Hybrid Commuting

[coyote]

I live only a few miles from work so my commute is 3 miles one way. I have an old heavy mountian bike and it works fine. I do have 3 different styles of bags I can put on it depending on weather and what I have to take with me. Hybrid is probably a great choice, but like it was said earlier, whatever bike you take will do just fine. I also agree with not locking your bike outside. We have racks outside on a patio and bikes get stolen from there. I'm lucky enough to have a bike locker otherwise I would put my bike in my cube.

[onimity]

I ride a Kona Fire Mountain to and from work, 10 miles each way. It's a pretty hilly ride and the bike is great for the commute, even with front suspension (there's the added benefit that I can take it on that nice singletrack on the way home ). I started by taking the bus part way on the ride in...

I keep my bike in my cube so I don't have to worry about theft/weather damage on the rack and that has the added bonus of being a conversation piece. Lots more of my coworkers ride bikes than I realized, sometimes they even bring them by to say hello when they ride in. Very cool.

I shower when I get to the office but find that a washcloth and a bit of soap can work miracles when I ride out to get lunch & it is hot, etc.

Good luck with your commute, I'm sure you'll have a blast at it!

Anne

[Jenerator]

Before I went through my mid-life crisis and joined the fixed-gear cult, my commuter bike was an '86 Rockhopper. My commute is a hair over 2 miles if I take the shortest route, about 4 if I go less directly and much longer on the way home if I want.

I put slicks & a rack on the mtn bike for commuting and things worked out fine. My morning routine consists of showering & putting product in my hair, putting on work clothes, putting on cycling shoes, putting on a clip to keep my pants out of the chain, clipping in and heading to work. At work, the hair is still damp, so spend a few minutes 'styling' it before sitting down at my desk and changing shoes.

I moderate my speed/effort in the morning so that I don't work up a sweat, so that's not really a problem. Going home is a different story....