Comments on: Commuting 101: Plan Ahead

By: mr. guel

mr. guel — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 06:01:13 +0000

i have a multimodal commute. mainly because i live in an outlying rural area where drivers don’t know how to deal with cyclists and the road in is just too busy and unsafe anyway. so, i drive into downtown, to a free parking lot, and cycle the rest of the way in. i get around by cycle all day.
it’s really helpfull that i do actually have the car because i don’t have to tend to much in the morning. by the time i’ve ridden the 10 or so miles into downtown, i can usually tell if it’s raining or what-have-you. rain or shine determines my route more than anything else. when it rains i stay on the sidewalk, because the pedestrians are all huddling indoors and traffic accidents are so much more frequent in the rain. i can actually take a quicker route via the sidewalks. when it’s dry i stay on the road.
i get by just fine with a light raincoat that folds up and fits into a smallish pocket in my rucksack.

By: David

David — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:30:54 +0000

Someone mentioned keeping extra shoes and belts, great idea. I’d only add that keeping an extra set of under garments is not a bad idea either.

By: Studded tires at Commute by Bike

Studded tires at Commute by Bike — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:05:12 +0000

[...] to use their studded bike tires, most of the Northern Hemisphere has escaped the grip of winter. Al asks, though, about information on studded [...]

By: Fritz

Fritz — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:04:45 +0000

Al, surf on over to ICEBIKE and look at the detailed information on studded tires there.

By: Al

Al — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:37:58 +0000

Larry,
Can you provide some info on your studded tires? I ride to work year round regardless of weather and have a pair of studded tires too, but they are getting worn and have not been able to find a replacement set.

Thx

By: Larry

Larry — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:48:04 +0000

Like with most above, a weather check the night before is a must. With winter biking to work in Alaska, the weather can change overnight and you could wake up to snow. With that occasionally happening, I maintain an alternate route just in case they plowed our streets. Thus, blocking off an access point to my regular route. I also have the luxury of having two sets of wheels for the winter; one set with studs and another with a wide tire for flotation on the snow. If I awake with snow present I can quickly change out the wheelset.

By: Tim Goss

Tim Goss — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:48:33 +0000

Jett:
I agree that going home in the rain is no problem. I figure if I can get to work without getting soaked, I’m ridin’. I work a very flexible schedule and can delay my ride in if the weather looks ugly and just wait for the next break in the rain. Oregon rain breaks are short lived, however. I can leave work at varying times also. For me I’d rather ride in the rain than the wind any ol’ day.

By: Jett

Jett — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:32:30 +0000

It’s funny, I have to do all that planning for me to take the car (make sure it has fuel, air pressure in the tires, battery not dead, figure out where I’m going to park). I’ve only taken the car into the office twice in the last 3 years so I forget how to do it. If I can’t ride, I can walk the 3 miles.

Al & Tim, with you all the way on the weather although I generally don’t care whether my ride home will be wet or not. It Atlanta, we have to use hurricanes for snow days.

Robert, last night I experimented with putting air in my tire without using a gauge. I almost lost the tube and tire (and risked my hearing too!) putting in too much air.

Fritz, thanks for the phrasing I couldn’t pick out of my brain. It looks like my weak allusion to hybrid bikes fell flat.

Evan, that never happens on purpose, right? .

By: Evan

Evan — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:47:50 +0000

If you pack your bag the night before make sure to check it in the morning or you may wind up going commando.

By: Fritz

Fritz — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:26:27 +0000

I experiment all the time, Robert

Jett, the phrase is “multimodal.” I’m a multimodal commuter too: bike + bus + train + bike (or sometimes a shuttle bus for that last leg).