Doing my first commute *to* work tomorrow morning - what do I bring?
 

I plan on leaving in the morning and riding 17 miles to work. I'll eat something before I go, but I have showers at work, so I'm thinknig I'll use those.

I have a messenger bag that I'll be carrying my stuff in. I'd like to keep it as light as possible, so i'm only going to bring what I'm actually going to use, not equipment for every possible eventuality. I've got enough tools to fix a tire. If anything worse than that happens, I'm walking.

So, stuff to bring:
Change of clothes to work in.
tire-fixing tools
keys/wallet/phone/stuff I always carry with me anyway.

Towel? If I'm showering, I'll need to dry off. This seems pretty bulky so I should probably find somewher eI can store it at work.
Deorodorant for after showering. I can get a spare one of these and leave it at work so I don't have to carry it every day.

I'm riding platform pedals, so I don't need to worry about extra shoes.


Let me know anything i'm forgetting.

A lock for your bike?

Tire-fixing tools including a spare tube? (Obvious, but you didn't say so.)

Check the forecast for rain, for which you will probably want fenders, and to wrap your clothes in plastic bags. Probably warm enough in Davis, CA that you can just get wet and not worry about wearing rain gear, I'm assuming.

If not raining, sunglasses?

I use platform pedals too, but my ride's only 5 miles. Most others here with longer commutes prefer something more, but that's up to you. In any case, I recommend leaving a pair of shoes at work and cycling in shoes that you don't mind wearing out faster, like sneakers. Not required for the first day, of course, but eventually. (I used to sometimes ride in some loose-fitting loafers that I also worked in, but one day, one came off in the middle of intersection. Boy was that embarassing! :o) If your laces are long, tuck them in.

Good luck, be safe, and have fun!

Some food, fresh fruit or cereal/energy bars etc to meal on your last hour before leaving work so you don't bonk on the way home.

The right attitude! Enjoy it.

I actually have a lock in my bag. For got to mention that. I shnouldn't need it, though, as I can just lean my bike up against the wall next to my desk.

I don't have a spare tube. I just used my last one on my other bike. I need to pick one up at the bike shop. So, I'll have to make do with a patch kit, or swing by the shop tomorrow.

Forecast looks good :), but that's pretty much what it'll be like all summer. I'm not worried about rain for at least 4 more months :)

I do need sunglasses. Unfortunately, I don't own any. I've been meaning to buy some for a while. I ride a fair amount without them anyway, though, so I should be ok.

I'm thinking about getting some pedals with clips and straps, but I know I can do the distance on platforms. I've done the ride before, just not as a two-way commute. Also, I can wear sneakers at work so I don't have to worrk about cycling in nice shoes or anything. Typical work attire for me is jeans and a t-shirt :)

Food is a good idea. I'll probably just buy something at the store on campus, though. (I work on a college campus) so I don't have to carry it around with me.

I'll second the recommendation to leave a pair of shoes at work. Even if you don't want to ride clipless (which would make a world of difference over 17 miles), you might want to have a clear pair of shoes at work, since 17 miles in the summer in CA can make the feet sweaty.

A towel if you're going to take a shower at work - nothing sucks more than using paper towels. Also, shampoo, soap, etc.

Sunscreen, for the ride home.

Anything you might normally keep in your vehicle (like an ID badge?)

Good luck!

It's a dirty secret you're not supposed to know, but if you shower in the morning at work, and then ride home and get sweaty and shower again at the end of the day, you don't need to apply deodorant at work. You won't get smelly that fast. It's the second day after a shower that you start to offend. Just arrive at work early enough to allow some cool down time before you shower, so you're not still sweating when you step out of the shower.

You do need to bring a fresh towel, but you can manage with a pretty small one, almost a handtowel, or a large older one that is threadbare and light, to take off most of the water, then let your body air dry a bit before dressing, so you don't have to lug a really bulky towel to work.

Also I sweat a lot less if I use a rack and/or pannier instead of a backpack. Maybe a messenger bag rides low enough to not make your back sweat...I guess you'll find out.

17 miles? Bet you get tired of that messenger bag before you get halfway there :D . A full size locker is good for storing extra cloths and letting towels dry. See if your company will let you have one. You buy it of course.

Get a camp towel. Packs lighter and flatter. Throw some energy bars in your bag for whenever you need a snack.

Don't ditch the messenger bag until you try it. I've gone on 20+ mile errand runs with my bag carrying all sorts of stuff. Unlike a backpack, most of your back can breath, so it's not that hot. If you have a bag like Timbuk2 it will have a second strap that connects to the first, which keeps the bag in place. Just experiment a little to find the right position for it. I've tried panniers, and I just can't get used to the way they make the bike handle.

Then again, I ride a single speed with 700x23C tires, no fenders or rack, and wear bike shorts and a jersey everyday. So I might not be the "typical" commuter (if there is such a thing).

The right attitude! Enjoy it.

NotFred

I have a 15 mile commute (each way) - here is my routine and what I carry on the bike:
The bike has a small bag under the seat which contains spare tube, patch kit, tire irons, multi-tool and a $20 bill. There is a frame pump and a lock which are attached to the bike - I never think about these things, they are always there in case I need them, which I rarely do.

I can't stand having something on my back when I ride, so I carry a pannier which has the other stuff in it - today it contained:
Clothes for work, rain gear (forcast is for rain this afternoon), lunch, cell phone, wallet, 2 apples.

At work I keep: full set of toiletries, 2 towels (I use one on me, one on the floor, each week I bring one home and wash it, and rotate), stuff to make breakfast (oatmeal and bran muffins) - from time to time I have to carry stuff in to replentish my stocks. I also keep a pair of shoes at work. I also keep a spare set of clothes at work for those days when I arrive and say 'Damn, I could have sworn I put a pair of pants in this pannier'.

When I arrive, I turn on the computer, check for anything urgent, and give my body a few minutes to cool down, I then shower, get dressed and fix my breakfast. I am fortunate in that the bike can stay in the office with me - on the days when I do drive, I now get razzed by my fellow workers when the bike is not there and they will call me a wimp.

After work I put the work clothes in the pannier, ride home, and usually have a quick shower before getting dressed in something casual.

My commute is 13 miles. I rarely do it two days in a row. On my off days I pre-position all my clothes, towel, shoes, and belt at the office for the following day's ride. That way I can ride unemcumbered.

If I do ride two days in a row, usually I plan it by pre-positioning two days' of clothing. Or, if the opportunity to commute two days in a row is unexpected, I leave my shoes, towel and slacks at the office to be used two days in a row, and I come in with a backpack loaded with a shirt, underwear and socks.

The decision of whether or not to do a major commute (and yours is major at 17 miles) every day is really a question of how much exercise you want to get, and how much time you can devote to it during the week. Sometimes you have other things you need to do after work that require a car, for example.

If you do it every other day, you will average an hour or so of good exercise every day, with your evening ride home counting as exercise applied to the following day.

Another possible strategy is to ride four days a week, using Friday as both a day off and as a chance to pre-position clothing for the following week.

Well, it's 7:30AM. I've read everyone's advice. I'm eating a bagel right now in my cycling clothing, and I'll be heading out in a few minutes.

Wish me luck! :)

Good luck!

For 17 miles try a platform/spd pedals. Mountain bike type shoes with recessed SPD cleats are comfortable enough and it's faster and easier on your legs.

Good suggestions above. Just make sure you bring your pants. Anything else you are allowed to forget; but not pants. I've never forgotten mine, but I have nightmares about how embarrassing it would be to work all day in cycling shorts or how much work I'd have to miss to go back home to get some.

I'd second the extra pair of shoes and the clipless. Good luck!

Has anyone heard from Notfred? It's Sunday 12:30 am, and he has not re-posted the results of his first commute. Maybe he got lost! :eek: