long distance commute

thebouldwhacker

I'm looking at starting a 5okm each way commute soon, from the related thread I've noted a few here are doing long haul trips and so I want to know if ye would impart your hard earned tips, ie clothing, lights, road or mtb shoes, dealing with work clothes or wet cycling gear in the evening etc etc.
I think 1okm has been my longest work commute to date which has slightly different requirements...
Thanks

ROK ON

Class. You'll be in flying form come the summer.
On clothing you should get a merino jersey and base layer.

They can be a bit pricey, but are worth it for long commutes, in that they dont stink and the jersey will be dry by the evening for the commute home.

Lights.
Check out the Light thread somewhere here (or just pm Lumen).
On a long commute, bring a spare pair of socks. They wont dry for the journey home.

Can you shower in work? If so bring all of your clothes in at the start of the week and then just commute in your cycling gear. (maybe drive in that day).

petethedrummer

My only tip is to leave a pair of waterproof socks in work. If your shoes get wet on the way to work, you won't notice on the way home with the waterproof socks on.

thebouldwhacker

Cheers ROK, I'm currently in negotiations with local shower owners close to the office (inspired by captain havoc) so fingers crossed I might get a locker too for the pants.

Just need to start getting up early enough to cycle, that'll be the hard bit...

Highway_To_Hell

50km each way is a long one, I do just shy of 30km (but on a fixie). agree with the the others about socks, I bring a spare pair and also have another pair in work just in case I forget the spair pair some morning.

I use panniers as I found my back ached from using a back pack. I have a small saddle bag with a tube and CO2 pump and levers an a pair of latex gloves to keep my hands clean when changing tubes. I also carry a hand pump in my pannier as I go caught one when the CO2 pump failed and I had no other way to inflate the tyre. I keep a spare tube and puncture repair kit in work as well.

For footware during the winter I have a pair of gortext MTB boots and these work well in most wet conditions unless there is torrential rain (it's amazing how little it rains when your cycling) during the summer months I revert back to ordinary MTB shoes. I keep a pair of street shoes in the office so I have one less thing to carry with me.

I carry a rain jacket but would rarely use it, I find if it starts raining when I am on the road by the time I realise it won't blow over I am wet and will shower dry off when I get to the office or home. If it is raining before I leave the house I would sometimes chicken out and drive

I use to keep clean shirts in my office and when ever I would drive in re stock them, but we moved building and I am now in an open plan environment and less storage space is available to me, I also found that once the shirt was folded and placed in the pannier neatly to survived the commute. - even though my pannier is waterproof/resistant I keep everything in plastic bags (not the light grocery bags but the heavier ones).

I also keep a separate heavy duty Ulock on the bike rack at work again so I don't have to carry it with me on the commute.

Enjoy the commute.

Greenman

Whats the route?

I get 20 cent a KM tax free from my employer and government, wow:) on a five day week €100 per week would be nice.

Well done in advance.;)

thebouldwhacker

I'll take no praise until I actually start it.... Route, Dungarvan to Waterford

thebouldwhacker

Nice one highway, Pete that's a good tip too.
I have been onto a local gym who are willing to give me a huge discount on their rates for a shower only package.... Which was nice...