tilleya

Hi,
I'm hoping to attempt commuting starting soon. I'll start out with a 3 mile ride to the bus, then from the bus stop a 12 mile ride to work. Eventually I may attempt the entire 25 mile commute on bike, but one step at a time. For now, I just have a bunch of questions. If these have been answered elsewhere, please direct me. I have a 2007 allez elite tripe, bone stock except that I replaced the broken front tiagra derailleur with a 105. For any gear I have to buy, I'm trying to stay on a budget, but am willing to pay for decent stuff.

1. I'm looking at getting a rack, but have no screw holes on my seat stays to attach to. Any suggestions for a good clamp on, or alternatives? I may consider a backpack, but that could get sweaty as the weather gets hotter, and I already have panniers. My seatstays and seatpost are carbon - does this make a difference? I noticed someone mentioned in the "new commuters" forum a bag that attches to the seatpost - is there any potential to break the seatpost?

2. I need specific suggestions for a clothing setup. what do I need to be comfortable for a 30 mile (initially) and 50 mile (potentially) round trip commute? I expect shorts, a short sleeve/sleeveless jersey, rain jacket/long sleeve jersey. For whatever I need, please give suggestions for items that are quality without being overly expensive. I already have a helmet, gloves, shoes, rear blinking light, and shades.

3. Equipment: I've read the "new commuters" forum, and expect to get/already have: rear blinnkie, front blinkie, lock, extra tubes, pump, patch kit, multi-tool, water bottle, helmet, and shades. Am I missing anything? Not sure if I should get fenders - it doesn't rain much in CO - if I do need them, any suggestions for ones for a road bike (no eyelets)?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

jeffpoulin

1. I have a seatpost rack with a trunk bag on a carbon fiber seatpost. No issues with that over thousands of miles. Well, one issue. If I stuff the bag so it's really heavy, it will bob up and down a little bit when I hit a bump. If the rack is tight, it won't sway side to side. So far, the seatpost shows no sign of stress.

2. After a short while, you'll figure out what to wear for your commutes. In general, wear more than you need at first and take off layers if you get too hot. Store the extra clothes in your pannier/trunk bag until you get the hang of it.

3. Get good lights and a reflective vest first, everything else can be added as needed.

ks1g

P-clips (rubber or vinyl coated) will provide an attachment point. There are some rack designs that provide a bracket that attaches through the rear brake bolt. I think this is better than a seatpost rack - lighter rack, stronger more stable mounting, slightly lower center of gravity for the load. using a seatpost rack on a carbon seatpost is not recommended - too easy to compress/crush fibers and damage integrity of the seatpost. I use a commuter backpack (REI Novara) when I use my road bike, but I prefer not using it after an hour. Try to keep heavy/bulky items (shoes, belts, towels, toiletries) at work, and if your job requires dress clothes, see if there is a cleaners near work.

Clothing - pretty much the same stuff for either distance. Whatever makes you comfy for 1-2 hrs on a bike for the weather conditions you expect. Consider adding arm and leg warmers for cool early/late day. Be prepared to tolerate more extreme conditions than you would accept for a fun ride as this is now how you get to work/home.

Equipment - keep bike well maintained and carry enough to recover from roadside breakdowns - flats (I carry 2 tubes and patch kit), minitool for loose bolts. Practice using the on-bike kit to make repairs so you know how to use it. I've never had a chain break and tool-less master links (SRAM, for example) are your friend if you do. If you can, leave lock at work (locked to rack). I always wear ID (mini wallet or RoadID), have some emergency money, and have cell phone with me. If you need to walk around in bike shoes, use MTB style shoes/pedals/cleats or carry cleat covers or a cheap pair of flip flops or slip-ons.

Fenders - I tried a product from the UK (Probikekit and other UK vendors carry it) I think it is called Crudbuster. They make a version for road bikes. Very light, works well, designed to use reusable zip ties but I keep a bunch of single-use for other reasons and prefer them. Had problems with rear tire clearance (extremely tight) causing rubbing, solved by trimming the part of the rear fender that sticks under the brake towards the seat tube. So I don't keep as much crud off the bike but it came in handy a few times before all the winter sand and grit washed off the roads. I left the dropout mount points on in case I need to ride all day in the rain (wet centuries) as I have a commuter bike with fenders. SKS and Planet Bike also make road-bike-compatible fenders.

tilleya

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for the reply - what seatpost rack and trunk bag do you use?

ks1 reminded me of another question - how do people pack dress clothes for work (slacks and button up) without them getting too wrinkled? I'm not sure I can get them cleaned near work - I'll have to bring them from home.

where can I find one of the racks that attaches through the rear brake bolt?

thanks

jeffpoulin

I have a Topeak seatpost rack and Topeak trunk bag which I bought in 1998. Topeak changed their attachment system a few years ago so the old racks and bags are not interchangeable with their new stuff. Their new stuff works just as well as far as I know. I love how the bag slides on a off in 1-2 seconds.

For clean clothes, I use my other bike to carry them (touring bike with real rack and full panniers). I have two flat boards about 1/4" thick and about 12"x15" that I use to make a "clothes sandwich" then wrap the whole "sandwich" in a waterproof plastic bag and put it in my panniers. This keeps my clothes clean and pressed until I get to work. At work, I have a locker where I keep about a week's worth of clean clothes so I don't have to bring clothes with me every day.

mtalinm

+1 on topeak. I have the bolt-on version not the "Beam" rack which is the seatpost version but am thinking of picking one up.

once you have the rack I highly recommend the Topeak DXP Trunk Bag, which has fold-out panniers. Nice and tidy when you don't have a lot of stuff, but once you roll out the bags you can stuff a ton in there. I also have the Topeak basket but find that it wobbles

Seattle Forrest

I can't really say much on the bike equipment, without steering you wrong, so I'll leave that to people who actually know what they're talking about.

As for clothing, though, I'd say it doesn't matter how many miles ( or minutes ) your ride is. I tend to wear different clothes depending on the weather and the season. In the Spring and Fall, I'll almost invariably bring a jacket, because I'll likely need it later, even if not now. In the summer, unless there's a storm, it's a safe bet that I can dress without much thought to being exposed to the elements. I have good rain pants and a matching jacket, and if you're in Colorado, this isn't likely to be much of a problem for you. I found I needed a lighter jacket, though, to avoid overheating and showing up too sweaty.

I love my merino ( wool ) base layers. They keep me warm, but not too much, wick my sweat away, and don't stink when I get where I'm going. In fact, I don't have to wash them more than monthly, unless I spill something on one.

You should be a bit cold when you leave the house, or you'll overheat on the road. At least this is the case with me, but in the interest of full disclosure, I have a lot of Scandinavian genes ... so I'm well adapted to the cold, and not as much to the heat.

colleen c

What is the tire on your bike? If it is the 700x23, then you may find your ride a little bit on the harsh side depending on your road and route you choose. Keep in mind that you will be carrying extra gear for commuting and those extra weight can make a difference in the ride quality from your tires. I tried 23 on my Le Tour and then bought puncture resistant 25's. Now I wish I bought 28 instead. I say try out with what you got to see how it feel, but prepare to swap tire just in case if you have to later on.

Eggywootah

I haven't used one, but here's the Axiom Streamliner Road rack:

https://www.axiomgear.com/products/ge...eamliner-road/

It attaches at the rear brake bridge and the the skewer of your wheel goes through at the dropouts. Kind of annoying if you have to change a flat, but it does place the rack further behind the dropouts, which will help with heel clearance - a concern because of the tight geometry of your bike.

david4bike

When you start, anticipate what you will use for the whole week (dry clothes, energy bars, etc) and take the bus or car one day of the week so you can travel as light as possible the rest of the days. Believe me, it will make your ride more enjoyable and will make you stick to the habit of getting from point A to B.
For shorter rides, a good light backpack will do the job but in your case just get any light rack. My favorite is the OMM Sherpa Rack which can be mounted on almost any bike.
https://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/...RearRacks.html

For clothing my favorite is all of the icebreaker stuff. A bit pricey but you will love it on long or short rides, dries fast and doesn't smell.
https://www.icebreaker.com/site/catal...ips&gender=Man


Enjoy the ride.

aglauser

I have a similar commute, 37 km (23 miles), with the ability to bus part of it. I was surprised to find that I could ride the whole way in about the same amount of time as bus+bike, and I'm no speed demon. You'll probably soon find that you want to work up to doing the whole way by bike. I just did the round trip for the first time on Wednesday, make sure to leave extra time for the first round-trip. The way home certainly felt longer than other times when I've taken the bus in the morning.

My foremost recommendation is not to cheap out too much on whatever sort of carrying bag you decide to get. My experience has been that the sweaty back problem is a real concern, but in my opinion a decent backpack is much better than a crappy pannier. If your pannier is not secure, or wobbles around too much, or is a big pain to get on/off the bike, you'll get frustrated with the whole process very quickly.

As for clothing, I've found that a wicking base layer makes all the difference. I use athletic wear, not cycling specific. If I need more warmth, I'll just add a wool sweater. For cooler weather, a headband is great - keeps the ears warm while still allowing ventilation through the helmet. For rain wear, why not try out a windbreaker for light rain or a normal rain jacket for heavier weather until you get to know your needs a bit better?

As for keeping the work clothes in decent condition, rolling them works well for me, but I don't have to be too formal in the office. Even better is to leave some clothes at work on a day when you drive the car. Especially shoes, they take up so much room in a bag, and it's nice to have dry shoes to change into.