Commuting - no rack, no pannier - are you sure you are commuting?

I was asked this question today by a guy who apparently lugs half his belongings with him. My bike has no pannier, no rack and is in exact same form I use it for CX. Am I considered a commuter or just a "guy who rides his bike to work"?

There is a difference between a commuter and a "guy who rides his bike to work"? He is just jealous that you can get by without looking like a bike nerd. ;)

I was asked this question today by a guy who apparently lugs half his belongings with him. My bike has no pannier, no rack and is in exact same form I use it for CX. Am I considered a commuter or just a "guy who rides his bike to work"?

A guy who rides his bike to work is a commuter.

I've seen people commute riding full suspension bikes wearing baggy clothes, camel backs, and full helmets. They're still commuters; silly commuters perhaps.

A guy who rides his bike to work is a commuter.


Anyone who lives in one place, works in another, and travels between the two is a commuter.

Definition of commuting - Commuting is the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work.

Like mentioned above the guy is probably wishing he can commute without carrying all that stuff he has.

My bike has no pannier, no rack and is in exact same form I use it for CX.
Ditto! I use a backpack :D

Backpack here. I rarely find a need to carry more than a change of clothes, my lock, some tools and assorted pocket items. If I really need to carry more, I take the train or a zipcar.

I use panniers, but it's mostly empty. Some days I've got nothing on me but an ATM card to buy a sub at lunch with. Usually I brown bag it though, so there's lunch. And almost always I carry a phone (turned off, just for emergencies) and a camera. I don't carry a lock or anything like that. Sometimes I'll have some fresh clothes or something in there. Maybe even a whole new 8 pack of soda. So it can vary from a credit card to 30 pounds of stuff in 2 panniers. But typically it's one pannier half full, and I could see, especially in the summer, riding around with almost nothing.

I run a mess bag. Big deal. Sounds like the fellow has some personal concerns. Pity his family.

clean bike with back pack for me - dislike fiddling with mudguards and racks more than I dislike an occasionally damp ass

I used to carry too much stuff between work and home, but no longer.

In fact, my summer commuter is a single-speed with airfree tires, so I carry absolutely nothing most days :D

I like the freedom of less... which is why most of us bike, yeah?

Sounds like he might be a little jealous that he can't keep everything he will need at work like you and I do.:)

At most I haul my rack trunk and a handlebar bag. No panniers, no backpack, no huge amounts of stuff. I drive once a week to replenish my locker with clothes for the week, and all I have to haul each day is my lunch.

No panniers for me, and I bike commute 3-4 days a week. I use a large seatbag (Carradice Barley), but occasional commute on one of my better road bikes with a smaller seatbag. The days that I drive, I replenish clothes and other supplies although I can carry a surprising amount of gear in the Barley.

The very least I'd carry is a small repair kit and first aid kit. Which is half a pannier. I can get by with a saddle bag if it's just a flat repair kit.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

I use one pannier with my clothes for the day and my lunch as well as a small tool kit. It could fit in a backpack so I could do without the rack, but I prefer the pannier especially in the summer. The rack also gives me the flexibility to carry more if I desire.

I have a locker in the gym near my office and I keep toiletries and my shoes in it, as well as a spare set of clothes in case I forget to bring something with me in the morning. I don't usually have to wear a suit at work, but I keep one in my office in case I need to wear one. There are dry-cleaners near my office when I need to have it cleaned.

I'm fortunate to have space to store things at work that I might need. But really, I don't keep that much stuff in my office and what I need to carry on a daily basis goes right with me on the commute.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

I've got a back room job... fixing computers. And my commute doesn't make me sweat excessively.
I think it also has to do with your body... I rarely stink up or have a need to change clothing due to sweat.

I would have told him to mind his own F'ing business.

I think I was carrying half my wardrobe in my messenger bag yesterday. Hadn't commuted in sometime and could not remember what to wear at what temps. Plus, I wanted to experiment in using street clothes for my shorter winter commute.

Anyhow, you know what they say about opinions. Just like [fill in the blank] everyone has one.
I would ignore the fool.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?


My Barley seatbag will easily hold a shirt, t-shirt, socks and pants if I need them -- plus my lunch, cell phone, glasses, and tools, etc. I leave a pair of shoes in my office as well as a towel, soap and shampoo, and several pairs of pants. So I really don't have to carry much on any given day. Once a week, I usually drive and take home my dirty laundry and bring in a fresh towel or pants if I need them, and some snack food. I usually need my truck at least one day a week to run other errands as well, such as going by the bank or the post office, so driving is not an issue.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

About once a week I strap a gym bag with microwave lunches, snacks, and clothing to my rear rack. The bag probably weighs about 20 pounds at least, which added to a bike that weighs about 40 pounds itself makes the total ride a bit of a pig. But, that leaves me unloaded the rest of the week and allows me to not worry about packing stuff every day.

It's especially nice in summer when I ride my road bike with nothing but a seatpack with the bare essentials 4 days a week.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

I ride a Dutch-style bike, wearing my office clothing. I do have a rack and use it to carry my rain gear.

Paul

Lights and fenders, that is all that differentiates my bike when I commute versus fun rides. In the summer, I even ride the race bike. Backpack all the way here every day, year round. 14 miles each way. I have never tried a rack, but personally think they are somewhat nerdy.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

We have a locker room where I keep a pair of black and a pair of brown shoes. I carry shirt, pants, underwear, belt and lunch in my backpack every day. Have done it for years now without any problems. If I were hauling shoes or my laptop on each trip, I might do something different.

I'm a guy who rides his bike to work.

I don't see the dig in that, really.

If I ever feel compelled to ride across the country or something, maybe I'll put my panniers on.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

<snark>With my very own paper hat and a nametag, too!</snark>

I have an office job and I wear button down shirts, dress pants and dress shoes.


Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

Heaven forbid I should own a car. :eek:
Yes, I own a car. While some people can get by with the car-free lifestyle, there are things that I enjoy doing which aren't any of the following:
A) on a train or bus route
B) within 25 miles of my house
C) bicycle clothing acceptable
Sure, I run most of my errands on my bike and I ride to work 4 days a week; but on Fridays when I have a mid-day meeting where I give an executive presentation for my department, I can't show up stanky from the 13 mile commute to get there. I use Friday to haul in my dry cleaning from the week, and re-stock my locker with fresh clothes for the next week.
Most of the hiking trails, snowshoeing areas, backpacking trailheads, etc. which I go to are more than 30 miles from my house and involve freeway travel. There's no public transit that goes there, and the cost of renting a car almost every weekend would outweigh the monthly costs for my Jeep.


What is the secret you are not actually telling?

No secret. I don't like to haul tons of stuff every day when I don't need to. If I feel like turning my 8 mile ride home into a 40 mile ride, I can do that and not be bogged down with 25 extra pounds of stuff.

if you don't need all that stuff on your bike why bother..when the weahter warms up as an ocassional commuter I will use msg. bag or backpack

On my main commuter I have front and rear racks, panniers, and an expandable trunk bag. The panniers are mainly for groceries, but I also use my bags for extra clothes, tubes, pump, tools, lock, etc. For example, tomorrow morning when I ride in it will probably be about 20 degrees, but when I ride home it will be in the 50s. I require a lot more layers for 20 degrees than 50, so I need something larger than a seatbag for the trip home. I can't use a backpack because they always make my chest hurt, and I just find them very uncomfortable in general. In the summer sometimes I commute with nothing more than a regular seatbag, but I still prefer to have my pump, extra tube(s), and my multi tool.

Also, even in the winter I don't always need all my bags. Today it was 11 degrees going in and 25 coming home, so my Country bag on the Univega was adequate for the few extra clothes I brought.

The more room you have, the more cr@p you'll carry. Simple as that.

I have front and rear racks and panniers on my long-distance commuter. I don't always run the front panniers... but I often need them when riding in cold weather. I need to pack extra clothes, food, and sometimes books and shoes. Once I get to town, I usually switch bikes, and use a fixed gear bike with a messenger bag.

I can't stand backpacks. Besides not having enough room, they make my back sweat and hurt my shoulders over time. I could handle a 5-mile commute with a backpack but not much more than that.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

We-e-ell, I have a few, since you asked.:)
1. The company does provide me with uniforms and a cleaning service. Uniforms that I don't always wear, but if I did all I would have to carry back and forth would be socks and underwear.

2. I have a locker at work for anything I might want to keep there.

3. I have space in a refrigerator/freezer, and use of a microwave and coffee pot (in fact, I'm the only one that ever uses the coffee pot). So I can stock up on stuff for lunch, or go up to the clubhouse and eat at the restaurant for free. Normally I just have a can of soup, a sandwich and a Coke. It's the fastest and easiest.

4. There is a shower at work...that nobody uses. Why shower when the shop you work out of is an unheated/no AC steel warehouse type building and you work outside all day?

There are also showers in the pool house and the clubhouse that I could use.

5. My office is the seat of a tractor or mower.

6. Ace-in-the-Hole: The wife doesn't ride and works at the same place up in the clubhouse (part time, different hours, she comes in after I do and leaves earlier), so she can drop off anything I don't feel like carrying or forget.:D

5. My office is the seat of a tractor or mower.

6. Ace-in-the-Hole: The wife doesn't ride and works at the same place up in the clubhouse (part time, different hours, she comes in after I do and leaves earlier), so she can drop off anything I don't feel like carrying or forget.:D

Sounds like you're a greenskeeper. Am I right?

I was asked this question today by a guy who apparently lugs half his belongings with him. My bike has no pannier, no rack and is in exact same form I use it for CX. Am I considered a commuter or just a "guy who rides his bike to work"? They're one and the same to me. Obviously, how much you pack on your bike depends on things like route distance, work attire required, showers available, etc. I guess some guys measure their worth by how "hardcore" they are with their bike commuting.

I purchased a Sunlite bag (http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Toploader-Bicycle-Rear-Rack/dp/B000BMUDZ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1199410922&sr=1-2) that carries: flashlight, multi-tool, spare tire, pump, lock (not bike lock), pants, undershirt, shirt, socks, boxers, and a towel. Sometimes I'll carry a book to read on the train. I've learned to leave the laptop at work except when I need it for travel, and then I'll just bring along my backpack.

Sounds like you're a greenskeeper. Am I right?

Yep.

Just kind of fell into golf course maintenance after retiring from the Marine Corps a couple years ago. A great job for me.:)

Like the OP I have also been commuting on a bike that is in the same form I use it for cyclocross, with the exception of a water bottle cage and light mounts. My 3 mile commute does not necessitate my changing clothes if the weather is fair. If it isn't I bring a pair change of clothes too, in my backpack. I do change shoes because obviously my cross bike has clipless pedals. During the fall I would also use the ride home to detour to a park and practice dismounts, cornering on grass, etcetera.

I do plan on using an older beater eventually, but the cross bike works just fine, thanks. When my commute was 8-20 miles one way I did essentially the same thing (backpack, change of clothes. Occasionally I used a pannier, but I like the handling better with a backpack unless I have a ton of stuff.

NO, NO, NOOOO!!!!! you guys have it all wrong.

To be a commuter you first have to select the right bike, that means looking for the heaviest and oldest bike you can find, then fitting it with the biggest tires that will fit under the guards. You then bolt on every accesory known to humanity, and top it all off with a DIY homebrew light with the ability to blind the astronauts on the space station..... If you can lift it without giving yourself a hernia then its not a commuter bike.

As for packing, you should pack so as to deal with any possible contingency on your commute - detouring to the nearest international airport and beginning a year long unsupported world bike tour is a 'possible contingency'.

You guys that can commute on a bare bike, I hate you all! :p

I use mass transit fairly often and I tend to sprain my wrists. Your ideal commuter bike would torture the heck out of me. :p

I would be unable to lift my bike onto the train or bus rack.

Perhaps I should purchase wrist braces. lol

I ride a old ugly trek 800 painted spray painted bright orange sans rack, baskets, fenders etc rocking jeans, a t shirt, work boots, a full skater helmet, and safety sunglasses

The secret:
1. Live in SW FL from September - May when it doesnt rain and the high tomorrow will be 75 degree F
2. Work as a theatre tech where nobody cares if you are a little sweaty in the morning
3. Carry an army surplus messenger bag for lunches and the occasional script

I do drive some days but thats only to protect the new laptop until I get a good messenger bag, and if I work until 1 am and havent slept enough the night before to safely get home or have an errand to run (the cities down here are really spread out)

Also I leave the bike at work when I can (private parking lot) and bike to my house. I have to run errands for work in the car (the boss would get mad if a 1 hour run to home depot took 3).

Its not for everyone but it works for now. That is until I get my touring bike and deck her out when I get some cash :)

I can't stand wearing a backpack while riding my bike, so I have panniers. I actually just mounted a milk crate on my rear rack for carrying my dog - but that thing is sooo handy! I like it a lot better than panniers!

I can't stand wearing a backpack while riding my bike, so I have panniers. I actually just mounted a milk crate on my rear rack for carrying my dog - but that thing is sooo handy! I like it a lot better than panniers!

I'm afraid we need pictures of this.

I just happen to have some - I took them today!! We are taking off in June to ride from Alaska to Argentina and little Dash is going with us - this is what I came up with for him!

Here is the basket empty:
http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL908/4029554/9779779/296445875.jpg

Here is Dash in a bag that I made to tie on to the sides of hte basket to keep him a little bit warm.
http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL908/4029554/9779779/296445883.jpg

If it gets really cold I can tie the bag up around his neck -h opefully that'll work.
http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL908/4029554/9779779/296445863.jpg

And if we have no choice but to ride through a really cold rain, I will cover him with this water-resistent cover I made. He won't be able to see out at all on those days, but I figure that's better than having him get cold and wet.
http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL908/4029554/9779779/296445868.jpg[/QUOTE]

I use just a back pack, but i don't like it on me, so thats why i have a rack and basket, the bag goes in there.

If i am doing some shopping i just wear the bag and place the stuff in my basket, plus one panier(sp).

You who can keep stuff at work are very fortunate, indeed. The rest of us must develop some sort of "rack 'n pack" system. I'm now commuting to college 5 days per week, and to work at the restaurant 3 nights.(There's one overlap day-hurry back to pick up my sons at their school, walk home one block with them, then shower and change for work and away I go.) Good times. So yeah, I got stuff-schoolbooks, food, spare clothes and raingear, etc. I might be able to get a locker at school; have to look into that next week.

I can't really store much at my desk, trading desk does not really allow for much space. However, I have a bunch of shirts/pants hanging in a coatbag in the back room and take them to be dry-cleaned locally.

PS. I would have a hard time fitting my dog into a milk-crate...

I can fit most stuff into a 2000 cubic inch backpack or messenger bag most days.

So really all you guys that are not hauling all your stuff to the office everyday... you have jobs that provide uniforms... or what?

Or you actually drive one day a week... meaning you have to have a car to haul your clothing?

What is the secret you are not actually telling?

That is an area where I myself would like to make some improvement. I carry a ton of stuff, all something I almost never use, but might under the right circumstances. So I just haul it back and forth, back and forth; it's dumb when you think about it. For example:

Tool kit and pump for flats and emergency adjustments--I actually have used it, once in six years.

A little travel bag of miscellaneous stuff like the other sunglasses (clear or dark depending on what I am wearing and the season), a city map in case I make a detour for fun, small first aid kit, energy bar.

Cloth grocery bag in case I stop at the store on the way home--used maybe once a week.

Small folder of bus schedules in case I have to go multi-modal--used once in the past year.

Battery charger to recharge the headlight battery for the trip home--used daily in the winter.

Plastic case/clipboard for any papers that must be transported--used regularly but not often, I could get by without it.

Rain pants, rain jacket, rain gloves--used only when it actually rains.

Lunch--used daily.

My personal goal is to ride in regular clothes, and be able to go in all conditions, keeping my gear dry and myself dry and comfortable. So in order to be ready for anything at all times, I pay the price of hauling all that stuff, back and forth, back and forth.

NO, NO, NOOOO!!!!! you guys have it all wrong.

To be a commuter you first have to select the right bike, that means looking for the heaviest and oldest bike you can find, then fitting it with the biggest tires that will fit under the guards. You then bolt on every accesory known to humanity, and top it all off with a DIY homebrew light with the ability to blind the astronauts on the space station..... If you can lift it without giving yourself a hernia then its not a commuter bike.

As for packing, you should pack so as to deal with any possible contingency on your commute - detouring to the nearest international airport and beginning a year long unsupported world bike tour is a 'possible contingency'.

You guys that can commute on a bare bike, I hate you all! :p

How did you know, how did you know.

There is a difference between a commuter and a "guy who rides his bike to work"? He is just jealous that you can get by without looking like a bike nerd. ;)

Yep! 3/4 of the time I have a small backpack where I carry work clothes (yes, a suit or dress) - unless I have already stashed clothes at work. Have all my shoes and boots at work too - why bother hauling them.