Bike Forums - Commuting to Work Questions

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1) How should I approach breakfast? - eat a full breakfast at 4:15 am, have coffee then go to the bathroom. Eat a small box of raisins as you shut the door.

2) Is there a good tire to use for commuting? I just started using Specialized Armadillos. they are hard t put on but great to ride on. Slick, high pressure, wide enough, and surprisingly comfortable. Be prepared to change a tube or patch a tube hole, including a small pump. Small pump won't get you up to high pressure - but will get you ride-able pressure.

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? That two different things to consider. Storage at work for food and clothes. Find a nice plastic bin with a cover and ask your boss if its OK, and ask where you can leave it. It should be somewhere convenient to your showering and changing. Nothing precious - mischievous hands are everywhere.

For the bike - get a large rack, with a matching large or expandable rack trunk and a rain cover.

Also, learn to wear less clothing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clichty (Post 9137159)

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

I would recommend some sort of pannier system, as well as if you can get a locker at the office car pooling with a co-worker and bringing in a weeks worth of clothes on Monday or Friday.

For tires I use Specialized Armadillo Nimbus in the 26x1.5 size. After around 4k miles I have to buy a new pair.

I would also recommend getting a saddle bag to keep a patch kit in, spare tube, tire irons, money (coins and dollar bills) for the bus and to use as a boot in an emergency.

Also consider a frame pump or CO2 inflater. The CO2 is faster, but when you get home you should reinflate your tire(s) with your floor pump as the CO2 will leach out faster.

I'm probably not much help on breakfast. I have a short (6 mile) commute and I typically have two eggs, poached, on whole grain toast. Food seldom bothers me on the bike even on long rides. Mid-morning on ride days I might have a granola bar if I'm starving.

As for a rear rack, you might be able to use a seatpost rack with a trunk bag. I keep a spare pair of work shoes at work and everything else comes along with me. In summer I have excess capacity but in winter I expand the bag and it gets stuffed pretty full for the ride home. I think these are usually rated to 25 lbs, but the limfac is really the seatpost.

If you are going to ride armadillos, get the reflective type. Alternative is schwalbe marathon series. For carrying, I like the topeak beam seat post rack and the topeak slide in bag. If you need lots of room, you can get the pannier model.

Good luck and congrats clichty.

The Greenway is pretty nice for commuting and just a banana or something quick on the morning would probably be fine. If you could take the time for a bowl of cereal, it would be better.

I don't have a particular tire recommendation. I have used Fortezza SE's from Performance bike and they've been relatively problem free. No flats in 2 years, - until yesterday :(

Not the smoothest tire in the world but relatively inexpensive, especially when Performance has them on sale.

1) Breakfast - my commute is 12 miles each way, and I tend to ride strong and steady. I have a fruit and whey protein smoothie when I wake up, and have started packing a couple of boiled eggs to get a mid-morning protein bump. I try to eat a little something before the ride home.

2) Tires - Pass - I have nothing to add here - others have covered it

3) bag - Backpacks suck for anything more than a few miles. Seatpost racks CAN be a pain with any more than a few pounds in the bag - it is possible for them to swing or slip off center. I generally don't like them. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes peeled for a good steel-framed rigid fork mountain bike or a cross bike on craigslist (or other sources) and build up a commuting specific ride. My sister lives in Minnetonka and I've visited in Winter - I'm pretty sure the Klein would be hard to convert to a winter bike (probably not enough clearance for large studded tires, fenders, etc).

So, my advice would be to make do with a backpack and save your money for a used bike and all the stuff you'll need as winter comes back around.

Congrats on the job, and welcome to the wonderful world of bicycle commuting!

Congrats on graduating and getting a job in a tough market.

Consider moving closer to work. Seriously.

A first job can be tough. In the miserable winters you will wind up sinking as much into fuel and car maintenance to more than offset the advantages you might have in sharing a college apartment or living in a student area.