DITCH THE CAR, TAKE THE BIKE!
Tips for a Safe Bicycle Commute
When
gas prices soar you probably think twice about jumping in the car to make that trip to the bike shop, unless of course, it’s
on the way to Costco where you can get gas a bit cheaper. For my family, combining trips has become a necessity,
and whether we really need to go somewhere can be a big decision. Still, we have to go to work and make
a living to support our bike habit, right? So why not combine the two? If you don’t
already do so, commuting by bike is a great way to save on gas, reduce wear-and-tear on your vehicle, and maybe cut your insurance
costs. It’s like getting paid to ride your bike! Think of all of the other benefits,
like improving your fitness and strength, reducing stress, and reducing the environmental pollutants that your car produces.
Consider
this: If you drive an SUV like me, you probably get about 15 mpg driving to work. Over
a short 20-mile round-trip commute, that equates to 1.33 gallons consumed. When gas prices hit $4.00 /
gallon, the cost for driving the SUV to work and back each day is $5.32, roughly the cost of lunch depending upon what and
where you eat! So over the course of the work week you would spend $26.60, or about $106 per month!
That’s over $1,000 per year even if you factor in holidays and vacation days – just to go and earn a living
and bring home a paycheck! That’s a grand you can spend on bike stuff instead of gas!
For some of you, that’s a thousand bucks to keep your wives happy or to diaper your babies.
Since
I began bike commuting in 2006 I have learned a few tips and tricks through trial and error and by doing a little research.
However, despite the practicalities of actually doing it, the desire and the motivation must be there!
For me, riding my bike to work was not necessarily influenced by rising gas prices. The gas savings
was just a benefit. My motivation was to become a stronger rider, but to do so I would mean more training.
With a 9-hour work day there didn’t seem to be much time on either end for training. I started
out by bringing my bike to work in my SUV and taking a long lunch to ride. Then I realized that I could
make more efficient use of my time and money if I combined my commute with my training. For me, driving
to work and back home takes about 35 – 40 minutes in light traffic. Riding my bike one way is about
35 – 40 minutes or about 1 hour and 10 minutes round trip. Therefore, commuting by car saves only
half the time of commuting by bike, but gets me over an hour of training every day – for free! That’s
less time spent at the gas pump putting hours of hard-earned cash into my tank.
I’m sure you have several excuses
as to why you cannot commute by bike, and for some they are legitimate ones. For instance, if your employer
requires that you have a car to effectively do your job, then there’s not much you can do about that short of leaving
a car at work. For some, you may be obligated to pick up spouses or children at the end of the day, and
unless you can tow them in a trailer or put them (illegally) on your handlebars, then commuting by bike may not be a wise
choice. However, if your excuse is, “I live too far from work...” or “I don’t have
a shower at work…” or “I can’t carry all of that stuff on my bike…”, then pay attention
– I’ve got a few tips for you.
Route Planning
There are a few basic things
to consider once you have committed to bike commuting. You already know the way to work by car, but getting
there by bike may require a different route for obvious reasons, especially if your normal commute is by freeway.
Picking the safest route to work may require a bit of decision-making based on your knowledge of the roadways between
home and work, or from other cyclists who frequent these routes. There are also on-line resources you might
use such as Ridelink (http://www.ridelink.org/CommuterChoices/Bike_Maps.aspx). For some of you, the distance between work and home may be a bit much for a daily commute.
However, there are alternatives that some of your fellow riders have put into practice. For instance,
you can drive to a location that you determine is safe and a reasonable distance from work to begin and end your daily commute.
One rider with whom I have ridden on a couple of occasions drives from Poway to the nearby Albertson’s shopping
center and rides to La Jolla on a daily basis. Another alternative is to pick only two or three days of
the week to ride the entire distance, or take the trolley or Coaster (or other means of transportation such as bus or carpool)
and ride only one way. The trick is to find a plan that works for you, your schedule and your lifestyle
in general.
Equipment
Your equipment will be determined by a number of factors
such as weather, seasons, route, and daily cargo (i.e. clothing, food, laptop, etc.), so you may have to invest in a few necessities
that you would not normally require on our Sunday rides. Many bike commuters carry backpacks or messenger
bags large enough to accommodate clothing, food, and other work essentials, while others install racks with panniers to carry
larger loads. There is a wide variety of bike-specific bags and packs which are available in bike shops
or on-line. Some offer extra padding for laptops and come in a range of sizes to suit your needs.
One strategy to keep in mind to keep the cargo load light is to leave items such as dress shoes at work, and to stock
food items at work by taking advantage of the days you must commute by car.
As always,
you should carry emergency repair equipment such as a spare tube, Co2, a pump, tire levers, and a mini-tool. Of
course, a cell phone and one or more forms of identification, such as a Road I.D. and driver’s license, are a must,
and as an added “line of defense” you may want to consider using more durable tires or products such as “Slime”
tubes or tape which automatically seal punctures up to 1/8”. On my commuter bike I currently use
Specialized Armadillo All-Condition tires which last up to 4,000 miles and are very puncture-resistant. For
added peace-of-mind I use the Slime tubes. In fact, in over 11,000 miles of commuting, I have had only
one puncture - before I began using Slime tubes - and fortunately the flat occurred in daylight and in a safe area.
This is something to keep in mind if you plan to commute in darkness and in places where changing a tire is less than
ideal. The down side of this extra “insurance” is added weight and a stiffer ride due to the
hardiness of the tire material. However, in my opinion, this is a very good trade-off!
Headlights
and tail lights are a good idea no matter what the time of day or season, and it is good practice is to carry two of each
in case one stops functioning or runs out of “juice”. Also, carry extra batteries!
A good set-up would include one tail light affixed to the bike, and one that clips to your messenger bag or back pack,
in addition to a small light-weight head lamp attached to your helmet. Small headlights with a strobe feature
will get the attention of pedestrians, bikers and drivers up ahead. During the dark winter commutes a handlebar-mounted
head light powerful enough to illuminate the road and bike path is a must, especially if you plan to ride through unlighted
or minimally-lit areas, such as the SR56 bike path. Head lights, such as those made by NiteRider, use a
rechargeable battery pack with a 1.5 to 2-hour or more run time. It is good practice, however, to recharge
the battery each night, provided the manufacturer does not recommend against it. Although there is a wide
variety of makes and models, the brighter, lower-weight, longer-lasting units tend to get a bit pricey!
For commuting
in darkness there are other products that improve your visibility and thus your safety. In fact, Section
21201 of the California Vehicle Code requires that cyclists must meet minimum requirements for reflectivity in addition to
illumination. A fellow bike commuter, who had been in a bike vs. automobile accident, said
that his lawyer recommended to him that bike riders make themselves as visible as possible so that in the event of an accident
they can demonstrate that they took measures to make themselves visible to motorists. Most cycling clothing
is made of brightly-colored materials, but products such as those made with “Illuminite” fabric, a reflective
material, further enhance your visibility to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians after dark. Illuminite
fabric is available on everything from jackets, to warmers, to helmet covers, and booties and can be found at most bike shops.
Reflective tape is also available in many forms and can be used in a variety of applications and configurations.
If you
plan to commute throughout the year, you will need a variety of clothing types appropriate to the weather. Over
time you will be able to determine what types of clothing you will need at certain temperature ranges. Layering
clothing during the colder months, will allow you to regulate comfort when the body begins to warm up. For
example, when morning temperatures are in the 40s, you may use a jersey, arm warmers and a jacket up top, and shorts, leg
warmers and full length pants below. This would allow you to shed layers for the commute home when temperatures
tend to be a bit warmer. Booties help to keep your feet warm and dry during the coldest periods, and long-finger
gloves in cold temperatures are a must. Also, ear protection helps to take the bite out of the cold!
Eye protection
comes in a variety of types, and “high-vis” type lenses are available to enhance your vision during periods of
low light, such as dawn and dusk. Multi-lens eye protection allows you to interchange lenses to suit a
variety of riding conditions. Unfortunately, in damp conditions, lenses may be less effective!
Rain
and fog pose a challenge to bike commuters, and generally speaking, safety becomes a problem for obvious reasons.
Bike handling may become trickier and reduced visibility increases your risk in traffic areas. These
are the conditions during which driving to work would be a safer choice! However, if the forecast calls
for a “chance” of rain, be prepared and carry at least a rain jacket – preferably one that is made of high-visibility
material. You may also want to consider booties and a helmet cover to help keep you dry. Furthermore,
disk brakes, like those on my commuter bike, are very effective in wet conditions.
Personal Hygiene
The natural
result of physical activity, such as cycling, is the production of perspiration, or sweat, especially on warmer days.
During cold winter commutes, however, sweat may not be as much a factor since the body produces just enough heat to
stay warm. However, if you plan to train hard during your commute, you will likely produce a substantial
amount of sweat by the time you arrive at your destination. Larger companies might offer showers and locker
facilities, but for bike commuters who do not have the luxury of shower facilities at work, there are other ways to “freshen
up” for the long work day. A good idea is shower before the commute. As a friend
once commented, sweat produced after a good shower is clean sweat! Once at your destination, you
can simply wash up and towel down at a sink, like sponge-bathing, followed by the use of products such as baby wipes.
A good product developed specifically for this type of situation is Rocket Shower, a spray-on freshener made
of a blend of natural ingredients designed to “clean your body, kill odor-causing bacteria and cool you down without
soap and water” as indicated on the manufacturer’s web site: http://www.10nine8.net/howitworks.html As with other daily-use products, personal hygiene products may be left at your work place and replenished
as needed. Finding a system that works for you may require a bit of trial and error.
Training
While Commuting
As you begin to settle into a good, consistent routine, consider optimizing your
commute time by integrating a training regimen. There are a variety of books, on-line articles, and magazine
articles that offer training programs that you can easily modify to suit your daily commute. By focusing
on cycling technique, you can drastically improve your cycling skills, strength and stamina. You will find
that most training programs are quite structured based on your goals, whether you are training for a century, or improving
hill climbing or overall speed. These programs integrate variations in tempo, duration and intensity, and
rest or recovery days. Since most of us do not necessarily have the ability to stick religiously to a strict
training regimen, it is important to understand the concepts of these programs and to adapt them to meet your goals.
For instance, following the Sunday club ride, you may want to use your Monday commute as a recovery ride by taking
the shortest route and riding at an easy pace both ways. On Tuesday you might wake up a bit earlier and
choose a longer route in the morning with maybe an extra hill for the afternoon commute home. On Wednesday
you might increase your ride tempo and choose a route with more hill climbs. On Thursday you either drive
to work or do another recovery ride. Also, on certain portions of your commute you may want to focus on
your pedal stroke. A good method is “one-legged pedaling”. Simply unclip
one shoe and pedal for 50 or so rotations, and then repeat with the opposite leg. You will find that doing
this on a slight incline will keep you honest with your up-stroke! You may also want to work on your “sitting”
legs only on certain days and your “standing” legs on others. Again, there are many sources
such as www.Bicycling.com in which you will find an abundance of training tips.
Keeping It Going
One of
the biggest challenges of bike commuting is staying motivated, especially when the alarm clock reminds you that you probably
should have gone to bed earlier, and you know that the morning air is about the same temperature as the inside of your refrigerator.
However, once you’ve settled into a routine and become more comfortable with your commute, you may find yourself
more motivated to ride as often as possible knowing that every pedal stroke you take during the week will make you a better,
stronger rider for the weekend club rides! Also, remember that every pedal stroke will keep you away from
the gas pump a little bit longer!
