Let’s Go Ride a Bike... Commuting Tips

I’ve always made an effort to get to work either by foot or by bike... and recently I’ve had a little company on my commute. I’ve been seeing more people on the sidewalks and more bikes cruising Grand Avenue. This makes me very happy on the inside. Apparently $4.65 a gallon is enough to get some other people in town out of their cars and onto their bikes.

Now that commuter biking is turning into the cool thing to do I figured I would impart a little advice to my new two wheeled friends.

Find Yourself a Bike!

Ok, so that’s kind of a given. But seriously do you have a bike already or do you need to go out and buy one? Think about your needs and do a little research. Think about comfort, the distance you’re going to go, the terrain you’ll be riding on and other factors. There is an insane number of different types of bikes out there, make sure you find one that fits your needs before you plunk down the cash for one. (If you’re going to buy a new ride make sure it has the commuter bike modifications from a little later in this post already on it!)

My bike is a 1996ish Giant Mountain Bike that I have been slowly updating a part at a time. Not that I don’t lust after a newer bike... I have at least 5 different bikes picked out in my head that I am in severe danger of buying... but this bike has treated me pretty well over the years. Plus I think it is too ugly to steal which is a definite bonus.

Tune Up Your Bike, Trust Me

If you’re dusting off a 15 year old bike that hasn’t seen the light of day in a lot of years the first order of business is making sure your bike is going to be up to the task. Take your bike to a good bike mechanic and shell out a few bucks for a tune up. And before you start bitching about spending $30 on a bike tune up... remember that it takes $125 to fill up an SUV and it’s not going to get any better anytime soon.

I’ve been riding my bike pretty consistently, but I finally took my bike in for a long overdue tune up and a little bit of a face lift this last week. I’m useless with a wrench and prefer to leave these things in the hands of professionals. Plus after an afternoon in the shop it feels like a whole new bike. Totally worth the dough.

Commuter Bike Modifications

Now chances are the bike you have isn’t really commuter friendly. Most people either have some kind of over muscled mountain bike or an incredibly expensive road bike purchased with the best of intentions that never really worked out. These can be made much more commuter friendly with just a few easy modifications.

Write these down: Fenders, Rear Rack, Panniers, Smooth Tires, Chain Guard and front and rear lights... You want all that stuff.

Fenders – These will save your pants from dirt, mud, water and anything else that can be flung at your crotch with a bike tire. You can get a set of decent fenders starting at like $30.

Rear Rack - If you’re going to commute you’re going to want to carry stuff and strapping it to your back with a backpack sucks. You can either strap stuff to the top of the rack with bungee cords or hang Panniers off of them. You can get a rack for about $30.

Panniers - These are bags made to hang off the side of your bike. They’ll dramatically increase your ability to haul your crap with you from the house to the office. These vary quite a bit in price depending on size and waterproof-ness. I spent about $90 on a set for myself. You can probably find cheaper out there, but you can definitely spend way more than that if you are so inclined.

Smooth Tires – This is for you guys with Mountain Bikes out there. As tough as those knobby tires look they’re going to slow you down. So unless part of your commute involves you tearing down the side of a mountain, swap out your tires. I just got a new set of Michelins with a reflective strip on them that ride really nicely and maneuver a lot better than knobby mountain bike tires. New tires can be like $20 and up depending on what you buy.

Chain Guard – This is another pant saving device you may want to look into if you’re going to commute in nice clothes. When I used to be a salesman I accidentally perforated a few pairs of khakis. I’ll admit that I haven’t put one on my bike yet, I get to wear shorts to work... thanks self employment :)

Lights – Vitally important!!! Not only do they help you see in the dark, they will help stop you from getting run over. Plus in many areas they’re required by law if you’re going to ride at night. You can get lights for your bike just about anywhere. I got mine for cheap from Target for probably about $20 total.
So yes you are going to spend some money to get up to speed, but chances are the $200 - $300 bucks you spend on your bike one time is going to be less than the car payment you make every month. Plus your bike doesn’t need gas which I hear is expensive these days.

Plan Your Route

Make sure you think out how you’re going to go to work. Take into account hills, traffic, and the availability of bike lanes. I ride one way to the office and a different way home to take advantage of local geography. I also only make right hand turns which are a lot easier than left hand turns in traffic. Another thing you may want to do is try out your commute on a day off to make sure you can get that far! Riding a bike is pretty easy, but if it’s been a while you might want to work up to it!

Be Safe and Know the Rules of the Road

This just in – you are a car. Try to keep that in mind. You need to follow the same rules as if you were driving you car. Stop signs apply to you, signal when you turn, and stay off the sidewalk!!! The sidewalk can be tempting but it is a great place to get hit by a car. Drivers don’t pay any attention to sidewalks, they’re looking for other cars so the best place for you to be is in the street. The other big automotive danger is getting doored. Beware the suddenly flung open car door, it is not good for your health. Otherwise keep your eyes open, listen to the traffic around you, wear bright colors, and make sure you have lights on at night.

Have Fun

My favorite part about bike commuting is that it’s fun. It helps wake me up in the morning and it’s a good stress reliever on the way home in the evening. If you live close enough to work to make this a feasible solution I recommend you give it a shot. It will make you happier and healthier and save you a ton of money in the process.