Originally Posted by
clichty
I just graduated from Macalester College and very luckily just picked up a really nice position at CarVal (Cargill's Investing Branch) in Minnetonka (for those of you familiar with the Twin Cities). I start on the 29th and today I biked there to see how long the commute is going to be. Turns out to be 17 miles each way, so I will be biking 170 miles a week to and from work. Its a really nice commute, I have about 2 miles of bike lane on a road and then 15 miles of a pure biking Greenway. I have a few questions for the commuters out there.
1) How should I approach breakfast? I have to be at work at 8 AM, so therefore anticipate leaving around 6:15, so I have time to shower and clean up before work (they have showers and a locker-room; they are very accommodating towards bikers). I don't really want to bike on an empty stomach but I don't want much food in me while I bike. Is there a good shake or something liquid that works well? Could I drink that before I go and then eat a larger breakfast once I get to work?
2) Is there a good tire to use for commuting? I am using my only road bike (Klein with 105 components) and since I will be riding 170 miles per week I doubt I will ride too much leisurely and I don't plan on racing this summer since my knee is not strong enough from surgery. I was leaning towards Gatorskins, since I heard they are pretty durable? Any suggestions for a tire that would be ideal for this situation?
3) I am not sure if I get a locker that I can store stuff in, so what would be a nice bag/backpack to wear while riding? I have used my backpack but the straps always seem to flap around. Do I go hipster and get a messenger bag?
Thanks guys
1) You'll want some breakfast, and you'll probably get used to riding after a meal pretty easily. If you're putting in that kind of mileage just plan on it.
2) Gatorskins are great, as are other Conti's. I use the 4000s 23's myself, a bit more performance than flat protection, but there are plenty of options that can give you good protection and 3000+ miles of wear.
3) I find a messenger bag to be very comfortable, and all the other options to be less so. I just use a cheap Nashbar model and its fine. If its hot you might want a rack and panniers, but otherwise a messenger bag is really the best and easiest.