Specialized clothing can be nice but is not essential... had a friend do a 120km ride last week in a dress and comfortable shoes.

Used to ride my mtb with slicks 40km a day and it was no big thing... and still like my 26 inch wheels and tyres for commuting.

If it was not for nerve damage in my back I's still be riding on flat pedals or using clips and straps but my left foot forgets where it is and I use spd pedals to keep my foot planted and my knee lined up.

Most often I am riding in everyday clothes with cycling shorts underneath my jeans or riding shorts (mtb shorts) and wearing some mtb shoes which are very comfortable for standing and help with walking because of their stiffer soles.

The things that will make your commute the most enjoyable is being ion a bike that fits you well, that is geared right for then terrain, and having a saddle that makes you forget it is there.

When you have to deal with bad weather or ride in the winter you need to do a little more to make sure you stay dry and warm and that your bike will stay attached to the road.

I'd argue that for someone commuting regularly 13 miles each way on a mountain bike, on the East Coast where rain, sleet, and now darkness are the norm before/after work, and a bike newb on top of it all - bike clothing is essential unless you plan on doing it once and being done with it forever. By bike clothing, I don't mean it has to be bike-specific per se, but should be weather-appropriate and very comfortable.

Get stuck with a good headwind even with a mild drizzle on your 1 hr 15 minute ride home in the dark with a drafty shirt on, and you'll probably never bike commute again. Heck, try commuting 1 hr 15 minutes one way, twice per day, 3-4x per week without cycling shorts as a newb, and you'll still find that alone challenging.

However, I think a lot folks would agree with me that with the right gear, commuting in some pretty god-awful conditions can be a lot of fun and adventure. That rainstorm and fierce headwind and dark doesn't become so oppressive when you're nice and toasty in your weatherproof jacket boties and gloves, comfy on the saddle with your nice bibs, got great lighting to see easily ahead and not worry at all about being invisible from the side or rear, and have a well-fitted nicely tuned bike that you're actually excited to be on. As much as I'm a cheapskate, for significant commutes over an hour in length, I'd get the best gear I could get - not optional in my book if you plan on doing it more than a few times before you quit.

If money is tight you have to prioritize your accessories. But you do have enough to get started. As one who wishes commuting was an option I would add in the following order. Add as money and time allow.

Lights, this is the only one that I consider a truly must have. The rest make it easier or more enjoyable
Bell or horn
Rear Rack
Some sort of bag, panniers, or baskets to carry stuff that may not fit in the seat or handlebar bag
Fenders
Smooth tread tires if you currently have knobbies
Now you get into clothing. For rain gear I have some cheap stuff I picked up at Mills Fleet Farm along with a reflective vest. Shorts and jerseys will be a matter of preference if you want them or not. Winter gear will turn out to be whatever works for you.

Just some thoughts;

Ditch the knobby tires if you have them. Just the noise will drive you nuts.

For urban riding I rode for years with a cheap "be seen" lights. Street lights were enough to see. I finally splurged on a Magicshine and it's nice for the trail portion of my ride.

I wear a regular construction safety vest - ALWAYS when I commute.

I also didn't get bike specific rain gear for a few years. Being a camper/hunter/fisher I had a couple different sets that worked fine. 80 & rain is way different then 40 & rain, Rarely wear my rain gear in summer unless it's a downpour. I bought a nice pair of cannondale rain pants at the thrift store for $2

I ride 26m/day on road bike and wouldn't do it without bike shorts. I had a pair and have added more as deals come along.

I wear a stiffish soled pair of athletic shoes. When I replace them I look for flat stiff soles. I use cheap plastic $5 strapless Mt bike toe clips from REI. Quick in & out and still some attachment and foot placement control. Some day I may go clipless. Below about 20 - 25 I wear a pair of hiking boots. I love smartwool bike socks and other merino long socks for cold weather.

In cold weather I bought some Craft XC ski pants I love. Thin fleece lined, full length leg zippers for venting. Bought another pair recently on sale. Tops I had some duofold and other long sleeve henlys in wool blends and hi tech fabrics from hunting/skiing etc. I've purchased some smartwool stuff on clearance and my daughter bought me some really, really nice Icebreaker merino tops for Xmas. I have various gloves to fit the weather, but when it gets real cold I use a $4 pair of ski gloves from Menards. I have to turn them inside out during the day to dry as I will often sweat in them.

Summer tops were whatever. I've since purchased wicking tops from thrift stores, sales, swaps etc.

My 22 YO Trek road bike daily rider won't fit fenders. My hybrid rain bike has fenders for known rain days. You don't need two bikes but I subscribe to N+1
I don't own a bike without a rack. Most bought on sale or Ebay as well as pumps. I bought a used pair of panniers form a guy at work for $20. Used them a number of years and purchased a new pair at REI scratch & dent sale for $35, sold the old ones for $20. I also got an old pair of Kelty tourpacks in a $5 box O'stuff at a gear swap. These fit my kids bike for rides such as the fireworks when we need to bring more "stuff"

Oufitting yourself can be done over time on a budget, keep your eyes open in thrift stores, especially near high end neighborhoods where people buy the good stuff and wear it once. Most gear can be had on sale both on line and locally, gear swaps are another good place to look.

Another option is to find a good place to park part way to work and multi mode commute until you build up the strength, resolve, whatever to do it full distance, full time. I started out parking at one of our other locations and riding 4 miles and doing extra riding after work until I was ready to go the distance.

I haven't read the rest of the replies...

But, you don't need anything. Once a week? You don't need rain gear or fenders or tools. Bring a cell phone and/or some change, if you get a flat grab a bus or call a friend.

Don't ride in the rain. Eat whatever you want. You're just riding to work once in a while, it's not an adventure.

Pick up some cheap blinkies, your idea to make trial runs is a good one. You're fortunate to have wide shoulders on your route.

If you like it enough to start doing it more often, you will eventually start to resent not being able to ride in the rain. So, you will want rain gear and fenders. You will know when you need them. Similarly with clothing, as you start to ride faster and push yourself a little, because you find it fun, you will start to wish for more appropriate clothing. When you need these things, you won't have to ask anyone for advice. Because you will know you need them, and exactly why.

Like most of the population of Beijing and Copenhagen, I don't own any of these things and never have. I just hop on the bike and go.
However, lighting is essential.

Paul

Are you doing 13 miles each way on a mtn bike?

Ten miles each way an a German commuter bike. I've never ridden a mountain bike, so I can't comment on the experience.

Paul

I guess I'm lucky to be where I am. I live in the Piedmont Triad of NC, so aside from the city bus systems (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point) there's a regional transit system that you can use to get between them (as well as to the smaller cities in the area). They all have bike racks, even the little shuttle buses.

Then again, I'm the type of person who absolutely hates to inconvenience anyone, so I'd rather stand at a bus stop bleeding or pay an extra few bucks than call someone and say "halp".

Amen, ditto, a mtb, 13 miles, busy roads, wow. Yeah, I am sure some of you man up and can do it but why torture yourself, at least get a quality machine that fits and put the correct tires on it and lights etc. For a mtb, get rid of the squishy, dangerous knobby tires and get it equipped with some decent street tires.

Important, learn how to fix flats, splice chains etc because cell phone or not, there will be a day you need to kn ow how--and get the tools and sprares to do the work.

Yup, that's me, I tend to buy bike stuff ...just because.+1 this,

Make up a list of things suggested in this thread, then think about it with the addition of your own experience on the commute, then prioritized purchases ( if needed ) based on that.

The only fear I have, is that you'll have one day that is close to disastrous, i.e. arriving to work looking like a drowned rat, torn clothes, late, shivering... whatever.. and that killing any thought of doing it ever again. If you have a backup plan, don't be afraid to activate it, consider the situation, and if necessary, break out the cell phone, or whatever. Sometimes overcoming adversity can be great, we aren't you however, you're the one who is there.

I assume that the boyfriend is an important resource in this, use him, if he's worth keeping, he'll be delighted to help. Don't let him push you into stuff that you're not ready for though.
Generally, from the tone of your post, it sounds like you've got your head screwed on right, get out and ride!

Also, please report back, we'll be waiting for your posts.

+1

What you said generally stands for cotton and classic clothes. Proper cycling quickdry clothes do not stink, breathe much much better then cotton, and dry much quicker where cotton stays wet and cold for a long time. Some of us sweat a lot no matter how we ride, and such proper clothes are a MUST. But I guess, you might think your opinion is right if you never tried quality biking clothes.

This is good advice. Take notice if you want to enjoy your commute. :thumb:

I believe above is the best advice. You can always just walk your bike to the nearest LBS or call a friend if you have a problem. Get good tires and you won't get punctures. Play it safe is the big deal. Don't get over-confident. On a bicycle you are unlikely to get special treatment from cars, buses, trucks - stay clear of them.

If you have the ability to shower near/at work, it can make life so much easier, especially in the Summer.

As others have mentioned, there is no secret handshake or hidden magic to commuting - just some common sense and a desire to do it. Welcome!

I tend to wear a variety of clothing - anything from running tops/shorts to old mountain bike shorts and mountaineering layers - all of which I just have anyway. I dispensed with my old "roadie" lycra gear because I no longer have the desire to wear it, though some prefer it. It is really wide open.

If I had limited funds, I'd prioritize safety lighting first, and a set of slick tires which will offer better ride quality and more efficiency for the distance you are riding.

Oh, and don't do anything to provoke Chipcom - once you've seen him in a dress, you will never be the same.

That's a good point. While playing with google maps I was able to tweak the route a bit to include a bike path for about 5 miles of the route. That helps ease my traffic anxiety and the path is flat so it's less likely that I will exhaust myself too soon. The midwest has crazy weather sometimes but luckily we are heading into fall and I feel it's the perfect time to get started (even if it is just one way during the daylight hours... baby steps). I'm not so worried about rain as much as I worry about being cold (though I think I still have a little while before the bitter cold comes to Missouri... and by then I may have found a solution). One poster suggested finding wool sweaters at a thrift shop to wear - that's a great idea because I don't care so much about looking good as I do being comfortable.

Thanks again for all of the encouragement - it's so easy to get swept up into thinking that you need more than you do (which creates opportunities to make excuses to never start). I'm going to keep reminding myself that this is good for my health and my wallet. And I will definitely keep reading to learn from all of you experienced riders.

Here's a nice intro to cycling safety that is worth reading: http://bicyclesafe.com/

See, said you had your head on right. :)
Good tires are a definite plus, Schwalbe Marathon and the like mean you will vastly reduce your chance of a flat, nothing but solid tires ( and they suck ) are immune.

Weepingwillow, if you're worried about cold, then start to think now about your cold fingers/cold toes strategy. Wool socks from the thrift store on both hands and feet can suffice--but I'd get those NOW and carry them with you so you have them when you need them. (Cheap glove liners inside the wool socks can get you even further!) Later on you can figure out what precise type of glove/mitten/sock/bootie combination works for you. But there is nothing worse than frozen fingers and toes on your commute, and I find my fingers and toes get cold at temperatures when my core is quite comfortable. And it's always better to have to stop to take off extra clothing than try to warm up mid-ride, at least for the extremities. Also, speaking as a native midwesterner, check out hunting departments in stores like Meijers (not sure if they are in MO) or Kmart for inexpensive clothing options.

Commuting by bike is as complicated as you make it to be. The level of complexity depends largely on your requirements for safety and comfort... and your needs for gadgetry and your fashion tastes ;). The higher the requirements the higher the complexity. Take a fixie ninja biker: his/her commute is minimalistic because he/she doesn't care about safety and comfort. Take me with my dual horns, four waterproof panniers, several lights, reflective tape, dedicated commuter clothing and it's very complicated :D But I like it!

A.

++1 on getting quality tires. When I started riding back in the 70s, tires were awful and flats were common. Now they are so much better.
13 miles is fairly long for a bike commute. I doubt you'll want to wear your office clothes - especially high heels - for that length of ride. Forget those picturesque images of Copenhagen or Amsterdam, those women are only riding 2 or 3 miles, at most. Inexpensive athletic clothing from TJ Max/Winners can work fine.
If possible, drive your intended routes very early in the morning before sunrise to see what sort of ambient lighting is about. If there are strong streetlights, you might be able to get away with those inexpensive clip-on LED lights. If not, you'll want to budget for something with at least 100 lumen output.
When the sun is low on the horizon, you'll need to think about whether oncoming motorists can see you with the sun in their eyes. Some sort of flashing light can make you more visible to them, or you can plan to ride earlier or later to avoid the problem.
Avoid cotton on damp days or if there's a strong probability of rain. I got hypothermia riding home in the rain in cotton pants and tee shirt once, years ago. Not fun. It loses all of it's insulating properties when it gets wet.

I often do a 5 miles total multimodal in and then a 16-17 mile ride home on very busy I-95 corridor roads on a too-small-for-me dahon 26" folder. No big whoop. But I do use semi-slicks or studdeds...

Some of this is from experience and some from necessity:

- If you're riding in the dark, make sure you can be seen and that you can see where you're going. Day-Glo safety vests are dirt cheap.

- Get reliable tires and learn how to change a flat BEFORE you get a flat OR make sure your cell phone is fully charged so you can be picked up. ;)

- Target and WalMart carry all sorts of cheap non-bike specific workout clothing that will get you by until you can afford the overpriced stuff everyone else uses.

- Make sure the bike is tuned up so that it shifts and stops like it should.

- http://www.cyclistview.com/

I agree with this! Perhaps that is why this thread reminds me of the scene from Annie Hall where the psychiatrist asks Woody and Annie how often they have sex. He says, "Never, maybe three times a week," and she says, "Constantly! At least three times a week!" This says a lot about the "wunnerful world" of bicycle commuting and the many approaches to it.

You must find your own truth, Grasshopper. :D

One of the things you will discover is that when you friends, family, and cow orkers will be stunned to discover that you are riding 13 miles a day and will feel concerned that you may not be safe, worry that you have suffered from an economic downturn or a dui, and will offer to give you rides.

A few people will see you doing this and find inspiration and might just try it themselves.

Keep this up and that 13 mile ride will start to feel like a warm up and you might find yourself looking to ride longer and farther and people will be more amazed.

My long commute is 60 miles a day... it is often the best 4 hours of my day as much of it takes me through the countryside and I do look forward to seeing the city vanish into the distance behind me when I head out.

Sometimes I take the long way home and can turn my 100 km day into a 140 or 160 km day.

Lovely post sixty-fiver... that's inspiring :)

All true. My distance to work is 8.5 miles, one way. I usually log in 20-25 miles getting home, just because I like it - for all the reasons mentioned. Some people do question my sanity and a few crack wise with me, calling me "Lance," and so on. But it is all good natured and I enjoy the attention, to be honest.

Dont take it for granted, keep it as simple as you can and get the book, "Ride to Work."

Inspiring indeed, and it made me feel bad that I didn't ride this weekend, it was such a nice day today.

I didn't get out yesterday, basically recovering from a stupid work week, today was nothing but cold drizzle. Went out anyway, learned it's time to get the next layer of Winter defenses in action, still enjoyed it.