Comments on: Commuting 101: Ten Quick Tips

By: Dawn

Dawn — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:44:38 +0000

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking of using my old 18 speed huffy to start commuting to work and college, since both are less than 5 miles from my house. I am a bus rider (I don’t have a license) and today I decided to ‘test the bike’ for an errand I had to run. Well, I planned badly and ended up on a road I shouldn’t have been on as it was for high speed car traffic only (seemed like a good idea when I went online and looked at a map). I also had a problem with my chain (it jumped the gears and jammed itself), then my seat became lose and I couldn’t even sit on the bike and didn’t have tools on me to tighten it. I think my test run should have been around the block and not this four mile errand that went soooo bad, lol. But just a few of your tips would have saved me soreness, a lose seat (I now will bring a small tool with me just in case) and ending up in a ‘bad’ road for bike users – especially a new bike user who can’t move all that fast. Unfortunately, my bike did come from a -mart a couple years , but without a car to get to a bike shop, I don’t know how to get it properly checked out.

By: obrazy do bytu

obrazy do bytu — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:02:30 +0000

Thanks for your tips. Surely they look very good. Thumbs UP

By: Noah

Noah — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:05:08 +0000

Sarah: Single speed bikes can be geared somewhat low. Further, riders can stand up to climb surprisingly steep hills with modest gearing on a single-speed bike. Look at all the singlespeed and fixed gear bikes in hilly San Francisco, for example. People who spend a lot of time riding single speed and fixed gear generally tend to get strong enough to get where they want to go. Also, there’s not as many things that can break on a single speed bike. Many commuters enjoy the simplicity of a well-built singlespeed or fixie.

By: sarah Rohr

sarah Rohr — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:02:37 +0000

I have a generic 21 speed bike that seems to work well for commuting. I don’t understand how some commuting bikes have one speed. They must be for flat roads because they’d kill themselves on even the smallest hills!

I had a 10 speed I was using before and after one week gave up and took a taxi for the rest of the year. Once I got the 21 speed the hills were nothing. I’d not recommend anything under a 21 speed bicycle for commuting.

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:50:26 +0000

I would add: know the traffic rules. Behave predictable, give clear signals, stop at stop signs.

Ride slowly towards busy intersections and make eye contact with other people(pedestrians or drivers) to ensure they see you before you cross. Safety first.

By: Walt

Walt — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:04:29 +0000

I would add: Get Comfortable. Make adjustments on bike fit, how you carry your stuff and how you dress to eliminate the things that irritate you. There’s no sense in enduring pain just to ride to work. Make it enjoyable.

By: CaptCanuck

CaptCanuck — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:49:46 +0000

Preparation is everything – be creative. I converted the armoire style cabinet in my office into a closet using a extension fitted style chin up bar and converted the bottom two lateral drawers to store my socks, toiletries, shoes, etc.

Other commuters at my office who work in cubicles have taken my cue and converted few of the shared coat closets using hanging garment bags and hanging closet/shoe organizers, etc. The kind with cubby holes in them. This keeps their stuff neat and tidy.

One day per week I drive in and on that day I bring fresh clothes, a fresh towel, and pack in and a few days of meals that I put in the lunch room freezer. This just helps minimize what I have to pack in (and potentially forget). I actually end up packing out more stuff on the bike ride home than I bring in. So my big preparation is making sure I have a bundle of meals and clean laundry on the day I plan to drive in – which I usually coordinate to be the worst weather day for the week

By: Iowagriz

Iowagriz — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:12:35 +0000

At my last building, we had coat closets at our cubes. I stored 6 dress shirts at the cube and had them dry cleaned two blocks away. At the peak, I was only carrying socks, pants, underwear, t-shirt and deodorant. Showered in the building, walked upstairs and grabbed a dress shirt, put on the appropriately colored belt/shoes that were left at the desk. Drop off the shirts every 10 days or so.

l also got a few others to join me by having them drive to work with their stuff. Ride home with me to show them the safe route and then they are forced to ride back into work the next morning. This showed them the way, and lessened the early season physicallity that disappoints many new comers.

By: wannaCmore

wannaCmore — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:02:58 +0000

Kaz- As a matter of fact, that was the ‘daily debate’ last night. I tried to explain to her a bike from an LBS would be cheaper in the long run, due to related maintainence. The discount/department stores will assemble the bike, but they don’t adjust them, and they are not capable of servicing them. LBSs service what they sell. I know of one shop in town that no longer services ‘bike shaped objects’ from the -marts. That speaks volumes to me. Trust me, if I thought I could pull of commuting by bike on daily basis (43 miles by car), I would go ahead get the bike I wanted, let her yell at me for a month or two until she realized the only fuel being bought was for her car. Rant done for now…

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:11:12 +0000

Related to #10 — Another option is to take a free class (that’s what I did). Usually local shops or bigger stores like REI have them on a regular basis.