SaabFan

I've been lurking here for a few months and figured it was high time to start posting, so here goes. . .

I'm wondering how "light" most of you commute? I've never had much of an opportunity to talk with other bike commuters, and since my commute is mostly in the middle of nowhere, I've basically never seen another commuter on my route. I think that has lead me to develop a slightly different overall approach, since I haven't really been exposed to typical commuting practices.

That said, when I started hanging around this forum, I noticed a trend - it seems like most bike commuters are loading up with backpacks and/or panniers and/or saddlebags, taking quite a lot of stuff with them each day - clothes to wear at work, food, water, rain gear, lots of tools, etc etc etc. Personally, I guess I've taken an opposite approach - besides the teeny wedge pack with a multi-tool and spare tube, all I bring each day is my cell and wallet. I keep clothes and food at work, which is a benefit some people don't have, of course.

Along that same line, I've caught on that there seems to be a lot of people that commute on hybrid bikes, or at least relatively heavy, overbuilt road bikes. My bike isn't exactly an ultralight, but it would probably fit in better at a road race than with a bunch of other commuter bikes.

Rather than just another "what do you bring with you every day?" thread, I was hoping this could evolve into a discussion on the philosophy or approach you all take as far as planning equipment, gear, and cargo for your commute. So let's hear it!

krazygluon

based on your post, I'd say i'm a middle-weight commuter. Mondays and fridays i haul clothes and a laptop in my messenger bag. tuesday through thursday I could perceivably fit everything in my jersey pockets and wouldn't have a problem. the timbuk2 bag has become a kind of security blanket though, so I take it with me anyway.

as for a bike: '77 schwinn sportabout. heavy steel frame, wide 27" slicks and some zefal fenders. My one bit of overbuiltness is probably the fact that I put a pair of eggbeater pedals on it because well, I'm fat and central kentucky is full of hills, so my commute is basically one elevation change after another.

I'm saving to build a commuter/tourer, probably on the surly LHT frame I think if I can weather commuting for a full year my then wife won't permanently revoke my credit card when I do it.

knucklesandwich

I've been riding a cyclocross bike 13 miles roundtrip 4 or 5 days a week. Lucky enough to have a free gym and locker at a corporate type gym in my building, so I keep roughly 2 changes of clothes there, and on days I need to drive, I'll swap out the pants and shirts for new ones. Brown dress shoes stay at my desk. Belt stays in locker as well.

So, on my daily ride, I'll carry a messenger bag with: underwear and dress socks, U-lock, shirt if I need one, a folder of work papers, wallet, phone, keys. That's pretty much it.

On my bike is a frame pump, seat wedge with multitool, tube, patch kit/levers, and some quarters. Gatorade in bottle cage.
Helmet and sunglasses on head. Pretty minimal, overall.

caloso

I'm also a light commuter. I live pretty close to work (4 miles) so I could do it on any bike but more often than not I'll turn the return leg into a workout. So I'll ride my road or tri bike. At most, I'll carry a messenger bag with my wallet, mobile, keys, and a jersey and bibs for the ride home. When I was riding my workouts in the mornings, I'd bring my clothes to the office locker room (yes, very lucky that way) on Sunday nights.

This morning, I was ultra-light: Keys, wallet, cellphone. That's it.

{edit} I guess I should mention the saddlebag and its contents too: 1 tube, 1 lever, 1 CO2 cartridge, Crankbros multitool. I keep the U-lock on the rack at the office.

fifty5

Wedge Pack - multi-tool, patch kit, spare tube.
Frame Pack - sunglasses, cable lock.
Rear Rack - for carrying lunch pail.
Lights - front and rear.
Small air pump attached to frame.
Bell.
Helmet.

I don't carry rain gear (jacket, pants) in the summer only in the spring and fall (cooler temps).

krazygluon

[edit] oops, double post, sorry.

chipcom 

I keep clothes and food at work and carry only my Pendle saddlebag for the most part. But there are days when I decide to ride but have not done the old restock at work, so I slap on the panniers filled with what I need. Other times I need to carry my laptop. My saddlebag is on the bike for ALL rides, commuting for not - can't put enough stuff in some teeny wedge. But then again, if the kitchen sink fit in the Pendle, I'd probably cart it along.

HardyWeinberg

I have a filing cabinet drawer full of food, but it's stuff I'm not eating much of these days, so I am bringing in salads and stuff every day. I was trying to leave laundry at work but it just wound up easier to bring in clothes w/ me every day.

Re 'road race vs commute', it's accepted wisdom around here that you can do a 100 mile rec ride every weekend all summer and have no bike problems, but something always comes up over each 100 mile increment of commuting (one week or 2 wks). It's just different somehow. So it doesn't pay to be unprepared (even if that's just carrying bus fare; but my current route is not too bus friendly, so I have tools and spares).

I don't carry raingear. I wear it when it's raining and cold (~Nov through Feb), and pretty much don't, otherwise. Saves room for groceries or other stuff I might pick up en route. I guess I don't mind carrying stuff, that's why I have panniers and gears and things to make it easier.

I do leave my shoes at work, which generally works, although last Thursday I took a car home and then biked home Friday. One thing led to another, and w/ a bit of shoe confusion over the weekend, I have no shoes here today. Tomorrow for sure...

habernac

I'm a middleweight commuter as well. I have a 38km round trip commute, I always carry a shirt/socks/underwear in my backpack as well as my wallet and cell phone. I have a supply of pants stashed at work, I take them home and wash them as needed. Monday is my heavy commute day as I bring in a new towel and take the other one home to wash.

moxfyre

Lessee... I ride a steel-framed touring bike with 28 mm tires. Not an ultra-light road bike, but definitely not a heavy hybrid or MTB. I'd guess it weighs about 25 pounds with none of the stuff below installed. I carry:

• Tools: a wedge pack with multi-tool, patch kit, and tire levers, as well as a frame-mounted mini-pump
• Gadgets: Nashbar red blinkie (best red LED light for only $5 ) and Planet Bike 1 W LED headlight and Sigma Sport computer
• Cargo: one Performance Bike pannier, containing a raincoat, my keys and wallet and cell phone, possibly lunch and books... occasionally my 6 pound HP laptop or nice clothes if I'm going to go out after work
• Other unnecessarily heavy things: I use Nashbar Rodeo pedals (480g) because they can be ridden with plain shoes if need be, rather than double sided SPD pedals (around 300g for most models)

Lot's Knife

The kitchen sink, basically. Everything goes inside an oversized milk crate — briefcase with raingear, tools, tube, bear spray in an accessible pocket, lunch. Hell, even a foot pump. Kryptonite chain around my waist, Hydro Headware popped into the freezer 10 minutes before departure. The 7.5 miles one way just gets shorter and shorter, easier and easier.

Lot's Knife

Sorry. The philosophy being: I've got pneumatic tubes that roll freely. Bicycles are incredibly efficient contraptions, so why trim every possible gram? If you've got hills or are performance-oriented, you'll have a different approach, for sure.

moxfyre

Bear spray?? Wow, where do you live

bike2math

I have a good sized load in my panniers. Every time I find there was something I needed and didn't have, first thing when I get home it goes into the bag. I figure the more my bike weights the more of a workout I'm getting. I bought a 40 pound bag of potatoes from a farmers market on the way to work one day, probably the heaviest and slowest commute I've ever had.

The bike is a low level (non X-mart) atb that was basically the most bike I could afford when I got it. I have pretty severe road bike envy, but am still saving up for the new bike. Although I'm afraid rack and fenders are necessary along my commute.

NoRacer

Here's my commuter:



Everything that I usually carry in a seat wedge is in a CamelBak (tools, sealant) as well as a bladder of water, tire pump, bug spray, spare Tufo tire, cable lock, wallet, employee badge, NoDoz, sunglasses and spare lenses, and a baseball cap in case it starts to rain. Oh, and I mount a head and taillight.

HardyWeinberg

And I'm definitely not commuting 'light' the 4 days a week I'm pulling the kids to daycare in the their trailer.

squeakywheel

Although I sometimes drive a car to work, I don't use that as a restock day. Driving or riding, I take what I need for that day. Always a change of clothes and a lunch. Brought a thermos of coffee today. Sometimes a laptop computer. Haven't done that in a while. Sometimes I bring all my work stuff and also gear for a tennis match after work.

I have been a lightweight in the area of tools and spare parts. It's just a 5 mile commute. Maximum 2.5 mile walk incase of mechanical failure. I'm planning on carrying more tools and spare parts this winter. I just need to get the stuff organized.

dalmore

Conceptually, I'm solidly in the lightweight club. But I currently do most of my commuting on a rather heavy folding bike, a dahon speed tr weighing in around 30 pounds I'd guess. I haven't actually weighed it but I think that moves me into the cruiserweight division...

Anyway, I carry only a large waist pack with patch kit, tube, co2, multitool, couple of fruit rollups, wallet, keys, phone, a full water bottle and whichever sunglasses or clear glasses I'm not wearing. My commute starts in the dark so I need both pair. The waist bag has room for other things should I find the need. Everything else goes in when I have to drive.

If I find the need to transport something larger unexpectedly, I have a backpack that I leave at the office and a rack and trunkbag/panniers at home.

Raleighroader

I normally bike to work every other day, and use the off day to restock with clean clothes. My route is 13 miles each way. I treat the ride home as "counting" toward the next day's exercise. That approach allows me to travel light, with only the tools needed to change flat tires.

If something comes up that requires me to bike in two days in a row, I carry underwear, socks and shirt in a backpack, and wear the same slacks, shoes and belt two days in a row. Once you start carrying in your entire wardrobe every day, including shoes, you start to have too much for a knapsack, and need to start using panniers.

cooperwx

+1 :: Hybrid bike with a rack/fenders, stuff in a duffel bag bungeed to the rack. May get a Trek Interchange bag for my bday (here's hoping).

DataJunkie

I ride a touring bike and haul my clothing in a back using one pannier. I guess I would be in the middle of the pack. Not heavy. Not light.
Next year I will add a weight weenie bike and plan on either hauling everything in and back on one day using the touring bike or alternate bikes every other day.

CBBaron

I carry a messenger bag with clothes, pump, tools, lock, phone and wallet.
I ride either a 22lb track bike or a 30lb steel road bike with fenders, rack, and 35mm tires.
I guess I'm mid-light to middle weight.
I ride everyday so I would have to carry my clothes with me and I wouldn't consider commuting with less tools. I could probably lose some weight on my bikes but currently they are low maintence, reliable and inexpensive. I couldn't drop much weight without compromising one of those values.
A coworker has a super-heavy weight setup. A recumbent trike with rubbermaid tub for luggage. Outfitted with lights, fenders, a fairing, mirrors and even a car horn. Unloaded it is over 65lbs and with a normal commute load it weighs over 85lbs.

AlmostTrick

I like to keep it as light as possible. I drive at least once or twice a week and restock food/clothes at that time like others here. I refuse to carry tools or spares day after day when I know I will hardly ever need them; I'm not riding on flimsy road race tires. My commute is not that short, (13 miles one way) but my sister lives at about the halfway point, so the most I'd ever have to walk is around 3 miles. Of course if I ever do get a flat, I may have a change of heart while I'm walking!

marqueemoon

I bring:

tools
spare tube
pump
lunch
mini u lock
thermos of coffee
rain jacket

It all goes in a huge messenger bag though.

SaabFan

Wow, a few hours goes by and lots of responses already! This place is great.

Someone raised an interesting point - I suppose, from a certain perspective, your answer to my question depends on how "performance" oriented you are. Personally, I enjoy quick-paced riding, and other than the very rare chance on a weekend, commuting is my only time in the saddle - so I like to keep light and ride at a pretty high pace.

Perhaps it would help if people indicated their targeted level of performance - and, to add another twist, a description of the environment you ride in - i.e. country roads, city streets, etc.