Commuter Newbie Help

[Tri Girl]

I'm really a crazy endurance cyclist, so in my head, a short ride is hardly worth getting a pair of shorts dirty.

I thought that way when I got a job just 3 miles away. It only takes about 12 minutes, and I swear sometimes it takes more to get ready than it does to ride to work.
At the end of the school year I started not wearing bike clothes to work because I wanted to make the "getting out the door" less of a hassle. I biked in my work clothes a few dozen times, and it wasn't too bad. I would take an extra 5 min. into work so I wouldn't sweat too much, but then I couldn't ride longer after work so I just went back to riding in my cycling clothes so I could make the commute home much longer.

Just do it!

[huffandpuff]

Great that you want to start commuting! You'll feel so good all day at work and totally destressed by the time you get home. Do you by any chance have a computer at home? If you do, checkout programs like logmein.com - that would allow you to get to your work computer from home. I can't imagine carrying a laptop with me. I've been trying to do a couple of days a week but heat wave here has really stopped me - mornings are ok but I just can't handle the ride home in the heat. I do feel kind of awkward coming in wearing bike clothes cause I'm not exactly gorgeous in spandex but people were really supportive and came by to check out the bike. Next week - no more excuses for me! Post when you do your first ride - I'll be rooting for you!

[malkin]

If you are nervous about time, you could take the bus to work, and ride home when you wouldn't have a deadline.

You could also practice a 'dry run' of your route when you don't have to be at work on time (or at all).