Mikehs

Changes:
2005-2008 Taiwan 26 Miles Rt.
2008-2010 Tokyo 10 Miles Rt.
2010-2012 N. Ca. 2 Miles Rt.
2012-Now Oxfordshire 32 Miles Rt.

Same bike, same weight, less hair, more cautious, more wind & rain , 53 when started now 63.

SGocka

When I first started commuting I was riding a Giant Escape 3. I used panniers, a handlebar bag, and a saddle bag. Had fenders, flat pedals. Factory 32mm tires

Now I ride a singlespeed. No fenders, no rack. I ride clipless exclusively. I carry everything in a backpack. I ride on 25mm Gatorskins. (4000 miles on my current set, will get 23mm next.)

Overall my commute has gotten way simpler, and faster.

Buffalo Buff

Been enjoying everyones stories. Thanks for posting

chephy

Below is the summary of my major commutes. I've commuted to a couple of summer jobs early on, too, and to a few other destinations for under a year, and on a couple of other bikes I've owned for a short time -- but those didn't make the list.

Dorm - Karate Class (2002)
This was a very short-lived affair, but it was my first ever real commute, so I feel it deserves being included

Route: 10 km on way; 100% really nasty arterial road, which meant I rode on the sidewalk (and predictably collided with a car)
Hills: mostly flat, I think, though I don't really remember all the sections
Frequency: 100% (it was during the summer). Tried taking bus once. That was enough.
Bike: BSO from a department store. It was blue. Oh, oh, wait... I remember the make/model: Laser Triumph! Craptacular, but I didn't know better at the time
Bike name: I wasn't naming bikes yet
Cargo: Backpack
Helmet: Yes (back then I believed in its magic powers)


Home - University (2003-2004)

Route: 17 km one way; 40% (awful, potholed) arterial roads, 60% secondary/tertiary roads; Toronto, ON
Hills: Gradual climb on the way to/gradual descent on the way back.
Frequency: about 30%. When the weather was nice. Never in winter.
Bike: 2003 Marin San Anselmo (hybrid, relaxed geometry, front and saddle suspension)
Bike name: Quicksilver a.k.a. Quickie because it was quick (compared to bikes I've had up to that point anyway) and silver, and yes, I name my bikes, okay? Anybody has a problem with that? No? Good!
Cargo: Backpack
Helmet: Yes (still believed in its magic powers)


Home - Job 1 (2006-2010)

Route: 8 km one way; 80% secondary/tertiary roads, 20% arterial roads; Toronto, ON
Hills: Mostly flat
Frequency: Very close to 100%
Bike: 1990s Miyata rigid MTB / 2007 Specialized Tricross Comp
Bike name: Miyata: Blackberry TART (Toronto Area Rapid Transportation) a.k.a. Blacky / Specialized: BLack IMP (shortened to Blimpy, 'cause it's lighter than air)
Carbo: MEC panniers/messenger bag
Helmet: Yes (having done research, no longer believed in its magic powers, but it was required for the job)


Home - Job 2 (2011-2013)

Route: 10 km one way; 95% MUP, 5% roads; Toronto, ON
Hills: Totally flat except one fairly short climb on the way to work
Frequency: Very close to 100%
Bike: Devinci performance hybrid
Bike Name: Steve Bauer a.k.a. Stevie
Cargo: Ortlieb panniers
Helmet: No


Home - Spanish Class (2013-2014)

Route: 10 km one way; 90% major roads (mostly with separated bike lanes), 10% smaller roads; Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hills: Flat
Frequency: About 80%. Took public transit occasionally if meeting up with family afterwards.
Bike: An MTB, just a step or two above department store (don't know the brand)
Bike name: Haven't named this one; no need since there was only one bike in the household so "the bike" worked fine. Plus, I knew I'd only have it for a few months.
Cargo: small backpack
Helmet: No


Now (temporary for a few months)

Route: 4 km, 100% arterial rural-ish roads (shoulders, not sidewalks); Charlottetown, PEI
Hills: All up up up on the way to work, down down down on the way home.
Frequency: 100% (except walking twice, due to flats; 4 km is short enough to just walk home and not bother about trying to fix a flat on a cold dark night on a highway shoulder)
Bike: Kona Dew City (a little too upright for my liking, but ok given how short the commute is)
Bike name: Haven't named this one either! Why not?? I should...
Cargo: Ortlieb panniers, occasionally backpack
Helmet: Yes (mandatory by law; don't want a fine)

*grabs a giant bag of popcorn and settles down comfortably to see if she can derail the thread and turn it into a helmet flamewar* *mua ha ha*

Darth Lefty 

I didn't mention in my prior post -

Bike commuting has always been an option for me in my professional life (had a bike, lived near enough) but I seldom took it, and the reason is that I was single in an apartment with a dog. I drove home quick as I could to take the dog for a walk, sometimes quite a long one, which was enough exercise for me. For the last three years, in a house with a wife, she can let the now-plural dogs out into the backyard, which is easier for everyone but not enough exercise. Bike commuting is my preferred workout.

Jim from Boston

That looks like a neat idea to format cycle commutes. Was it inspired by this current Commuting thread, ”Suggestion for an improved commuter bike pics thread”?

A while back I summarized all the features of my commute to defend my assertion:

So I have expanded and slightly altered your format (new categories in red) to report my commute:


Route: Reverse commute from downtown on four different routes of a minimal distance of 14 miles, each defined by a different hill; can expand to about 30 miles to train
Bike: Specialized S-WORKS CF Road Bike; Cannondale beater mountain bike (fenders and Marathon Winter studded tires)
Destination:
Alternative Transportation: train, car, bus, taxis, car rentals, Zipcar, place to stay comfortably overnight.

Here's the template; just Reply With Quote, Copy, Remove "[/QUOTE]" and insert into ….:


Route::….
Bike:….
Destination:
Alternative Transportation:….

chephy

Thanks! Great to see you've adopted and expanded it. No, I have not seen the bike pics thread; just coincidence.

I guess I'll go to your new thread and add my current commute there with all the new categories, since who doesn't love talking about her commute!

Jim from Boston

Thanks for your idea and reply, and I think the new format is a quick, comprehensive and cool way to appreciate all our commutes.

BTW, the first reply to that post was by mcours2006 of Toronto, and I posted a response, including a link to a description of my recent cycling there in December on a family trip.

randallovelace

Fairly new to this forum, but not new to commuting by bicycle. My first real commute was around 4 or 5 miles each way, all flat ride, city streets/sidewalks, daytime both directions. That was in 1988/89, and on a used Huffy MTB. Later, I had a 10.2 mile each way ride from Altamonte Springs, FL to Apopka, FL. That ride was on a rebuilt Fuji road frame, 21sp., carrying a small backpack with my lunch and bike repair tools/tube. I had some Bell front and rear lights as I was riding in the dark both ways.
My current ride is much more 'iron man' than either of those. 27 miles each way, on a Huffy Rockcreek dual suspension bicycle, with rear rack, panniers (carrying notebook with paperwork, tools, extra water, and work gloves) and on occasion a fully loaded (weeks worth of clothing) duffle bag strapped to the top of the bags/rack. (total weight: 45 pounds), I have multiple lights both front and rear as my ride usually starts at 2 or 3 in the morning. and takes about 3 and 1/2 hours on average (but, this includes stopping at store 1/2 block from home for snacks and drinks). Route is 80% uphill grind, starting on city streets with bike lanes, to city streets w/ no bike lanes, to bike trail, to city streets w/ no bike lanes, to country roads. (if I had a go-pro... lol).

bkrownd

In the beginning I took a fairly direct route, and rode on a fairly major street with no shoulder and used left turn lanes at large intersections. Over a few years I gradually started taking a much more indirect and leisurely route that eliminated the crowded roads and the left turn lanes. I just got much less interested in dealing with traffic over time, preferring to enjoy quiet and go at my own pace.

Ten Mile

I've been commuting about ten miles to work for several years now, and at first, I packed all my work clothes, and changed at work. For some reason, I was obsessed with having a high average speed, and treating my commute like a high-intensity workout.

Now, I take my time, enjoy the ride, and wear my work clothes on my commute, year round in Kansas City weather, only missing a few days a year when the roads are too icy. Lately, I've been following a lot of the advice on the www.losethecar.com website, which kind of focuses on that type of commuting. Now I dress a lot smarter, and like having lower gearing on my bike for all the hills.

My job has a pretty relaxed business casual dress code, so I found a lot of functional, moisture wicking clothing that still looks pretty professional. In the summer, I wear a lot of Eddie Bauer Travex Free Dry short sleeve polo shirts, which more natural than most synthetics, and are super breathable and cool.
In the winter, I wear a moisture wicking summertime t-shirt under a merino wool long-sleeve polo shirt. I add a balaclava and a couple layers of fleece until it gets below 20 degrees, then I throw on my rain shell, heavy mittens, and ride through the coldest parts of winter pretty comfortably.

Just like I did, I think too many people confuse commuting with "cycling." They try to cycle-commute. I think it's a lot more fun to change the gearing on the bike for hills, slow down, and enjoy the ride. It makes the act of commuting much less inconvenient, fun, and do-able for the long haul. I don't think I would have continued commuting for so long if I'd continued doing it the way I used to. Too much time, effort, inconvenience, changing, etc.