Biking to work

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megarrett87
megarrett87 Posts: 30
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys,
I just recently starting biking to work instead of taking the car. It is only 3 miles away and takes about 15-20 minutes. Does anyone else bike to work? And if so, do you have any tips for me? Call me a dork but I ordered a reflective vest to wear....you can't always trust the drivers in my town!
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Replies

  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
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    Do you take it easy? I work 4 miles away and would like to bike to work but there is no where to shower once I get there.
  • leedootson
    leedootson Posts: 38 Member
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    hi during the summer months i bike to work once or twice a week its 15 miles each way takes about an hour i find its a great way to start a day as its mostly through pretty villages and a good way to wind down after work the main problem over here in the uk are narrow roads and impatant car drivers that leave you with hardly any room when they overtake (had a few near misses)
    and the big bounus is that i have had 2 hours of cardio by the time i get home from work so i can enjoy family time
    but high viz jackets are essential better to be seen looking like a dork the being dead looking cool
    regards
    lee
  • justnotthatcreative
    justnotthatcreative Posts: 26 Member
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    I ride about 5 miles to work through London which takes about 30mins at most. My advice would be to never trust drivers. It will keep you alert and you wont get complacent. Make sure you have lights as well if you're riding at dawn or dusk or in bad weather!

    You will love it though.

    Ruger - if you take it easy you may not need a shower but it is a nice way to start work. My gym is near my work so i shower there.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Do you take it easy? I work 4 miles away and would like to bike to work but there is no where to shower once I get there.

    Same here. I struggle enough walking - couldn't cycle!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    The reflective vest is a great idea. I have one for warmer weather, when it's cooler I'll my hideously visible fluorescent green running jacket while biking. I also ride with a blinking white LED light (front) and red flashing LED in the back even during daylight hours - I want drivers not to just see me but to notice me.

    Better a live dork than a dead fashionista.
  • taratam83
    taratam83 Posts: 88 Member
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    Its great that your taking the motive to bike to work! Great exercise!! Don't feel like a dork though for the vest and get a helmet too!!! :)
  • jennetsullivan
    jennetsullivan Posts: 37 Member
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    I bike to work. I live in Texas, so for me it really helps that I have to be at work at 6am...plus we have showers there. If you're going to be bicycling at all in the dark/dusk/sunrise then my advice is to invest LED for the front and the back lights. Anything else will cost too much in batteries (trust me!)

    I also found it very helpful to get a small bag for the front of my bike. I'm cheap, so I just put a thermal lunch bag to the front and tied a knot in the handle so it wouldn't get knocked around.. I just zip/unzip it to carry my wallet, and lunch to work. Very, very cheap hack :)

    I use dailymile.com to track my mileage/speed/etc... very helpful for when I have a slow ride but I see that most of it was uphill, that sort of thing. It works pretty easily with my android phone.

    For those that can't shower, my advice is to still give it a shot (maybe on an off-day do a trial run) if your local weather will permit it. In the summer when I first started, I was riding my bike at 4pm in the heat of the day...there was NO WAY I could go to work in an office without a shower. But in the fall, I just changed when I got to work, reapplied deoderant, and I was good to go. Flushable wipes also make for a good impromptu shower, if you're desperate :)

    Good luck!!
  • katozdad
    katozdad Posts: 298 Member
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    Hi, I bike 10 miles to work. Try to get in 3 days a week and hoping to go for 5 eventually. Most of my commute is in built up 'rush hour' traffic around Sheffield. For safety, (apart from the obvious helmet) I have a proper riding jacket (feels like neoprene), it is very waterproof, but that does not matter so much as it really does draw the sweat, but I also have my blinky lights on (front and back) regardless of the lighting conditions. I would also invest in a small toolset, nothing worse than pushing your bike to work, I have a multitool, with Allen keys, a couple of spanners to fit different parts of my bike and innertube scabs (these are self adhesive and stick straight onto your innertube without any prep. Old spoons also serve as good tyre levers. Again, nothing worse than messing about with a separate tube of glue by the side of the road and waiting for it to dry before you pump the tyre up.

    Hope this helps, and is not too basic, as I sometimes feel like I'm preaching to the converted.
  • navygunner
    navygunner Posts: 36 Member
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    Would love to be able to do this. unfortunately I work 37 miles away in very haaaiiiirrrryyyy Atlanta traffic. I pray your area has better traffic, be safe, wear reflective vests, use flashers etc, etc. Remember there are way too many idiots out there texting and talking on their cell phones, putting make up on, etc. Those are the ones who will claim they did not see you.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
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    I don't bike to work (37 miles one way, and I have to take kids to/from school), but I do bike, mostly on rural roads. I always wear a hi-viz jersey or vest, reflective hi-viz tape on my helmet, white flashing light on the front of the bike, red flashing light on the back. If I'm on the recumbent trike, I add an orange flag, a slow-moving vehicle triangle, and a red blinky on the back of my helmet. There are several busybodies in my small town who have stopped me in the middle of the road to tell me how dangerous riding is, because nobody could possibly see me like that... O_o
  • Kresent
    Kresent Posts: 39 Member
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    Always, I end up logging about 200 miles a week, 25-45 miles a day. I wear fluorescent t-shirts. My commute is 12.6 miles and It only takes me 15 minutes longer than driving. I enjoy the free workout and gas savings of at least $200 a month. I gave away my stationary bike, hated it.
  • spearfox
    spearfox Posts: 276 Member
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    I did it a few years ago but the traffic was just too scary to put up with it.
    The morning ride before sunup was pleasant.
    I also had so many blinky things going I looked like a psychedelic Christmas tree on acid.
    I had like 4 or 5 multi colored led lights going.

    Now the afternoon traffic was another matter entirely.
    There are some drivers that hate other vehicles so their attitude towards bicycles is even worse.
    Since that time I tried bicycling to work traffic has only gotten worse. LOTS of new construction and jobs in the area.

    Maybe if some dedicated bike paths are built near the problem areas I encountered I would do it again.
  • dcmat
    dcmat Posts: 1,723 Member
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    My daily commute totals 46 miles 5 days a week, so I am fairly well kitted out woth spare tubes and tools
  • RUNN3Rmom
    RUNN3Rmom Posts: 441
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    I am thinking of biking to work but worry with the night time driving. I work evenings and would be headed home at midnight. I have an old mountain bike...old and heavy! What type of bike would I be looking for to commute? I'd love to save on gas and since I am only 8 miles or so away it wouldn't be too long.

    Thanks!
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Bring or leave extra clothes at work in case you sweat real bad.
    I was losing weight without trying it when i biked to work.
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
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    I've starting biking to work, about 13.5 miles each way. I need to pick days depending on weather and kids' schedule. In the big picture, even though it takes me a little over an hour each way, since I would have gotten up early to exercise it really doesn't add much time on to my day.

    We have showers at work which makes it a lot easier.

    Definitely wear reflective gear, have a light on the front of the bike, an annoying flashing red one on the back, and wear a helmet. Safety is important, and most people I see commuting by bike do utilize all these safety items, so I wouldn't worry about how people think you look.

    So far I'm really enjoying it, I hope you do too.
  • turbophoenix
    turbophoenix Posts: 152
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    I don't but my husband does. Here is the advice he's given to other people:

    1. Invest in a good road bike.
    2. HELMET HELMET HELMET.
    3. Wear a reflective vest, especially if you're riding at night.
    4. Buy a light for your bike - they usually have combo sets with a front and tail light.
    5. Get a bike repair kit with a portable pump, innertubes, patches, etc. Nothing sucks more than getting a flat on the way and having no way to fix it.

    Hope that helps :)
  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
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    Learn how to change a flat!
    I got caught in a rainstorm with one and it wasn't pretty.

    As others have said, the reflective vest is a great idea. I also have fluorescent t-shirts, lots of blinkies and I usually wore a helmet when I rode to work.
    Tell loved ones of the route you're taking.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    I spent about 4 years biking to work. Between 1.5 and 2.5 mile each way. Now I'm running, but that's a different story.

    I don't sweat much in the morning, so I just hav ea change of clothes. It helps that here in CA it's about 30 degrees cooler in the morning and still awfully dry.
    At night, I don't care, cause I'm going home anyway.

    Plan you lunches out before hand, if you don;t already.
    Panniers. It might seem harder to bike at first, but it helps cut down the sweating too, by keeping your back open to the air.
  • megarrett87
    megarrett87 Posts: 30
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    Thanks for the advice guys....I gonna go get me some blinking lights!

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