flammenwurfer

Riding to work in jeans and polo shirt with a backpack sucks and you get hot and sweaty.

Riding to work in shorts and a t-shirt and changing when you get to work is much more comfortable.

A messenger bag doesn't make your back as hot as a backpack.

I wish my house and work would switch places.

10 speeds are just about perfect for the way I ride my bike.

MilitantPotato

You should give riding to work in just a T shirt a try.

Jagaer

You learned a lot more than I did.

I think all I learned my first week is that I didn't like biking to work (see below for bike history) and that riding in the rain is a lot less fun than riding when its nice out.

flammenwurfer

Haha, no pants? I think I like that idea. They should make a saddle for nude riding that has a place for your balls to rest.

pubb

Fenders are your friend.

Andy_K 

Leave some clothes at work. You'll soon learn that forgetting to bring pants or something like that really sucks.

no motor?

I wish I would learn to leave earlier or pack the night before. Learning either one of those would have helped me to get here on time today. All told it was a beautiful day to ride, and I could have much worse problems than being late to work.

kgriffioen

Keep it up and you may learn a whole lot more.

For instance you may learn that cycling shorts and wicking jersey's are really worth it.
You may learn that you want to wear bright neon clothes and have lights blinking all over the place.
You may learn that you can do this everyday in every kind of weather. Even cold.
You may learn that you can eat just about you want cause you will find a way to work it off.
You may learn that your commute has turned into a time trial.
You may learn that your commuter needs aerobars. (I learned that this week)
You may learn that commuting saves you zero dollars because whatever you save in gas you spend on bike stuff and food.

I'm just coming off of a full year commuting and these are some of the things that I have learned.

jpdesjar

I like the eating part.

crazybikerchick

And a rack with a pannier keeps your back totally free

ItsJustMe

Depends on the rain, and somewhat a matter of opinion. If it's warm out and the rain is gentle, it's fun to ride in. In fact I have been known to wait for it to START raining before leaving work. I wouldn't want to ride in the rain all the time, but it's a nice change of pace when it's warm.

I'm actually neutral to it when it's colder because I have a rain jacket that makes it so I really don't much notice the rain, other than my glasses get a little harder to see out of.

Andy_K 

+1

srmatte

Get a poly shirt, wicks moisture and dries fast.

Nichole

Yeah, I had gotten so used to just going out with my bike shorts and jersey that I left to go to a friend's house without thinking to pack shoes, pants, or a t-shirt. It wasn't a big deal when we were lounging around, but once we got the idea to make some Rice Krispie Treats I ended up going to Wal-Mart in full gear, sans gloves and helmet, of course. Got a lot of double takes with my bag of marshmallows.

Work would probably be worse, though.

trekker pete

Amen, especially in the cold weather.

Nothing worse than coasting down a big long hill first thing in the morning when you are half asleep and very cold because you are dressed for comfort AFTER your body heats up. Actually, there could be one thing worse. having to climb up that big hill after 25 miles and a 12 hr work day. Been more than one occasion where I've parked it at the bottom of that hill and called my support vehicle (wife and her minivan).

xtrajack

Everything but the wicking jerseys, riding shorts and time trial thing. Just a little over a year of commuting, myself.

flammenwurfer

I figure I will keep learning more things as I commute more. Just a few comments on things everybody is saying I will learn at some point...

That's not really a concern of mine. I'm "cursed" with this extremely high metabolism. I eat probably in the neighborhood of 4500-5000 calories a day, give or take, and I never gain weight. I'm more worried about not being able to afford the amount of food I'll eat if I start commuting everyday. Losing weight is something I would like to avoid. I would actually like to put on a few pounds.

That's a good idea, I'll have to start doing that.

I want a rack, but it's going to have to wait a little while til I get some more money, or I'll ask for one as a christmas present.

I haven't been buying much bike stuff, but I think I am addicted to finding cool CHEAP old bikes on craigslist and garage sales etc... But hey, at least I'm only spending $10-15 and getting whole bikes that I can perhaps resell and make some money on. Actually that's not a bad plan. Find $10 bikes and give them a little attention and make a modest profit of of them to fund the things I want for MY bike.

What do you mean by poly shirt? Is that like those adidas dri-fit type shirts? that are very breathable?

dellwilson

I learned this week that they sell those laptop panniers for a reason and it's a good idea to go ahead and spend the $ to get one. Why? Because bicycle wheels really love to try eat straps like the shoulder strap on the typical laptop bag one might have inadvertently forgotten to bungee up on the rack. And unfortunately, bicycle wheels are way too fragile to follow though and completely digest the laptop.

I learned this purely by considering worst-case scenarios. I'd never be so stupid as to do this.

Jagaer

Ironically the first part of your nick is "Dell"

Some of you may enjoy biking in the rain, I'm not a fan of it being slippery, hard to see, hard for others to see me and wet when I get to work/home.

Andy_K 

I'm not sure about the addidas dri-fit, but anything that's thin polyester would probably work. If it claims to be quick dry or wicking it's probably the right thing. It's basically a bike jersey without the tight fit, rear pockets and long front zipper.

I bought a few bike jerseys when I started realizing my cotton T's weren't good bike wear. I love the bike jerseys, but as I was looking for a cheap way to expand my selection, I discovered that I could get quick-dry T's at Ross or Marshall's for under $10 and they work just as well for sweat management.

norskagent

I leave pants, shoes and water at work. I carry a t-shirt/underwear, flat kit, wallet, phone, newspaper and sometimes lunch in a messenger bag. On a track bike. On hot (95+) days I take my geared bike w/ rear rack to carry it all.

CFXMarauder

If there's a Wal~Mart in your area check them out...The wally world in my area has the Poly Starter Dri-Star shorts and shirts on close out for $6.00 a piece...Bought an assload of them..

no motor?

I went to Wallyworld last night with a giftcard they mailed to everyone in the area announcing the reopening of one of their stores (that's what it took to get me into the place), and didn't see any mens exercise clothes so I left after figuring most of the folks who shop at this store either get enough exercise at work or avoid it at all costs.

bkrownd

Wool does the same without getting stinky. Costs a bit extra, of course, but who wants to smell like Bolivian Unicyclist's Jockstrap?

eshvanu

+1