Indeed there is. Merged thread with the Advice for New Commuters sticky.

I have an Airzounds and a bell, as I don't like using the air horn on other cyclists and pedestrians unless they can't hear the bell. I suppose depending on where you live in MI, that may not be an issue for you. It was never one for me outside of Ann Arbor.

Tip: A bell or a polite "Excuse Me" works well even for people with English as a 2nd language. Hollering "on your left" doesn't work well for non-english speaking folks.

Tip: Most people are on a schedule. If you ride the same route about the same time every day, the drivers may remember you and retaliate for delaying them or crazy moves that you did the day before. Ride courteously.

Not always possible, but...
Tip: Help the traffic keep moving and lessen road rage (mabe a little)
While traveling in busy rush hour traffic, don't let cars stack up behind you. Rather, ride in a straight line on the side, as a car approaches from behind, signal them to pass (when it is safe to do so).

This works best when the car is about 30' behind you, probably because the driver doesn't have time to get pissed off. I find that when I wave them to pass, my arm is out further and they actually give me more room while passing.

Quickclot scares the hell out of me. The loose powder is extremely dangerous, and shouldn't be handled by anyone who doesn't have some kind of formal medical training.

I guess the little teabags of quickclot might be useful in a catastrophic accident. If you know how to use it. But if you have an injury bad enough to warrant using quickclot, you'll probably be unconscious before you get the chance to apply it.

EDIT: The only quikclot I'd seen before was the military stuff. Looks like they have some consumer-grade external-use stuff now.

any suggestions on whats better, saddle bags or a backpack. Also any suggests on good products of both?? Another question how do you guys keep your work clothes form gettin wrinkled when they are in your saddle bag or back pack??

Right now I ride with a backpack and I am looking to get something else.Probably a rack to strap my backpack on. Even on cool mornings my shirt is soaked through.

Jsen

The_Spaniard,

You can get a pannier that is actually a suitbag. I forget who sells it. Try Bike Nashbar or Performance. It basically drapes and is fastened over a rear bike rack, and is one piece.

I guess this is kind of the newbie megathread, so I'll post here rather than dedicating a whole thread to this: What do those of you that wear helmets do with your helmet when you get where you're going? Carry it around? Lock it up? I don't really like either option, but let me know.

At work when I pull up, I pack my gear away in my Topeak trunk and panniers in one, slowly take off my helmet, and then walk slower yet pass the usual group of early morning smokers. With helmet at arms length and at eye level, I chant my mantra. The helmet is akin to a skull with mystic powers.

Wide eyed, and in a low mumble I thank the cycling Gods for a safe and fast journey through the urban jungle, and ask that the lungs of these poor souls be spared another day.

Over and over again I chant as I approach the front entrance.
I do this amongst cat calls, hisses, and cigarette buts being flung at me.

Is there any particular dead language I should use when thanking the cycling gods? :-p

No language necessary, but you should always ask the cycling Gods to be shown the path to an ever abundant Chinese buffet at the end of the day.

Aside from my imagination, I string my helmet around my Topeak shoulder strap and walk everything to my cubicle. I then proudly place my helmet on top my file cabinet for all to see. It's interesting, but lately I've been approached by employees asking me about "how-to" commute to work by bike in the hallways. I guess the helmet speaks for itself.

No shame in it. Take it with you everywhere. Just remember to take it off at the movies, at religious gatherings, and in bed.

Can you commute long distances on a hardtail mountain bike?

Need details on "long distance"

Mountain bikes have short wheel bases and are primarily designed for tight maneuvers on rough terrain.

Can you provide more details on your route.

My route is a paved country road that goes up and down, but i occasionally ride off road

Hello Inar32,

I cannot see why not. I've seen people tour on mountain bikes before. They're are not really built for this purpose. If you have knobby tires on it now, you might want to switch them out for something a bit less aggressive.

A rack and some fenders might also come in handy. Did you checkout the commuter pictures thread at the top of this forum? You can get some really good ideas from what others have done by looking at their bike pictures.

If your itching to upgrade, maybe a cyclocross type bike might be more suitable for you. It will have a longer wheelbase (translates to speed on the straightaways), 700c size wheels, and fork and stay widths to accomodate fat semi-aggressive tires and fenders.

Goodluck!

Great thread. I am seriously looking into commuting. I have owned a few bikes in the past, but it was nothing serious. Just to have something to ride. I want to get a bike again, but for now, I would like to start with a fairly inexpensive one. I know that you get what you pay for, and intend to upgrade as time passes, but for now I was hoping you guys could point me in the right direction as far as a starter commuter. I live in NC in a city environment. I am 6'0" and 170 lbs. Not really sure what size bike this equates to. I live near a bike shop that deals with Raleighs and Cannondales. I was talking to the salesperson about one of the Raleigh comfort bikes. It was nice and right around a price I could deal with at the moment. But I wanted to get some advice from some experts "outside" the store.

Thank you in advance.

Stephen

Your bike shop should be able to help you get the correct fit. I bought a "comfort bike" 6 weeks ago and I have put over 400 miles on it even though I was gone on vacation for two weeks out of the six. I'm considering buying a road bike so I can go on longer group rides and not slow down the roadies but I don't regret my comfort bike purchase at all.

For a commuter you'll want a bike that can accomodate a rear rack, and full fenders. Don't hesitate to try out the Hybrids. They have a bit more aggressive seating posture, and are more efficient than comfort bikes...and also try out the bikes that are already marketed as commuter/urban/city bikes.

For example, see www.rei.com, and take notice of the handlebar height vs seat height of the bikes in the various categories. For comfort bikes the handlebars tend to be higher than the seat. This effectively places you in an upright seating postion. The gain is comfort, and the loss is speed. Your body is in an inefficient position to pedal fast - you'll tend to bob up and down at high cadences.

Now look at the hybrids/urban bikes, and note how the handlebars are near or at level with the seat. This tends to place your body weight over both wheels, and places you in a more forward leaning seating posture - and this translates to speed.
Just think of walking as compared to a sprint - you lean forward.

For fun click on the road bikes, and take note of the handlebar and seat heights. You'll find the handlebars lower than the seat. This is a very aggressive posture and often translates to neck, lower back, and hand pain. However for racing, it is a very fast posture.

There are other attributes of course. Is it comfort your looking for?

Thanks guys. I'm kinda looking for a bit of speed and a bit of comfort. So I guess the hybrids are the way to go. Thank you again so much.

I can't say I agree with this. I have commuted comfortably for about 3 years now 25 miles a day on either a road bike (Kuwahara UL) or my new Raleigh (Rush Hour). There is a movement out there for the comfort-ride cyclists and that's fine I guess. But everytime I see a bike with a sofa sized saddle and 3 inch springed shock absorbers I suspect the rider doesn't really want to be on a bike at all.

I do have an ideal situation though. My lab has an attached shower/bathroom so I don't worry about what condition I'm in when I arrive at work. I know I'm going to shower anyway. I keep supplies at work like soaps and towels so that I only need to carry the clean change clothes with me on my commute.

Aggressive is as aggressive does. Posture on the saddle, the manner in which you ride and the duration etc all factor in. Just because a bike has "aggressive geometry" does no exclude it from practical commuting options.

I only use a rear clip on fender when its actually raining. Why have a frame giddied up with fenders all the time? Why a a rear rack? How much are you hauling? In my case a small sized messenger bag is often more than sufficient (like today).

Do people feel more secure/comfortable if their bike is kitted out with every possible product?

Some suggestions:
1) When possible, create a route that takes you near to your LBS. Most incidents and accidents I have suffered are taken care of by simply rolling or walking to the LBS. In this way I don't have the need to carry any maintenance gear with me (except for the crank bros mini pump I basically got for free and which stashes nicely in my bag).
2) Consider undecorating your bike with crap. A clean unencumbered frame is a happy frame. Accidents can happen when something gets snagged or something snags you or some piece of crap you've attached to your bike. Also less to steal and less to go wrong.
3) Vary your riding style. I suppose I am one of those "aggressive" bikers here, but I vary my style so that I'm not caught in some dilemma. There are some hills I am particularly fond of attacking. I detour through the park to decrease the amount of car traffic I have to deal with and at those times I sit up and chill out. Inevitably on my last ascent on a false flat 2 miles from home I catch sight of a FRED and the cranks really start hammering down into a thrilling competitive sprint.

Uh-oh, tiny rant...

the other attributes would also encompass the cyclists riding experience, body shape, general health status, flexibilty, and tolerance to pain.

What feels good to you now may change 5, 10, 20 yrs down the road.

Your body is continuously changing. Joints get stiffer, muscles become less flexible, injuries from the past start to show, knees start to ache...etc....

What works for you necessarily does not mean it will work for others. There are no two persons alike. That's why there is an after market for stems, saddles, handlebars, and various model types.

If it takes a comfort bike for most to get into cycling....let it be so.
Maybe in due time they'll wake up and invest in a recumbent.

LMAO
Absolutely agree with body types etc. But that sort of begs the question, "to figure out what bike to ride go ride a bike". Agree, too, that it is best to get people out there. Nice thoughts.

A rack and panniers (or even strapping your bag to the rack) makes life a lot easier and a lot less sweaty than a backpack (especially on a hot summer day). Also, unless you get a good one really meant for biking, messenger bags have a tendency to slide from your back to your side, basically getting completely in the way of actually biking.

Well, I ended up purchasing a Specialized Giant. It is the 09 model. I really like the look of it and it rides great, from my limited experience anyhow. The salesperson said it would make a great commuter. Got it for a smidge over $400. Now I need to start accessorizing. Thanks for all the input.