Bike commuting tips

Micilin Muc

Getting back into commuting to work by bike tomorrow. One thing I don't miss is the hassle of organising all the logistics of towels, officewear for the day/ a few days, cyclewear for the journey home (in the likely eventuality I get soaked on my way in), batteries for lights and usb chargers, toolkit and spare tube.

Would anyone like to share their tips, big and small, for making commuting by bike easier?

1. Roll officewear to avoid wrinkles.

Raam

Leave shoes in work.

quozl

A dynamo hub and light means no more worrying about batteries. It's a hassle remover.

I got a dynamo front wheel for 65e plus a tenner shipping from rosebikes. They might still be doing that offer.

Mechanic365

Water bottle tool kit (cut a bottle and use it for tubes, multi-tools, etc.)
Maybe use a saddle bag for the rain layer or vice versa

And bring two tubes always

Tombo2001

This may sound like an obvious one.....

Try to avoid having to carry anything in your hands while cycling.

For example your are bringing stuff home from work, and throw it in a plastic bag that you hold on the side of the handlebars.

There is a serious loss of bike control when this happens. You cant stop suddenly with one hand on the handlebars.

Its the sort of thing people do, and its more dangerous than you think.

OREGATO

Try to always have a spare set of clothes in work. I tend to have spare towel, socks, shirt, trousers, underwear and t shirts in my drawer. We have showers in work as well, so I try to bring the clothes for the week if I'm driving in on a particular day

If wearing shirts/trousers, having a dry cleaners near work might save the hassle.

Leave a spare key or lock in the office if parking on street or in a bike bay, just in case you forget yours when you get to work.

aFlabbyPanda

I leave a small cabin bag in work with toiletries, clothes for the week and a towel (we have showers thankfully).

Buy rechargeable lights. I bought the cheap 20€ CREE light from ebay and its been going fine for the last year.

Get mudguards, you'll get sick of cleaning your gear and bike everyday (unless all your rides are urban).

I have a pannier bag with change of bib shorts, socks & wet gear so I have a dry set on the way home just in case.

Idleater

Pannier rack is definitely the way to go comfort wise. Less sweat, more luggage, better handling in traffic.

Also, take in new clothes before taking home the old ones.

NeedMoreGears

Are you likely to be bringing clothes in and out each day? If yes, then small rucksack or panniers as you prefer. I use a rucksack and find the shirt survives the journey in good order. Is there somewhere you can store a jacket suitable jacket/trousers (luckily I have)? If you're male you're at an advantage in that you can probably get away with the same suit for weeks on end!. If you need to bring a full change each day then panniers might be the best bet.

If you can keep a spare set of dry cycling clothes at work all the better.

RebelButtMunch

Don't cycle with earphones in.
Google maps in walking mode for optimal route.

djfattony2000

Get a big powerful light. Cars presume you are a motorbike and are less likely to pull out in front of you.

Very noticeable difference from when I went from standard bike light to my MTB night riding light.

Planet X

Panniers also good for taking home toilet rolls, Fairy, coffee, reams of paper, spare mugs, milk...........:)

Seweryn

djfattony2000 wrote: »

Get a big powerful light. Cars presume you are a motorbike and are less likely to pull out in front of you.

Very noticeable difference from when I went from standard bike light to my MTB night riding light.

...because they got dazzled .

Regarding the equipment, the best investments I made to make my commuting pleasant was the purchase of the saddle bag and the mudguards.

bloomfield

I would agree about the pannier bag. A backpack just results in a sweaty back, and often negates most of the benefit of wearing a high-vis/reflective top. If you're worried about sweating and the logistics of showers and/or changing clothes at work, then perhaps consider cycling more slowly. It's perfectly possible to ride for 5-6km in your normal work clothes, hop off your bike, and get straight to work.

I wrote a blog post a while ago about how to commute to work by bike, which was primarily aimed at people considering switching to their bike.

Pinch Flat

I've very little space for personal belongings and no where to dry wet clothes, so I will sometimes leave a spare cycling kit in my pedestal.

I've no shower in work, so I leave a towel and deodorant in my desk.

Shoes, belt, ties, jumper & spare clothes stay in work (Jacket, jumper).

Bring in fresh shirt, jocks and socks daily. Trousers a few times a week.

Learn how to fold stuff so it doesn't look like a dogs dinner - shorts, trousers etc. Keep them compacted in your bag and they'll stay relatively decent.

For the bike:

USB lights a must - buy the most expensive you can afford - you can plug these into your PC and never be without a light. For urban commuting, minimum 150 lumen constant / flashing, rural minimum 250 lumen spot.

Mudguards a must

In my Backpack (panniers probably better, and I'll go this way eventually). But I carry:

2 X spare tubes, levers and puncture repair kit.
Spare fold up tyre.
Multi-tool.
Mini-pump.
Spare lights & batteries back and front.
Plastic bag for rainy days - even the best bag will leave in some water, snad there's nothing worse than a damp shirt when you get to work.


Wet gear - overshoes, waterproof leggings, rain jacket.

Cookie_Monster

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Google maps in walking mode for optimal route.

in cycling mode surely? ped mode gives you all the places peds can go but that are illegal to cycle on so is misleading.

RayCun

bloomfield wrote: »

A backpack just results in a sweaty back, and often negates most of the benefit of wearing a high-vis/reflective top.

RSA also do high-vis/reflective backpack covers. But yes, sweaty

Macy0161

I'm not doing it long, but here's my opinion...

I normally drive one day a week to drop off clothes and towels, and then I have a wash bag left permenantly. We have showers, and a few rads so if you're in early enough to take one, gear is dry by home time if I get soaked. If I know it's a wet one I do use rain gear though.

For the actual commute, after fitting a rack and getting panniers, I'd find it hard to go back to a ruck sack. Also, in the wet the rucksack straps can wick the water through an otherwise waterproof jacket in my experience.

For lights, I use AA/ AAA battery powered ones (2 front, 2 rear), with spare batteries in my desk in work. The cycle element of my commute is 100% urban and streetlighted, and I feel (hope?) they're adequate.

I went for Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres as well - I considered the poorer performance/ handling that I'd read on here, but for me bullet proof tyres was a necessity. Half the week I am under time pressure due to childcare arrangements - couldn't be doing with the added stress of punctures!

Edit - mudguards are on my list too, when I confirm what's going to be my commuter. The BSO I currently use isn't long for this world!

Want2know

I'd advise getting a base layers for your upper body. This will take any sweat away from your skin so makes getting changed at work that bit quicker in the mornings. CRC have a good sale on skins gear at the moment also.

RebelButtMunch

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

in cycling mode surely? ped mode gives you all the places peds can go but that are illegal to cycle on so is misleading.

Your right. Does cycle mode give you things like cul-de-sacs with bollards that can be used as a cycle shortcut?

djfattony2000

Go for Merino baselayers. I get a week out of one before I have to wash it.

Decathlon sell them for less than €20

Micilin Muc

Has anyone seen or used a usb charger for AA or AAA batteries?

wanderer 22

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Has anyone seen or used a usb charger for AA or AAA batteries?

yep,they have them in most 2 euro shops

Micilin Muc

Thanks Colm.

What about wet shoes? I have overshoes, but my shoes can be soaked after a decent downpour. Keep old newspapers in the office and scrunch up the pages into the shoes?!

Seweryn

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Keep old newspapers in the office and scrunch up the pages into the shoes?!

Yep, old newspapers work best for wet shoes.

wanderer 22

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Thanks Colm.

What about wet shoes? I have overshoes, but my shoes can be soaked after a decent downpour. Keep old newspapers in the office and scrunch up the pages into the shoes?!

i use neoprene overshoes-these http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/pro-tarmac-npu-pu-coated-3mm-neoprene-overshoe-with-bcf-p190344
so far they've coped with everything that cold and rain have thrown at them

Jawgap

Organise your gear the night before so you can just get up, get dressed and go.

+1 on the newspaper for wet shoes.

A fan will dry clothes quicker than a radiator.

Invest in a buff.

Depending on your route - consider having two front and two back lights to cover failures.

wanderer 22

Babywipes are great if you don't have a shower in work.

Colonel Panic

I didn't want to put "proper" mudguards or panniers on my bike so I invested in one of those Deuter air comfort backbacks that put some space between your back and the bag. It's an okay alternative and the 20L one carries trousers, shirt, tools and pump, lunch and/or a jumper.

I leave shoes in work and there's a shower, thankfully!

You still get much sweatier around the armpits though, but nothing baby wipes wouldn't fix in a pinch.

cdaly_

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Has anyone seen or used a usb charger for AA or AAA batteries?

They typically take a long time to charge. You're better off with one of the Lidl/Aldi 'Universal' battery chargers which charge faster and do battery conditioning as well. I carry a spare, charged set on the bike so I'm not caught out.

Macy0161 wrote: »

For lights, I use AA/ AAA battery powered ones (2 front, 2 rear), with spare batteries in my desk in work. The cycle element of my commute is 100% urban and streetlighted, and I feel (hope?) they're adequate.

That should be fine but consider rechargeable batteries. An investment of about €25 will get you a fast charger and a couple of sets of AA(A) cells.

Pinch Flat wrote: »

USB lights a must - buy the most expensive you can afford - you can plug these into your PC and never be without a light. For urban commuting, minimum 150 lumen constant / flashing, rural minimum 250 lumen spot.

Trouble with these is the battery is often proprietary so you cannot replace it when it eventually fails. You also cannot carry a spare battery (or buy an emergency set when caught out on the roadside). I prefer standard (AA/AAA/16850) rechargeables.

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Don't cycle with earphones in.

I find earphones cut the wind noise so I can listen to my music in comfort (and hear the traffic more easily)

RebelButtMunch

cdaly_ wrote: »

I find earphones cut the wind noise so I can listen to my music in comfort (and hear the traffic more easily)

So the earphones drown out the outside noise, letting you hear your music AND the traffic better. I must try that trick.

I once saw a guy on a bike getting beeped at by A BUS and he was oblivious to it. I wonder is he still alive.

Pinch Flat

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

So the earphones drown out the outside noise, letting you hear your music AND the traffic better. I must try that trick.

I once saw a guy on a bike getting beeped at by A BUS and he was oblivious to it. I wonder is he still alive.

TBH, the debate on earphones is a never ending one and one you're not going to srt out here. My own preference is for no earphones - it's important to me that I can hear vehicles behind. The pitch & engine noise can give a good indication of what's coming.

Plastik

Just make sure your glasses are over the helmet straps, not underneath.

RebelButtMunch

In cold weather I've found that a scarf over the nose and mouth is great.

Gloves in the cold and otherwise fingerless gloves help prevent pins and needles.

Seweryn

Plastik wrote: »

Just make sure your glasses are over the helmet straps, not underneath.

Should the glasses be over or under the cap (or a hat)? That bothers me every time I go out for a cycle...

HivemindXX

A hiking/camping towel is pretty useful. Not quite as nice to use as a regular towel but a LOT easier to transport.

I got one of these and I like it a lot.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifeventure-Soft-Fibre-Advance-Towel-Giant/dp/B000R2BPRI/ref=sr_1_19?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1389209166&sr=1-19&keywords=towel

You can get them, or similar, in outdoor shops.

07Lapierre

When commuting in the dark, pick a route and stick to it. You'll get to know where the potholes are ( and when to avoid flooded roads), you'll get to know the sequence of trafic lights, what junctions need extra caution etc. etc.

When choosing a new route, ride it in daylight first (if u can)

Plastik

Seweryn wrote: »

Should the glasses be over or under the cap (or a hat)? That bothers me every time I go out for a cycle...

Glasses over hat.