Tips for cycling to work?

KeshNZ

I've just started cycling to work in an attempt to get more exercise. Does anyone have any tips that would make my cycling commute to work easier? My ride is 15km from Melbourne North Western suburbs to the CBD. I'm currently riding a Reid City 2, it's a cheapy but does the job. I'm kinda slow at around 20km/h average and still can't make it up some of the steep hills but I'm getting there. One thing I'm having some trouble with is all the stuff I need to carry. I've just purchased a 16 litre top mount pannier bag but I'm finding I still fill up my 20 litre backpack as well.

I'm lucky enough to have showers at work so I don't need to lug around towels but I still need to carry:
Spare pump
Spare tube
Repair kit (allan keys, patches, tyre levers) - this is kept in a separate saddle bag so not a problem
Lock
Wallet
Phone
Keys
Lunch (usually in 2 clip-it containers + an apple)
Clothes for work (dress/skirt, tights, top, bra, underwear)
Extra socks
Jacket
Toiletries, sunscreen and makeup.

It might not seem like much but all this adds up and easily fills the 26 litres of my pannier bag and backpack! Ideally I'd like to be able to lose the backpack, especially coming up to summer...

Perhaps I should start leaving clothes at work? This means I will need to bring a bunch of clothes in on a Monday and take them all home again on a Friday for washing, this seems like it will be a lot of extra weight on those days.... Should I buy a set of toiletries, sunscreen and makeup to leave at work? Should I get bigger side mount pannier bags? Is there anything I should be carrying that I'm not?

Any tips would be much appreciated!

Machka9

I managed to commute to work by bicycle with a trunk bag and a handle bar bag.

Leave all toiletries at work and nonperishable food and shoes. I would take the bus about once a month and would replenish my supplies then.

Your pump is on the frame.
Wallet keys phone etc are in the handle bar bag ... maybe your lunch too.

Your jacket is a light weight cycling jacket that folds down to nothing.

Roll your other clothes to make them more compact and less wrinkly.

If you need something like a suit jacket take a couple to keep at work when you take the bus.

cowbellsandcoffee

I commute to work every so often Everything you listed KeshNZ is spot on.

I use a backpack and only take the bare minimum when needed. I do have spare clothes and a pair of shoes at work if a situation arises. It sounds like you have the general idea. Just need to fine tune it as the weather changes.

MeanderingMammal

Personally I pre-position a couple of suits, shoes, wash bag at work and have two panniers on my bike.

Nearside has two laptops, notebooks, phones and my lunch box, offside has fresh underwear and socks, shirt and tie and towel.

Neither pannier bag is stuffed but I prefer it balanced out that way.

You can also consider pre-position of your lock if it's company provided cycle racking.

NorthCascades

Ditch the pump for CO2 cartridges. Stop carrying your lock; lock it to the bike rack at work. (Let management know first.). It's not like anyone will be able to take it, it'll be locked. Leave a pair of shoes under your desk.

DebLaBounty

We were a one car family for years, so my husband cycled to work nearly every day. This was when we lived in Alaska, and he biked most of the winter, too. (Who knew they make studded snow tires for bikes?!) He had access to his office on weekends. Every Sunday, he'd drive to the office with a couple pairs of pants and some shirts and drop them off. (If you don't have a key, of course you could do this on Monday). He kept two pairs of shoes in his office, a nice pair and some boots for his outdoor work as a geologist. He had a ditty bag he kept there with his toiletries.

KeshNZ

NorthCascades wrote: »

Ditch the pump for CO2 cartridges. Stop carrying your lock; lock it to the bike rack at work. (Let management know first.). It's not like anyone will be able to take it, it'll be locked. Leave a pair of shoes under your desk.

Our building management will cut and remove any locks that are left in the bike cage for longer than a month.

KeshNZ

DebLaBounty wrote: »

We were a one car family for years, so my husband cycled to work nearly every day. This was when we lived in Alaska, and he biked most of the winter, too. (Who knew they make studded snow tires for bikes?!) He had access to his office on weekends. Every Sunday, he'd drive to the office with a couple pairs of pants and some shirts and drop them off. (If you don't have a key, of course you could do this on Monday). He kept two pairs of shoes in his office, a nice pair and some boots for his outdoor work as a geologist. He had a ditty bag he kept there with his toiletries.

Great idea but my office is a 20km journey by car and would take me over 40 minutes one way, I'm not sacrificing ANY of my weekend to drive into work :-)

I've decided to leave toiletries etc. at work and will carry office clothes in on a Monday morning and out on a Friday evening. At this stage I'm alternating rides so for example Monday: ride in, Tuesday: ride home, Wednesday: ride in, Thursday: ride home. I can carry all my washing home on the train on Fridays or the days I don't ride home. I don't mind carrying extra weight with clothing in on a Monday as my ride into work is mainly downhill. Once my fitness/stamina is built up a bit more I'll look into riding both to work and then home again on the same day.

MeanderingMammal

KeshNZ wrote: »

NorthCascades wrote: »

Ditch the pump for CO2 cartridges. Stop carrying your lock; lock it to the bike rack at work. (Let management know first.). It's not like anyone will be able to take it, it'll be locked. Leave a pair of shoes under your desk.

Our building management will cut and remove any locks that are left in the bike cage for longer than a month.

You might want to confirm whether that is left unused

KeshNZ

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

You might want to confirm whether that is left unused

(c) If your lock is left on a rack for an extended period, Building Management may remove/cut it without notice to you.
(d) We accept no responsibility for replacing locks or any loss suffered by you in respect of the removal of a lock.


Since this policy was introduced the amount of locks left on the racks reduced by at least 75%. I'm not going to risk losing a lock, even if they are cheap. I also like to carry a lock with me in case I want to stop into a shop on the way home, or use it on weekends.

Machka9

I always carried my lock ... just wrapped it around my handlebar.

margelizard

I've spent the last few months cycle commuting to and from work, which is a 34 mile round trip. It's so satisfying to arrive at work after doing it, so good on you for persevering!

As for stuff, I usually manage to fit everything I need into a backpack. My top tips:

- Ditch anything you don't need on a daily basis! I don't carry a puncture repair kit, pump or anything like that. I've had two punctures in 25 years of cycling, so I'd rather hedge my bets. So long as you have a lock, I'd say leave the dead weight at home and if you get a puncture, lock up your bike and find an alternative way home.

- Have spare toiletries at your office. I keep a toilet bag with everything I need beside my desk. That way you're not lugging bottles of stuff every single day. It might be a bit of an investment initially (I don't know how much make up you use....!) but you'll not likely notice it after that.

- I like to keep extra socks and underwear in my filing cabinet at work, just in case I need 'em!

- Are your lunch tubs complete full or only partially full? If only partially, then maybe look at getting more appropriately sized boxes. Otherwise, I'd suggest maybe having a Monday be your "I need to lug everything for the week to work" day and just bite the bullet. Take all your lunch stuff for the whole week and store it at work.

On a separate note, don't skimp on protective clothing. Buy a good jacket suitable to the conditions you're riding in (I'm in Scotland, so warm and waterproof is the way to go). Wear as much hi-viz clothing as possible and don't go anywhere without your helmet. I was hit by a car last year while on my bike and my helmet saved my life (no exaggeration!)

TimothyFish

I have an older bike that I set up for riding to church on Sunday (about 10 miles per week). I replaced the quick release skewers with security skewers and fastened a d-lock to the frame so I only have to mess with one lock. I wear my church clothes when I ride so I don't have to change clothes. The bike is old enough that I doubt it would sell for much so my biggest reason for locking it is to prevent kids from deciding to take it for a joy ride.

jjpptt2

Leave as much as you can at work/in a locker - toiletries are the obvious one, shoes maybe. Consider driving to work 1x week and leaving a week's worth of lunches and some clothes in your office/locker/wherever.

Also, can you pack more efficiently? I have a saddle bag with my usual tools, then carry a small messenger style bag with a change of clothes. I can't imagine wanting or needing to carry so much stuff that I need a 20l backpack AND a pannier.

NorthCascades

It sounds like the policy is for abandoned locks. If it applies to locks left for a certain amount of time, move yours regularly from one spot to another, maybe bring it home on the weekends.

I'd also reiterate that CO2 works just as well to inflated a tube, but takes a lot less weight and space in your bag.