Tip: Don't ignore creaks either on the bike or from yourself.

Aches' in the knees, hips, arms are a sign that the bike doesn't fit or posture needs to improve. Creaks and squeeks could be signal big problems like a crack in the crank.

Long Time Commuter
 

I've been bike commuting for over ten years now. And while Expereince doesn't make you smarter, it does give you opinions:)

Rambling post follows:

Bikes: I started out on a Sears Special ultra heavy MTB ripoff I "Borrowed from my father (giving him the excuse to buy a real bike) This was the bike I learned to ride on at 14. :eek: After learning the joy of not waiting for the bus, relying on rides and getting around to cool places like the library I managed to break the frame in two places (seperate events), so I upgraded to a Trek 800. 1 Week after buying it with my own money, before I even had a chance to add cool parts it was stolen from an out of sight side of a home while *Locked*. Right next to a little neices window, scary. Being broke I had to ride a rusted garage sale special for a year while i saved up the money for another Trek. Rode the Trek for 5 years before succumbing to various failures. Needing a bike to couumute to work I bought a $70 Toys R Us Special. Not counting tubes I did *Zero* maintence for 3 years. it finally gave up the ghost this winter, replaced it with another Target Special bike. My advice Get a good, cheap bike that you can afford to replace. Riding a name brand bike is like flashing cash at the register, eventually someone else will want it more.

Tips: Pacific brand big box bikes seem to be the best. They're too heavy, made with inferior components and built in China by slave labor but they get me to work *every day*. Only the most desperate want to steal them. My defense, looking cheap. I tie shopping bags on the seatpost, Zip ties "holding" parts on, never wash it, and love nicks and scratches (soemtimes ducttape helps too). Require vee brakes, "spider" cranks (the one that attaches in more than one place) and a front quick release (for those kind souls who might pick you up on a rainy day). If at all possible buy it in the box and put it together yourself. Target will *Not* let you do this. Avoid all suspension, if nothing else is available, get front suspension *Only.*

For reference Pacific makes:
-Pacific
-Murray, their "low end" worst components.
-Mongoose
-Schwinn, their "high end," you may even get a threadless stem
-Some others I forget. They will say Pacific Cycles on the box or frame sticker.
*Avoid* Magna like the deadly plauge it is.

Carried equipment: I am lucky enough to live in the SF Bay Area. so even cold ain't cold and hot doesn't last forever. Rains always come right as I leave for work. That said, I always carry a hunter orange jacket, often worn. everything else I carry in a freebie shoulder pack (that looks it).
I bring road maps of the local area, a super cheap orange plastic poncho, a medium duty yellow poncho, a liter of water, a cup, a *big* wrench (bolt on rear hub), spare AA batts, a handful of zip ties, some Tylonal, can opener (for canned lunches), Fork, hex wrenches, tire levers, lighter. When I get paid a spare tube goes into the bag. One day I'll also have one of those mini pumps and a space blanket maybe even an energy bar. Non-bike related I have my uniform shirt, Lunch, a couple of pens, a book and some tissue. Everything (except the water, cup, jacket, shirt, and wrench) Goes into ziploc bags and sealed with masking tape. It sounds like a lot but except for the shirt and lunch I could carry it all in a sarfari jacket. I use a pocket flashlight on the rare occasion I have to ride in the dark, a multitool for the remainder of my tools. I've lost 2 lights to the "Twist" attack, Don't have the space or cash for a nifty rechargable/generator powered.

Some of my bike stuff doesn't sound like bike stuff, It's "earthquake repellent." Pursuant to Murphys Law, disaster strikes when you're least prepared so by carring a kit I protect the Bay Area from earthquakes. :rolleyes: Well, at least I'll be ready. If I worked around the corner from home I wouldn't bother but the shortest bike/foot route puts me 15 miles and a *Tall* hill from home. If I'm working late (remember Murphy) I'll be more likely to stay out till dawn and then try for it. Warnings about appearing prepared in a diaster noted and planned for.

It seems most bicyclists are more self reliant than the masses. Are you prepared fro your local diasters?

RGB.

I commute 13 miles one way for work, I always carry extra tube, patches, cell phone. That is until today, got up at 4:30 A.M. this morning and headed out, got about eight miles out and got a flat, no big deal I figure except I forgot I rode my other bike the day before and left all my gear on that bike. Had a nice five mile walk into work. Live and learn.:(

Thanks for the info; Laptop Pannier?
 

Hi, all:

I'm new to commuting and to this forum. I live in Arlington, MA, just over the border from Cambridge and am very close to the Minuteman Bike path. The first day I picked up my bike from the shop, a 7-year-old kid slammed into me, bending my front rim. His father, who was with him at the time, got into an argument with me about whose fault it was and rode off in a huff, refusing to give me his contact information.

From this experience, I guess that you just need to be extra careful of kids and people not paying attention on the bike path, especially on the weekends. I'd love to hear tips from anyone else who commutes into the city via the Minuteman Trail.

Also, I'm still looking for the perfect pannier to carry my laptop in. I have a great one that folds out to carry a full bag of groceries but would like a second one specifically for the laptop.

Okelle,

I ride the MDC/Paul Dudley White Path in Boston pretty much every day and often work on weekends so I use it then, too. I've ridden the Minuteman countless times as well.

My wife uses the bike path into Boston less frequently than I do and it was informative seeing her have to adjust to the busy path last weekend. Lots of kids and parents and people who just plain stop and stand in the middle of the path straddling their bikes or holding their dog on a leash as though no other people existed except those in the small sphere of their own self centered reality. Though I admit to huge frustration at times myself, her discomfort grew into an absolute rage by the time she exited the path in Cambridge. My advice to her was:

#1 Accept the reality that there are a ton of bozos on the bike path and all of them are looking to take you down.

#2 Ride with your head up and your plane of vision well ahead of where you are riding. A lot of riders drop their gaze to the ground about 20' in front of the bike, which makes every obstacle on the path a really big surprise. Look almost to the horizon while taking in everything around you in your immediate vicinity.

#3 Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate unexpected maneuvers by those around you especially children and be consistent, steady and predictable in your riding.

#4. Warn others of your approach with a bell, horn or your voice. A bell is great. It's for the most part a friendly sound though the impatience of some cyclists has almost worn out the bell- it's become for some the sound of antagonism just as "on your left" has almost become a joke phrase. so use these warnings sparingly.

#5 and probably one of the hardest for me sometimes- Slow down. yeah, bite the bullet and slow it down when it gets busy.

#6 and if you get really frustrated take to the roads. the drivers will eventually make the bike path seem like a friendly place, albeit still dangerous, and you might decide to head back to it or you'll love riding the road and never go back.

Great bit of kit to get for nights

www.higlow.co.nz

got one for myself,

Getting ready to start...
 

Great thread! I just found this forum after deciding to ride my bike to work. Have been taking the bus for over a year but realize I'm getting no exercise while doing that and my desk job is killing my metabolism. Have been fixing up my trusty hybrid that has made the TOSRV ride a few times (over 15 years ago though!).

I'm anxious and excited to get started and have been soaking up all the advice and information I can find on the web and library. Very interesting viewpoints regarding 'effective' & 'vehicular' cycling.

Have mapped out my new route that is mostly on 4-lane low speed roads through residential areas. It will be about 10 miles each way.

I have to wear a dress shirt and tie so that is going to be my biggest hassle, I suppose.

Anyway, I appreciate everyone's tips and suggestions!

Tip: Just cause I've been riding for awhile, doesn't mean I know everything.

I say thank you to the many newbies who have open minds and a fresh approach. It's "taught me a thing or two". :)

A new tip I just invented this week:

If you have the luxury of a shower at work, pack a hand towel to dry off. Unless you have really long hair, this does the job and packs so much smaller/lighter. The poly camp towels don't seem to work well for me.

thanks for the advice everyone. my first bike commute starts monday. after spending a couple hours reading the above, I have made a priority buy list (limited by resources) for the start next week as per what I can interpret for my route. and a protracted routine.

taking an effective cycling class from the atlanta bike campaign and spending hours doing other research (i have a stack about an inch thick to paw through - for starters) has also helped cement the needful changes to make my transportation choice more smooth.

my dad loaned me the 1996 arrette gt to get me going (I will buy my own if necessary and if I am able to sell my roadster - any takers? J/K) on a 10 mile/one way residential street commute in buckhead and chattahoochee area atlanta. a really gorgeous landscape.

i am a female, who works in a business casual environment at a low-key semi urban facility that refuses to allow me my bike indoors. so i cover her with a tarp outside if it rains.

i noticed a lot of posters seem to be male, and do not deal with extra prep time for makeup or hair. i am low maintenance at work, but i still like to look nice and fresh. so here's what i have got:

when you come home: 1. take a shower and hang bike garments to dry
2. unpack panniers
3. check bike for wear and adjust accordingly

before you go to bed: 1. check weather and sunrise - pack/leave appropriately
2. pack work clothes and shoes
3. pack makeup supplies
4. make lunch for next day

---------------------------------

when you wake up: 1. wash face and brush teeth
2. dress in bike garments and load panniers and pack lunch
3. fill water bottle and ride out

when you get to work: 1. secure bike outside and cover with plastic, if necessary
2. wipe dry with baby wipes (no showers), apply lotion/deoderant
3. get dressed and proceed to sink for face/hair
4. clip up hair and execute toilette for face then apply makeup
5. unclip hair and blow dry and style as normal

i already have a bike (see above), rear and front fenders, rear rack, panniers, reflective lights on spokes, rear red blinkie, front light, cable and lock, full tire repair kit, sunscreen, bug juice, first aid kit, helmet, glasses appropriate to the time i will ride (dusk and dawn, so they are yellow), gloves, & shoes. i also have a padded crotch insert for days when i can wear regular street clothes but i am too sensitive.

i love carbs and front load to keep my energy charged. i also drink water instead of coffee, my alert factor comes from the bike ride. i eat oatmeal, chocolate, cliff bars, odwalla juices, peanut butter, bananas, wheat breads, tuna, v8, and dates, figs, and peanuts as well as pasta to pack in energy.

nancy clark's sports nutrition guidebook has been an excellent resource for foods.

i keep a full set of dishes at work and dish wipes, which is economic and environmentally friendlier than disposable items. i keep my food/dishes in a stowaway compartment, perishables in the fridge.

that's about all i can think of for now. oh, and i shop for everything online. i do not spend time at stores any more. i buy local where and when i can, i love my local bike shop (they have an web site too).

this post is long enough. i am open to your advice if you have some. thanks.

Lotsa good stuff here for a n00b like me. But the best single piece of advice I found anywhere has been:

Own the lane.

I forgot that one this morning and was nearly sideswiped by a minivan. Closer shave than Gillette. That particular street is busy and narrow with not enough room to share the lane if there's oncoming traffic. I dunno how or why I forgot, but I was too far right. Had I been just a foot to the left, (and I'll take two in the future, thankyouverymuch) she couldn't have gotten past me.

Wish I'd bookmarked the article or forum post with that advice so I could share it here...

Welcome, Nyrome
 

Hey, Nyrome:

Like you, I am female and new to bike commuting. I live in the Boston area, though, where standards for hair and makeup don't appear to be as stringent as they are in the Atlanta, GA area (I base this impression on a conversation I had with a northern transplant to Atlanta at a wedding recently). I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with the whole hair/makeup/looking professional after riding in situation. Right now, I'm making do with wearing pants on the days that I bike in.

The big issue for me is how to deal with rain. For the time being, I just take my car if it is cold and rainy. I figure that I'll need to get a rain suit and rain covers for my pannier if I want to ride in the rain. Any suggestions on how people deal with rain during a commute would be most welcome.

> i noticed a lot of posters seem to be male, and do not deal with extra prep time for makeup or hair. i am >low maintenance at work, but i still like to look nice and fresh.

Best,

Okelle

My first suggestion, if you haven't already discovered this, is braking in the rain or on wet roads is not the same as on dry roads.
If you have side pull or cantilever brakes, the pads and rims get wet and stay wet. When approaching a situation where you'll have to stop or slow down (intersections, traffic lights, turns, hills etc.), start braking early to wipe the water off the rims.
Your stopping distance will be at least 3 times as great.

Go slower around corners, turns, and downhill.

To add to this, Costco (in Southern CA, USA anyway) sells a nice multi-pack of small microfiber towels. They're, oh, maybe a foot square or so, and an ugly yellow color. But, they're light, small, and cheap. Oh yeah--they dry you off excellently as well.

Adding to Nyrome's tips for ladies:

If your company frowns on commuters walking in with lycra, you can buy or make a simple wrap that ties about the waist. Keep the wrap handy. Just before pulling in, stop and wrap the wrinkle-proof about your waist and then walk in.

Most people don't seem to mind the wrap over the lycra. This seemed to help me not to offend men from India and other countries.

A couple of times a week, I commute in about 15 miles. I live 34 miles from my job, but am working up to that full distrance, just because it would take about two hours. My 15 mile jaunt takes about 57 minutes. I rack my bike, drive to a shopping parking lot, unrack, and then ride in.

Nothing special except for a messager bag that sits on my back to carry my laptop and a few other articles. I try to plan ahead though. I check the weather reports on Sunday, and plan my rides in. Then the day before I ride in, I take in an extra pair of clothes. I keep a Dopp kit in my office and am pretty fortunate because my job has a gym and I can shower up in the locker rooms.

One thing that I DO take with me, on every ride and run I do, is a Road ID http://www.roadid.com/id.asp?referrer=2258

If you don't have one of these, I highly recommend it. Just a good ID system if you're not carrying anything else.

Other than that...all I can say is that whenever I ride in, and back, those are the two best parts of my day!

I am a newbie commuter with only 22 miles to my credit. I am only riding home at the moment till I get in better shape and can reliably make the distance in a set amount of time.

I must say that the advice here is of great help to me in deciding what to pack for the trip.

Here is what I take with me so far:

1. Helmet
2. Safety vest- I am lucky and get them for free from work.

In the backpack I have:

3. Flat repair kit
4. Bike multi- tool
5. First aid kit- never leaves my pack!
6. Gloves
7. Sunshades/eye protection
8. Rain poncho
9. Water- trying to decide if I need my hydration bladder in the pack or if the water bottle on the bike will do.
10. Return home items- Lunch continer, dirty work clothes, etc.
11. GPS attached to handlebars to track average speed and milage.

Other than that I carry my wallet, keys and other such stuff in my pack as well.

vr, why are you worried about offending men from India? This is America!
If you go to their country I can see your point, but when they're in our country, they need to follow (or at least understand) that OUR rules are different. Women are equals.

Ok, now I'm down from the soadbox.

Commuting Newbie: Turning Left on Busy Streets?
 

Hi, all:

I've found this forum (and this thread in particular) very helpful. I just bought a new commuter bike about a month ago and have done the run from my apartment to the vicinity of my office a few times. Yesterday was the first time I did the actual commute, though -- other times I've ridden in have always been on the weekends. I'm not in nearly the kind of shape I have been in the past, and the whole idea of commuting via bike is to get more exercise AND save gas. It is frustrating, though, that I'm not able to carry as much stuff or to bike in when the weather is wet, as it frequently is in Boston.

Based on what other folks bring on their commutes, I'm still pretty unprepared. I should really pick up a flat-fixing kit and re-learn how to use it. I also need to bring my bike back to the shop where I bought it and see why my derailleur chain keeps popping off the track.

But the real reason I'm posting is to ask for people's strategies when it comes to taking left turns on busy streets, such as Massachusetts Avenue. Yesterday, I had a great ride home until I got overconfident at the very last leg of my journey. My backpack was overloaded with a very heavy laptop, and I was in the left lane of a very busy four-lane road, attempting to make a left turn. I had to brake more suddenly than usual and the extra weight caused me to lose my balance. I fell off my bike right in the middle of the road and felt like a complete and total idiot. I guess the best thing for me to do is just dismount and cross in a crosswalk; how frustrating! That extra endorphine kick at the end of a long ride can make me feel indestructible, and I can forget that I am not a two-ton car. It's a fine line between "owning the lane" and being a complete idiot sometimes.

Another option for a difficult left turn is to go straight across the intersection, but stop just at the other side. Then turn your bike and wait for a green light with the traffic going in the direction you want to go.

I know I shouldn't do this, but it seems like people get responses here better than they do on the intro page, so I'm going to dump my intro post on here and make some minor changes to try to garner some feedback.....

I just moved from 35 miles away from work (all highway) to 11 miles away from work (all side roads)

I'm going to try to start commuting via bicycle. I just received a bonus from work which will fund said venture. I will be perusing these forums a bit for bike suggestions (and, I might add, this thread has given me some EXCELLENT accessory suggestions), but I'll state here -

I looked at the Schwinn Super Sport DBX and I think it looks fantastic, but I just can't justify the price tag. I am looking for a road bike with dropped handlebars and disc brakes.... as time goes on I'm less hardcore on the disc brakes but my wife just bought a bike with them (a hybrid) and I loved the stopping power they provided. So if you know of any bikes that are like the DBX but cost less, than please suggest!

My other thought is to go with a much cheaper bike (Iron Horse, Fuji) to make sure I'll actually use it, and if I really get into it, then I can buy a second, more expensive bike for doing things that don't involve commuting and leaving my bike outside for 8+ hours a day (The workplace won't let me take it inside)

I'm not too terribly worried about theft as I am a white collar worker and the bike rack is right next to the smoking area so there are people around all day (I don't know why they'd put biking next to smoking, but it's not my call......) and, the smoking area is nowhere near a busy street. That said, I still probably will double lock it.

Anyway, my initial goal here is to get suggestions for a bike. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need to go mainstream (Trek, Cannondale, Schwinn, Masi, etc) but I certainly would be more comfortable on something I recognize.

There are good and mediocre brand name and not-so-well-known bikes. It varies from bike to bike. It sounds like you have a big budget, so think about getting a reasonably priced bike (like my Surly Cross Check). Put the rest of the money in a savings account that you don't touch. Commute for a year, and then re-evaluate your needs. After a year on the road, you will have a much better idea of what makes your ride better.

Then, you can use the Surly on the tough days and your fancy bike when the weather is just right.

What is the price range on the Surly cross check? One of the bike shops I will be visiting this weekend is a registered dealer for Surly, so Il'll be able to check it out then.

Thanks!

Nightskyre

You seem fixed on drop bars and disc brakes - for a longer commute drop bars are definitely the way to go - at 11 miles, I would say that you are on the edge of that. Disc brakes, I am less sure about. In any event, the most important thing will be to get a bike that fits you well. I would go to all of your local bike shops and talk to them about what you want to do. You do NOT want a racing bike - for commuting you should be more concerned about comfort than speed. For a drop bar based bike, I would look at some of the touring bikes - Trek 520, Bianchi Volpe, etc. The have a longer wheelbase, which will make it easier to put a rack on the bike to carry panniers. You want a bike that you can put real fenders on - and that will eliminate 90% of the drop bar bikes in any of the shops. Look for a more upright riding position than what the racers go for, seat should not be higher than the handlebars.
One of the LBSs will understand what you need, and will be willing to spend the time to find the bike that fits you properly, and will set it up for you appropriately - that is the shop that deserves your business.

Fenders
 

At this point, I admit I'm a little bit of a pansy, and I don't expect to be biking in the rain. I don't have a tremendously long commute, and I'm not an uber environmentalist, so I don't have any problems with taking my truck to work. That being said, since I'm not planning on biking in crappy weather, what other good reasons are there to get fenders?

I'm not really crazy about the way they look....

Thanks!

Me again
 

So, I went down to a bike shop (not local, hence no acronym) today that was recommended by a friend of mine and started looking around. Bonus points to the owner for talking to me 25 minutes after the shop closed, but definate negatives for this exchange:

Me: "Well, originally I was looking in the 800-1200 range, but since I've done some re-evaluation, I'd really like to get a bike for under 600"
Him: "Well, these bikes over here are nice. They range from 750-1450"
<numerous exchanges>
Me: "Well, I really am looking on a much more limited budget at this point. This is what I want, and I'm looking for a bike in the fives at most"
Him: "Well, these are the quality bikes in the range I would recommend" <points to bikes ranging from 750-1450 again>

I must say I'm a little disheartened by this guy's complete lack of understanding regarding my money. Before I started talking money I mentioned Surley to him and he kind of shot the whole concept down because I would have to buy all the components individually and that would be "too cost prohibitive" (Though he didn't have a problem showing me bikes nearly three times what I said my range was.... figure that one out)

So now I'm kind of back to square one. I've pretty much decided I want to buy a bike I can beat the heck out of (Not that I WANT to beat it up, but I'm a rough and tumble kind of guy).

There are three more bike shops I plan to check out, one of which I called and the guy seemed a lot more willing to put me on a cheaper bike than anything else, stating that for what I said I wanted to do, I didn't need this super expensive thing and it pisses him off that places like <bicycle shop X> (not the one I referenced above) try to sell you the most expensive thing they can. - That was a bit of a run on, but the point is, I like the guy's attitude. He specifically mentioned the Jamis Coda which someone in the introduction thread recommended as well.

I've refined what I'm looking for to this:

A bike for under $600 that will provide me with:
Dropped handlebars
A relatively comfortable ride
disc OR cantilevered brakes
a reasonable shifting system (oh yeah, I have a question on this too)
I think I'd like cheater brakes too...

The shifting system - I've read a lot of reviews talking about Shimano's shifting systems, and this is what I think I've figured out. Price, from cheapest to most expensive:

Sora
Tiagra
105

Now, it seems to me that the Sora is an 8 speed, the Tiagra a 9 speed, and the 105 a 10 speed. Is there actually a QUALITY difference between these three sets of shifters, or is it just the number of gears available?

Regarding bikes, I WILL be open to buying a new bike in a year or two if I really get into the biking thing and I feel I need better, so I'm not locked into what I buy now.

Anyway, that's enough crap dumped in for now. If anyone has any new recommendations on bikes, I'll love you forever for them.

Thanks!

My Surly Cross Check came with a 9-speed Tiagra rear derailleur, so it came in 9-speed a few years ago. It worked fine for a couple of years, and then I got a 105 derailleur for a good price.

I don't know enough about the road bike market to comment on what's decent for <$600, but another option would be to look for used bikes.

You might want to try to start another thread in the commuting forum. A few of us post here regularly, but more people would probably read a new thread.

My daily ride
 

I live 10.4 miles from work. I'm a new rider as well. New like in the last 2 months give or take a week. My route is very up and down hill and some of the ups are quite extreme. Because of that I try to go as light as possible. But I do take along things that I found out were a complete and total neccessity and I found this out the hard way. Tire irons, a new tube, a quick patch kit, and the means to inflate that sucker. I found myself halfway to work with a rear flat. Out where I live, it's normal to see people pushing their bikes. Remember the hills? So it took some time before anyone even asked if I was having trouble. And when someone did, it was because I decided to try a little experiment that seemed to work. If you break down and can't get yourself going again. Don't push bike. Pick it and carry it. As soon as I did that, I had a ride in minutes.
Other than tools and tubes, I really only take a full water bottle and some picture ID in case some moron crams into me.
One question though. I don't have those cool guy shoes that lock onto the peddle. What are the advantages of those over the toe clips?

They keep your foot in position on the pedal and allow you to apply muscle power to all parts of the pedal stroke and not just the downstroke.

Granted, both of those capabilities are also provided by toeclips and toestraps, but really only when they've been snugged down, and most people aren't comfortable with really cinching down a toestrap because they feel trapped. With the "clipless" pedals where the shoe locks to the pedal, you can release them by rotating your heel outwards, like a ski binding releases under too much torque. People still feel trapped at first and you might fumble it and fall over when you've come to a stop and still aren't unlocked yet, but I bet you'll only do that once or twice.

Keep at it and those hills will mysteriously get easier :) A 21-mile commute is a pretty good length and you would be justified in getting some clipless pedals and shoes, IMHO. I like the Shimano pedals myself.

Since photons don't ride bicycles, I won't drag this too far into the physics/math world, but the problem here isn't the watt as a unit of measurement, its how the watts are measured. photons all have an individual associated energy and from a given flux of photons with a given wavelength, the amount of power (watts) incident across a surface can easily be calculated or measured if you're a bit more suave.

that said, it was easier to standardize measuring the power consumption of bulbs back in the whatever years, so that's likely why we're stuck with it now. :D