Commuting - Here goes nothing, first commute tomorrow...

New to this board, looks great with a wealth of knowledge.

21 yrs old lazy, dare I say "typical" American up until this past January. Since then between a healthy diet and working out I have lost 95 lbs and started riding bikes again. Can't seem to ride enough so I figure I work 2 miles from home and even in the worst heat of summer here in Florida 2 miles in and home will not be that bad. I set a goal to ride 2 days this week, tomorrow and thursday will be those days. I think I am ready.... Hopefully I can cool off, change, and get ready to work in a reasonable time once I hit the office.

Any advice to a newbie commuter ?

95lbs?! Whoa.

2 mi from work - that will quickly seem lamentably short, no matter what the weather... Go for it 5 days...

yeah 95 pounds! Yeah depending how it goes it will be a 5 day practice.

After losing 95 pounds, you should be giving us advice, not asking for it! I predict you will have an easy and fun time with your new commute.

I think two miles is a little too short for any commuter. In no time you will be begging for more. :)

Have fun,

Ricardo.

Two miles? I'm not even warmed up at that point. Can't you find a "longer" route to work? ;)

I concur - find alternative routes to work. After a year of my current commute, 15 miles each way is a walk in the park. Give yourself plenty of time to cool down once you get there.

After losing 95 pounds, you should be giving us advice, not asking for it! I predict you will have an easy and fun time with your new commute.

Word.

I also vote for five days AND for extending the route. :D

Word.

I also vote for five days AND for extending the route. :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/ozstubacca/Smileys/werd.gif

I'm sure that pretty quickly you'll find the 2 miles too short! Given the humidity, you may want to just keep the ride to work direct, but find a good longer route for the ride home.

I'm only just getting settled after 2 miles! :D

New to this board, looks great with a wealth of knowledge.

21 yrs old lazy, dare I say "typical" American up until this past January. Since then between a healthy diet and working out I have lost 95 lbs and started riding bikes again. Can't seem to ride enough so I figure I work 2 miles from home and even in the worst heat of summer here in Florida 2 miles in and home will not be that bad. I set a goal to ride 2 days this week, tomorrow and thursday will be those days. I think I am ready.... Hopefully I can cool off, change, and get ready to work in a reasonable time once I hit the office.

Any advice to a newbie commuter ?

Keep up the good work! I also only have 2 miles to work. I've been doing this for 4 weeks now (used to live even closer to work and walk), and I'm already choosing longer routes on my way home (~3 miles) and also using my bike for other errands aswell. But don't push it. Start slowly, but ask yourself "am I ready for more?". I assume you are doing other exercises aswell so there is no hurry to "force" yourself into biking too much, you will wan't more soon enough.

good luck,
j

ya, you can do 2 miles easy. What can of bike are you using? Good job on losing the weight.

its a 6 yr old or there abouts GT hardtail MTB with city slicks on it instead of the knobbbies.

I want to ride 5 days but logistics of clothing and food will most likely prevent that.(business attire and lunch needs have to be met as well) Probably going to drive Monday to bring weekly rations, Friday to take home the leftovers and dirty clothes.Its to humid to worry about anything other than a direct route to work, but the way home will definitely be increasing in length once I get my new bike. (Got a hankering for a Kona Jake the Snake or maybe a Major Jake frame to build up)

Yeah I work out and ride so Im not getting burnt out, do longer 20+ milers on the weekends.

...Any advice to a newbie commuter ?

Yeah. Welcome to the club, have fun, and watch out for cars!

I don't know your total circumstances, but, IF you live only two miles from work (which you could walk if necessary) AND you live in Florida where dangerous cold is not an issue AND you have no kids (yet) to complicate your schedule, THEN you should almost NEVER have to drive a car to work. You might consider calling your insurance agent to see if you can get a discount on your insurance premium. Allstate gives me ten dollars a month for keeping the annual miles on one car below 7,500. I use little tricks like that to keep my motivation up.

Again depending on your total circumstances, like social activities, locations of grocery stores, you might "run the numbers" and find that you would actually come out ahead financially by doing all your commuting and errands by bicycle, selling your car (if you have one), and renting a car every weekend for driving needs (dates, visiting family out of town, etc.). One must be careful, because (as I discovered decades ago) a young single guy without a car is dirt. You would have to put that car payment money into the bank to have something to show for your efforts. If you could hold out carless for five years, you could pay cash for a new car and avoid the interest on a loan.

This is my first full week commuting to work. I've absolutely loved it. The ride in is the best part of my morning. Too bad it's only about 5 miles.

I've experienced my neighborhood on a whole new level, and even discovered bike trails I never knew existed.

My Novara Fusion commuter bike is a nice little ride that came with all of the perfect gadgets -- fenders, lights w/ generator, rack, comfy saddle, bell. I added panniers for all my stuff.

Like Tatt2, I lost a bunch of weight (not 95, only 25), changed my miserable eating habits, and just got more in tune with myself and my needs. A few months ago, I had no idea I'd be so content to leave my car in the garage and actually plot and plan how to get to all my frequent stops on a bicycle!

Right now I'm building up some stamina, but it won't be long before I'm ready for anything.

i second the whole "give yourself time to cool down" thought. I make it to work in like 45 minutes, but I need a good 10 minutes to cool down. Bring a towel!

Read the sticky thread for new commuters, and let us know if you have any questions not answered there, particularly about riding in traffic. With such a short commute, your logistical problems should be minimal, but if that's two miles in heavy traffic and complicated intersections, that'll be your biggest challenge (or a good excuse to find a different route).

Congrats on your accomplishments so far, and welcome to the club! :beer: