+1 I would also suggest taking one of the free classes at the local LBS to learn how to use the above.

For what its worth, I rode thousands of miles on a bike, getting around back in the days before we knew it was called "commuting."
It might be considered a Last Great Adventure for the modern metro-citizen. Not many people are willing to do it, and fewer still do it well.
I find, in fact, that noncyclists seem to be more open and friendlier towards me - mostly because I'm on a bike.

Common sense will probably take you as far as you need in the beginning. From what Im getting, you have plenty of that, already.
Once that is well worked, get to know Paul Dorn as your commuting guru.

It's not as hard as we make it sound, we're usually complaining/bragging/mentioning something to either blow off some steam learn form someone else's mistakes/experience so we don't have to learn it the hard way. Much like out parents walked 6 miles uphill both ways to school barefoot in the snow. You'll figure out what works for you soon enough, welcome to the wonderful world of commuting.

Folks managed to bike to work before the advent of the cellular phone.

I don't have one, and often do a 17 mile one way commute on a $40 bike.

First off welcome. I will echo what basically everyone else is saying that it ain't that difficult or complicated.

First off get good puncture resistant tires and get rid of the knobbies. From memory Panaracer RiBMo's and T-Servs, Schwalbe Marathons , Continental Contact, and Specialized Armadillo's are usually recommended pretty highly.

Next would be a Rack so you can take the weight off yourself and put it on the bike when you want to carry stuff. Topeak, Axiom, and Blackburn are all talked about a lot. You can also get panniers or simply bungee a backpack to the rack.

Next would be some kind of active and passive lighting. The mainstay has be the Planet Bike Superflash for the rear. An ANSI rated reflective vest would also come in handy. For the front lighting it really depends. If you want to "be seen" almost any light that has a strobe or flash effect would be good. If you want "to see" some of us attach flashlights like the P7's sold by dealextreme or get something like the Magicshine that has a following as well.

It sounds like you have everything else covered so good luck and let us know how your first commute or trial run goes.

Not necessary; plenty of people ride to work quite happily on knobby tires, and puncture-resistance is something you might consider only if you get an inordinate amount of flats.

Also completely unnecessary if you only have a light load.

You already have much more than I did the first day I rode to work.

At the time, I had a Huffy mountain bike from Sears that weighed more than both my current bikes together.. and uhh.. yeah.. that's it as far as bike stuff. I wore my skateboard helmet and took a change of clothes in my backpack. In hindsight, it would've really sucked if i'd gotten a flat, and because of my newbiness, I remember making some stupid moves in traffic (learning experience).. but somehow I made it there and back. (13 miles one way)

That day changed my life forever. @_@

Just start doing it, you'll pick stuff up until it's automatic. None of us knew any of this stuff when we started either. However, depending on your area, you may wish to either take a road safety course or at least get a mentor to ride along with you once or twice. Taking your route on a weekend when the traffic is light is another common suggestion.

As for lighting, I'd suggest not going too cheap or too expensive to start with. I may be biased but for about $110 you can get a MagicShine headlight and taillight. It's what I run. Most of us try to cheap out and get by with $30 to $50 headlights, and we wind up wasting money on junky lights before giving up and buying a real light.

This is a great time to be shopping for lighting. 5 years ago when I started, that much light was only available as an HID and cost close to $1000. A MagicShine will probably be all the light you ever need, but at the very least it will take you through to a time when you have a very good idea of what you want for your next light.

I take the same tack on other equipment. I try to buy decent, not cheap but not expensive stuff at first when I don't really know what I'm looking for. Sometimes that stuff lasts me a long time, but if I wear it out, when I replace it I am usually happy with the life I got out of it and I then know a lot more about what I want for my next one.

don't make me post pics, pilgrim. :eek:

I was started riding to work back in the late 70s...to school earlier than that. Funny thing, I don't think I owned a frame pump or carried any kind of tools or spares until I had been in the Marine Corps a year or so...and didn't adopt cycling shorts, clipless pedals and all the fancy cycling specific stuff until this century. My first headlight and taillight were both flashlights...I used red magic marker on the lens of the flashlight I used for the taillight until my dad, the cop, rapped me up side the head and bought me a red lens. :o

All I have is a sixteen year old bike, helmet, U-lock, panniers and some lights. I don't carry a purse anymore because everything goes in the panniers. No special clothes but I do dress more casually now for comfort.

Just go do it.

You'll think of things, or encounter things that you'll want to change or modify, or heck, just deal with once you get out on the open road.

Go ask a pro what they "need to have" and they'll give a list of high dollar things I've always lived without.

Having an emergency (I got a flat tire) plan is as basic as it should get. Ride in what you want to, bring what you want to and then see if you needed it all or if you needed more.

Have fun, you'll feel invigorated when you get to work and relaxed when you come home.

No it's not complicated and you don't need fancy stuff. The one thing you do need to pay attention to is visability if you are going to ride after dark. You stated that the roads are busy. Buy the best rear light you can afford and wear a reflectorized vest.

Ive dumped the clipped pedals, in fact, and now prefer platforms for commuting. I do plan to go BACK the the older, toe cages soon, though. That way I can wear whatever shoes I want and still get a bit of advantage. Can you imagine? Can you remember when those were the hot ticket?

I dont wear cycling specific clothes either, for the most part. Oh, I have a few jerseys, but I always feel kind of goofy wearing them. Instead, I prefer to just wear what works for me. There are all sorts of outdoor/athletic clothes that work well for cycling, which can be had for pennies compared to the "real" cycling stuff. The only thing I specifically look for is clothes that are a combination of red/black/grey/white - these are my cycling "colors" of choice.

When I realized I wasn't spinning tires in the Tour de France, but commuting, it opened up all sorts of opportunities.

"Up side' the head".... I love it! :)

I also just started commuting from work and it's really not very complicated. I though the same thing as you when I started. I was going to "build up" so I rode about 8 miles a day before my first day of commuting. I was kind of forced into starting early because my car was in the shop, but the first was pretty great. I have a 14.5 mile commute one way.

I'm starting to learn all kinds of things like shifting properly and proper form just from ride all the time. Lights and a helmet are really the only imperative gear, I would say. I picked a magicshine from geomangear and it's awesome. People mistake me for a motorcycle sometimes.

The cell phone is a great idea. When I started commuting, I had my wife drive to about the halfway point of my commute and I rode back home. I had my phone and made sure she was near her phone as I was not completely sure I was going to be able to ride the whole thing. She did have to bail me out once when I had a valve stem tear off of a tube. I was glad of the phone that day.
I worked up to the distance, but still don't ride it every day of the week. I enjoy the days I do ride, and think you will too. If you ride in the daylight the lights aren't required, but like most everyone else I think you will want to get them sooner rather than later. I have just cheap lights, but the are enough to let me be seen. The idea of spending over $100 on lighting is daunting even now. My ride is 24 miles one way, and I can't do it without the padded shorts. I have tried and it is just painful. I don't own a cycling jersey and don't know if I ever will. I am still adding gear as I think I need it. I sewed up my own book bag/pannier because I needed something to carry all my crap in. I couldn't bring myself to pay the money that is asked for the commercial stuff, so I got by. Like others have said, you can tune you system to your needs as you learn what they are. It sounds like you have every thing you need for a day time commute, and will add what you need for a night time commute.

Here are the essentials....

1. Bike
2. Helmet
3. Water

The rest, you will figure out. It's really that simple. :)

I would appreciate the restraint.

:)

What, the bicycle commuting cops are gonna arrest you if you don't have the requisite gear? OK, the cops MIGHT hassle you if your bike is not up to code or you don't obey traffic laws. So make sure you know the law. Then get on your bike and ride. You'll figure out what you need and want to make the commute even better. For me, it really did change getting to work from the worst to the best part of the day. I am so damn happy every day that I'm not in a car.

I've just started commuting in the last few months and it's really easy and enjoyable. I absolutely agree with the above poster that my attitude about going to work in the morning has completely changed. I actually look forward to getting up and going instead of dreading it. One tip that I'd give that I've found to work well for me is to just bring a few changes of clothes early in the week (I only commute 3 days/week, 10 miles each way) and leave them in your desk/office so you don't have to carry anything except what you can get in an underseat pack or your pockets. I also keep a case with soap, makeup, hair tools and everything else I need to get ready at work. I commute from the suburbs into downtown Detroit and I have to go through some very questionable areas so I don't like to keep anything on my person in case I get jacked or something. It would really suck to get knocked off my bike so some crackhead can rob me for face wash and a hair brush. (For that reason, I also carry pepper spray, which I'm sure I'll wind up squirting into the wind and into my own face if I'm ever called upon to use it but my husband insists that I take it with me.)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xyLx9uS-Z6g/TJ...hyeA/12345.jpg

This site says a lot!

http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2...1_archive.html

My Girl started commuting 1 day a week, not knowing if she was able to do the 6 miles a day.

She rode several times the first week, 3 times the next week, and went to full time commuting after that.

Good luck. Not to be a downer, but as a non hard-core cyclist without dedicated gear already, I suspect that 13 miles on a mountain bike on busy roads in fall/winter on the east coast will be too much to handle for a new bike commuter. Not impossible, but I guarantee it will be difficult, unless you really, really enjoy being on your bike.

Despite what folks on this forum say about needing minimalist solutions, for your kind of described commute, I anticipate that you will actually NEED most of the equipment you hear folks talking about. Like:

- Raingear
- Lights - serious front and quality rear
- Fenders
- Rear rack+panniers or a bike-friendly backpack
- Hardcore reflective gear

None of these are optional if you're riding for an hour+ in darkness, rain and with significant car traffic the whole way. All of these are optional on a road bike in summer conditions with a <5 mile commute, but in the tough conditions, they are not. And on the east coast, it's more likely than not what I describe.

And on a mtn bike, 13 miles in traffic will be a chore if you're riding in the dark+rain, which will be fairly soon. I do it (18 miles one-way but with bike-friendly roads), and so do many on these forums, but I'd consider myself "hard-core" in those conditions, and honestly, in dark+rain, I find it no fun to be out there. Plus, I'm on a road bike, which is a good 20% faster than the mtn bike, easily.

Definitely take it easy at first - once a week is plenty with 13miles on a mtn bike, and do it on days with great conditions and when you're feeling great. If you force yourself too much early on, I guarantee you'll stop even considering it.

So would a lot of us!:thumb:

Okay this poster makes some good points. is this imoves on, I see I missed the MTB part of the OP's commute - AND the 13 miles. While the right MTB can make a good commuter, not all of them will. Sometimes the frame geometry is wrong, or sometimes the gearing isn't quite right. The trick is to get yourself fairly upright, high enough and with the proper stretch, seat-to-bars. MTB's tend to be cramped in the cockpit, so getting up and behind their usual center becomes important.

Things of further importance, far in excess of their seeming innocuous appearance, are these:

- Raingear
- Lights - serious front and quality rear
- Fenders
- Rear rack+panniers or a bike-friendly backpack
- Hardcore reflective gear

I stick by my stance that you can use L.L. Bean or backpacking rain gear, that sort of thing. There are a lot of choices along these lines.
But lights and reflective gear will be a requisite, if even part of your commute is in darkness. Good headgear will be, too, when the weather turns cold.
Fenders are not just for when it is pouring rain, either. They are really at their best when the roads are simply wet, or mucky. They protect you and your bike from the crap that comes up from the road, and it doesn't have to be pouring rain for it to be there. It is there when puddles are present when the spring thaws come and so on.

I have a MTB that I use as a commuter myself, and Ive added the following things to it:

A rear Rack
A wider, softer seat.
A signaling bell
A higher seat post
A set of comfort tires.

Next additions will be some riser bars and a set of fenders.

The tires are also a deal breaker, IMHO. The usual knobby stump jumpin' rubber that comes on MTB's should be replaced with a more road friendly tire - but one which is still rugged. You are looking for a happy medium between the buzzy, high resistance (slow) knobby tires, and the smooth, high pressure (fast) road tire.
If your bike is like most MTB's and has 26" tires, WalMart sells a good Bell comfort tire with Kevlar belting for $15. They also have "Slime," or you can get tire liners to prevent flats.
Seriously look into different tires, if you haven't already.

I would recommend that you always carry a little cash for a bus fare (or taxi if there aren't buses that run in your area). If you get a flat or have a spill or something, depending on conditions it may just be better to get home first and assess/repair the damage later.

It's not strictly necessary, but it's good to have a backup plan. I'm one of those cautious types, so I keep some singles in my repair kit and my change purse in my lunchbox.

I bought my first pair of cycling shorts recently for $34 shipped... that was the cheapest I could find. I hated them... can't stand how all that padding feels. I bought a new planet bike saddle for $23 dollars and love it. I would say a good saddle is a better investment.


I will def have a similar sweat problem when I start my commute (11.5 hilly miles). Do the baby wipes get rid of under arm BO? Do you smell like baby wipes all day?

I think a cell phone for phone a friend is a much better solution.

You'll be lucky if buses in your area will accept a bike on the bus. (They'll need to have a front bike rack.) Plus, odds of you finding a bike route where you've flatted could be hard if you're not in an urban area.

If you're spotting for a taxi, I sure hope you're carrying more than singles - it's pretty much $5 minimum noawadays the moment you set foot into a cab - and most likely they'll charge you an oversize fee if you attempt to load a bike.

Some of the replies seem to think you can make a 13 mile commute in your work clothes.

Perhaps you can if your ride is very flat and you are in no big hurry to get there.

Mine isn't and riding a bike is an aerobic exercise thing for me. If I ain't sweating, I ain't doing it right. My ride is maybe a half mile shorter than yours.

By no means is this a recommendation to buy cycle specific clothing. The only cycle specific clothing I have ever bought is cycling shorts and tights, shoes and gloves. I buy these because I think the difference between cycling shorts and regular shorts is well worth it. I never have and likely never will buy a cycling jersey. Generic poly athletic shirts work every bit as well. The local salvation army/good will has racks full of them for a dollar or two a piece. You could ride in cotton as well. It's a personal preference although cotton as a base layer in cold weather is a really bad idea, IMO. I have ridden in weather down to the low 20s with this sort of stuff. A long sleeve poly and a fleece or 2 and maybe a windbreaker is sufficient. I have winter tights but my first 2 seasons, sweatpants over cycling shorts did fine. Just find tight fitting sweats.

Clipless shoes/pedals are also a worthwhile expense. Cages work very well, if you are tightly strapped in, but, if you are commuting in traffic where quick unplanned stops are a regular occurrence, being strapped in tight can suck....badly. An advantage to cages is that you can wear boots with them in cold weather. I bought a pair of neoprene booties instead. They can be found on sale on line for under 20 bucks.

13 miles on a mtb is tough enough already. doing it on regular platform pedals will make it a lot tougher. find the money for clipless. i recommend spd specialized tahoes. they are easy to walk in, stand up well and are cheap.

for lighting, it depends. do you need lights for seeing or to be seen? cheap led flashing lights will do you for "be seen" lighting. you can get a pb superflash tail light/blaze headlight for under 50 bucks. for "see" lighting, the magicshine seems to be very popular and is under 100 bucks.

much of these things can be had from CL or ebay with pretty nice discounts from new. the one thing I'd be hesitant about buying used is shoes, but, I'd buy them as well if the price was right.

coworker saw me riding in 4 days a week and decided he'd give it a shot. He rode in twice a week one way. Then had a friend take him home. He's now starting to add a day or add the ride home as well. I'll ride along with him a day or so that our schedules intersect. He's loving it.