new to commuting
 

so, i'm very seriously considering riding my bike to work, about ten miles away, with some average hills. gonna be using a 19lb fixed gear bike with 73.9 gear inches. plus a bag on the handlebars containing a folding foot pump, tubes, tire levers, axle nut wrench, water bottles, bike lock. thinking about wearing a wool jersey and wool shorts with a leather chamois, gloves, cap, sunglasses, and cycling shoes with the stiff soles and perforated leather. trying to figure out where im going to put my work boots/socks/shirt/shorts/hat/safety glasses/gloves/water/lunch, thinking just a backpack but i feel like that would be ****ty. going to be using a fake san marco concor saddle. gonna clip a mirror to my sunglasses and use a front and rear light.

wondering if i should just skip the wool/chamois shorts and go for some lycra ones with a padded crotch? or could i wear the lycra padded guys under the wool ones and not be too hot in the summer? i dont want my junk to be super accentuated anyway.

thinking i want a rear bag, but i dont have room for fenders or rack mounting holes, are there any ways to mount a bag on the seatpost somehow? maybe using something coming out of the rear brake mount for some kind of support instead of a fender? any quick-releasing/velcro/anything other than something that requires tools? and then where do i put my taillight? i really dont want to wear a backpack... and theres a bike i keep at work too just for riding from greenhouse to greenhouse and i want to be able to take the bag of my road bike and pop it on the coaster brake one for work. actually if i can find some quick release fenders it could make my bag choices easier. has to be big enough to fit size 8-9 work boots, shorts, t-shirt, socks, underwear, safety glasses, ball cap, gardening gloves, and a couple sandwiches.

whats ten miles like on a fixed gear in 85 degree weather? any suggestions? anything else i should have in case something happens? anything about the rear bag or how to stay comfortable? thankssssssssssssssss

I ride FG a lot, 68 gear inches... I have done a lot more then 10 miles on fixed gear. No problem at all...10 miles is not a lot. Just make sure you stay well hydrated when it's hot.

word. im mainly concerned about soreness from a hard saddle, or also chafing. are there any real leather chamois/wool shorts in a basic/classic style that have padding in them? is a real leather saddle more comfortable than a taiwanese concor ripoff? its padded, but still feels pretty hard. i might just run non-padded real chamois+wool shorts w/ bag balm until i find padded ones. i definitely need to figure out a cheap, comfortable, black, classic style saddle. and i really gotta find some vintage leather size 44 cycling shoes. the 43s wont fit me because i have a size 8.5eee foot. just going to get the 44s and use size large clips to get my foot where i want it over the pedal. call me a hipster but yes im kind of anal about the vintage/retro thing. but not too anal. if it works and its all theyve got ill use it but if i can, i try to go with some 60's/70's looking stuff. i have some kind of romance with that look. i love it.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/pr...FYpDMgodqy4AmA
These are good shoes...as far as the saddle...10 miles is nothing...most saddles will work without any extras. JMO..

those shoes are sweet! but pretty expensive. also i want more like 70's vittorias or something similar.

so perhaps my butts just gotta get used to the further-than-downtown rides. if thats the case ill just go with the classic wool/leather crotch shorts.

found these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Topeak-DeFen...item565023af54

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOPEAK-MTX-B...item56536327c3

pretty sure that front fender wont fit inbetween the fork blades on my 70's ron kitching. might cut them down skinnier? i like that style of fender attachment though, like a quill stem or handlebar plug. are there any other front fenders you guys know about that attach/detach quickly in a way that doesnt require loose parts or more than one tool?

going to just bungee cord a waterproof bookbag to the rack and mount an led light to the end.

so i'm thinking:

-handlebars with led headlight and velcro-attached bag containing collapsible foot pump+presta adapter, tubes, tire levers, axle nut wrenches, water bottles, bike lock.
-front fender
-quick-release rear rack with red led light and waterproof bookbag bungee corded to it.
-sunglasses with clip-on mirror
-leather/crochet cycling gloves, cycling cap, wool jersey, wristwatch, wool shorts with leather chamois, perforated leather cycling shoes.

anything i'm missing/should have? more tools?

I think you are thinking too much! Again JMO.

You're thinking too hard again. If you really have a lot of sharp junk in the road, or goatheds where you live, then trade up to a tire with Kevlar in it. Carry 1 patch, a tire lever tool, one wrench for the wheels. Air pump? Maybe, but unless you're out in the country somewhere there should be a filling station with an air hose close, so I don't bother with it. I've cycled for years now and I've never had a flat on the road yet although I'm sure my time is coming.

If it's cold enough for wool shorts, aren't you going to be cold from the knees down? Tell you what, try the basic kit for a week, then see what you think. When you actually get out there riding the route, you often find that what you thought you need--you don't! And then you figure out what you do really need.

i wont start riding there until the weather gets well enough, its still too harsh here.

when i was in your position, i made my normal run on a day off just to check it out. same time as my commute, just to check traffic, etc..

10mi will be no problem. i ride singlespeed and fixed, got rid of my last geared bike last summer. even if you have a couple hill pulls, you'll get used to it pretty quick. same for the saddle. i run a Fizik Pave CX and there was about a week of HTFU, but it's been fine for about a year now.

i've run "street clothes" down to about 35F, just making sure to have good hand protection. anything under 50F i like to have my knees covered. biggest mistake i made those first months was overdressing. 10min into my commute and i had to stop and take off a layer. now i can "read" the temp and plan my gear, knowing that i'll only feel "chilly" for about 5min.

folding foot pump sounds heavy. i had two flats last year (one a piece of wire, the other a flint shard as my route is part trail). two CO2's and adapter takes up about the same room as a deck of cards. i carry a spare tube (and patches in case of second flat), so 5min later i was on my way. and while it seemed geeky to me at first, having a bike specific multitool (Park, Crank Bros, etc.) has been nice.

you'll love riding to work. enjoy!

just ride and don't think too much.

you'll adjust when needs to be adjusted over time as it's an evolutionary process.

i ride a super hard MTB seat 15 mi/day round-trip and it's not a big deal.

i started commuting in the summer with some beater Old Navy cargo shorts ($5) and fake wool long-sleeved ($8) shirt I had kicking around. that worked fine when it was warm. in the winter, i bought some inexpensive lycra running pants (€15) a technical XC ski top (249 SEK) and a hooded XC ski stop with zip to cover the neck and prevent air going down my front (699 SEK) and an L.L. Bean weatherproof outer shell ($69). some XC ski gloves keep my hands warm down to -5C/25F. any colder than that and I need to flex my fingers when riding.

as far as shoes go, i have some Nordic Walking shoes from Adidas with Gore-Tex that I bought for a trip to SE Asia (€50 at 50% off) that work wonders in bad weather and cold down to -5C/25F.

good luck and let your bike/attire evolve over time to meet your particular riding conditions.

This!

85 degrees weather? No advice for you :crash:

Just ride it a couple times, you will learn soon enough what works and what does not.

That was my first thought.

OP - try something like this instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Pocket-.../dp/B000FI6XGC

85 degrees, careful throwing them words around like that. My ride is 18 miles one way, 22F at the start last week. Try fitting a rack with p-clamps to your seat stays. Drive monday am with a weeks worth of clothes so you don't have to bike with them back and forth. Same with food, got a 'fridge at work?

i ride every day throughout the winter in below zero temps and know how to dress for it, i live in flint michigan. its still snowy here. but im going to be riding it in the summer, hence asking about the high temp gear. its this thing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Floor-A...item2a248a4107
just thinking itd be easier/faster to use

i pack CO2 and a PDW Shiny object. easy to control flow knob and fills the tube in about 2-5 seconds.

silly leather 'cartridge cozy' -not- required. :)

http://www.ridepdw.com/sites/default...-%20ianco2.jpg


at 85F i'm wearing a "wicking" athletic shirt and nylon hiking shorts over unpadded cycling shorts (i do Bag Balm up though. i dread chafing).

85 degree weather? I live in Southwest Florida where it's hot and humid. I wear shorts, t-shirt (sometimes a tank top), and flip-flops. Although, when I think I might be getting too much sun, I wear a long-sleeved, breathable t-shirt. I know flip-flops aren't the best idea, but it kind of evolved from running shoes.

Take a look at Carradice bags like the Barley or Pendle. That is what I use for commuting, and they have room for all of the gear I need about 99% of the time. I also keep a supply of clothes and food at my office, which I restock on days that I drive. You can mount a Barley or Pendle bag to virtually any bike, but I would recommend using one of their "Bagman" racks to support the bag and keep it from swaying. Acorn also makes a bag that supposedly doesn't need a support rack, but they are hard to buy (limited supplies) and more expensive than Carradice. You can get much better prices and selection on Carradice bags by shopping from British on-line shops such as Wiggle or SJS Cycles (or directly from Carradice).

See the photos I've attached of my Barley bag, mounted on various bikes. The Merckx and De Bernardi bikes are racing frames with no mounts for racks and fenders and typical racing geometries.

My two cents in no particular order:

Aside from the big seat bags that Tarwheel shows you can simply roll up a bundle and bungie it in the same place behind the seat. In practice that's a little inconvenient but works in a pinch. You can also purchase or DIY a frame bag that hangs in the front triangle. I did this, and it works very well if you fashion it for quick attachment and release. It won't be big enough for the work boots so you have to work something else out for that (can you leave them at work?). I'd consider a seatpost rack just for the shoes.

You should get a frame pump or tiny CO2 pump. That's the one thing that I don't consider optional, along with patches and/or tubes. I carry all of the above, all of the time.

Just leave the lock at work. There's no reason to carry it around if you go to the same place every day.

Biking shorts, chamois padding et al are entirely optional for a 10 mile commute.

Don't worry about going the 10 miles in 85°, you can adapt easily and it will eventually become routine. I don't even bother with water for that distance, in sometimes considerably warmer temperatures in our summers. Just get on your bike and ride, take a backpack if you have to - it's not that bad.

Hey RGNY I'm thinking about getting a co2 pump thing but let me ask you.

How do you know when you have filled enough air?

CO2 is just to get me home, as it bleeds out faster than air, so i get the sidewall "firm to the thumb" and refill later.

I figured. I really don't feel like bringing a mini pump with me everywhere but I wouldn't mind something that size. What kind is that?

For a 10 mile commute just wear your normal clothes - if you need padded shorts to ride 10 at a time it's time to HTFU a bit - and a pair of sneakers with clips and straps. Wool is going to be a bit toasty over 85. CO2 inflater or a frame mount hand pump, 15mm wrench, 1 tube, small patch kit, water bottle, lock. Get a Brooks or other leather saddle with saddle bag attachment points and mount a roll up bag under it like others have suggested.

Convenience trumps looks after about one round trip commuting. You're over-thinking it.

PDW Shiny Object. requires threaded cartridges.

thanks, good advice. how do i know what pressure its at if i use co2s.. just use a presta tire pressure gauge? for a 27"x1-3/8" tire, how many cartridges would i need?

so, bag balm's the jam huh? theres not like a better kind of thing like that for the same price or whatever? i think i'm just gonna go w/ bag balm cause its the thing people say they like to use so far.
ahhhh. would it all run out if it sat for 8 hours?

rad, thanks. i'll see after the first couple trips if i want to switch my saddle. i know im over thinking it, im trying to. id rather have too much stuff with me than not enough and be late for work. i have this whole romance with the old-school gear, i'll try the thin wool shorts with leather crotch and if theyre too hot, ill just wear running shorts.

ive figured out that i think im gonna go with the quick release rear rack+bungees+waterproof bookbag, so when i get to work i can put my backpack on my back and transfer the rack+cords to my work bike and maybe strap a smaller lexan to it incase i need to take a couple orphan flats down to the rest or some tools or parts or a flat of plants down to dave to show him something weird thats going on with them to try to find a solution... or just whatever i can strap on it really... run some ice cream or popsicles out to everyone or something.

this was an extremely helpful post, thank you
dont think ill do a frame bag just cause im worried about getting blown around.

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also thanks RGNY im probably going to go with that thing, and some co2 cartridges instead of that heavy-lookin pump.

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those are some pretty sweet bags, tarwheel. i think i've got everything figured out though, plus im on a smallish budget.


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THANKS EVERYONE THAT POSTED YALL ARE VERY HELPFUL!!!

as far as how many CO2 cartridges, a 12gr cartridge can take my 700x32 tire up to around 80psi. plenty to roll on (max is 85psi) and i've got more if need be.

i don't carry a pressure gauge. "firm to the squeeze" sidewalls are enough for me until i get back to my garage.

i carry three cartridges with me. mainly in case of a dud cartridge (happens once in a great while) or a second flat.

if you get a flat on the morning commute and fill it with CO2, then work 8hrs, i'd check it before i headed home in case it needed a top off, but it should be fine. just make sure you bleed/fill it with a regular pump when you get home. it would lose about half the pressure in 24hrs.

there are a -ton- of "chamois creme" options out there. i use Bag Balm because i can always grab it at the local pharmacy or grocery store and it works fine.

word thank you so much. i think im gonna go with panaracer pasela tourguard tires, and a black leather 'gyes' saddle. probably not going to get cycling shoes unless i find a cheap deal on some vintage ones, probably just gonna wear sneakers.

you will probably laugh, but I have a couple of "bell" bags that I got from walmart, one is a handlebar bag and the other is a wedge style bag. I carry a couple of tubes, patch kit, multi tool, tire levers and have room for wallet, keys, and miscellania like moist towelettes for cleaning oil, chain breaker, spoke wrench... these bags are lightweight, low cost, durable, hang using velcro. never had a problem with them. You can fit what you need (my list) in only the handlebar bag (as its got nice amount of room) but I had the wedge bag before I found the handlebar bag...