I've been wanting to commute to work for awhile now, but can't seem to get myself quite talked into it all the way yet. I have a few issues I need to work through to be certain. I'm hoping some folks here can help.

Some back story/information: I have a nice road bike already. 2008 CAAD9. It's a wonderful bike. I don't want to purchase a commuting only bike. I live in a condo with a baby on the way, and simply don't have the space to have two bikes. I have cold weather gear. I'll only be a semi-fair weather commuter, I don't want to ride in the rain mainly. The route to the office is mostly 2-lane low traffic back roads. The few sections that I need to use to get to the backroads from the condo have bike lanes, and are well lit.

Here's the bike I'll be riding:


Here are some things I have figured out already....

Fitness level.....I've been riding around 100mi/week for the last few months. I don't think tacking on an additional 25mi/day (12.5mi one way) will hurt me too badly. I'm hoping that I can do the tues/thurs club rides straight from the office. Making those days into 70+mi days overall. I'm training for a ride with some friends in a few months where we'll be doing 100+mi days for 14 days straight. We did 700mi in 7 days last year from Louisville to Philly, and I was in about the same condition I'm in now then. I don't see this as a problem, but I'm curious what the resident experts think.

Emergency "save-me" procedures...If something goes awry on my way into work, or the way home my wife works less then 5miles from my office, and I can wait for a pickup. Her boss is super-flexible on her arrive/depart times from work. So long as she gets her 40hrs in he's happy. If I get to work, and can't ride home for some reason, the boss has OK'd me taking a work truck home for the night if needed. So I have a bail out plan. I'm comfortable with that, although any tips would be appreciated here.

Equipment.....Like I said above I have a nice bike already. Dura-Ace shifters, full Ultegra driveline. I have full confidence in the bike to make the 12mi one-way trip to the office without problems. I typically ride out towards the office on the weekends, and stop in at the coffee shop next door for water breaks in the summer. I am going to swap out the carbon seatpost for an aluminum one, and get a small post-mount rack. I found one at the LBS that will accept a "trunkbag" that "clips" into the rack. Total cost isn't terribly high, and I think it will accept my work clothes without much trouble. I can make the 12mi trip in around 45min or so, and will be riding in the daylight. I already have a rear blinky (Planet bike), and have considered getting a front light for the attention of motorists mainly. I don't want fenders, or front racks, as I will simply drive in if it's raining. If it catches me off guard half way into the ride, I'll just get wet. Any other thoughts on equipment that I might need/want?

My biggest problem so far that I can't seem to make the jump for is how I clean up for my work day once at the office. My day can vary from meetings with clients all day, to working all day on a construction site. I'm a project manager for a small voice/data cabling company, so I tend to be a jack of all trades type of position. Some days I will need to be squeaky clean, and other days it won't really matter. Sadly, my day is usually in such a constant state of flux that I won't really know what I'm doing until I get there. My office doesn't have showers, but there is a nice large bathroom where I could leave supplies for a "sink bath" of sorts. I have keys as well, so I could bring a load of clothes in on one of my weekend rides, and have a spare set here. Is this a viable way for cleaning up once here? I've read some about baby wipes as cleaning devices. Does that really work? Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for any help! Am I missing anything? Anything else I should be considering? Do I need to just "buck up" and get going? Am I making a mountain out of what should be a mole hill? Am I completely overlooking something that is crucial to getting to work/home safely?!?!

There's all kinds of threads/posts about cleaning up for work. Same about keeping you and your stuff dry in the event of rain. Read up.

I would love to ride that bike of yours to work and back.

I downgraded from a rear rack and panniers/trunk bag to a seat bag (it's a good sized one). You wouldn't need to change your seat post for that.

My best advise: be visible to cars! That way you'll stay alive long enough to work out the details that suit you best.

Have fun.

You are planning to make a 12mi trip in the same time it takes me to do 7.5 with a headwind. I thought I was slow, but... You also don't plan on riding in the rain but what if it starts to rain while you are already aroad? Personally I would strongly consider a dedicated commute rig. You can do it, cost should not be an issue, neither should space. There are bike co-ops in every city where you can get almost commute ready bikes for ~$30. Another ~$50 and you have a bike with fenders and lights, etc. and Bob's your uncle. Btw, fenders don't keep you from getting wet they keep you from getting dirty. You want them. If you don't already you should think about those suspension hoists that let you raise a bike out of the way. Or the wall mounted ones that let you mount two bikes, one above the other. You will know you are really ready for this when what I am saying starts to make some kind of sense and you look for ways to empower the desire to commute rather than try to make the idea conform with the parameters you want to enforce on it. Good luck.

H

I've got showers at work, but my experience is that changing clothes is usually sufficient. I sweat a lot on the way to work, but I don't think it's causing me to stink (no one has said so at any rate). I guess this varies from person to person, but I bet a change of clothes and sink bath will work for you. In the past, people have suggested joining a local gym and using their showers as another option.

Equipment: that's a nice bike. Do you have a good lock-up strategy? You might be at the "keep-it--inside" level, depending on your neighborhood. You could try a back pack before you make the switch to a rack. You'll probably be sweating lots either way, and a backpack works for a lot of people.

Fitness: It sounds like you've got this down, but you might consider a rest day after one of your 70+ mile days. Depending on your terrain, you might be able to take it easy enough on the commute to make it a rest day. In any event, you could probably handle it, but the group rides would probably pay bigger fitness dividends with rest the next day.

Man, it sounds like you've already got pretty much everything figured out.

In response to your hygiene question (everything else, I think you've basically answered yourself), I strip down, use a few wet wipes to mop up the sweat, re-apply deodorant, change clothes, run a comb through my hair, and add a drop of cologne, and I'm good to go. A few minutes of cool-down time after getting to the office is helpful too. I have my own office, and can shut the door and do this cleanup routine in a couple of minutes.

And I work in a pretty stuffy profession where I have to look presentable most days, but it never poses a problem for me.

Can you attach a rack (for panniers) without swapping out the seat post? If not, want to donate a carbon seat post? ( I kid, I kid. )

I have been commuting 30 miles round trip on the exact same bike for the last 3 years. Bike works great but I would LOVE to have fenders. As for the bag I swapped to an aluminum post and used a topeak bag and rack. That works fairly well but does move side to side on occasion. Good luck

Blast from the past: cleaning yourself up?

easily doable. I ride same distance daily and it's pretty hilly as well. bring one of those super absorbent towels, wipe down and change. has never been a problem for me. I did have showers available but discovered I did not need them. The ride caused a little perspiration but not stinky sweat. Quickly dried off as soon as I am off the bike. Try it a few days and see how it goes. Just get in there and do it. Oh and be safe. You are well prepared if you are doing 100 mi/week anyway.

you have to stash food and clothing at work
you have to shower before you ride
you have to arrive before anyone else
you have to strip head to toe and change everything
if you don't have access to a shower you still need to wash key areas
before having access to a shower I brought a few key items:
diluted shampoo
washcloth
small towel

be sure to clean up your wash area and leave no trace
you can do it be creative

I think you'll find the cleanup isn't as bad as you think, presuming you start from home freshly showered. I'm assuming you're in Louisville? Weather there is pretty similar to DC in terms of heat/humidity.

While I do have the possibility of a shower, it is at a different office location, about a mile away, and I'd then have to get back to my actual office, so I'd just sweat again. I meet with clients, including spur of the moment/unplanned meetings, so being presentable and odor free is crucial for me. I've not had a problem with the cool down (~10-15 minutes), change clothes (including all undergarments/socks, etc...) method -- I don't mess with the sink-shower or baby wipes, though I do keep some supplies just in case. I have a few folks around who have promised they'll let me know if I'm ever smelly or otherwise un-presentable, but so far, so good. Most folks have no idea whether I rode on any given day or not, unless they see me come in with my bike, or see the bike in my office.

I will put in another plug for some kind of fenders -- even short/clip ons -- the skunk stripe isn't such an issue if you're changing clothes, but the grit on my legs/ankles from an unexpected rain ride can be pretty annoying. fenders will help with (though not eliminate) that issue.

I'd recommend considering short hair (since you're a guy) as it is easier to maintain, and not as many helmet hair issues. Beyond that -- ride what you have, until you decide you need/want something different. Since you don't plan to ride every day, use your drive days to bring in as much stuff as you can, and minimize your carry gear. I carry WAY too much stuff, but I'd say a spare tube and/or patch kit, tire levers, a pump and maybe a multi-tool are pretty close to mandatory -- you want to be able to do a quick tire change when you hit that thorn/sharp rock/glass, etc... halfway between work and home on the day your wife is at an off-site training or whatever.

Thanks for the tips and the words of encouragement. I'm surfing on my phone at lunch so I don't have time to respond to everyone. I'll catch a few minutes on the laptop tonight and try to respond to everyone.

Keep the good ideas and advice coming!

A few other ideas: A UK firm sells nice plastic clip-on fenders called "Crubdusters". Hard to find in the US, UK online vendors (probikekit in my case) have them. Other than replacing the multi-use zip ties with single use (I have many and don't mind cutting and replacing as needed) they worked very well with my 23mm tires to keep the worst of the road spray off me and the bike. I'm OK with a backpack when I use my road bike, but on humid summer days, would prefer to not have something on my back - I have considered a regular rack and p-clips, or a seat post rack and shuttling the minimal load back and forth. Large saddlebags like the raddoneuring folk use may be a better option. Consider switching to SPD pedals as it's easier to walk in MTB shoes. Or carry slip-ons if you have to walk a distance from where the bike is kept during the day. I leave my U-lock & cable at the rack so I don't carry it daily. I like having lights (even during daylight) for sections of my route. I bought a 2nd set of mounts (Dinotte) so I just switch the lights & battery packs as needed.

What are you going to do with your gear on days you do the after work rides? The weeknight rides here get a bit spirited; I'd have to drop down a group or stash my commute gear in a friend's car or suck it up and ride with the additional load. You may want a light or arrange for a ride afterwards if it's too dark to ride the rest of the way home.

If you have race tires that have less than great puncture resistance, then get one that does. Something like the Continental GP4000S, fast for your club rides, but have good puncture resistance. Looks like you already roll with Conti's just can't make out which model. Having to change a flat before work sucks and can get in you in hot water if you come in late all the time because of flat tires.

Another recommendation is the Specialized Armadillo Elite tires, still a fast tire, a tad slower than the fast rolling GP4000S, but it has awesome puncture resistance.

A "hobo shower" and/or baby wipes might be sufficient.
If you can keep a change of clothes at the office.
Have someplace to keep your bike secure.
Keep some food or snacks at the office
Don't over complicate things. You get better at planning the more you do something.

Good luck.

I agree with the rest of the board. sounds like you have most of your stuff down. Keep a small wash up kit at the office (Deodorant, baby wipes, etc) and you should be good with clean-up. I'd also recommend that you keep a suit at the office (or whatever you need to wear at your most dressed up) including a piar of shoes. This will keep you from inevitably realizing halfway into work that you forgot to bring your tie or whatever. You can always be over-dressed, under-dressed can be the problem.

Your bike should be fine. If you won't be riding in the dark, then your current light should be fine. The only things you may want to upgrade are your tires (if you find them to be too flat-prone) & possibly re-considering fenders if you find that to be a problem. I don't like to ride in the rain, but I enjoy riding on days when the road is still wet from rain. There are some really nice-ultra-low profile fenders out there (I forget the name-I don't have them) that fit on a racing bike. As you get into commuting, you may find that you want to ride in those situations, but that's down the road, if at all.

I think I might try the backpack before investing in the rack. When I was in college I rode all over town on my old R400 with nothing more than a backpack. I've read so much about the pack causing a sweating problem in the summer months though I thought it might be a necessity. I suppose it depends on my definition of necessity eh?


We're a small family owned company. My office is in a retail "strip mall" kind of building. The owner has already blessed the bike sitting behind the counter up front where it's out of the way, and not in ANY danger of being stolen or damaged. He says if it doesn't work out there, it can sit behind my desk in the back if I'm OK with losing a little space in my area. I'm pretty lucky in those regards.

I had considered a rest day. Not sure if I will or not. It depends on how aggressive we get on the ride......More on that in a moment.

I think that is the rack that I found. I think it was "snapping togethor" with a Bontrager trunk bag. I can't remember for certain as I stopped in that shop on a whim at lunch one day, and stumbled upon that setup on a display bike.

I am in Louisville, and aside from a few days in mid-late August, the humidity isn't terrible in the mornings. It's the afternoon/evenings that get bad. I don't really mind working up a good sweat on the way home,I can just shower when I get there.

This is the same thing I'm looking for. Some days I come in with nothing but onsite work on my schedule, and end up being thrown into a meeting with owners of other companies for consultation on projects, and things like that. I definitely think that hauling a spare set of clothes into the office on my non-riding days is a FINE idea.

I hadn't really considered the grit. With that said, if the radar map looks like rain, I'll most likely just drive in on those days. Until I get some practice and decide that I want to commute full-time.

I already keep my hair at a very short 3/8" on the sides, and just slightly longer on top. I spend a lot of time on the boat in the summer time, and the jobsite for work so keeping the hair short helps keep me as cool as possible. I also keep a spare tube/patch kit, and two inflater cartridges in the saddle bag. Thats pretty standard operating procedure for me.

I figured that the "stuff" I have to carry can just ride along with me on the weeknight club rides. We do get pretty spirited around here as well. I've had several nights where I rode to the club ride from home. Managed to get 38miles in with an average speed just over 21mph. Now that's not the normal speed for that distance ride for me, but running the 25mi club ride in around 1:15-1:30 is fairly common. Not sure how much the extra 10-15lbs will slow me down, but I'm OK with not running the front group if I've got a rack and trunk bag (or backpack) hanging off the bike.

The current tires are almost new (200miles on 'em) Continental GP4000's. Not sure if they are the "S" model or not, but they do say "Grand Prix" over the 4000 logo. I've been running the Conti's since I've been riding. Roughly 15yrs now.

Thanks again for all the tips and tricks and advice in general. I think I'm going to ride in for the first time on Friday morning. It's been raining for DAYS here (The Ohio River is over 30' ABOVE it's normal level here). The weather is supposed to break and have a few sunny days at the end of the week. I'll go ahead and take my clothes in on Thursday. I'll be sure to let you guys know how it works out.

When "riding" after work, I tend to leave my backpack either in my office, or in the parking garage, then pick up it up on the way home.

I ride about 17 miles each way. I realize that not everyone can do what I do but I ride with my backpack on Monday with my laptop and other stuff for the week (some t-shirts, etc). During the week, I just leave my computer, etc. in the office and ride without any bags. On Friday, I ride home with my backpack. I have another computer at home if I need to do some work at night, etc. If I need to bring back files, I just use a usb drive.

My work is casual dress (jeans, polo shirts, clean t-shirts, sneakers, etc.). I leave some extra clothes at work (jeans, khakis, socks, etc.) as well as a pair of sneakers, dress shoes, etc.

I ride in casual dress (no my cycling gear). I also take it a little slower than normal for most of my ride so I don't sweat too much. I have a small desk fan on my desk.

When I get to work, I wipe face with my towel, wash my face in the bathroom, sit in front of my fan for 5 minutes...and I'm pretty much as good as new. I'm Asian so I don't have body hair, etc...so I don't smell of sweat. If worst comes to worst, I have gym membership 2 blocks away so I could take a shower there but there's really no need.

I think if you are able to stock stuff at work (extra clothes in case you want to change) and you don't ride too hard, you should be ok. If you periodically drive, you can use driving days to swap out your clothes.

Well, I got all prepped up to ride into work this morning. I had my bike sitting near the door, tires aired appropriately, and a fresh water bottle in the fridge. I had my cycling clothes laid out ready to go as well, shorts, jacket, leg warmers, full finger gloves, helmet, glasses, sock cap, and shoes (it's 45 here this morning). Had my work clothes all folded up nice and neat in my old college backpack, had some cleanup supplies in the outer pockets. Even left my work boots at the office (well in the truck at the office) with a spare pair of socks yesterday. Alarm went off at 6am like planned so I could get "suited up" and out the door by 6:30 to make sure I had plenty of time before my 8am deadline to be in the office. Then it happened, I hit what I thought was the snooze button. Apparantely my new phone doesn't have one of those, or I just don't know how to work it yet. My wifes 7:15am alarm went off and finally woke me up.

I drove to work today

Maybe tomorrow will work out better?!??!

Or not. Doesn't sound to me like you were psyched to do it. Tomorrow you might be able to think of another excuse. I know plenty of people like that.

It's possible. I was really looking forward to it though. I'll blame it on phone operator error until I miss a full week of riding because of various other reasons. Then I'll cave and admit to being lazier than I should be

I don't know about you - I can only speak for myself, but transitioning to commuting by bike is a fairly good sized adjustment. I'm just starting that change myself. My car died a week ago and so I decided to start cycling and I'm starting from ground zero - meaning I know nothing about cycling and only ride my bike occasionally with the kids.

I had every intention of riding in this morning too. I had just attached a rack to my bike last night. I guess I hadn't prepared enough last night because it took more time than I thought it would to get everything ready to bike in this morning, so much so that when it came time I had to leave, I wasn't ready.

I'm 35 and like most have owned/driven a car for the past 20 years of my life, and the adjustment to something else is taking a little more that I would have thought.

I have a 24 mile each way commute. Always on a road bike. Some days, work and family commitments don't allow cycling both ways. I leave the car in our garage at work. Cycle home and back to work in the morning. Works if you have a secure place to leave the car. It's also a way to restock clean clothes. I tried the seat post rack thing. It rubbed through my expensive cycling shorts due to my large legs or my 34.9 seat post or both. I've done it with a backpack but it's a pain.

Work is always better when I bike rather than drive to work.

DID IT!!!

Had all my stuff packed up and laid out before I went to bed last night (felt like I was prepping for the first day of school all over again). Got up about 6:15 this morning. Grabbed a pop-tart, then suited up. Had a nice ride into work. it was a little cold at 48*, so I stopped once to put my head cover on that I was going to try and go without. Not a single problem with traffic, terrain, or fitness. Route is actually 10.44mi, not 12. Not sure where I got 12 from. Made the trip in 40:44, at an average speed of 15.39mph. I'm starting to understand the fenders though. One thing I had NOT accounted for was sprinkler run-off. Several places I had to ride through very wet roads where the neighborhoods sprinklers had been on, and run-off onto the street. Not a huge ordeal though.

I did roll into work right as one of the partners was unlocking the door. Walked in a few minutes behind her, after taking a second to cool off, and gather my thoughts. Promptly stored the bike behind my desk, and made a Bee-Line for the restroom. I think I over layered this morning. Sweat all the way through the under-armor shirt I had under my cycling jacket. My head covering was drenched as well. I packed a couple of micro-fiber towels, some diluted body wash, and a large hand towel. I was able to clean up in the sink as much as needed. Reapplication of deodorant, and hair stuff, and I feel better than when I drive in.

Saw a flock of wild Turkeys as well on the way. Never see that in the car!