+989.236

I speak from direct experience (as I'm sure you will relate to yourself) having seen dozens of would-be commuters attempt a measly 10 mile commute with impromptu gear and get so frustrated they never do it again.

I also have seen a good number of would-be commuters who at least got proper gear (nothing fancy, but minimal essentials, like a rear blinkie and clothes that don't catch on the drivetrain) that spent more than they thought they would, but found it exciting and fun now that they were outfitted correctly.

Would YOU enjoy riding a mountain bike for 13 miles in 45F weather in a drizzle at near-end of rush hour in the dark (pretty soon it'll be completely dark by 5:30PM) in cotton and a T-shirt? Would you feel safe with cars rushing by at 45 mph that can barely make you out on the road? Would you enjoy that brisk breeze while in damp cotton for an hour and a half, twice per day? Methinks not.

It's not complicated IF you have a short, easy, commute OR are "hard-core" meaning you get enough pleasure out of the mere act of cycling to overcome serious obstacles. I consider myself hard-core, and as said above, even I find commuting in the common conditions I just describe difficult enough that I would NEVER attempt it without my current lighting, clothing, and bike choice setup. For sure, telling a beginner to attempt a 10 mile ride in similar conditions with no preparations guarantees failure.

We're not trying to make it unnecessarily complicated - I'd do it in my underwear if it was doable. But fact of the matter, is that depending on conditions and length of your ride, it can REQUIRE some preparation - real preparation in the OPs case.

I am ALL ABOUT low-cost and nonfancy solutions (I refuse to even pay for a bike-specific headlight, since LED flashlgihts for $25 are just as good!) but for sure, the main thing I've learned about commuting on a regular basis (meaning not just for one week and calling it quits) is that the more faith you have in your gear, the more likely you are to do it. When you're on a bike that feels fast and sturdy, have confidence that you're definitely visible even for distracted drivers, and can brave reasonable changes in the weather (how many times have you thought it wasn' t going to rain but then it did?) you start looking forward to the commute rather than worrying about the details.

Are we done with this? I've seen people with closets full of commuter gear and people who could fit all their gear in a 10L bag. We aren't on the north face here - this is a 10 mile commute. Get yourself some blinky lights, a hi-viz sash use the backpack in your closet, then ride your butt into work. You will discover which items you really need later on and not be left with a closet full of junk - the only way to discover what gear you truly need is to experiment and conclude you need it. Just do it!

:deadhorse:

Just click here for a thousand other opinions.

Since the OP's goal is about once a week, that means she can choose fair-weather days for her commutes. That simplifies clothing selection quite a bit.

When I first starting riding a bike to work 20 years ago, it was 8 miles, not 13 but like the OP's my goal was once a week. I rode in my work clothes which included a tie. I rode on days that weren't too hot or too cold and with little chance of rain. I didn't carry anything with me. I only did it when it was going to be light both ways.

You could argue that a MTB with knobbies is not the best for that distance but my cruising speed is maybe 2 to 4 mph faster on a road bike vs an MTB. The difference in average speed is less than that. It's going to take her some extra time but not an order of magnitude difference.

She'll be fine.

Yeah, she might have a bad experience and decide that it's not going to work after a single attempt. She might make that same decision after spending another $200-300 on lights, tires, and clothes.

Her biggest challenge will be learning how to deal with the traffic on her commute and maybe conditioning. Twenty six miles in one day can be tiring if you're not used to it. But both of these will get better over time, regardless of clothing or equipment.

Wow page five! It's no wonder why not many women commute. Too hard to get a simple answer! I think the OP has left the building :lol:

And we haven't even gotten into the pros and cons of helmets . . . .

I kinda hope she did. The thread at this point can only contribute to her fears.

Biking is a simple activity that can be done in normal clothes, including cotton of course in a 13 mile ride. In fact, cotton has some advantages over the hyped materials even for riding. They will not smell bad as easily. I find that cotton is generally cooler, especially if it isn't tight-fitting. (Seersucker losse button up for the hot days seems to be the best) More normal clothes are made in cotton, and hopefully you won't go through the hassle of changing every time you go to and from work, so that's a plus. The problem with cotton is that it retains water, but if you are not sweating a lot, that's irrelevant. I've also found that being soaked in cotton in a warm day is no big deal either when going home and I can change. (So, if you are going to change anyway, it's irrelevant). It also took me a while to figure out that if it was hot and I was going to sweat a little, cotton was better than the Champion Double Dry shirts and their ilk. You should be able to use your normal wardrobe for the most part, including a simple jacket and so on.

Your going to be outside for an hour or so. It's analogous to being out walking for that long.

I'm late to this thread, but I think commuting is sort of like parenting. You start out mostly unprepared for what lies ahead, but you handle each new challenge as it comes. It's exhausting, but you soon get used to it. As time goes on, you figure out all the things that you wish you knew in the beginning. Although you get better with time, you still have your hard days, but the rewards are worth it. After a while, you look back and feel happy you made the choice to become a bike commuter.

Experience? Dozens? :lol:

I hate to break it to you, but MOST commuters at least started out with nothing but a bike and a need to get to and from work...and some still don't use much more. I've been commuting since the 70s....and I couldn't afford any of the fancy crap I have now until this century. Don't confuse nice-to-haves with essentials, and don't mistake people's excuses for quitting for empirical evidence. ;)

Indeed, I don't think the OP even tried to cycle to work once before coming here. If she did she would have discovered some truth about bicycle commuting. As it stands this thread is probably a huge waste. Just like it is probably a huge waste to tell a new parent how they should parent - they've absolutely got to find out how it is for themselves.

Mindreader :D I see it's pointless, so I think you ought to keep using your cotton, and leave the rest of us to modern textiles :)

yes it is, but you should do it anyway

Good analogy. It certainly reflects my experience (both as a cycle commuter and a parent, which coincidentally both started around the same time!)

There were some comments earlier about how Europeans don't worry about cycling gear. Here would be a few answers why:
1. Their bikes are setup for commuting. Granted a nice bike in Holland (when I was there 2 years ago) goes for a low end of $500 all the way up to $1500. These are wonderful year around bikes, what work very well in the Dutch (or Danish) climate. They are heavy, but durable, keep the rain off you (fully enclosed chains, skirts protector in the back), a rack strong enough to carry a passenger (illegal, but everyone does it), amd importantly lights for riding after dark.
2. The temperatures in those countries are VERY mild. When I was there end of June/early July back on '08 the highest temp was 78F and most days it was 68-72F. When I got home to "the Frozen North" that is Buffalo NY the average day time temp at that same time was 85F, that is a big difference. I can ride my biek causually at 68F and not sweat much, if I ride at 85F, I sweat like a pig no matter how relaxed my cycing is.
3. Most Dutch and Danish city dwellers my ride they bikes almost daily, but most don't ride more than about 1 to 2 miles at most. My cousin who now lives in the Leiden area has always ridden his bike a lot more than average as he commuted 5 miles. Most Dutch consider that a very LONG commute. In all honestly I never met anyone in Holland that commuted much more than 10 miles on a bike. When I was little my father commuted from Haarlem (Schalkwijk) to Fokker (Aircraft factory) and that was about 8 miles. That was considered pretty extreme. When the weather was bad he could take a company bus that came out our way.

I agree with all the comments that cycling in and of itself is easy, but a 13 mile commute does take a bit more prep then a simple 2 to 5 mile commute.

I've ridden 15 miles back and forther between office on an unexpectedy warm day using my tights and cotten underwear... big mistake, I rubbed the skin off parts of my inner tighs. I feld realy silly getting out the diaper creme. Cycling shorts have their place. I don't bother with rides under 10 miles, but with longer rides, "regular" clothes can cause some bad chafing.

Happy riding,
André

I really appreciate everyone's words of wisdom and advice. I am taking it all in. For instance, I taught myself to change my tire and intertube and oil my chain (I'm handier than I thought - thanks, YouTube!!). I have been checking my tire pressure frequently (it really DOES make a difference!!). I've been making do with some comfy clothes I already have and I'm comfortable so far. Last week I took a day off work to test my route to and from work. Heading in it took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes (and that's with stopping for water twice [need a bigger water bottle] and stopping a couple times due to shifting problems). The ride back took about 1 hour and 30 minutes. I stopped into a bike store and one of the guys there told me I was nuts to ride that route on a mountain bike hahaha. I'm not thrilled about the potholes and sewer grates on the main road I have to take to get to work. I think I'm going to drive partially and then bike the rest to work. At least for now... things will change in the future as my work situation changes.

I did read that Ride to Work book even before I posted on this forum. It was a big inspiration to get going on this.

+1. Agree with everything you said, and have often tried to make this point myself on BF.

Note to self... pick up some Desatin... just in case. :)

It's true that I have not tried this before but it's not true that this thread is a waste (to me anyway). I find everyone's support very helpful especially when the people around me just look at me like I'm crazy whenever I mention commuting to them. I'm definitely glad I posted here. :thumb:

Very good point. I tried my planned route and it was definitely nervewracking... not the stress-free ride I was hoping for. But it wasn't terrible enough to put me off commuting entirely. I still think it's worth doing. I've decided to drive half way to avoid the busy roads and then bike the rest. When I transition to a job closer to home (which I am working on) I can bike the entire route.

Go for it...a great plan... you get started, you can figure out what works for you (form follows function) and you can then either change jobs, keep up this plan or add to the commute dependingn on what works

Please post on your first official commute for a few way to go's

Multimodal commuting is a great way to go. I drive 10 miles and then bike the remaining 15 miles each way. I have ended up with a mobile workshop in the back of my car (tools, pump spare tubes, spare wheelset, lube, cleaners, extra clothing).

Here's a nice bike, the frame would probably be a tight fit, but doable. You'd probably need a shorter stem.
Worth a look, anyway: http://newhaven.craigslist.org/bik/1975044620.html

Hi weepingwillow. I'm glad I didn't have the benefit of all this advice when I re-started when I was nobbut a lad of 42. However, since you've already started and tested the waters, can I suggest that you see if there are any League of American Bicylist courses near you? https://members.bikeleague.org/membe...?action=search

Im not familiar with the details of their courses but I'm assuming that they include pretty standard, triedandtested methods and a good instructor will be able to give you useful tips about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as taking you thro' the basics of riding in traffic as part of the traffic.

Of course, if you're a native-born Missouran, you'll already have said show me to everything we've told you. ;)

Finally, welcome to the club. We are, as you've already discovered, a fractious and disputatious lot, but our hearts are in the right place and in much better condition than the majority of your fellow citizens

Ooops - I misremembered your location as Missouri, rather than the mid-west :o. Log on to http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/e...e_schedule.php instead

Remember to allow time for conditioning. You may be in good shape otherwise, but cycling stresses the largest muscles in your body, and it requires endurance. It takes some time to develop that. So be patient.

I am definitely going to look into this. I'm assuming this would be good for my 5-year old son who will be learning to ride a bike w/o training wheels very soon. Thanks for the link!


Absolutely. There is good stuff here. I'm glad I stumbled upon this forum.

I too am a 'multi-modal' commuter, though for different reasons. I drive part (to get my teenage daughter to school), I ride part (to get me to metro/subway) and I use the subway for the rest (except on the rare occasion when I feel motivated and have the time to ride the entire distance). I ride several extra miles in order to take a more relaxing route, and sometimes I drive, because it is just more convenient (we're experiencing tropical storm aftermath today, for example).

Kudos to you for giving it a shot, and be okay with working yourself into it slowly.

I began with a 2.6 mile round trip, and that was enough. I started enjoying it, and began lengthening, first with extra miles just on the way home. Then I added the longer ride in the morning too. I've ridden the entire 42 mile round trip exactly one time. I want to do it again, but I'll be honest: it was tough.

Above all, though, enjoy it.

Hi again. I take it you've read the multiple posts on getting rid of the training wheels on the family and recreation section.

In short, pedals off, seat low enough for him to get his feet on the ground comfortably, then scoot along until he can keep his feet off the ground and balance/steer. Useful if there is a slope he can roll down on to a level bit. Then replace the pedals and your troubles will really start. :innocent:

We teach 40/50 kids a year to ride using this well-tried method.

Re the LAB courses: the best age to teach kids this kind of thing is from about 9 upwards, when their capacity to judge speed and likely intentions of other road users is developing. In the meantime, use what you might learn on such a course on an incremental basis as he gets older and more skilled. By the time he's ready to take it himself, you should have instilled enough good habits in him that he'll sail tho' it.

You young whippersnappers don't realize how easy things are now compared to when some of us started out riding our bikes to school because that's how we got everywhere back then. Some of that "fancy crap" you have now wasn't even around then (except for on black and white tv), but it sure does make things easier now. Now get off my lawn!

Weepingwillow, do you have slick tires for your mountain bike? It makes such a huge difference I can't even begin to describe it. A mountain bike with slicks was my every day commuter for years. I picked up Kenda Kwest tires at Performance Bike for fairly cheap.