Commuting - First Commute

I just thought I'd share how my first commute went this morning. First I brought the bike from home to school (different cities). Before I leave home I put air in the tires because the bike has not been ridden in quite a while. So that night I take it for a spin and rides good. I get up early this morning to go lift and I notice my back tire is low on air. I think no big deal there is air fill station on the way to the gym. So I fill up my tire but I guess I put way to much in because as soon as I get across the street the tire is flat. So I end up walking my bike for about a mile. It was a pretty good first day. This afternoon I went and got new tubes and replaced them both. Tomorrow should be better. Sorry for rambling.

1) Always inflate your tires before every ride. Use a floor pump designed for bicycle tires.

2) Never, ever use an air pump at a gas station. They don't provide enough pressure, anyway, and they provide too high a flow rate. You'll likely damage at least the tube, if not the tire, by using one.

3) Learn how to use a patch kit, and carry either a mini-pump or a CO2 inflator. You should never have to walk your bike if you are prepared.

- Warren

So now you've got the lowdown on flat preparedness. Glad you are not letting a mildly bad first-day experience get to you. Generally, it's good, enjoy and welcome to the club! :beer:

Glad to hear you've started commuting.

My biggest piece of advice regarding flats is ALWAYS find the cause of the flat. There is nothing worse than having the same piece of glass or misaligned rim tape cause multiple flats. I also second the idea of carrying a pump and a spare tube. I do all my patching at home and carry a spare tube for on the road fixes.

Stick with it, it gets better every time you swing your leg over your bike.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Today I changed out both tubes just to be safe because the bike has been sitting for quite a while. It rode good this afternoon. I do enjoy riding my bike instead of driving my car. You get to take in the scenery and the wind feels good.

By the way does the seat get any more comfortable?

Congrats !! did my first, and hopefully not last, this morning.

your a good man!

get a spare tube, a couple tire levers and a mini pump and no flat will be able to stop you.

the seat never gets more comfortable but your @ss gets firmer and siting hurts less.

though some seats just suck, and being comfortable is key to enjoying the ride.... btw, do you have padded shorts? those are real nice as well ut really not necessary unless your going more han 5 miles.

i have good luck with my @ss on wtb saddles. you could get a cheapo model for like 30 bucks.

i'd recomend this guy here.

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_speedv.html

keep it up

On my first commute, I remember thinking if it was such a good idea, because I was hurting at the end (and it's just 11 miles). Now, I love it, and dread driving the car. (been commuting about a month now)

I second the WTB saddle. I love mine, and I never have any soreness.Yes, I said NEVER. It's not even an issue anymore.

I also carry spare tubes and a patch kit, in case of the dreaded double-whammy (spare tube goes flat, too).

I checked out the "saddle" seat. Looks way better than what I'm using now. I will be making that investment. My @ss hurting while I was sitting was the only thing that bothered me while riding my bike.

Congrats on your first commute! It'll get easier (and better) each time!

Here's some reading on saddles:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

One thing to remember is that softer is not better, especially for longer distances. Personally, I like Brooks saddles, but then I'm old-school.... ;-)

Enjoy!