RonH

OK, I'm about to give in and start commuting by bike (15 miles each way). I know these questions have been asked before so please don't kill me.
I'm "converting" my 2+ year old Raleigh R600 road bike. I'm putting 700x25 Conti Ultra 2000 or maybe Gatorskins on it.
I went to REI and my LBS to price things. They are about the same price as Performance and Nashbar so I like to support my LBS when I can.
I'm looking at the Topeak QR Beam rack and trunk bag combo. Is this a good choice? All I will have to carry is a pair of shorts, polo shirt (VERY casual workplace), underwear, socks, personal grooming items, and clothes for the ride home. Or did I forget something?
My bike has Shimano M535 pedals so I'm getting Cannondale MC900 shoes so I won't have to change shoes at work.
I will have to keep my bike in a back corner of the warehouse where it is out of everyone's way. Oh well, at least it's safe there.

What do I do with my clothes that are damp (or maybe soaking wet) from the ride to work? I don't have an office. I work in a call center with several other people in the room. And there's no space near my work station to hang anything to dry. No showers either.

What raingear do you recommend? I live in Atlanta, Georgia and the summers are hot and humid. I don't want a steambath while trying to stay dry.

I know I'll have other questions later. If you have any suggestions please feel free to fire away. Thanks for your help.

Ron

JonR

I hope your bike can be locked to something solid and immovable, even though it's within company grounds.

It doesn't sound like you've forgotten anything. I wish you had a place to hang things. But failing that, just put damp or wet clothes into a plastic bag on the floor of your cubicle (it sounds as though you probably work inside a cubicle). They won't get mildewy or moldy in such a short time; you will have to carry them back home and wash them out, that's all.

Wherever you change clothes, just use a washrag with water and maybe soap (not always even necessary) to freshen up before you change--or the excellent disposable towelettes such as Wash 'n Dri. I would advise against anything labeled "anti-bacterial." Though these are very popular now, they allow for resistant germs to breed like crazy, because the "anti-bacterial" residue principle destroys only the weaker organisms; and they are very bad, in my opinion, for that reason.

An exception is rubbing alcohol. It kills germs, but leaves no residue, so it's safe to use. If your skin can tolerate it, it's very refreshing in terms of heat relief. You can dilute it, of course.
And it's cheap!

Raingear--I would do a search on this forum for lots of raingear posts that took place about 1.5 months ago. I believe there are some links there, too.

If I were commuting again, I would try to get a good cyclist's rain cape, which has loops for the wrists and also a way to keep the body of the thing from flapping too much. The reason I would like one is that it allows for air circulation better than a rain jacket does. This could be especially beneficial in your climate, during a "mixed" ride where it decides to rain about every two minutes!

RainmanP

When it rains, I would just as soon get wet. I live in New Orleans where we know a few things about heat and humidity. I have a light coated nylon rain jacket (from Performance). I only put it on when I am getting chilled, which can happen even in summer. You sweat underneath it, so it doesn't actually keep you dry, but it does cut the wind. If I had it to do now, I would probably get a cycling cape; I still may. Campmor.com has one for about $30. Cold weather rain is a different issue. I have waterproof vests and jackets. This was my first winter commuting and luckily I missed all the heavy rain days we had for various reasons though at no time did I specifically not ride because of rain. Just lucky.

Hanging sweaty stuff is obviously the best answer if you can swing it. Would it be over the line to just hang it on plastic hangers on your bike or would theft be a concern?

Is that Topeak rack the kind that clamps to your seatpost? I just have an innate distrust for anything with that type of leverage working on it. It might be fine for the stuff you usually carry, but what about the day you have a little more. When you think about a few pounds bouncing around out on the end of a lever like that. Just me. I am sure they work for others. Yorick wears the biggest baddest Blackburn rack, an Expedition 2. It is only rated for 40 pounds but looks sturdyenough to support a Volkswagen. Racks are as much a matter of personal preference as anything.

Welcome to the wonderful world of commuting!
Regards,
Raymond

LittleBigMan

Ron,

As for your questions, I think Raymond and Jon have provided good suggestions.

Take your time selecting your route. Get a detailed map of the area and check out as many alternate routes as you can. You might find that your morning route is different from your evening route as traffic is lighter in the morning. Also, feel free to drive partway to work if you like. The bottom line is that you enjoy your commute.

One difference, I have one of those racks that attach to the seatpost and it works fine. Every rack should be rated for it's maximum carrying capacity (in pounds.)

Since you live in Atlanta, I am very interested to hear how it goes! :thumbup:

MichaelW

You only need protection from the rain if its cold. In hot humid weather, just think of it as a free shower. You can protect yourself from dirty water off the road by using fenders.
Pertex cycling jackets are good for some protection when its cooling off. Racers take them on climbs to use on the descent. They are lightweight, showerproof , reasonably breathable, and cheap.
I used to use a flannel in a basin to wash down at work. Keep a towel there.
If your bike is inside, you can hang your cycling clothes over the top tube. They will dry off, and unless you have a bike-short sniffer at large in Altanta, they should be safe.

If you dont stop en-route, leave a hefty lock at work, and take a lightweight one when you ride. Take a repair kit and small first aid kit to get you out of the usual troubles. Lights are useful in heavy rain, when you can be hard to see from inside a car.

Only use a seatpost rack if your bike lacks the threaded eyelets for a proper rack.

You may find it better to leave some footwear at work, cycling shoes can get mucky in the wet, and your feet will appreciate a dry change.

RainmanP

RonH,
Pete and MichaelW offer some good advice. You seem to be a regular rider already, so you pretty much know what tools, spares you need in your seat bag.

My routes in to work and home are different. Because I go in early when there is no traffic, I can ride big main streets just over 8.5 miles. Home there is more traffic so I take side streets and a less direct route that is right at 13 miles. In my case, I enjoy the opportunity to get a few more miles; you may not need anymore!

You have to take my comments on racks with a grain of salt. I am the type guy who would probably use 2X12s to frame my house if I were building one. JUST in case. As it is, I drool over the top of the line Tubus rack that is rated for nearly 100 pounds! I have no idea what I would ever carry that I would need that, 2 bags of cement, maybe?. You NEVER know. Of course, that added to my substantial self would probably flatten the rims!
Regards,
Raymond

AlphaGeek

RonH, Lots of good ideas on this thread. Just my 2 cents... I live in Augusta, GA and ride in similar conditions. I use the raincape from campmor.com and like it for heavy rain. It it's just light rain, I agree, I'd rather get wet.

I cycle in shorts and Tshirt and change at work. I keep my work shoes at work, and I carry in on my bike rack (Blackburn and panniers) neatly folded slacks, shirt, underwear, socks, lunch, newspaper, daytimer, etc. My advice is to get a bike rack that will handle panniers, because you will likely need to carry more stuff in on somedays. Of course you can always bungie stuff onto a rack, but I prefer not having to check behind to see if it's still attached.

Since i have been stung by bike theft, I use overkill and use a Ulock and cable combination lock also.

Shower before you go in to work and cleanup as earlier suggested and add a little baby powder and deoderant, and you will be fine. I keep my towel at work too. One other thought is to add a small fan. I picked up a 8" clipon fan and point it at me during the morning and it really helps the cooldown. (I'm usually right at my desk for the first couple of hours.) I hope this helps, and I look forward to meeting you sometime!