Commuting - gas savings vs. startup costs

I am very new to commuting and have only done it a few times so far. Like many others, I am trying to deal with all my "barriers." I did buy a rack, a trunk bag and some pannier bags.

I couldn't bring myself to commute during the summer because I have no access to a shower. I know some people just "wash up" in the bathroom, but that just didn't seem like a feasible solution for me. It is very hot and humid in the summer where I live and Me + sweaty hair = NOT pretty!!.

Now that it is cooling off enough to negate the shower issue, I have time issues. I am a single mom and have to drive to school twice each morning (one girl goes to volleyball practice at 6:00 a.m.; the other must be to school around 7:30). Even though it is possible to go back home and get on the bike at that point, I need to have the car at the end of the day because the girls must be at soccer practice by 5:00 four nights a week. I already need to leave work early to make that happen even when I'm driving.

By the time the soccer schedule eases up, it is going to be getting pretty cold. I don't have the right gear for cold weather commuting, and I am really a cold wienie. So now I am looking at needing to purchase some or all of the following: arm warmers, tights, wind/waterproof shell, jacket, layering shirts, gloves, toe covers or booties - probably even new shoes since I just wear mesh running shoes, cycling beanie, and maybe a buff or balaclava. This adds up to a lot of dough, and money is pretty tight for me. Even with gas prices today, it would take a heck of a long time for commuting to actually add up to a cost savings for me.

Am I right or am I just creating a new barrier because I am not committed enough? I really don't know. I just know that I feel discouraged about the whole prospect. "I think I'll ride my bike to work" sounds so much simpler than it really is. I do feel really good (physically and about myself) when I manage to actually do the commute, but right now I am very hung up on not having the things I need.

Did any of you go through this at the beginning?

I went through a similar thing with cold weather riding. I thought I needed all this stuff, and then once I got into it, I realized my favorite warm thing was and old turtleneck sweater I had with a moth hole in it.

I say give it a try before you go out and buy a whole bunch of new stuff. I think it's better to buy things as the need arises, not by speculating what you'll need. I definitely wouldn't have bought the armwarmers I spent too much on, or the full-finger gloves. I find I prefer my regular bike gloves with those $1-$2 stretchy knit gloves over them.

It sounds like you have a lot of time constraints. If commuting doesn't end up working out, you don't want to feel like you wasted a lot of money on it.

For us we are only saving $50 a week and we did buy new bikes, so right now we are in the red. The plus for us is it FORCES us to work out. Plus we have extended the oil changes out to time limit vs. mileage so we are saving some money there. But it is still hard to get ourselves to do it. We scrapped riding to work and now do a hybrid commute:

-If it is DH's day he comes with me to work and rides the 7 miles to his work. He then rides the 28 miles home in the evening.
-My Day he drops me off at work and I ride the 27 miles home in the evening.

I loved the energy from riding to work but I didn't like getting up early, the stress of "what if I have a mechanical, etc" or the baby wipe bath. So this is a great compromise and still means we only drive the truck one day. With my husband driving a large pick up we need to be doing something and biking home is more fun than pure carpooling.

I wouldn't beat yourself up, commuting doesn't work for everyone. It sounds like you would have to make a lot of sacrifices to do it and honestly I wouldn't make that many myself. On the clothes, you can use them other times but it is still a large expense. Although you can find technical clothes at Walmart for shirts, etc. Maybe you can just do it on the days the kids aren't going to school?

Ditto what others have said - you have a lot going on. Don't be to hard on yourself.

As far as the cycling stuff - I'd hit goodwill or a thrift store. You can get long sleeved wool sweaters which will work really well for your top (maybe pick up a wicking base layer at a discount store). No rule says you have to wear tights over your shorts. There are people who wear sweatpants (even though they are cotton usually) with no ill effects.

What kind of winter temps are you dealing with?

I was going to say some of the same things everyone else is saying.

On the clothing - my H wears just regular clothes. Sweaters, sweatpants, wool socks, a hat under his helmet. The only cycling specific things he's bought are a neck gaiter thing (because he's a cold weenie), a nice water proof jacket/shell, and good gloves. The rest of his stuff is from discount stores or our own wardrobes.

I, on the other hand, do better with cycling specific clothing. Over the years, I've built up my wardrobe to be full of the things I actually wear. I have probably a ton of things I've tried and never gotten into (like arm warmers - I hate them). Luckily for me, I don't get cold easily (or I can take cold temps in stride), so I was able to 'make do' until I could get the gear that is just right for me. Of course, now that we've moved to a new climate, all bets are off and I'm going to have to go through the 'figure it out' process all over again!

Anyway, my point is that if you can make it work for you, then do it. If not, then don't beat yourself up over it.

I like to commute not for the gas savings but to avoid putting the miles on my car (we are trying to sell it and every day I drive is another 40 miles on it!) and to get in my workout. I have to get up a full 3.5 hours before I have to be at work in order to make it happen (I have farm chores that need to be done before work). Some days, it just doesn't happen. I used to feel like I needed excuses...now I'm just living with it. Sue me. :p

It sounds like your schedule is your biggest barrier. Maybe you can ask around with some of the other moms and possibly take turns picking up and dropping off? Good luck!

Geo:

Commuting is not about style... you don't need the latest fashion, the fanciest bike, or to keep up with the roadies across town. What it's about is function and practicality, that is, what works for you.

Sounds like you've got the bike end of the deal squared away... you just need clothing that is comfortable and practical for you to ride in, and maybe a different set of work clothes stashed in the panniers.

The primary problem is the pre- and post-school sports schedule with the girls... Are they old enough to ride with you, or maybe ride on their own? (what's sauce for the goose can work for the goslings as well :rolleyes: )

I've been doing the commute thing 3 to 5 times per week since the end of April, where I drive my Dodge Ram pickup to a commuter lot on the south side of town, lock it there, then unload the bike and ride across town to my office on the north side of town. It cuts my driving each way from 25 miles to less than 12, plus it keeps me off the freeways and out of most congestion. The bike part is 9 miles each way. And, at the day's end, I still have my truck if I need to run an errand or two before heading back out to where I live way out in the sticks. I don't have to deal with the sports thing though... other than dodging a bazillion other soccer moms dropping off their kids, since the commute route runs past a magnet school in the morning rush, and the local soccer/sports complex on the way home in the evening...

If you can resolve the sports deal, you've probably got this licked...

Tom

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Originally Posted by danadear

It sounds like your schedule is your biggest barrier. Maybe you can ask around with some of the other moms and possibly take turns picking up and dropping off? Good luck!

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+1. Cycling, and commuting by bike, should be fun. If your schedule doesn't allow for you to commute by bike reasonably easily, you probably won't stick with it.

If you can change your schedule by doing some carpooling or a similar situation, it might work. Carpooling by itself with save gas.

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

As far as the cycling stuff - I'd hit goodwill or a thrift store. You can get long sleeved wool sweaters which will work really well for your top (maybe pick up a wicking base layer at a discount store). No rule says you have to wear tights over your shorts. There are people who wear sweatpants (even though they are cotton usually) with no ill effects.

What kind of winter temps are you dealing with?

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This is funny because I actually thought about going to goodwill after I drop the girls at soccer practice today.

I hear what you are all saying. I don't think everything needs to be new or purchased from a bike shop but I don't already own much stuff that can be used. All of my coats are too heavy and nearly all of my sweaters and fleece stuff is cotton. The only thing worse than being cold is being cold AND wet!! It will be kinda fun to see if I can score some wool or polartec at the thrift shop.

On my commute yesterday, I actually wore the same clothes I was going to wear the rest of the day - black stretch twill pants and a nice short sleeve cotton shirt. I thought I would be fine riding without cycling shorts for my 6.5 mile ride (one way). And I was ok, but it would have been better with some padding. I will change that in the future! I did wear a thin, black "long underwear" type long sleeve shirt underneath to cover my arms for the ride - it was in the low 50's. This was no special fabric - I think it came from Walmart - but it worked fine. It was a good thing I had read lots of advice here before, or I surely would have overdressed. It was pretty nippy (to cold-weenie me) when I started, but I was sweating a bit by the time I got to work. Believe it or not, at this time last year, I would have never thought I would even be riding in 50 degree weather. Thinking that I "need" good, cycling-specific stuff probably stems from a deep fear that I will get half-way through the ride and be horribly cold and miserable with no choice but to push on. (Did I mention I don't like to be cold?) :D

I know cycling jackets are expensive, but I definitely need to find some kind of jacket that stops the wind. I see things called "shells" and others called "jackets." I get what shells are - is that all I need if have plenty of layers underneath? Do the really expensive jackets have some kind of lining or filling that makes them warmer, or are they just made out of more technical fabric that cuts the wind better? Who knows, I may even find some kind of jacket at the thrift shop. At this point, I don't care at all about the fashion aspect.

I looked up average high and low temps for my area. October: 68/44; November: 54/32; December: 40/21. Even colder in January, then Feb. about like December, March is like November, etc. The warmest and coldest times of the day line up fairly well with evening and morning commute times. I really can't see myself riding if it is below freezing, no matter how good my gear, but never say never, I guess. I would certainly like to try to do some riding with temps around 40, though. I would really be proud of myself - I am SO not a cold-weather person!

Thanks for the encouraging words. I really needed a bit of an attitude adjustment, and it is working!

Just buy warm cycling things whenever you have money, etc. Better to work out abit of time to cycle in colder weather...which sounds like a greater challenge for your schedule.

I don't kid myself...I cycle less during the winter even though Vancouver doesn't get much snow (only in the mountains). I just find it easier to go shorter distances and tend to do most of my cycling on weekends during winter months. Anyway we get lots of rain...for days..cold rain in winter...a real turnoff (for me).

I guess I'm like this because I have fallen off my bike on the road twice on black ice. And Vancouver drivers are lousy/less predictable during snow /icy conditions compared to other regions of Canada.

We don't have a car. :D And haven't for several decades. Yes, money-saving is great....

I think the more expensive jackets have either more technical fabrics, more features or (unfortunately) a more popular label. A shell is basically a type of jacket. There are cycling jackets that have linings, but I've never owned one. I'd rather control what level of warmth I need with my clothing underneath the jacket.

Any shell/jacket should cut the wind (if it's not a knit material). I started with a $19 super thin shell from performance that I used over wool or polypro long sleeve shirts my first winter (I was in NC where 'cold' was in the 30's). The second year, I upgraded to a slightly more substantial jacket that had removeable sleeves. This gave me more temperature controlling options. This past year, I bought a more expensive Showers Pass rain jacket. It's actually bigger than my other jackets, so it gets worn when it's REALLY cold and I need lots of layers underneath. It's also waterproof (where my others are only water resistant), so it gets worn for real rain. Again, none of these have any type of warm lining.

There is one major advantage to cycling jackets over other windbreaking type shells (such as those worn for sailing or golf). Visibility. Every single one of my jackets has reflective piping and they are in bright colors. That's definitely a plus...particulalry in the dark winter! Running jackets would likely have some of those same features, so they could be good options as well.

Good luck on your hunt for the right clothing!

You said that your daughters have afternoon soccer 4 days a week. Can you bike commute on the fifth day when there would be less time pressure on you? Commuting even only once a week is good for your body and the environment and will save car costs. I only commute once a week because I need my other mornings for swimming and running. Speaking of which, it's time to log off and bike home!

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Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

You said that your daughters have afternoon soccer 4 days a week. Can you bike commute on the fifth day when there would be less time pressure on you?

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Yes! Plus, there might be occasional days like yesterday when for one reason or another, my chauffeuring services are not needed until a bit later and I have time to bike home. I really did enjoy it yesterday, so I'm hoping to have more opportunities.

It sounds like you are pretty determined, and if that's the case there's probably nothing that can stop you!

Doing something you love for yourself will be a great role model for your kids, although they probably won't know it until years from now.

I am not a single mom, but I am a divorced/re-married mom and my husband takes no part in the transportation of my daughter. So that was a huge barrier for me last year when trying to coordinate our schedules. What I ended up doing was doing a hybrid-commute. I would drive the truck (with bike in back) in to the park and ride, lock up the bike, get on the bus, go to work, come home, then leave the car and ride the bike home. Next morning I'd ride the bike to the truck, lock it up, and then in the evening, with my daughter, drive the truck home. The nights I didn't have her, I rode home, the nights I did, I drove home. It worked fairly well.

This year our schedule changed somewhat and she is actually riding some with me. As they get older, they can do that. It's cool!

I agree with the poster above who reasoned that there might be other moms or dads who can carpool your kids to practice and home.

Don't do it for the savings (although the savings are great) - do it for the awesome legs you're going to have next summer. ;)

And all of my winter equipment was purchased at the Salvation Army thriftstore, and includes long socks with holes cut in the bottom (for armwarmers), an old wool sweater, a goretex jacket, a wool hat, and warm up pants to wear over bike shorts and under-armor (scored some at the SA thrift store - whoo hoo!) You don't want to wear too much cuz it does get sweaty. I wear hiking boots and have grippy bmx style pedals. I cut the neck off of an old lands end turtleneck and slip that over my head to pull up on my face on those really cold days.

Enjoy your winter commuting. One thing you might want to invest in is GOOD LIGHTS, and a helmet light. Be seen. A highway worker or construction worker vest is enough high-vis but you want to stand out as a flashing, moving, bright object.

It was still pretty chilly this spring when I started commuting and since I was still trying out the commuting thing, I just dove in the closet for things I had from other sports. Every now and then I'm sampling a new activity, so I like to have things that will work in multiple situations.

A base layer + lightweight fleece + a light rain shell was enought to keep me warm, although I was often a bit moist by the time I got to the office. For visibility, I wear a screaming yellow PI vest. My rain shell sticks out all funny under the vest, since it's not as fitted, but it gets the job done. Since I don't know whether I'll like winter commuting, I'll probably keep using this ensemble until I know how committed I am to it.

I figure I'll have to reach a certain level of discomfort with the weather and my current gear to know what I'll need or what will work for me.

Good luck with the schedule constraints!

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Originally Posted by indigoiis

This year our schedule changed somewhat and she is actually riding some with me. As they get older, they can do that. It's cool!

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The girls do ride with me, but not for commuting. They both got new bikes this year. The 13 year old got an XXXS Giant FCR2, that is a really nice and lightweight bike with 650c wheels. (Actually so nice, I'm kinda jealous!) Got a great deal on an unused 2006 model on ebay. MSRP is $700 and I think I got it for $300 including shipping. My 11 year old was harder. She is so little (her new school jeans are size 7 Slim!!) that it is tough to fit her in a decent bike. LBS put her on a Gary Fisher and because of the frame geometry was able to get her on a bike with 24" wheels with decent gearing for the first time. It was also the lightest kid's mountain bike they had, although still not as light as I would have liked. There was nothing available that did not have at least front suspension, which we really don't need. She's still a long way from being tall enough to ride something like the Trek KDR1000. Her inseam is so short that the seat on this Gary Fisher is actually no higher than the top of the back tire. But what a difference that bike made for her! Up to then, her longest ride had been about 5 miles and whining most of the way. Our first time out with her new bike, she did 15 miles and not a peep out of her! She only weighs about 54 pounds and that old bike must have weighed close to 40 - can you imagine how hard that must have been!!

Tomorrow night the girls and I plan to ride in our LBS' annual moonlight ride - it's about 12-15 miles, mostly on the bike path, with food and live music on the parking lot after the ride. (Helmets and lights required!). I hope this infernal rain lets up.

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Originally Posted by indigoiis

And all of my winter equipment was purchased at the Salvation Army thriftstore, and includes long socks with holes cut in the bottom (for armwarmers), an old wool sweater, a goretex jacket, a wool hat, and warm up pants to wear over bike shorts and under-armor (scored some at the SA thrift store - whoo hoo!)

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Wow, that is awesome!! I have visited both Goodwill and Salvation Army this week - waded through hundreds (maybe thousands??) of sweaters, many of which were, well, just icky, but found very little wool and didn't buy anything. I need some education here - is any kind of wool ok, or only merino wool? I did find some lambswool, but it seemed awfully heavy and scratchy. And I saw some things that were wool blends, but wasn't sure about that either. What about cashmere? 100% silk?

Thanks to all of you for the help and encouragement. I think I initially felt like I needed to justify the expenses by an offset of savings, but I realize it is just a good thing to do for many different reasons, whether there is a cost savings or not. I'm sure that those of you with kids will understand this - whenever there is a little $$ left over at the end of the month, it is so hard to spend that on myself. If we were a 2 income family, things would be a lot different for my kids, and I feel guilty about that sometimes. Being a single parent was something I chose to do and they would undoubtedly choose to have a dad if that were an option. Had I not made the choice I did, however, they could still be in orphanages halfway around the world, and I need to remember that when I get the guilties over what they don't have now.

I only manage to commute by bike just one or two days a week. Like you, it's schedule restraints that are the problem--in the summer I drive my DD to and from summer camp every day; in the school year I have after-school activities to get the kids to and meetings mid-day that I have to drive to, and two days a week are just impossible because my husband gets home from work at 8 a.m. and I have to be at work, 13 miles away, at 8:30. I wish I could commute more, but I try not to get too worked up about my limitations. These are the crazy years of my life, and it'll get better over time. When the colder weather hits, I'm going to try not to spend too much on expensive gear. I have a decent jacket, and I can layer that over some shirts and sweaters I already have. I'll need a hat to wear under my helmet, and something to keep my feet warm--I'm going to start with just wool socks there and see how I do. My biggest expense is going to be lights for my bike, but I think that's worth the investment.

One thing you might want to look into for getting your girls to soccer practice is carpooling. Carpooling is back in style--last year none of the kids in my daughter's Girl Scout troop carpooled, and this year *everyone* is in a carpool! I like it because there are fewer parents jamming the room at pickup. If you can find someone to take the girls to practice, then you can be the one to bring them home, so you'd have time to bike home from work then pick up the car to go the (presumably) shorter distance to practice.

Good luck!

Sarah

Look for alpaca as well. I found a second hand one for around ten bucks at a consignment shop.

I run my hand along the sweaters, disregarding color or style. If my hand hits a soft and natural feeling knit, I pull it out and check the tag. If I am lucky, I will have found something lambswool, in my size.

I went down the long sleeved shirt aisle running my hand as well. When my hand hit on something that felt microfiber, I pulled it out and it was an under armour top (retails for around 28/30 bucks.) Three dollars.

Bottoms are harder. But if you look, they are there. If your local goodwill stinks, go to a city goodwill - better selection and generally better clothes. Also, check your local consignment stores. Often they have seasonal sales to clear space for the new season's consignments. You can get really good deals on gently used name brands.

I can't even set foot in a department store anymore. I'm second-hand spoiled.

Be creative.

Think high-vis.
Think comfort / fit. Know what you like., brand wise, and quality wise.
If you see a really good deal, like, an ugly (but nice under layer) top for 50cents, grab it. Try it. If you hate it, donate it back.

I found a pair of frye boots recently for ten dollars.
This is the kind of deal that is so ridiculously good there oughta be a law.

I envy the messanger bag dudes around here. They go around with second hand old men's pants cut up at the knee, t-shirts, and bandannas. They look so incredibly hip and devil-may-care. I emulate that. It's cool to buy second hand. Plus, it's hard earned money saved.

I've had good luck at thrift shops. I think a lot of people buy gear and then lose interest in the sport they bought it for. I've found rain pants -- even a like-new pair of Arc'Teryx. You can always find fleece jackets, and fleece doesn't have to be expensive to keep you warm.

You don't necessarily need high-end clothing -- Ultrex instead of Gore-tex, for example. I've also gotten silkweight Patagonia Capilene on Ebay (Ebay is less time-consuming than thrift shops). Campmor's web site occasionally has great deals, too.

If you sew at all, fleece is easy to work with. Another idea is asking for your outdoor clothing at gift-giving times. I did this a lot as my mom got older and less inclined to go shopping and we both enjoyed it.

Take my advice with a grain of salt since I haven't bought bike-specific clothing. But I do stay toasty warm and dry camping, hiking and scootering in my thrift shop gear.

Pam

You can also sometimes find really good deals at

www.rei.com/outlet

or www.campmor.com

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Originally Posted by GeoCam

Now that it is cooling off enough to negate the shower issue, I have time issues. I am a single mom and have to drive to school twice each morning (one girl goes to volleyball practice at 6:00 a.m.; the other must be to school around 7:30). Even though it is possible to go back home and get on the bike at that point, I need to have the car at the end of the day because the girls must be at soccer practice by 5:00 four nights a week. I already need to leave work early to make that happen even when I'm driving.

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:)
This is exactly why I am only a very part-time commuter.
We live a long way out of town and have to get the kids into school. Although they are keen cyclists too, to bike to/from school is impractical because it would take so long and they have very heavy bags.
So somedays I drive them to school and leave the car in town and bike home to work/have a day off... and then my partner bikes in in the afternoon to collect the car and kids.
On days I work in town, we can do the same kind've thing sometimes.
The only days I can truly commute are in the school holidays - it takes me about 50minutes to get there and over an hour to get home (uphill all the way).
It is frustrating, but don't wish your children older so that schedules can be easier. I find myself doing this sometimes, and then I remember how quickly it seems that my two eldest have reached adult-hood (one left home last year, the second just 4 months ago) and I don't want time to speed up at all.

Lots of great ideas and advice - I appreciate it greatly. I needed to think outside the box, and your suggestions have given me some direction.

Thank you!