I have not rode the route by bike but that is immaterial at this point as it is the safest direct route to take. It is also a very pleasant route to ride past horse farms and hay fields on quiet well paved country roads. I have plenty of time to get to work & since I am the boss I only have me to answer too. I am not concerned about changing my tires as I was quite a bike junky as a kid an I will carry extra tubes and patch them at home or work. I am a firm believer in good planning but as always adjustments will have to be made as I go.

My version exactly,Having been on both sides of that gem,I prefer the first part myself.
I routinely carry things that I don't need often,but when I do I am so glad that I have them.

The "it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" philosophy is easy to overdo, resulting in a ton of crap on one's back/in one's panniers/hanging off one's bike. It also presupposes that one's choices come down to exactly those two things. It's better still not to need it and not have it, and there are any number of ways that this can be accomplished.

Might as well start saving now for a new bike. The Trek isn't a bad bike, but trust me, for anything over 15 miles each way, where you don't need to carry much anyway, you're gonna want a lighter, more nimble bike, probably with drop bars. Of course you'll have to decide that for yourself...you'll have a lot better idea of what you like and dislike after you get some commuting miles under your belt.

It depends on your mindset. I like to explore and I don't have many time constraints.

Quite honestly, I've never needed the paper towels for toilet paper, but I've supplied it to a few people that have needed it. I've also supplied them with moist towelettes for their hands and for my peace of mind.

I've never needed my pepper spray, either, but I'd hate to need it and not have it.

Also on your capabilities. Who's better off: a MacGyver who knows first aid and can improvise a bandage, sling or splint out of the materials at hand...or someone carrying a "first aid kit" who doesn't know how to use it?

At some point you have to stop planning and start riding. Years ago, I stated commuting with a bike and a backpack filled with work essentials and nothing more...there was no planning. Over time you'll discover what is worth bringing with you and what is dead weight.

Your first winter will be a fun challenge as you discover, via trial and error, what kind of clothing and how much clothing to wear. In the winter the first thing I do every morning is evaluate the day's forecast, then spend the next 5-7 minutes in the shower pondering what combination of clothes will work best for the day.

That's a 'False Dilemma'.

Funny, but true.

As is "it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" -- which was exactly my point (note that my example includes a third alternative). Now, who's creating the "false dilemma" again?

The "it's better etc." is not a false dilemma.

So true, years ago when I was younger I would do things with no plan & just jump into things with both feet. The sink or swim mentality. I have grown older and wiser & learned that planing something out increases your chances of success considerably. I can build a deck on the side of your house off the top of my head but it is much better to draw a set of plans on paper and discover the problems before you start to build. Only fools rush in I believe is how the song goes. Patients & wisdom is the gift of age

And when you get really old you learn both patience and spelling!

I've done it (deck) both ways and I agree with your conclusion.

I see you have uncovered my weakness. spell check only works if you know what spelling you want LOL

Do you want some punctuation humour?

Sorry to go drastically off topic, but I've recently given up on Modzilla and now use IE 8. Is there a spell check function?

Timber,

If you're using Modzilla, you have no excuse.

Oh. And my "Who's better off" is?

Right. Thanks for the lesson in logic, I'll have to remember that the next time someone tries to tell me that a comparison of two things means something different depending on who's comparing them.

Good luck, have fun!

Riding a bike is much simpler than deck building.

Tell it to them in A&S

I have learned things the hard so I try to apply what I have learned to everything I do

Indeed, it is. You gave two options. There's at least one more, right?


You're welcome.

True dat!

The only other thing I will carry is my fanypack. I am traveling as light as I can.