I received the following e-mail from Lydia Kelly who is a) the bicycle coordinator the county I live in and b) one of the best cycling advocates I’ve encountered! She sent an e-mail a week or so ago asking local commuters to send her their commuting tips. She consolidated their feedback into the following, informative post:
May is National Bike to Work Month. The week of May 11th is National Bike to
Work Week. May 15th is National Bike to Work Day. Now is the time to prepare
for cycling to work if you are not already a commuter.Here are a few tips gathered by cyclists in the region who commute. If you have
never considered using your bike to get to work or school: now is as good of time
as any.Bicycles are not just for recreation any more. Ride on!
Preparation of self for commute:
Keep it as simple as possible. You will not stick with it if it is too burdensome.
Dress for the ride; not necessarily for work (at least at first).
Work clothes can be at the office already or carry them with you. Leave a pair of
work shoes, a towel, toilettes, personal hygiene supplies at the office. These
tend to be bulky items.Know your route. Rush hour traffic is not a good time to experiment with the
roadway. Map your route prior and consider riding the route on a weekend to
give yourself practice. The route you take by car might not be the route you want
to take by bicycle.Pay attention to the weather. Be ready with rain, cold and hot weather gear.
Velcro straps or plain rubber bands work great if you ride with work clothes on to
keep the pant legs from getting caught in the chain/rings/etc.Get a helmet that fits correctly; and please wear it.
Think fun and adventurous thoughts.
Preparation of the bike for commute:
Get the best bicycle for the commute. Take time to find a bike that fits you. A
road bicycle might not work for commuting unless you have more than 8 miles
one-way (Skinny tires are less comfy and prone to flats).Use quality tires to deter flats; but be ready with safety supplies such as extra
tubes, a patch kit, a multi tool including a chain tool and CO2 cartridges with an
inflator nozzle. Practice changing a flat in a nice safe location so when you
have to change it on the street it will be second nature.If you will be riding at night a headlight and a taillight that can be seen for 500 ft
is essential to your safety. Two rear reflectors are a protection in case the battery
goes dead on one before the other.Install a rear rack on your bike so you can attach basket/panniers for carrying
needed items such as clothes, laptops and purses.If your bike does not have baskets or panniers consider using a high quality
messenger bag. For some, it is much more comfortable than a back pack.
Consider putting fenders on your bike for those commutes when you get caught
in the rain.Each time your ride check your bike for loose nuts and bolts, check the tire
pressure, make sure the seat adjustment isn’t loose, make sure the handle bar
adjustment is tight, the chain is not too loose or too tight and the pedals rotate
smoothly.You and your bike are ready to roll!
The commute:Ride safely, stay alert and obey the rules of the road.
Ride within the abilities of the bike and yourself.
Make yourself visible with the use of reflective clothing, bright headlights, and a
good easy to see rear flasher or two.Be predictable and signal your intentions. Make eye contact with drivers. Claim
your lane.Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Please wear your helmet, and
Enjoy the ride!
Parking
If you can’t take your bicycle into the workplace ask your employer to provide
safe, secure and convenient parking for your bicycle. That means your bicycle
is out of the elements and relatively safe from theft.One automobile space can be converted to allow for up to 10 bicycles.
Options to consider:
If don’t want to bike commute because you will get to work sweaty but wouldn’t
mind commuting from work to home, consider riding the bus. All VIA
Metropolitan Transit buses have bike racks.
