I am close to reaching two hundred commuting miles to and from work after starting in early June. It has been a great experience that is not without its challenges. Here are some of my latest lessons learned:

• Trying to keep up with faster riders in rush hour traffic may be more dangerous than going solo. I have been leaving the office with a small group of riders with the idea being safety in numbers. The reality has been full sprints to keep up while trying to keep an eye on traffic. Based on details from my Garmin Edge 705, I’ve seen in just the first mile my heart rate go from the upper 80′s to 170 beats per minute. Believe me when I say that I feel the effect of this for most of the rest of the ride. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize this isn’t a good long-term plan. I think I may be leaving on my own or finding a group of slower riders to make my first and only priority watching traffic and staying safe versus trying to keep up while my lungs are exploding.

• I was recently described by another bicycle commuter that I look like an “emergency vehicle” when I am coming down the road. A description I take as a high compliment given my investment in high-quality headlamps that make me very visible during the dark moments of my morning rides as well as the commute home. I have been thoroughly pleased and impressed with my Blackburn X8 Headlamps – look for a full review here soon.

• My Pearl Izumi Velocipak cycling backpack (also soon to be reviewed) rocks but when it is loaded with a bunch of clothes, it starts to feel like a silverback gorilla on my back (especially during the 95+ degree commute home). Need to make the effort to get my clothes to work on the days I drive. After a few commutes I finally took the hint and left my bicycle lock at work where it joins many other locks that live on the bicycle racks where they don’t weigh down your back to and from work.

More lessons learned to come. If you have a great bicycle commuting tip, please share!