi each way. Takes about 35-40 mins there and 30-35mins back (there’s a big hill near the end on the way to work!)
I’m enjoying it. I get to work feeling energised, I need less caffeine, and it doesn’t take me much longer than driving would due to traffic. I also get my exercise for the day done in a time-efficient way. As the weather gets nicer and the days longer into the summer, and I get used to cycling daily more, I think I’ll start going for a run before cycling home as well.
As others have said, I am very conscious about making myself very visible - lots lights, fluorescent jacket, the works. Got to be seen to be safe!
I'm impressed you go on such a long commute! I've only got ~3.3 miles, which is great for a relative beginner like me.
Thanks! I have some transferable fitness I think from running, hence why I don’t find it so tiring. I think if I came at it from no cardio (not saying that’s your position at all) I would find it a big struggle so I’m glad I’ve had that base!
I used to use a bicycle for an 8mi commute, but nowadays I commute on a motorcycle. I don't have to worry so much about physical exhaustion anymore, but I still carry the same visibility and safety concerns!
I've never ridden a motorcycle but I bet it's so much fun!
Yes I live in a dense city and biking is my go to transportation. I do have a vehicle but try not to use it for anything that can be done on bike. I have only ever used a Dahon Speed Uno for all of my bike activities. I really enjoy the minimalist design and it is one sturdy wagon. Last year I was able to get in around 600 miles in. Trying to beat that for this year.
I’ll add in that the bag I currently use is the Patagonia Nine Trails 28L. It has been incredible for everything I have done so far.
Awesome, thanks for the recommendations! I haven't tried biking to the grocery store really, but at some point I think I will.
What do you think about a folding bike? Is the tire diameter okay for riding?
The bike I have does have smaller tires, 20” if I’m not mistaken. But I fold it up and carry it pretty much everywhere. Costco let’s me fold it and put it into my cart around the store. I usually leave it in the trunk of my vehicle until I need it or keep it in my work office. I do not have experience with any other traditional bike. This was my first adult bike purchase and I bought because it was similar to the bikes I used as a kid (cruiser brakes, no shocks or gears). I will admit that it can be a tough ride at times due to lack of gears and smaller tire size but the convenience really shines through and I constantly get weird looks and compliments.
I do see quite a few people in my city commuting on the 10” tires which are also foldable and can be taken literally anywhere.
That is really interesting! I'm riding an old Raleigh which is steel and quite heavy. I don't really have experience on the lighter end, maybe I should try one out!
I miss commuting by bicycle so much. I had an 80s Bianchi racing bike that I bought for $200 one summer when I was sick of riding the subway when it was beautiful outside. I rode from Flatbush (Brooklyn) to Flatiron (Manhattan). Usually took the Brooklyn Bridge. That might be the happiest I've ever been.
That sounds amazing! The only time I biked a bridge was in Chattanooga, and that was so wonderful I bet Brooklyn was absolutely beautiful!
Did you ever run into this guy? :D
Hahaha that's brilliant! And also way, way friendlier than what commuters USUALLY shout at tourists in the bike lane. Alas, I never ran into that guy.
I use either a bike or electric scooter to go to the gym or on shorter errands. Cyclists are somewhat rare here, but the roads are very wide. My advice coming from this environment is to always have a plan for when drivers screw up traffic patterns. People here have aneurysms when they see a cyclist entering a roundabout or turning at a stop sign. They frequently have no idea what to do and forget every rule of traffic. Whenever you have to interact with cars (intersections, merges, etc.) be thinking about your escape route if they spook.
LOL, I just had someone honk at me because I was ahead of them on the street and it wasn't safe for me to cross a thoroughfare. It's frustrating!
I used to commute several times a week (weather permitting) with bike lanes almost the whole way, but then I moved to a different part of town--same distance from work--that has a fairly dangerous commute. Think 2 lanes each way, no dedicated turn lane, no bike lanes, and pot holes everywhere while everyone drives 50-60 mph in a 35 mph zone. Fortunately, the city is extending a bike lane project on that road right next to my house, and construction is supposed to start this year. I've been hounding the shit out of my state and local DOTs to keep updated on it.
Best of luck! We're currently getting a bike lane on a thoroughfare as well, but construction is taking FOREVER. Of course, that's par for the course in my city...
Thank you! With our project, the city repaved this road to add bike lanes in the part closest to downtown about a year and a half ago, but it extended only halfway to my house because that's all they had funding for. The rest required state and federal funding to go all the way past my house to where this road dead ends on the eastern side of the city.
It's going to completely change our city when it's finished. The unpaved section of the road is nearly all residential, and a rail yard separates all that residential area from downtown proper. They've already installed an e-bike rental station in the park across from my house. Kinda putting the cart before the horse but still pretty cool.
Good luck to you as well! The repave project in our city has become a bit of a meme. It's always "sometime this fall" when you ask city government, but they've been saying "sometime this fall" for like 5 years. They've done a pretty great job of installing bike lanes downtown and in other urban neighborhoods. Ours is just one of the last projects, and unsurprisingly, this road runs through a historically poor and non-white urban community.
Welcome to city governance, lol! It sounds awesome.