WalksOn2Wheels

Ok, so I've been cycling on and off over the past 5 or 6 years. I still have my tried and trued 80's specialized steel frame and a newer carbon roubaix. The roubaix is my weekend racer wannabe bike, but I recently gave the steel frame a once over and added a rack and bags for grocery runs.

I started back to school at UTA last spring and toyed with the idea of riding my steel frame to school. I initially dismissed it because a) I told myself it was like 20 miles one way and b) Texas heat can be rough. Well, it's now getting to be in the 70's in the mornings with highs in the 90's (amazing after a couple of months of 100+ heat) and a recent 28th birthday has prompted me to revisit the idea. Those late 20's is where you start to realize your body needs a little help burning all those calories.

So I scouted some routes and found a relatively low traffic route that was right at 10 miles long. Totally doable. Unfortunately, I do have night classes three days of the week and until I get comfortable, and before I get a light, I'll only be doing this on Mondays and Wednesdays.

But I plan to take about a picture a week to keep track of any weight loss. Last time I was hitting the bicycle regularly I was down to almost 200 pounds again (6'2"). My lowest weight was actually 175. That was the early days of cycling when I did about 30 miles every other day on the steel frame. I'm now creeping back up to 220. My highest weight ever was about 235.


At any rate, looking forward to joining the ranks of the commuters! Hopefully, this will get me back on my weekend rides as well.

WalksOn2Wheels

A shot of the steel frame in question:

canyoneagle

Great bike!
Welcome to the world of riding for transportation!

Oh, check out google maps - most cities now have a "bicycle" option for finding routes, and it will help find the bike friendliest route for you. Also, local bike shops and/or bicycle organizations may have a local bikeways map you can use.

There are a few companies that make fenders for road bikes with no eyelets or clearance - SKS and Zefal, for a start. Fenders really help keep you and your bike clean when the weather turns wet.

WalksOn2Wheels

Hey, thanks for the tip. I had forgotten google maps had that.

I planned on riding my planned route this morning, but after reading your post, I found another route that, while a little bumpier, is largely residential with low speed limits and low traffic. I ran up to the school and back to scout it out and it looks like I'll have a nice Monday morning ride!

canyoneagle

Awesome. I personally prefer residential routes if no marked bike lanes exist along my route.

I'd highly recommend at least one "blinkie" tail light as well as one in front. I personally use two blinkies in back - a Planet Bike "superflash" on my seatpost and a Portland Design "Radbot 1000" on my rack - each with its unique flash pattern, and both are very bright. Up front I use a Planet Bike "Blaze" 2W in blink mode. The Blaze 2W is also bright enough in bright mode to serve as a basic "get home in the dark" light in the absence of a more powerful (translation, more expensive) light. The blinking lights go a LONG way to ensuring cars can see you.

WalksOn2Wheels

Yeah, I already have a princeton tech red flasher for the rear. I'll hit up the local shop to check out front light options, though. I could see myself doing this Fridays as well because my lab doesn't run as late as the others, but it is later at night.

There are pretty much zero bike lanes between here and Dallas and the only ones I know of in Arlington are on the UTA campus, which is silly considering most students ride all over campus anyhow, so finding the more residential route was nice. Like I said, the roads kind of suck, but it beats a smooth road with a 40 mph speed limit that most people run 50-60 on.

WalksOn2Wheels

So yeah, just took the commute for the first time this morning. It was great, but wow, this is NOT the right frame for commuting! I was warned in advance that an aggressive race frame would be twitchy with loaded pannier bags. The weight is like a pendulum on the back end when you stand up to accelerate or climb. I eventually just got better at keeping the bike straight while pedaling standing up. Probably good for my bike handling skills in general.

I also need to 1) find a lighter lock and 2) make sure I don't need to bring my 5 lb. laptop with me on days I ride the bicycle. That will help with the pendulum issue.

EDIT: Oh and I did go ahead and get a front light, and I'm glad I did. It was still a little dark this morning and the days are only going to get shorter.

canyoneagle

Riding style has more to do with your pannier observation than does bicycle geometry (though the geometry does make a difference).
I used to race / train and had adopted certain styles, particularly when out of the saddle. These styles do not work well with panniers - way too much wiggle out back, even on a bike with long chainstays/wheelbase and more relaxed geometry. In fact, the shorter chainstays bring the weight closer to the center of the bike and may actually have a REDUCED axial torsion - I'd need to read up a bit to be sure, but my point remains - rear panniers will affect how the bike responds to "wagging".

I know many here prefer having a messenger bag or backpack for the fact that the bike handles better with aggressive riding when it is unencumbered