Commuting - Trying to start commuting...questions (long...sorry)

ok,
I am wanting to get into biking to work and back for a number of reasons, save money on gas, and get into shape are the primary ones.

I have a lot of things going in my favor,

1...I have a very secure and safe INDOORS place to keep my bike.
2...I live about 5 miles each way from work...very easily doable daily.
3...I can ride on sidewalks the entire way...must ride on the sidewalks because otherwise I am on a fairly major road with no shoulders at all...or for an extra mile, ride on mostly small neighborhood roads.


The questions/concerns that I have are.
1...I only own a Mt Bike. I dont really have money to buy another bike right now, even a cheep one. how much am I sacrificing with big off road tires? I originally bought the bike because my son wanted to do Mt Biking, and we go on off road trails (single track etc) quiet a bit when we can. how much easier on me, or speed would I gain etc with different tires?

2...Would I be better off instead of buying tires to buy a cheep bike from a pawn shop etc? that was made more for the road? It just seems like by time I buy a rack, and some bags, and fenders, some lights, etc etc anything I would have saved in gas is spent in getting the bike ready so that I COULD save the money.

3...this week is not too bad....but next week (after labor day) I have to wear a shirt and tie every day. There is NOT anywhere for me to shower. I am working on finding a place to keep cloths. If I cant I am thinking that I can drive my car to work with the bike....leave the car, and ride home and back a few times, and then drive the car home...use the car like a closet of sorts...but that does not do anything for no place to shower, and causes me problems because sometimes I have to take the son to Football practice or do things where I would need the car after hours.

any great ideas?

Thanks.

You can get slick/semi slick 26' tires for around $10 each from a LBS...maybe less from your local x-mart. Losing the knobbies and a higher pressure make a significant difference if you are riding asphalt.

If you hit you local goodwill, you can maybe pick up a road or hybrid bike with racks and all for 20-30 bucks, but you might have to work it into shape. Pawn shops tend to be high on bikes in my opinion.

Like you, sometimes i have errands to run that prevent me from riding. I just ride when I can and drive when I have to. Only missed 2 days this month.

There are threads on cleaning up after riding in without a shower. Most have to do with cooling down then hitting a couple baby wipes in the bathroom when you change. If your ride is level, maybe you wont get too funky if you take it easy. Maybe others can chime in here... I lucked out and have a shower at work so I cant speak much to that aspect.

1) If you can ride 5 miles on trails, riding 5 miles on streets will be fine. You sacrifice maybe 1-2 mph riding w/ knobbies. If you switch to slicks, you'll be using less effort. You can get Panaracer High Road V ATB Tires for $10 each at Nashbar right now. (No, I'm not a Nashbar shill).

2) Don't look at the investment in a rack and safety equipment as lost savings. Afterall, you'll have the equipment longer than you'll have the gas. Racks can be had for as low as $10 at Nashbar. A Cateye light combo is $30 and full fenders are $20 at the same place. So for around $80-$90, you can outfit your bike for commuting, hauling stuff, etc.

3) Your plan for the clothes is a good idea. Drive in on Monday, leave the car at work til Friday, then take home your dirty clothes. For washing up, leave some baby wipes, a hand towel and deodorant at the office.

Once you get used to riding the distance, you'll probably want to extend the ride home by taking the extra mile on quiet residential streets. Good luck and have fun!

Everybody covered your other questions, but *STAY OFF THE SIDEWALKS!* is my only addition. Take the longer roads if you have to, it'll only add a few minutes to your commute. Cars do NOT expect cyclists on the sidewalks. In fact I would guess that in most situations with a 5 mile sidewalk commute, a 6 mile street commute would be faster anyway.

I agree on staying off the sidewalks if you can...making a clothing stash is something I've done in many places I've lived and is a great idea if you have to do that tie thing...find a drycleaner close to the office....they may even pick up and drop off your duds.

A 5 mile ride is doable on knobs....but I'd go ahead and throw down on some slicks...I got mine from Nashbar....26"Michelin Transworlds...that are on my commute rig and I'm happy with them.

I'd do some looking around before I made a purchase...and I view I bike to be a major one. Put some road/commute tires on that bike ya got...and check around the net...local bike clubs...etc...you're bound to get tons of input,most of which may be helpful.

Invest in the best kevlar-reinforced tyres you can afford. These will reduce the number of punctures by about 90%. The std commuting tyre would be a 1.5" slick with fine tread.
For sensible accounting you have to amortize the initial cost of bike setup over the lifetime of the bike. If you consider this to be 5 years, then calculate the fuel costs over that period. Add in gym or pool fees since you are getting a free workout and you will see that you are not getting a free lunch, you are being paid to eat.

Absolutely try to stay off the sidewalks. Cars don't look for bikes when pulling in and out of parking lots. Also, pedestrians with ipods can't hear you coming. Don't worry about the mtb tires for now; they won't make too much difference on a 5 mile trip. First get a rack and highly visible blinky tail light. No need to drive in to work once a week with cloths. I have a backpack rigged to my rack (no $ for panniers yet) and put a socks, underwear, shirt, pants and tie in there each day with my lunch and emergency tools. I've never had problems with wrinkles on a 16 mile commute. I use a rubbermaid bin on rainy days to keep things dry. Fenders are essential in my mind, mostly to keep the bike clean. I leave a pair of shoes at work. An Airzound horn has prevented countless accidents on my route (well I probably could have stopped some of the time but prefered the horn). I've never needed it downtown in the city. It is most useful when riding along higher speed roads with cars turning in and out. Best of luck. You're about to become a much happier person.

Mcompton -- I'd say go with the bike you have, even with knobbies it won't be that hard a ride. If you can swap tires then by all means do so to make the riding easier. On a 5 mile ride you shouldn't need to work up much of a sweat so cleaning up will not be as difficult as you might think. There are threads on cleaning up that will cover that angle in great detail (probably more than anyone needs to know). Your biggest problem with cleaning up may be muddy rainy days when you get spray even with fenders. Its particularly good on those days to ride in bike clothes you can change out of and shed a lot of the muck.

I would get fenders first and then a cheap rack. With a little creative thinking you can find a way to mount a backpack to your rack or mount a rubbermaid type container to it that will keep your stuff dry. If you are riding when it is dark you will want a bright rear light and at least a basic headlight that will let you be seen by cars. Obviously, if you're riding late you will need a headlight that will let you see. Start with the basics and see if you need to move to a brighter light.

Finally, I agree with everyone else -- stay off sidewalks. Not only is there the danger from cars not seeing you, but you will find sidewalks very annoying and full of all sorts of unexpected obstacles. The little bit of extra distance through neighborhood streets will not be that difficult after you have been riding for a little while.

So good luck and enjoy your commute.

You definitely don't save on gas until the 2nd or 3rd week week, sometimes longer if you are commuting a considerable distance. A little up front investing will go a long way on the other end. If you are scrapped for cash, I would suggest skipping some of the non-essentials for now like panniers, racks, rain gear, fenders, etc. You will need several essentials however: a pump you can carry with you (frame pump, mini pump in a bag, CO2 with extra cartridges), spare tube, patch kit, multitool, etc. Walmart is actually not the cheapest, but its the fastest for me. I picked up a Bell multitool (w/ patchkit) and Bell spare tube for $15. They also had like a $10 wedge bag that I did not get. I rode around for a while with just the multi-tool, spare tube, and a full size floor pump stuffed in an old school Jansport bag with my clothes in a garbage bag and it did its job. Don't think about just the cost of the bike either when investing in commuting. I went ahead and bought another toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, soap, wash cloth, towel, etc hygeine.

True, you will save lots of money, just not in the first couple of weeks! You may even run into a situation like me... where I started commuting last week and realized my bike was not in as great of shape as I had thought (even riding it every other weekend). I have now had to buy new wheelset (wheel, spokes, nipples, hubs), rear freewheel, tires, etc. My only regret about spending the money is that I didn't spend a few more bucks to get them overnighted. :mad: I'm currently off the bike until they come in, which will be Thursday/Friday.

I am a car enthusiast and even I say driving everyday SUCKS. :o

+1 on staying off the sidewalks. Coming off of the sidewalk to cross a street is about the most dangerous thing you can do on two wheels, and if you multiply that by every block...

There's a section of bike path along my route that is basically a sidewalk, and I swear it's gonna make the rest of my hair fall out. I can't avoid that section, because it's the only way home, but if you have the option to easily ride on side-streets, do it.

I end up riding in my work pants, shoes... but with a cycling jersey up top. My current office has a shower, but when I had worked where there wasn't one, I'd done the birdbath method. Ride in early, strip to the point that you can still explain yourself, fill up the sink, splash yourself with water and then towel off. Baby wipes are good for the pits, etc. but go for the unscented ones. People love babies, but smelling like one won't get you a date.

Sidewalks: as others have mentioned, these are usually not the best places to ride.

1 I've never ridden a mountain bike. However, during the winter, I use studded snow tires that are much like mountain bike tires. They are maybe 1-2 mph slower for the same effort. The trip is still easy.

2 I'd suggest starting off with your existing bike. After a few trips, you will know what upgrades will make it better for commuting and whether it would make sense to simply buy a new bike. In a few months you will need lights.

3 Don't ride so fast! Travel at the same level of effort you would use when walking -- you will travel three times faster and still not sweat. Shower before your ride.

Paul

It's actually against the law for anyone over 12 years old to ride on sidewalks in my City (not that it's enforced). You shouldn't ride on sidewalks anyway, but if you are going to, you should check your local codes, ordinances and statutes first. There are times when you will feel like you aren't saving any money by biking. If you make saving money or getting in shape your primary focus, you may not feel like sustaining the commute. I commute by bike purely and simply because it's fun and I like it. Any other benefits realized are gravy. So, have fun!

Don't overthink all this - it's just a quick ride to work.

For a 5-6 mile ride your current bike will work just fine, indefinitley.
If you want a tire that you can use on pavement and on trails, try the WTB Nanoraptor. I ride dirt on weekends and commute on them and they're a very nice dual duty tread. I just add 15 psi for the street, to keep them running on the center ridge of tread. Realistically, slick road tires arent' gonna take more than a minute off your time and you SAID you wanted to get in shape, so there's no good reason to make things any easier.

Using your car for a closet is a good idea if it's all you have available to you, but you can fit a lot of commuting supplies into one file cabinet drawer, and hang dry your riding togs on the back of a closet door with a cheap hook that goes over the top.

Two pair of different color good quality lightweight wool worsted pants (wrinkles hang out of wool, and they don't take a body odor smell, so you can legitimately wear them 3-6 times without them getting funky), three different color shirts that go with either pair of pants and a couple ties that go with all of them, a pair of neutral shoes and you're set.

Pack skivvies and socks in in a cheapo backpack, and rotate a shirt or two and a pair of trou out every week or so.

Stay off the damn sidewalks, it's nowhere NEAR as safe as you think it is.

Showering - how sweaty are you really going to get on a 15-18 minute ride? Alcohol-free, unscented baby wipes take care of the stanky bits quite nicely and are crazy cheap.

Count me in with the OFF THE SIDEWALK!! choir.

Over the weekend, we were driving to Pasadena. When we exited, there was a biker crossing against traffic, on the sidewalk, right in front of the freeway off ramp. He was lucky that it was me driving because I look for cyclists. People coming off a freeway are not typically going particularly slowly, so this guy was in a dangerous spot. I pointed it out to everyone and mentioned some stories that I've read in this forum.

On the way home, what do we see? A bicycle accident at an intersection where the cyclist appears to have tried to cross against traffic on the sidewalk. I didn't see any blood or carnage and the police were at the scene, so I don't know exactly what happened. But from the position of the bike and car, it was likely that sidewalk riding was the problem.

Yep - as was said, don't over think this. Riding your MTB will be fine - in fact, it will help you with your off - road rides too.

You look like you have everything worked out. The only thing I would do differently is talk my son out of football and get him playing soccer.:D

It depends on the humidity, terrain, and your personal sweatiness, but I think you could do a 5 mile flat commute in your dress shirt and pants no problem. (But get a rack so you don't have to carry your backpack.) Shower/shave/deodorant before the ride. Ride easily and give yourself time to cool down before you walk into the office. Go into the restroom and wipe a cool wet paper towel or a baby wipe over your face, neck, and pits. Give your deodorant a booster shot. Tie your tie and face the day, refreshed and ready for work, while your coworkers drag their sorry butts into work still stressed from their commutes.

Good luck. You can do it. And make sure to tell us how it goes, the first day and every day in the "How Was The Commute Today?" thread.

for the past week, I've been doing 4.25 miles from home to work on my mtb with knobbies, no problems. Averaging about 15 MPH to work and 13 or so home.

Not flat and with SC humidity, sweat is a problem. Luckily, I'm self-employed and the only person in the office, so I don't really care about the cleaning up part (but, I do drive to work on days I'm seeing clients).

You can do 5 easy, only takes me about 15 minutes or so to get here and 20 to get home.

Don't go crazy. Don't buy a rack. Don't buy fenders. Don't buy tires. Just ride. You'll figure the rest out.

You have EVERYTHING YOU NEED. A MTB on knobbies will be more than fine for 5 miles x 2.

Ride in your tie. I did, 7 miles each way, on a knobbie tired MTB. That was before this forum existed. I did fine. Just ride at an average effort level so you don't sweat too much. This isn't IDEAL, but as I said... You'll figure it out. Just do it.

One thing I will agree with... Don't ride the sidewalks. I know it seems contradictory, but it just isn't safe. But you'll figure that out, too, as you get comfortable with traffic start venturing into the street.

As the commercial said... Just do it. You'll be fine.

if you feel like you need to keep stuff in your car, maybe you could buy a used bike rack to put on your car. you could leave the car at work, then ride to work, and drive home with your bike on the back of your car when you need take your son to the football games. that would also work if something comes up and you need to get to your car. you wouldn't have to leave your bike locked up outside, you could take it back with you.

I ride to work 6.5 miles one way. I get sweaty on days like today, but not too bad. I don't pedal as hard on the way in to work as on the way home. I don't shower, but I do change shirts and wipe off if need be.

Caution--a backpack will make you sweat. I use a trunk bag that goes on my rack. I put my lunch in there, along with my pump, shirt, and raincoat. I know you can get them that attach to the seat, too, to aviod the cost of a rack.

I would invest in fenders--although I agree with the sentiment of just start riding then you will know what you need. Fenders keep your pants cleaner. No problem with knobbies and your mountain bike is fine.

I have kids that I have to drive around as well. On those days I still usually ride, but that's because the house is in between work and their schools.

I agree that riding the road is preferable, but I don't know what your sidewalks are like. In my area, homes are close together which, for me, means too many hazards. I think you will find that you will go too fast for the sidewalk. But, there is nothing wrong with riding them if you keep your speed down. Just try it and evolve your riding as you see fit. You might find, for certain stretches of road that the sidewalk is the only way. I travel on the sidewalk for a hundred yards on one stretch, just because of a somewhat dangerous turn. No big deal.

No doubt that a veteran gave you the advice of finding other routes--which is fun to do. It is easier than you think to go a mile or two out of the way just for a simpler and more safe/fun ride. I go two miles out of my way just to ride down in our metropark valley. That way I get to ride a safe, paved multi-purpose trail and get to go up two hills. The hills are key--that's how you get in shape. Plus, I get a half hour excersize instead of a measley 20 minutes. I work with a colleague that rides 8 miles one way on a trip that should be 4--just because he likes the ride.

Enjoy!

If the suit/tie thing keeps up, you can get a suitbag pannier. I have an old Performance model, but I don't think they make one anymore.

Overall, I think you should build up your gear slowly, which will force you to think about exactly what functionality you need. When I was still living like a college student after college, I agonized over every purchase, salivating all over the LBS showrooms. In the end, I got just the right equipment for that particular commute and I ended up hitting a few sales on the things I was scrimping for.

If you think too much about it, you'll never get it done. Treat the mountain bike as a resistance trainer. I ride to work whenever possible... 7-9 miles each way depending on whether I decide to take the long way or not. I'm riding a full suspension mtn bike and keeping the knobbies on for the extra exercise. It works. Whips you into shape in a hurry. Slick tires may make the ride a bit smoother, but so far, I haven't come across anything that could be a danger to knobbies, and lots of things that could be a danger to slicks.

Just ride!

Thanks for all the replies....
I rode in today...I will post more on the how was your commute link. So far all I did was tie a Walmart sack to my handlebars and ride. It is a little easier this week because I can wear a Polo shirt and slacks....nect week will be harder....I will work it out. I am ridign again tomorrow, Friday...maybe...it is supposed to rain, so weather will stop me right now just because i am not prepared yet....BUT....at least I rode.

Congratulations. That first one is the hardest. Getting a system going is the fun part. What kind of tires, fenders, light systems, gear storage, ect. are choices to be made.

Congrats!! It will all come easier soon enough. Good job!