get friendly with the buidling janitors or maintenance men. There are usually areas in the building for storage. (I'm lucky in that I get to use a garage).


Re pforbes 13 mile commute, that's the same length as mine, and i sometimes have 5 mins betwen eating and riding so my breakfast tends to consist of energy bars and coffee

It might be an idea for the first few weeks to commute one way by bike only, or have alternate days awayfrom riding.

if you start to feel tired and lethargic, it will put you off riding.

I try to ride 5 days per week, but don't get worked up if I only manage 4.

As a vegetarian, I also take a multivitamin/mineral complex which I think ensures I'm not sweating away vital minerals.

You will enjoy your commute, even when the weather is bad. And days like I had this morning, no wind, t shirt warm and watching a cruise ship going under the bridge as I crossed make it all worthwhile.

Poor ol' Cadd, nobody knows the answer to his question. Well, bike laws tend to be localized, so best thing to do is check the New York laws.

It really sucks!
I was looking forward to a biking commute too. It's not because I'm doing it to cut transportation expenses or fitness......I want to bike commute because I KNOW I WILL ENJOY IT.

Wow! I didn't realize that there were such difficulties in bike commuting. It sounds like the building managment, Cadd, is just being plain dumb and stubborn.

I get to enjoy an organization where we are encouraged to bike. When they remodeled the building they put in a locker room with 2 showers and tons of bike parking. With 300 people working here I would say about 60 bike on a nice day. Of course, during the winter the number reduces significantly.

Keep trying, Cadd! Where there's a will there's a way.

Remember a while back when I mentioned that I carry a spare tire with me? Well, this morning on the way to work, after topping a hill and starting to wind her up for the trip down, BLAM! Catastrophic sidewall failure! So, I replaced the old tire and tube with my new one, and was back on the way in very short order.
As I was on one of my detours on the way to work, and I knew I would be passing this spot again, I took the old tire and tube across the road and hid them in the grass, then, on my return, picked them back up to be thrown away properly. As I was riding along with the tire over my shoulder, I was reminded of the old black and white photo of the TdeF riders carrying thier extra tires with them. Although the only real similarity between myself and the pictured riders is that we are both on two wheels and have tires over our shoulders...it was fun to mentally place myself in such august company! Man, does biking rule, or what?

Bill, you're a tribute to the boy scout motto.

What kind of tire was it that blew like that? Any idea why?

I'm riding on Continental Top Touring tires that have a reputation for premature sidewall failures. They also come with recommended max pressures that are 10-15psi lower than the same size tires from other manufactuers. It's been speculated that the TT failures are a result of chronic underinflation, but I've never seen anything but anecdotal support for this. But I nevertheless keep mine pumped to 95 instead of the 80 stamped on the tires. 3500 miles on them, no cracks or other problems in the sidewalls, no flats.

RichC

Thanks, Rich! Well, besides commuting, I have been known to wander a ways from home on the weekends, and "Be Prepared" is not a bad motto!

So far, I have used Conti's, Avocet's, Vittoria's and Michelin's and never had any problems. The tire that failed was a used one that came in a lot of assorted tires I had gotten last winter, seems to me the brand was MD-something or other. I would not hesitate to use any of the 4 brands I named above, they have all served me well, and being the dainty little guy I am I always run them at full pressure as stated on the sidewalls.

Is 95 psi on 80 psi tires a comfortable ride?

I did it! Well, sort of. I had a dry run this evening from the office. I drove to the office and rode home. The plan is to ride back to the office in the morning. I didn't have any problems as traffic was very light on my route on Saturday evening. I was pretty accurate on my distance estimate - it was a little over 13 miles and I made it in just over an hour. Right now I feel great. We'll see how I feel in the morning! All I need now is to get the rest of my equipment. I'm waiting on my rack and panniers to come in and I should be all set.

The test run is a go. You're all set.

Keep it up. It will be different when you encounter some traffic but the test run builds up confidence.

GO GO GO GO !!

They're 700x32c tires, so there's still plenty of cushion there. And the combination of me, the bike, and my usual load comes to 250 pounds or so; that calls for higher pressure anyway.

That particular bike is a ti frame with a cro-mo fork, with a Selle Italia Max Trans Am saddle that has just a little bit of springiness from the elasomers the rails are mounted in. All in all it's just right for me: not teeth rattling; good for long rides; no "bouncing."

RichC

Awesome, I gather that you have been able to settle the bike / gear storage dilemma you were struggling with earlier.

Be sure to let us know how your first live commute goes. I'm sure you will have some very interesting observations. Remember, we're pulling for you, well not literally but figuratively, so here's hoping the wind is at your back.

pforbes, I did a test run to my work place this weekend too!!! But unfortunately, I cannot ride to work unless I figure out how to secure the bike Boy, it felt great!

I bet all you commuters out there are full of energy at 9am!

Fired up when I get in, yes. But positively giddy by mid afternoon when I know I can zoom home again !!

Funny how the relatively long (20-mile; one-hour-and-ten-minute) ride in becomes a distant memory shortly after arriving. It's really no different in terms of my daily routine than commuting by car.

The difference is you feel a whole let better.

That is the natural high you get from endorphins acting on your brain after riding

Right.

We tend to explain and promote the benefits of bike commuting with "data" -- better health, lower costs, cleaner air, less traffic, etc.

And that may be why we convince ourselves to start doing it.

But we keep doing it because we've become endorphin junkies.

Athletes talk about this all the time, and it's true, but there's something really special about starting the workday under the influence of an endorphin high that changes your perspective on everything.

And you really miss it when it's not there.

RichC

I want to be an addict too!

Well, Iowa, I always run the max rated pressure in my tires. One of the guys I ride with always goes 5 pounds over the rating. I suppose if you are not experiencing tire failures, the extra pressure is not hurting anything...however, if I thought I needed that kind of pressure, next time I replace tires, I would find some that are rated to handle it! That's just my opinion.
Hope to see you in just a few weeks!!

And, congrats to our new commuters! It is Sunday evening, and I had other obligations that kept me off the bike all weekend...so I am looking forward to tomorrow!! Not many workers look forward to getting to work after the weekend!!

I DID IT!!!!

I packed all of my stuff last night, and got up this morning and rode to the Y by the office. 13 miles, right at an hour. Very uneventful, but felt GREAT all day long.

At about 4:00 pm, I started looking forward to the ride home. I left the Y at about 7:00 and made it home at about 8:00. I'm still a little nervous about the traffic in some spots, but I think I'll be fine with more experience. I had a chain problem on the way home, but I fixed it within a couple of minutes.

I can't wait to get my real panniers. I have to make do with a camera bag, until my panniers come in later this week.

I guess now I can contribute to the "How was your commute..." thread!

Congratulations! If it's this great now, just imagine how it will be when you're trained to it and confident. It just gets better and better.

RichC

Way to go! We'll watch for you in the "How was the commute" thread!