Today was my FIRST commute to work!
 

Today i commuted to work for the first time ever (I am a server at a restaurant/movie theater) its about 7.5 miles, so its about 15miles round trip. So with great hesitation i left for work -with my work clothes, and shoes in a backpack-an hour and a half early to work to make sure i got there in time, it only took me 30 minutes to get there!!! (takes me 15 in a car). I got in at 5:00pm and left at 11:00pm with the darkness afoot a trekked on into the dark sky, very scared, FREAKING AWESOME. I saw a possum dance (seriously...) and a woman walking a dog backwards screaming at the moon(seriously....). I thought it was going to be allot harder than it was; with that said, i am not only impressed in myself but in my bike as well. I can see me doing this for the long run. now I have a 1985 trek 460 (DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BIKES) but is that an okay bike to commute in? any one else here just experienced there first day commuting on bike? and any one have any pointers or tips on slowly going to commuting to work every day?

Congratulations, keep it up.

You bike should be perfect for commuting as long as it fits you OK. From what I could tell about the Trek 460 from a quick search is that it looks like a great steel road bike. Should be good.

Any specific pointer/tips you want should be easy to find here on the forms but here is a quick list of things you should know a little about.

-I have no clue were you live, but know you cycling laws.
-Flashing front white and rear red light are a must have especially you your commute times are 5pm and 11pm, lights are the law in all states.
-fenders are nice if it rains ever, many styles to choose from, full cover, or clip on
-Lock up you bike with the right lock. thick cables might seem safe, but can be cute really easily, there is nothing worst then getting your bike stolen, U-locks are the safest, lock the frame, not just the wheel.
-keep your bike maintained, take it to a shop or try to do it your self. its all easy, keep tires up to pressure, clean and oil chain lightly. wipe down the bike when needed.

Those are some basics. This might seem like a lot but its not.

Enjoy your commute

Your Trek 460 is an excellent chromoly steel framed bike that will last you for decades, if kept dry. Just make certain that any surface rust is removed immediately. If the surface rust is minimal and exists only in a few spots, just cover small sanded area (about the diameter of a quarter or nickel) with fingernail polish. If the size of the sanded area is more than a couple of inches (especially in several places), tape off the area, prime it, and then paint it with rustoleum. If the rust is speckled throughout the tubing, or is becoming a prominent surface feature, just thoroughly sand the entire bike, yourself. Then have it professionally powdercoated! Make certain that it's rustproofed before reassembling your bike, after powdercoating.

If your bike has no rust at all, just ignore this advice all together! :D

Good Luck! :thumb:

- Slim :)

Great job my friend. Here is a few things that may or may not apply. Just food for thought:

I just started commuting to work and it is sooo much damn fun! A few things I will share:

1- drink plenty of water
2- Have some solid snacks before going to work like banana, apple, toast with PB. When you get to work, have breakfast to replenish the used up energy. About two hours before the ride home, eat some snacks... perhaps a protein drink. See, PROTEIN is a very important aspect of this while you are building muscles. This is key. A protein shake, for me, works great.
3- Always bring another layer of clothes. You never know what will happen when you leave to go home.
4- Share the route with your wife. Have different address written down for her of houses or buildings so she can quickly put the address in of the closest place you are if you find yourself stranded. This of course, happened to me. I live in a new place and my wife just moved here. Two days into it, I got stranded on my way home with a broken spoke, flat tire, and not the equipment to change it so it was hard telling my wife where I am. Thank God for Google Maps and Latitude function!
5- Some people will disagree but for me, investing in solid lights is key. Comes with a price but for me it was well worth it. I have two tail lights, a front light and helmet light.
6- Look around the forum at how people are glowing at night. Its amazing. If you want some info on where to buy some of the tape... like for your spokes... let me know and I can pass it on to you.
7- get a reflective vest, its key.
8- Panniers are wonderful. Ortliebs are the BET and waterproof. Get them from thetouringstore.com The guy who owns it is amazing and the customer service is perfect.
9- Always bring sunglasses and clear glasses. Both protect your eyes.
10- For cold weather check out Underarmer. Great stuff. Wind breaker is nice, full figured gloves are wonderful.

Drop me an PM if you need more info. I am new to this but the learning curve really helped me once I understood it.

I would also add to make friends with a bike mechanic. Bring them some cookies or something and they will love you. Have them teach you about your bike and maintance. Get the Parks Mechanic book and see if anyone is doing mechanic classes in your area.

I would also share the route with a loved one... your parents or wife or whoever you have close to you so they know the route you are taking. Draw a map for them or something. The idea is giving THEM the tools to help you if needed.

Have some cash and some change just in case.
Make sure to carry a pump, co2 set up, extra tube and patches. I also carry lube for my chain just in case. And tire levers and some tape in case you break a spoke and need to secure it. Panniers or a back pack are wonderful to have.

Congrats! Feels good, huh? Today was my first commute in 3 weeks (and my last for the year). I was on vacation.

Mine is a similar length (between 8-10 miles one way depending on my choice of route) and takes me 30-45 mins.

haha great 1st story!


helmet, lites and reflectors

Congratulations! Welcome to the commuting world, a real life-changer! We look forward to hearing your adventures as you keep it up. I have a Trek 520 from 1985, and it seems that steel bikes from Trek during that period are bulletproof - they must have hit a real sweet spot in their manufacturing process or something, so your bike is A-OK in my book!

Helmet, lights, and a small mechanical kit (tube, tools, patches, pump/co2). The rest of the gear you will want will come to you in time. If you end up carrying alot of things, ditch the backpack and get a rear rack w/ trunk. Also, while you should try to have the confidence that you can get yourself out of any situation it doesn't hurt to have an alternative. Get familiar with your local bus routes, and carry enough change for a one way fare. Many modern buses have bike racks. In 8 months of commuting, I haven't used the bus once, despite flats and other mechanical problems, but it's handy just in case.

Also, eat right. Fruits, nuts, fiber. It will make the ride better/easier and you will start to see the benefits of riding much faster.

Keep it up!

Your bike should be fine (unless you have a really long commute). Mid 80, early 90's steel framed mountain bikes are amongst the best commuting bikes out there. They are comfortable & virtually indestructable. As you get better at commuting, you may look to make your bike faster. The best way to do this without spending a lot of money is to replace the knnobby tires with slicks. As long as you aren't going off-road on the bike, this will make a pretty noticable difference in your commute, but it's certainly not necessary, epsecially at first.

Awesome! as long as your bike fits you well, and you enjoy riding it, then it's perfect for commuting. :thumb:

well guys today was day two of the commute, much ce colderr this time around, and my legs where not as good .didn't see anything digby b but it was still awesome!!! this tinge though I left work at 2 a love the support, will keep you guts posted

Trek 460 is a road bike . . .
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cvKnJ5SlFp...333-752978.jpg

I think the 4600 is a mountain bike - lemme check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yep, the 4600 is a mountain bike:
http://images02.olx.com/ui/4/57/91/6...quinox-TTX.jpg

Well you're enjoying it, and that is even more important than the bike.

That is a nice distance for a commute. If something goes seriously wrong, it's not too far to push or carry the bike. It is enough to keep you in shape.

I changed having my breakfast at home, to having it at work. There was another reason for that besides the commute, but it helps with the commute. If there is a delay of some sort, it comes out of my breakfast instead of my job time. I don't buy breakfast at work, just pack it and bring it.

One other thing that is a big help. Get a second bike if you can. Some mornings when time is tight there will be a flat tire. It just takes about 30 seconds to unlock the other bike and use it.

Hooked another one. Nice.

Well done.

If you may commute in wet conditions, consider fenders.

Good work! An extra 30 minutes of commuting a day is nothing when you figure in that you got an hour's worth of exercise. Keep it going!

7.5 miles one way is significant, but not that long. An old MTB with slick tires is perfect--it'll get you there just fine, it's plenty efficient, and it'll have relatively-low theft appeal. My new commuter is a 1995 Trek 820 MTB converted to a touring bike. I use it for around town and for commuting which is 4.25 or 10.5 miles one-way (depending on the day).

If you haven't gotten a pair of slick tires, go for it--it'll make a huge difference. Don't cheap out on the tires though; slicks are more prone to damaging debris and there's a lot more crap on the roads than the trails.

If you're going to be riding in the dark, get yourself a good headlight "too see" (versus a "to be seen" light). I just got a Niterider Minewt 600 lumen for just over a $100 on Amazon.