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| *Vultures Knob>>>Road Bike |
Do you commute to a full-time job by bike? Please share your experience & tips/tricks for making it work!? |
I commute one day a week (17mi each way) to my job at DIRECTV, and am curious how others manage to do it. What tips and tricks have you learned for making it a viable commute? What's your distance and type of road conditions? What sort of lights/safety stuff do you use? How do you manage clean clothes & showering, if at all? (I get way too sweaty to bike in my work clothes) Thanks! I ride to work once or twice a week to suppliment my training, so in the morning I take the direct 10 mile route and on the way home I take the scenic 15 mile route. Put an LED flasher on your person, even in the sunny morning; you need to be SEEN by traffic even if you do it in an obnoxious way. A good pack to carry your stuff in is important. I have a small Timbuk2 bag that holds everything I need, and I leave my lock at work because it's too freakin' heavy. That's the ticket- carrying as little as possible in the most comfortable way, so you don't end up all nasty and beat-up by the time you get to work. Keep an old, comfy pair of shoes at work (they are bulky AND heavy), and maybe even a towel if you have showers to use. The pack/camping towels at REI are very light and work well. When you get to work, wait 10-15 minutes before changing so your body stops sweating, or else you'll just sweat up your clean clothes. Unscented baby wipes are fantastic for a shower substitute, and you can simply wipe off most of the sweat and road grime with them. Eat a little something before heading out in the morning, since you need energy to get started, but don't go all-out breakfast. Some caffeine will help blood flow, as it acts as a vasodilator and opens up blood vessels- a nice kick in the morning. At work, if you have a bike worth saving take the front wheel off and lock it with your frame. Go to a bike shop and ask for a couple of the plastic fork braces that come on ALL new bikes so you can use it to keep your fork from getting trashed on the concrete. They will be free. Any shop that wants to charge you money for something they throw away should be burned to the ground. As always, carry the right gear for the weather and any repairs you might need to do. A CO2 inflator will save you a good 10 minutes if you get a flat on the way in. I tried it once but never again. Almost got killed by 10 different drivers, all asians!!! Yes, the stereo-type is true, watch out, lol. And yes, I am asian myself, so I should know. First I commute every day 6 miles one way, for sweat use diaper wipes it gives you that freshness feeling and removes the order. The route I ride is mostly major road in the town and state route for the last 1.5 miles with a very large shoulder. I use helmets with a head light that you can find in a hardware store for hands free due to rodents during the winter and road kill also have a bike head light for straight ahead. I also use a red tail light on flashing. Then my riding clothes are as bright and neonic as I can find, so more people see me and share the road. Generally i will bike on the weekends with a back pack of fresh clothes and during the week try to replace them as needed. My employer has a storage area that is employees only and always locked so I do not worry about theft. The best part I have not missed a day of work in over two years even during winter, and when another employee calls out sick and I am the one answering the phone just makes it more odd. During winter I ride everyday except if ice on roads. I have riden during snow storms and wind chill down to minus 10. I ride a giant ocr3 road bike. Hope that helps. I do 7 miles each way by bicycle.I keep soare set of clothes in my panniers to change into when I get to work.I have 2 flashing lights on my chain stays and bright headlight on handle bars.I also wear reflective vest and helmet forward mounted headlight and a flasing light on back of helmet. I commute every day in the nice weather. It's about 18 miles each way. Road conditions are paved, but I play dodge the potholes a lot. I have a Nite Rider headlight and taillight (great system!). I run the taillight on flash mode in day or night conditions. I only need the headlight in the morning in early spring or on foggy mornings. And usually only at night if I have to work late. I don't have a suit and tie job, so I wear a bright colored shirt for riding and bring a clean shirt and stick of deodorant and that's usually good enough. I commute anywhere from one to three times a week, depending on the weather, my work schedule, and my need to run errands. The trip is approximately 25 miles (round trip). To make it a viable commute, I mostly follow major but less traveled roads. It's paved, but full of potholes! I don't work at a job where you need to dress up, so I just wear brightly colored sweat-wicking shirts. Long-sleeved in the winter, short in the summer. In the summer, I usually carry some pants in my backpack or my rear bag, depending which one I'm using. Since it's mostly downhill into work, I don't get too sweaty, so a little freshening up in the restroom and some deodorant does the trick. The afternoon is a different story, but I'm just going home. I use a headlight and a blinking red tailight. I also have a red blinkie on my helmet. In the winter, when the daylight is short, I ride mostly in dark to dusky conditions, so I throw on a reflective vest as well. I find that the days I don't ride (commute via bus), I can bring in some extra stuff I'll need. |
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