Your One-Stop Urban Cycling Shop
Quick Start Guide to Bicycle Commuting
One word to remember - Simple. Riding a bicycle is fun. Keep it fun when you start commuting and you will keep commuting. One of the major benefits to bicycle commuting is that you eliminate alot of the stress in your life. So keep the stress level low by following the basic tips that we give to all new cyclists:
Do an Honest Fitness Inventory If you are riding, and have been riding a bicycle on a regular basis, then you will be able to handle a regular commute. If you have not been riding a bicycle, then you will want to take some time easing into riding one on a regular basis. If you are not exercising regulary, get a physical and your physician's permission to begin exercising. Riding a bicycle is far easier on the human body than running, walking or using equipment in a gym. And it's an activity you can do throughout your lifetime.
Get the Right Bicycle Riding a bicycle to work is not like racing, or sport riding a "charity ride" like the bicycle centurys. As a racer or sport rider, you ride for speed. You want a bicycle that is stiff, light, nimble, and is geared to enable you to ride as fast as you can. Comfort isn't a necessity, and you aren't going to be carrying anything if you are in a road race. You have a "sag wagon" that carrys an extra set of wheels, and if you are a UCI pro, uyou have a team car that has food, water, extra wheels, extra bicycles, and team mechanics that are capable of hanging out the window and making repairs while you hang onto the side of the car at 30 MPH. If you are a triathlete or sport rider, you will take along the bare minimum needed to fix a flat, plus food and fluids. You will be wearing lycra shorts and a tight jersey to cheat the wind and whick away sweat. You will be wearing stiff carbon sole shoes with cleats that make walking difficult. When you are through with your race or ride, the bicycle gets loaded onto a bus or car, and you go back to your hotel or home.
As a commuter or automobile replacement rider, you aren't in a race. You will be riding to work, running errands, riding home, You aren't riding for speed. You will be carrying clothes, grocerys, papers, laptops, and other items. You won't have the benefit of a support team, so you will need to be able to change a flat tire at bare minimum. You will want a bicycle that is dependable, easy to maintain, and capable of handling your route to work and around the area that you live in. Unless your commute includes extended off-road riding, you will want a road bicycle. Not an ultralight, carbon frame with gearing designed for extremely fit, 25 year old professional racers. In our experience, you will be better served by looking at bicycles designed for touring, light touring, and cyclocross. If your commute is shorter, and in an urban envirnment, then you may well served by riding a singlespeed bicycle. Work with a Local Bicycle Shop (LBS) in selecting an approriate bicycle. Particularly one experienced with bicycle commuting and bicycle touring.
Avoid Department Store Bicycles We aren't saying this just because we run a bike shop. Department store bicycles are appealing for their prices. They are generally much cheaper than LBS bicycles. If you are new to cycling, you will be tempted to buy one for your first bicycle in order to save money. Don't. Please don't. The prices are low for a reason. The parts, and construction, are inferior. Department store bicycles and their parts wear out extremely fast. The components begin to rust immediately. Being made from cheaper metal alloys, they bend, and break easily. Maintaining, overhauling and upgrading the parts on these bicycles will cost more than the price of that more expensive bicycle you looked at in the bike shop. Most department stores do not have mechanics, or if they do, will not be certified and properly trained to do the repairs and maintainence you will eventually need.
Remember - you get what you pay for in life. In the long run, a Local Bike Shop is your best bet. A bike shop will service what they sell. They will honor guarentees. They will have trained - and certified - mechanics that are familiar with the bicycles they sell and are experienced with working on them. Many shops - we are among them - will offer lifetime adjustments on bicycles they sell. Some accept their own model bicycles as trade-ins. Working with your local bike shop is always your best bet.
Practice First It's like the old joke about how you get to Carnegie Hall - "Practice, Practice Practice!" Exercise is adaptation to specific demand. Commuting is riding daily at a steady pace. Not fast, but steady. If you haven't ridden a bicycle for a while, ease into it. First ride on the weekend mornings when traffic is low, then ride after work when there is more traffic. Riding with cars may seem intimidating at first, but you will quickly gain confidence and stop being intimidated by traffic. Many organizations across the USA offer courses for bicycle commuters. If you are just beginning to ride, are inexperienced, or are concerned about dealing with traffic, a bicycle riding course will give you the skills and confidence to become a safe and confident cyclist. Here in Atlanta the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign conducts classes. There are many regular group rides that meet at bike shops and at parks. any are held at a slower pace for beginners. You can find information online at several sites. Nationally, the League of American Bicyclists has a comprehensive site with links to many ride postings around the country. Here in the South the Southern Bicycle League has an extensive ride board. You can easily find a ride every day of the week if you live in an urban area.
If you are an experienced racer or sport rider, give yourself some time to ride your commuter first before starting to use it on a daily basis. Every frame rides differently. Pay particular attentions to fit. You want to get you body into a position that it's familiar with. You may, and really should, ride more upright and relaxed on your commuter. But you will want to preseve the same hip angles, pedal to patellar line, and shoulder line. Picture your self in a laid out position, then rotate your body upwards. Your position will be further forward relative to the handlebars and bottom bracket. But your position is basically unchanged. Work with your local bike shop to find the best fit. You are going to be spending alot more time on a commuting bicycle. And if you are an experienced rider, then you know all about how critical position is and how it relates to your top tube length. We have found that we ride a different size in commuters than we do in our racing frames.
Plan Your Route When driving car, you take the most direct, and fastest, route. This often involves a highway such as an interstate. On a bicycle, you want to avoid heavy traffic as musch as possible. And unless you are using your daily commute as a training ride, you will want to avoid steep hills. This involves a little planning with maps, and a little scouting until you find the right streets. With online mapping serrvices such as Mapquest, it's alot simpler to lay out an ideal route. Many times, it's possible to find streets that parallel your old driving route. In a city, it's sometimes a matter of just moving over one block left or right. If there is a choice, try to make as many turns as possible right turns, as oppopsed to turning left, which will involve moving across the line of automobile traffic. Other considerations to keep in mind are:
- Are there bike paths available?
- Are there bike lanes available on any streets?
- What are the peak traffic hours, morning and afternoon?
- Are there bike stores available for "rest stops" and food and drink?
- Are there bike shops nearby n case repairs are needed?
- Are there alternate routes available in case a detour is needed?
- If commuting in the dark, are there street lights?
- In case of turns across traffic or cross streets, are there traffic lights?
These considerations may not be "showstoppers", but should be considered in evaluating the suitability of one route over another. Ultimately, you want to be as comfortable as possible with the route, or routes, you will use. If you are new to bicycle commuting, you may find an experienced cyclist's choice of route unuseable.
Dress Smart
The traditional road cyclist's clothing "kit" of skin tight lycra and stiff-soled shoes is seldom the best choice for commuting. At some point, you need to be able to get off and walk. If you are a cycling beginner, or have a very short, flat route, plain old box pedals can be used with regular shoes. As you progress as a cyclist, you will want to use a cleat that fastens your shoe to a cleated pedal. In our experience, we have found that bicycling shoes with recessed SPD cleats work the best. These shoes come in many forms, with styles ranging from hiking boot look-alikes to dress shoes to sandals. The soles are a little stiffer than average. The cleat is recessed in the sole, which allows you to walk easily anywhere you choose. On a short trip, on a sunny and cooler day, you can wear your regular work outfit. A better choice is to pack your daily clothes with you, and wear clothing just for your bicycle. A good choice are a pair of shorts that are lined with a padded crotch and a shirt of "cool max" type material that will wick perspiration away from you body, a pair of bicycle gloves, and a helmet. In cooler and rainy weather, you will want to add layers in the form of body "shells", jackets, long pants, bootys, and helmet liners. Your Local Bike Shop should have a selection of the clohing you will need to equip you for all the four seasons in your area. And you will be able to try things on.
Pack Light
Think of this as "light touring" as opposed to going on overnight rides. You will be far more comfortable, and find the ride much more enjoyable, if you aren't weighed down by 20 pounds of clothing, food, tools, and spare parts. While panniers are the best way to carry equipment for extended trips, they aren't necessary for everyone's daily trip to work. This will depend to a great extent on how far your trip is, how long it will take you, and what you will need to bring. Although it's easier to make a "clothing run" one day a week, a little advance planning, and the proper equipmment, will enable you to carry everything you need on your bicycle. Whether or not you need a three piece suit or wool pendletons. As for tools, the most you will need is a set of tire irons, inflation device (CO2 or pump), spare tire, and a compact pocket set of allen wrenchs. All of these should be able to fit into an under the seat wedge pack. If not, then you are carrying too much. There are backpacks, waist packs, and frame packs available that can carry your clothes. You are better off bringing a pair of shoes, if you need to bring dress shoes. If you are "business casual" or completely casual, bicycling shoes with recessed SPD cleats can be worn all day. We get by with a larger waist pack, and on days when we need to bring large amounts of clothing, back packs with a chest strap that helps distribute the weight. In cases where we need to bring larger objects, or go grocery shopping on the way home, we use different bicycles that are set up with racks and panniers.
Tire Choice
Use the right tool for the job. Knobby tires are meant for single track, not pavement. If you must ride a mountain bike, get a pair of "slicks" that have no, or mnimal, tread. You will appreciate the difference on the next hill. With a road bike, you want a durable tire. If you don't have clincher rims, get a pair. Nobody wants to fuss with a tubular going flat on the way to work. For this reason, we also choose folding tires over wire beads. Yes, wire beads are sturdy, but they can be difficult to take off the rim, and will add extra rolling weight. If your trip involves hills, this can make the difference between a pleasent commute and a grueling endurance test. We have seen some bicycle commuter sites that advise riders to choose tires with tread patterns in order to avoid slipping in rainy conditions. This is a fallacy. Bicycles do NOT hydroplane. You would need to be riding at a speed of over 100 MPH on the average road bike in order to hydroplane. A bicycle tire pushes the water on the away due to its narrow width and design. Tires that do become more "slippery when wet" are knobby mountain bike tires. This is due to the knobs bending under the pressure caused by the weight of the rider and the forces you encounter when cornering. Knobbys can, and will, suddently give way in a sharp turn, spilling you onto the road. Riding on the road requires road tires. Only use mountain bke tires if you are riding singletrack all the way to work.
What you will want to do is equip yourself with tires that can resist flats. Several manufacturers make "street" or "urban tires that have kevlar belts embedded in the tire. They tend to be heavier than racing tires, but will be more, but not completely, puncture resistant. Another option is to use tire liner strips. The strips are very effective at resisting thorns and other sharp objects. If you choose to use strips, you need to be careful to choose the right size for your tire.
Another option that may work well for you is to use SLIME tubes. SLIME tubes have a small amount of green liquid added in their factory. The liquid is an adhesive that contains fibers. It works very simialer to the way our bodys seal wounds. The weight difference over regular tubes is minimal - about 20 grams. The peace of mind is major. Can you race on these? Absolutley. We have, and have collected podium results on them. We saw them in action on a recent ride, when a piece of metal stuck into one of our rear tires. The green ooze did the trick in a few turns of the wheel. We stopped, pulled out the metal strip, and kept on riding. An e-zine recently performed a "torture test" of SLIME tubes, and found the same results that we have.
With all of that in mind, what we do on a daily basis is a compromise. We each have two inner tubes in our saddle bag, along with a set of tire irons, a patch kit, and a two TIRE patchs made by Park Tools. We always travel with at least a mini messenger bag on our commutes, and we carry a small hand pump. Most of the time the one inner tube does the trick, sometimes we need to go to the scond. The inner tube patch it is the backup. If the tire gets sliced, the tire patch kit solves that problem. The pump will perform any number of inflations and we never have to worry about running out of CO2 cartridges. It's a simple, and effective system. We each have several bikes (Hey, we own a bike shop) and each bag has the same equipment. If the inner tubes aren't used in 6 months, they get replaced by new ones. The tire irons and pumps get inspected and changed at the slightest sign of wear. It's a tried, true, and simple system that has worked well for us over the years.
A Word About Security
Unless you can bring your bicycle inside your office and never let it out of your site for a second, you will need a lock. And depending on where you lock it, you may need two locks. The sad fact is that bicycle theft is a worldwide problem, and is growing. As we move to a society that uses bicycles more, this is a problem that can only grow worse. Our advice to you is to buy the best bicycle locks you can find. Generally this will be a U-Lock system. Do NOT use one of the older U-locks that have the round keys. Enterprising thiefs have discovered that they can be opened with a BIC pen top. Get one, or two, of the newer U-locks that have flat keys. While no lock can completeyl defeat a determined thief who is given unlimted time, your bike will be less likel to be targeted if there are others that our less secure. Bike theft works in a reverse mode - bikes are taken in order of their ease of theft. There are several excellent web pages that describe in detail how to secure your bicycle. Don't be satisfied with just a cable lock - use a U-lock securely attached to the frame and whatever the bicycle is locked on. Don't leave alot of room for a prybar to be jammed into the junction between your frame and what it is locked on. include the back wheel in the "U" portion of the lock, and either take the front wheel off and include it, or wind a second lock onto the front wheel and frame. If you have a quick release seatpost, take it with you when you leave. If you need to leave your bike for long period of time, it may be a good idea to invest in one of the anti-theft bolts that are becoming available. Familiarize yourself with how to do this, and always lock you bike. Even at home. One of our mechanics had a bicycle stolen out of his bedroom. They are out there, and always on the lookout for a loose bike.
Take a Weekend Practice Ride
Once you have your route selected and your equipment ready, take a "test flight". Pack everything you plan on taking into the pack(s) you will be using, wear the riding clothes you plan on using, and head out the door on a weekend morning. Consider this your "dress rehearsal". There should be less traffic than you will encounter during the weekdays, but the intention here is to check the feasbility of your route, and see if your equipment is going to work. Once you get to the office, check your time, relax and rest for a while. Then head home. Or work for a while if you must. Then leave for home. When you get home, check your time. Take the average, and you will have a good estimate of how much time it will take you during the week andhow early you will need to leave.
During the ride, make it a relaxed pace. Start off easy, and gradually increase your speed only to a speed where you still feel comfortable. Take the hills easy, and if they are too steep, it's OK to get off and walk. Coast down the backside of hills if you want. This isn't a race. If you are a competitive cyclist, you will be tempted to pick up the pace. Don't. Save that for the races and group rides. You want to do this ride at a steady, easy, pace. Ideally, you will be doing this every day, and if you go out hard on Monday, you will probably be dragging on the hills by Wednesday morning. Pay attention to the road conditions, traffic flow, possible blind spots on intersections and side roads, and low spots on the road that may fill up in rainy weather. This practice run will give you a good idea of your route's feasability. And you may wind up modifiying it, or going with an alternative. And it's always good to have an alternative route, as road construction may force a change your commute in the future.
Become a Weather Watcher
Riding a bicycle allows you to interact with the environment in ways you cannot in an automobile. it also exposes you to all of the different elements of weather: sun, rain, wind, cold, heat. Knowing ahead of time what weather conditions to expect will allow you to be as comfortable as possible on your commute. With today's technology, it's possible to know ahead of time what the temperature, wind speed, and storm possibilty will be before you head out on your ride. Virtually every local US TV station has a weather page on their website, and a very good one is available at Accuweather including detailed radar for the entire United States. Before you start out on each trip, note the weather conditions, paying particular attention to the temperature, wind speed and direction, and possibility of rain or other precipitation. And if you can check at your place of work, do so before you leave.
Wear Visible Clothing
The famous "maillot jaune", the yellow jersey of the Tour de France, was started so that spectators could easily pick out the race leader in GC, or General Classification. As a a road cyclist in commuting traffic, you need to make yourself just as easily visible. Do not, under any circumstances, wear dark clothing if you are riding in traffic. You need to wear bright colors - yellows, reds, pinks, white - anything that will immediatly attract attention. When riding at night, in addition to a headlight and taillight, you need to wear clothing with reflective strips on the front, back, and sides. There are many cycling vests with reflective strips - purchase one and wear it if part, or all of your trip, is done before sunrise or after sunset. You can wear it during the day as well if you feel safer.
Use Lights at Night
Do NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to ride in the dark without lights. In most states, bicycles are required to use headlights and tailights. To do otherwise is suicidial. Not only will a functional headlight make you visible to cars, it will also allow you to see the road and pick your way out during a trip. Don't try to save money by using a cheap department store headlight, buy a good one. Nightrider makes, in our opinion, one of the best systems available. Joe has used these for nearly 20 years, around the world, for training and commuting. They are time-tested, and have kept their technology up to date. Their systems are rechargeable, so there is no need to keep buying batteries. With tailights, buy systems that feature a strobe setting - this has proven to be the most noticeable to cars drivers. At minimum, use two tail lights - one on your back, and one on your helmet. Another good lighting system are spoke lights. These fit between your wheel spokes, and provide instant visibility from the side. Remember to recharge your batteries every night - and if you rely on your bicycles for your basic transportation, as we do, then buy a separate set of batteries - just in case.
Practice Regular Maintenance
Make one day each week your Bike Wash day. Give your bicycle a good cleaning, and check all of the components. Regular maintainence will extend the life of your bicycle and it's parts. As a racer, the concept of "A clean bike is a fast bike" was drilled into us by coaches throughout the years. We regularly clean our entire bicycle frame, and all of its components, every Sunday. We get a bucket of water, some commercial bicycle cleaner, and two good stiff brushes. Both Park and Pedro's make goo sets Get a mild detergeant such as Finish Line Bicycle Wash. The you are ready to go. Start of by hosing the bicycl down with water, and then soap down the entire bicycle. Include the drive train, gears, derailleurs, cranks, frame - everything. The hose it all down. Then hand wipe it all down. Then we lube the chain. finally, we check all of the bolts and screws and make sure that everything is still tight.
Over hauling the components is beyond the average rider, and is bst left to a professional mechanic, but washing the parts is not. Regular cleaning will prolong the life of your components, and save you alot of money in the long run. The majority of the bicycles we see in our shop are filthy, and many of the repairs are due to parts wearing out due to inadequate cleaning. A few minutes a week will make an enormous differnece in the amount of money spent in maintaining your bicycle.
Every day, carry, at a minimum, a spare tube, two tire irons, a reliable inflation system (pump or Co2), and a set of allen wrenches that include a 3,4, and 5mm. Know how to change a flat tire, and practice using your inflation system at home a few times to get used to using it. Once a year, get your bicycle professionally overhauled. Preventative maintainance will extend the life of your bicycle, and make riding it far easier.
Ride Smart
At all times, ride within your abilities, and limits. Remember that in the eyes of law enforcement, bicycles are considered vehicles in every state in the USA, and as such are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles. In Georgia, and in other states, it is illegal to ride on the sidewalk. Ride on the street, and ride on the right-hand side of the street. In the city, and when making a turn, practice "claim the lane". Ride in the middle of the street in these situations. If you are riding on a multi-lane undivided road, stay in the right hand lane, until you need to make a eft hand turn. Then, get over. Always signal your intent to turn well ahead of time, and look behind you before you chane lanes and before you turn. Do not put yourself into a dangerous situation. Tour main focus you be to ride relaxed, consistant, and confident. If you ride this way, your fellow automobile riders will respect your right to be on the road, and come to accept you. It is, with many motorists, a matter of educating them to accept bicyclists on the roadway.
The motto of commuting and every day riding is to "live to fight another day". If you ride the same route to work and bike every day, you will run into the same automobile commuters. Don't irritate them. Be courteous and friendly. After riding the same route for several months, you will start to recognize alot of the "regulars" on your route. And they will recognize you. We find that we are treated more courteously, people stop and let us out into traffic, and even wave. One of the crowd. If we had "flipped off" people, and been hostile, we would not get this treatment.
Remember that in life, we all change the world one person at a time. And above all - SMILE. This is, after all, fun. Keep it that way, and enjoy the ride of your life.