Commuting - Rode to work for the first time today

Just bought my new Trek 7100 last week and I tackled my 6 mile commute today for the first time. I say tackled because while 6 miles may be easy for most of you, I am a relative newbie to cycling of any kind. Also, my route has some pretty intense hills.
It was so cool out today that I figured I could just ride to work in my work clothes (jeans and a cotton short sleeve top), but I learned that that probably isn't the best idea to do going forward. Maybe it's the hills, maybe it's my fitness level, maybe it's me not being used to wearing a helmet.... I got SWEATY.
I learned a lot of things for next time (bringing a change of clothes is one), and I feel so great, both physically and "spiritually" if you will. Can't wait to make this more of a regular thing!

That rocks. I did my first commute in may. (well, first one in about fifteen years.) It gets easier, and even more fun over time. Eventualy you will crave it, and feel icky when you don't ride in. Good job!

congratulations, it gets addicting!...

That rocks. I did my first commute in may. (well, first one in about fifteen years.) It gets easier, and even more fun over time. Eventualy you will crave it, and feel icky when you don't ride in. Good job!

No kidding! It was raining this morning up in Fort Worth and I wussed out and drove the car. Now I'm wishing I had toughed it out.

My routine is kind of like this: I take a shower at home, then I take my lunch and a change of clothes including socks and undies. At work I have a hand towel, a washcloth, baby powder and deoderant. When I get to work, I change (luckily my workplace has a closet where I can keep my bike and it has a lock on the door so I change in there) into my work clothes. I use a lot of baby powder and apply fresh deoderant before getting dressed. Then I go into the bathroom and use the washcloth to wash my face, and in my case I also rinse my hair out too. I use the hand towel to dry off, comb my hair, and I'm ready to go for the day.

I was doing this when the highs got into the 90s, and no one complained that I was, well, "ripe."

As far as hill climbs go, take it easy and use the granny gears, but you'll find that the more often you ride, the more quickly you'll be able to get up the hills and in higher gears to boot. This is a good time of year to start commuting; there will still be some good whether before it gets cold.

Baby powder is a great idea - thanks Doohickie. I am in Austin and I kind of picked starting at this time of year on purpose - it's cool in the mornings now. And since it doesn't ever get too cold here I should be able to ride through the winter, even as a newbie.

Congrats and welcome to the club. I started commuting again this year too. When you live in Houston, there are a million excuses not to do it, but you just do and it works.

FYI - I recently found these and really like them: http://www.rei.com/product/730067

congratulations, it gets addicting!...

This addiction thing is not to be underrated. Stick with it, after a while you go from hoping for an excuse to drive in, like lightning or tornados etc to the mindset, humm I bet I can get home before the tornado gets too close, or it is just a little snow.

Congrats and welcome to the club. I use an old backpack. In this, I carry shaving gear and deoderant in a small ammo bag. I bring underwear/socks and my workclothes. I keep a change of shoes at work.
At work I take a quick duckbath and change. So it doesn't really matter how wet or sweaty I get since I freshen up before work starts. I also carry a windbreaker or lite raincoat in my backpack. I'm lucky in that I can store my bike in the office so security isn't really a problem.
Ernest

Oh yea. if possible keep one of everything in a plastic bag at work. Then carry your stuff in. someday, absolutely for sure you will forget a shoe, shirt or something. Bingo you have a spare pair of shoes or shirt at work. If you try to carry them back and forth you will forget.

Congratulations! You're already doing better than I did on my first commute.

Not only did I arrive all hot and sweaty, but I had to stop and rest halfway. Did I mention my first commute was only two miles? And that it's pretty much dead flat?

It was interesting figuring out what works and what doesn't. I was surprised to find that no problem was insurmountable. There was a way to overcome everything, and I usually found it by the second try.

It's almost become dull routine now. In some ways, I miss the challenges of those early days...

Congratulations and welcome!

congrats, happy riding.

give it a couple weeks, and you'll be looking for longer routes. :)

Congrats! as several have said it is addicting. I also liked hearing from folks about their first ride in. I too suffered for the first week or so while adjusting. we're not all Lance Armstrong doing this commute thing. You'll learn more as you ride more. Just pay attention to what is going on around you and stay safe. Good luck with the commute.

I learned a lot of things for next time


That's the main thing,



I feel so great, both physically and "spiritually" if you will.

and that's the other main thing.

Have fun out there!

Just bought my new Trek 7100 last week and I tackled my 6 mile commute today for the first time. I say tackled because while 6 miles may be easy for most of you, I am a relative newbie to cycling of any kind. Also, my route has some pretty intense hills.
It was so cool out today that I figured I could just ride to work in my work clothes (jeans and a cotton short sleeve top), but I learned that that probably isn't the best idea to do going forward. Maybe it's the hills, maybe it's my fitness level, maybe it's me not being used to wearing a helmet.... I got SWEATY.
I learned a lot of things for next time (bringing a change of clothes is one), and I feel so great, both physically and "spiritually" if you will. Can't wait to make this more of a regular thing!

Awesome! I started with about 3 years ago with a mixed mode commute. I biked to the bus stop about 4.5 miles from home and bused it to the office. I remember the first time I pulled up to that busstop - I felt like I had just climbed Everest!! :love:

This is my usual routine. Pick one day to drive the car and pack a bag with enough clothes for the entire week, including a spare pair of shoes. Also don't forget to take the previous weeks dirty stuff home!! Sometimes I get lucky and will be driving by the office on the weekends and then I can ride 5 days a week!! I keep a shaving kit at the office with deodorant, hair stuff, toothbrush etc. I too shower before the ride in which seems like a waste but for me it works great. My commute is 12 miles one way, the inbound route is less streneous than the outbound one so I don't sweat so much coming in. It might take some time for you to work the bugs out of your routine, but just keep at it. Its very rewarding in the end. By the way, the last time I bought gas for my car was Sept 8th, almost a full month.

I used to use the one day a week car driving routine when I was in the Air Force. I always changed at work, and it's really hard to keep a uniform pressed while on a racing bike. I had a sweet setup there, with an unused cubicle for my bike and incredibly low humidity so sweat wasn't really a problem (Utah)

Nice job, it definitely becomes addictive and you'll start to miss it after a while :) Stick with it and it will become second nature.

Unless I'm at a client site (I ride all the way as it's all within the city, my office is in a town outside of Toronto), I do a split-mode commute between train and my riding - as my full commute is 66miles RT, which is something I just can't handle each and every day - I ride to a train station 8 miles away or if I'm upto the challenge I'll ride to a further station.

This is my usual routine. Pick one day to drive the car and pack a bag with enough clothes for the entire week, including a spare pair of shoes. Also don't forget to take the previous weeks dirty stuff home!! Sometimes I get lucky and will be driving by the office on the weekends and then I can ride 5 days a week!! I keep a shaving kit at the office with deodorant, hair stuff, toothbrush etc. I too shower before the ride in which seems like a waste but for me it works great. My commute is 12 miles one way, the inbound route is less streneous than the outbound one so I don't sweat so much coming in. It might take some time for you to work the bugs out of your routine, but just keep at it. Its very rewarding in the end. By the way, the last time I bought gas for my car was Sept 8th, almost a full month.

there is no need to drive that stuff to work.

I just do the same routine, but on every Friday / Monday.

bring it along with me in my bike, during my commute

So Monday, i bring a load to refill whatever i need at work, clothing, shoes, shaving stuff, dentals stuff, hair gel, etc...

then by Friday, pack up all the dirty laundry and bike them home.

you just need to be a pack rat, to fit all that stuff nicely in your back pack.

Or if you have a rear rack, then it makes it even easier.

I'm really lucky to have a shower room. Lately, I'm the only one using it. Most of the year I'm required to wear the full shirt and tie so I'll bring in clothes on Sunday evening. Other times, our dress code is business casual and I can put chinos and polo shirts in a big backpack on Monday morning. Keep the shoes under the desk.

That rocks. I did my first commute in may. (well, first one in about fifteen years.) It gets easier, and even more fun over time. Eventualy you will crave it, and feel icky when you don't ride in. Good job!

+1. I sprained my ankle on Saturday and have to stay off the bike for two weeks. I had to drive to work ( less than a mile away) and to band practice yesterday and I feel kinda sick. Or maybe it's that I haven't done anything in a while and I had donuts for breakfast. Who knows.

But congrats on the first commute.