dcole300

I have a very short commute (1 mile) compared to most of you. With that being said, I am cutting it close to being late into the office most days. My issue is that I enjoy my mornings and get busy reading, cooking breakfast, sipping coffee, watering the lawn, etc. By the time I am ready to leave for work it's a fast paced ride in and I arrive flustered and sweaty. Maybe a longer commute would be more beneficial because I know I can't race down the road for a few minutes trying to beat the clock.

So, how do you guys and gals prep for your morning commute to arrive at the office on time? Also, do you enjoy the commute in or are you also racing the clock?

making

I have a 5.5 mile ride in and a big (to me) hill. It took me about 30 minutes today. I left home one hour before I was supposed to be here. Gives me time to cool off, change clothes, have a coffee or water, check my email to see if I was fired overnight, and then get to work.

KStier

Distance varies for me but I leave 75 minutes before work starts for my 25-35 minute ride. That's only twenty minutes earlier than if I'm driving. I enjoy my morning too but read and drink my coffee at work...I can't get there without sweating and needing a shower so I make sure there's plenty of time built in for that and unforeseen issues like the flat I had last week. I'm only in my third week commuting by bike so I might get a little more efficient on one end or the other but it's working out ok this way. I ride pretty hard but because I want to not to race the clock.

pdlamb

Bike commuting is a lot like any other mode if you're not a morning person. You have to figure out when you need to leave to arrive on time, and do whatever it takes to leave then. It may be a bit earlier for a bike ride, but you simply have to adjust.


Easier said than done, I know.

Stadjer

It wakes me up more than anything, although that process always has to include coffee.

winston63 

With regards to my commute, I'm fortunate in that I have a very short ride (4 kms or 2.5 miles) unless I choose to do a long roundabout route and I don't have a hard and fast start time. I have to put in the same amount of hours each day, but I can start at 7:30 AM or 9:00 AM and it doesn't really matter.

That said, I generally try to arrive around 8:00 AM and usually plan my morning to meet that. I don't find it particularly difficult, but I think that's because I've been doing this just about every week day for the past 6 years and I generally have everything I need assembled and in my panniers the night before. So my morning routine is pretty basic: get up, put the coffee on, shave & possibly shower, check the weather forecast while having breakfast so I know if I need rain gear or a jacket or whatnot. Then I'm out the door and on my way.

Having flexibility in start time is an awesome benefit though: just last Friday I decided to ride past my workplace and carry on with my ride, taking in some nice scenery and grabbing a coffee before riding back into work. Some days just work better that way!

aplcr0331

I try to get the most amount of sleep I can so I don't dilly-dally when I get up so I can sleep in until the last moment. Wake up, take my Synthroid, drink a bit of water, put on bibs, jersey, socks and cleats. Fill up water bottle, mount phone on bars, start RFLTK walk outside. I'm out the door within 7-10 minutes. Commute takes me about 70 minutes.

wphamilton

With a one mile commute, racing down the road saves you how much over the easiest laid back ride, two minutes maximum? In practice I bet it's less than one minute. Set your deadline to leave, one minute earlier. Or three minutes to give some cushion.

As far as my morning routine, I like to check the weather and maybe browse some news, ten or fifteen minutes. No coffee, no breakfast no chores, just pack my bag and go. I don't think I've ever been late, or even rushed for time.

Coming home is a different matter.

mb2112

#1 - Get as much as possible done the night before. Clothes packed in panniers, bike checked, lights charged, lunch made, coffee maker programmed. Then sip coffee, suit up, grab a bite and GO!

KenshiBiker

I don't know about the rest of you, but the ringing alarm clock means one thing: time to go to the bathroom . Then it's off to floss and brush teeth; then, and only then will I consider opening my eyes .


Next it's time to step on the scale for my daily reckoning - how bad have I been on my caloric intake? OK, get dressed (including HR strap) and head out to the kitchen. Detour out the front door to get the morning newspaper - depending on my mood I may look at the headlines on the way to the kitchen. Grab my lunch (made the night before) out of the refrigerator, my water bottle out of the freezer and add water. Grab my lights if they've been charging, and anything else I need to remember to bring to work, and head out to the garage.


Once in the garage, I'll power up the Garmin, put the lights back on the bike (if applicable), and pump up the tires. Then I'll pack everything I need to bring into my trunk bag. Then I put on my shoes, strap on my helmet, put on the biking glasses, and waddle over to the wall so I can turn off the garage light and open the door. Then I turn on my helmet light, go over and grab my bike off the repair stand, put on a jacket (if needed) and gloves, then wheel my bike out the door. As the garage door is closing I'm turning on the handlebar light and the blinkies in the rear and confirming all the zippers on the trunk bag are closed. Then I swing a leg over the bike, start the Garmin and away we go on my 15-mile commute. All told it usually takes about 30 minutes from the time the alarm goes off until I start riding.

SloButWide 

How do you prep for your morning commute?

The night before!

Seriously - when I get home and pull my dirty clothes from the pannier, I choose the next day's outfit and pack it. I have a mental checklist from toe to head - shoes, socks, pants, underwear, belt, shirt. I also pack a towel, and replace any toiletries I use up. Rain gear if the forecast calls for it

I put my work badge, work cell, next day's medicines, and anything I need to remember to take the next day in a reserved spot on my dresser. It's the same spot I leave my wallet and personal cell phone at the end of the day, so I'm unlikely to forget anything. .

I hang the cycling clothes I'm going to wear on the back of the closet door - again, toe to head.

First thing in the morning is the worst time to have to think, so I do that when I'm more alert.

RubeRad

My commute is 5.5mi each way, in theory I should be out the door within 5 minutes of the alarm clock like this:

1. turn off alarm
2. pee
3. change from pj shorts to riding shorts (on the floor from yesterday), keys are in pocket
4. grab tech tee from dresser drawer 2
5. grab clean underwear, socks, polo from 3 more drawers
6. into garage, put on riding socks&shoes (left by bike)
7. headphones in, mp3 player into pocket
8. helmet on
9. ride away, closing garage door with remote on keys

But usually there's an additional
0.5 snooze a bunch of times
2.5 sit on the toilet for a while not being fully awake
5.5 turn on the computer, check email, bikeforums ...

When I get to work, I shower in the locker room, dress with the clothes I brought plus jeans&shoes I keep in my locker, and get some coffee.

CrankyOne

No different than if I'm driving or taking the train. Mostly the exact same clothes for all three (though maybe an extra jacket in winter for bicycling) and exact same routine. All of the special kit, hi-viz, and having to prep the night before is too complicated for me.

Most days it's two miles each way so I know it's 10 minutes by bicycle or 5 minutes by car. Need to be there at 9:30? Then leave at 9:15 or 9:20 if I'm riding. Some days it's 11 miles each way so I allow 50-60 minutes for bicycling or 20 minutes driving.

dcole300

Good idea. I'll give loading the panniers the night before a shot to reallocate the 5 minutes in the morning.

That's also probably part of the reason I'm cutting it so close..."one more minute of relaxation before work." haha. Really though, another minute or two is all it would take.

Maybe I'll set the "get out of the house" alarm clock to help.

wolfchild

Preparing for my morning bike commute is the same as preparing for my morning drive to work.

dim

hmmmm ....

wake up .... have a pee ... have a cigarette .... check the internet ....have a coffee .... have a crap .... have another cigarette .... another coffee .... eat some muesli .... another coffee, another cigarette .... have a bath or shower .... another cigarette and another coffee ... get changed and rush off to work

do it this way 7 days a week

Andy_K 

I'm lucky enough to have a job where I don't have to punch the clock. I seriously don't know if I would be able to keep a job that required me to be on time. My mornings are a lot like your mornings, I think. I do all kinds of things that have nothing to do with getting to work and then eventually realize that it's well past the time I intended to leave. My issue is ADD (officially diagnosed and treated ADD, not just the joking around about being easily distracted thing). I've found that the only way to avoid taking way too long is to completely abstain from any activity that isn't necessary for getting to work, but since I usually don't have a set time when I need to be in the office I usually just screw off and show up late. I keep my commuting bag pre-packed with the things I need every day (tools, spare tube, work ID, keys, etc.) so I can just grab it and go when I finally do get my act together.

My commute is 10 miles each way, so "racing" doesn't really help much. If I ride it like an all out time trial it takes about 40 minutes. If I relax and ride at an easy pace it takes 50 minutes. Usually I'm about halfway between those two. I typically choose my pace based on how I'm feeling and what I'll enjoy most. Some days that's a fast pace. More and more as I get older it's slower.

tarwheel 

My morning commute is about 15 miles/ 1 hour. I get up an hour earlier on days when I'm riding my bike to work so that I've got time to eat breakfast, drink coffee, read the news, load my bike with gear, change into cycling clothes, etc. I try to do some tasks the night before, such as making my lunch. On days that I drive, I either sleep in or get up at the same time and enjoy the extra freedom before work.

BobbyG

Wake, oatmeal/coffee/news (online) bathroom, pack work clothes, suit-up for ride...go. I wake up 2 hours before I have to leave. Nine miles, takes 35-45 minutes. I leave an hour before work starts. In an emergency (and just to mix things up occasionally) I have had a 7-mile option since they did some roadwork three years ago. It takes 10 minutes off my time, but it's not as pleasant a ride, and I don;t feel I get as much excercise. If there's a really big delay in leaving I'll change back into my work clothes and drive (20-25 min). Occasionally I will push it hard to see how much time I save, but it's not that much, maybe 5-10 minutes. I push more on the way home where I can shower. One time I forgot an appointment and didn't want to waste time changing back into my regular clothes, so I drove to work in my bike clothes and changed at work after the appointment.

Bolo Grubb

My commute is 11.5 miles one way. Takes me between 45 and 60 minutes. I am suppose to be at work by 8am. I plan on being there by 7:30am. So I try to leave my house by 6:30am at the latest. This builds in a little extra in case of flat or other unplanned delay. Also gives me more time to stop sweating before I get cleaned up.

I also do not get on the computer at home in the morning on days I commute.

corrado33

I get on my bike and start riding. No prep necessary. I don't have to be at work at a certain time, but I'm usually in ~7:15.

wphamilton

Although thinking back, it was probably at least a year before I came around to "leave a few minutes earlier". I think the key for me (and to stop forgetting things like pants) was to establish a solid routine which I begin X minutes before the leaving deadline, always the same. These days it starts about when I get out of bed, and I don't really wake up until I'm halfway here, but I once literally had a checklist that I'd mentally check off and the sequence pretty much took care of the timing.

lost_in_endicot

Get up, do my bathroom routine, feed the cats, make coffee, load up my lunch, ebook, water bottle, and coffee mug, then go.

I get most everything done the night before. I'm usually on the bike within 45 minutes from when my alarm goes off.

jade408

Not bike commuting at the moment. But my routine is the same no matter which method I take to work.

1. Pick out my clothes the night before including accessories and undergarments

2. Pack my bag (besides keys and cell phone).

I don't eat breakfast at home. When I brought it with me, I'd get it prepped the night before too. Along with lunch items. I never much liked sandwiches so it was typically leftovers. Put it all together in the fridge.

I wake up typically 45 minutes before I need to leave. I get out of bed, take my vitamin and pills, go to the bathroom and get ready (shower, brush teeth etc). In the shower I confirm shoes and jewelry. Get out of the shower, get dressed, get lotioned etc

I get the last minute stuff for my bag and go. This typically takes 35ish minutes. This gives me a little breathing room if I am having a slow day. Really slow days mean I throw my watch, jewelry and coat in my bag before I hit the shower and put them on while on transit or waiting in line.

What I found slows me down? Looking at the Internet. Not getting prepped the night before. I limit decisions in the morning.

On the weekend I take it slow!

noglider 

How do I prepare? Not well enough. This thread is food for thought. Just this week, I was thinking I ought to put my bike in a prominent spot so I can see it, and I should load it up and get it ready before I go to bed. Maybe I'll do it tonight. I have to be at work early tomorrow.