Biking to Work

btsinmd

Thanks to 1Heathen who relieved me a bit about worrying about leaving my new bike in the sun during the day.

Another question in regard to me biking to work. I have the bike, a lock, a backpack for my work clothes, and bright clothing. I assume that I will need a light or lights soon for myself and my bike as the days get shorter, just in case. I've driven my car along the bike route to work twice now, not on the route since most of it is a paved rail to trail, but close to it and on the road that is not the trail. There is about a 1/4 of a mile through this whole trip that I worry about. Just after I leave the bike trail there is about a 1/4 mile of road with no sides at all, just two lanes with the brush and trees right up to the two lanes themselves. It is posted 25 mph and the cars seem to be going 25-30 mph in general. After that it widens out and seems safe enough for the rest of the commute to work. Today as I was driving it, a biker was coming from the other direction along this narrow area. He rode directly in the middle of the lane itself. This never occured to me, but does seem to be the best of a bad situation.

Does anyone have a better idea of how to transverse this route or should I try to find another? It may be that if I go a longer way I might find another road off of the bike trail that might have more room along the side, but it would have faster traffic.

Spatialized

Lights are a necessity, even when the days aren't short and, it's that extra little bit of "HEY!!!!!" that can get a driver's attention to see you. I run a rear blinky and front flasher year round and use it fairly frequently, just as a visual aid for the drivers to see me. In the darker months I run a very bright headlight to both light my path (it gets dark in the country) adn for cars to see me. I was talking to the LBS ower and he said he saw me with the light >1 mile away so I know it works.

As for the route issue. If you're not comfortable riding in such close proximity to cares I would suggest to try to find another route off the trail. That extra little bit that avoids the narrow section might be worth it, even though the speeds may behigher, the added room for your comfort would be the deciding factor. If it was me, I'd take the lane like you saw. My other suggestion would be to explore other routes besides the path, or leaving the path early to find a parallel route or something similar. Not sure what your geography/topography looks like if this is even possible. When I lived in a metro area I had plenty of routes to get me where I needed to go, it just tok a bit of non-commuting exploring.

Good luck though .

primal_cupcakes

I would suggest trying your planned route, including the 1/4 mile stretch of narrow road and get a feel for it. When you ride on the road you have a legal right and responsibility to use the road in a way to protect your safety. If that means sometimes "taking the lane," to be sure you can be seen by motorists coming around a curve, that's perfectly acceptable. You may find a route you like better, but the main thing is to ride safely and confidently. It sounds like you are well-prepared to start bike commuting. Let us know how it goes!

CharbyOttawa

You should be fine for 1/4 mile. Just make sure you have front and rear blinking lights, and wear bright or reflective clothing. There are jackets and jerseys that have reflective material built into them, and cars can see them from a long way off in the dark when their headlights are on. That makes drivers pay extra attention. They also sell reflective strips for your bike at any bike shops. You can never be too visible.

Take the entire lane if you feel insecure. It is a short distance, and cars do not want to hit you, as that will mess up their paint job. Just make sure you move as far as possible to the right as soon as you can when you've reached a spot where you feel safe. Learn your hand signals and use them to let motorists know your plans.

Happy bike-commuting!

TheRealParisLove

I've been a full time bike commuter for a year now, and I second the suggestion of getting lights. Use a pulsing light during the day and steady state headlight at night. Get the best light you can afford. I paid $95 for my rechargeable headlight and $35 for my rechargeable Blackburn flea tail light.

Try mapping the route with Google maps. They have a biking option that picks out the best routes for bikes. I've found many, many bike paths and short cuts using Google.

Ride the route on a quiet Sunday afternoon before you are pressed for time. You can't get a real idea of what you are going to encounter from a car. The challenges will be evident once you are on your bike. You don't want to be pressed for time when you realize you made a mistake in your route selection.

Practice changing your tube on the fly. Once the weather turns bad, flats are going to be a regular reality. I went through about 10 tubes last winter.

Good luck and congrats on your savings on fuel expenses! Also, it is a great way to relax after a long day at work.

btsinmd

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it!

CharbyOttawa

Oh, and invest in kevlar tires if you can. After my sixth flat tire (two this week!!!), i finally gave in and upgraded my tires today. It will save you loads of grief of trying to patch tires by the side of the road.

Patrick0321

An alternative to kevlar tyres, is lining the inside of your tyres with a layer of damp proof membrane (not sure if thats what it's called in America). You can normally get a decent size roll from a builders yard and should give a good amount of protection.