Commuting

[SalsaMTB]

So I will soon be getting a new bike w/ the intention of using it to commute to work. I'm looking for some advice from you ladies on lessons learned, good/bad experiences, etc about commuting. I'm more of a mountain bike girl who does the occasional road ride. Right near my house there is a park with a giant shoulder on the road for bikers that I always use. I'm comfortable on the road, know the laws etc but really I have limited experience with riding on really busy roads.

My commute isn't going to be so nice. In Michigan, there are no shoulders. It's just lane-curb. I've driven a couple different routes and haven't found any shoulders except the occasional gravel/pothole type one. So, I'm a little nervous about riding along a road w/ a 45mph speed limit and no shoulder. I have a minimum 15 mile commute (mapped out a few friendlier routes that bring it to 16.5 miles).

I'm hoping to begin my commuting adventures next week. Any tips you girls would like to pass along? I'm hoping to leave pretty early to miss major traffic, but you never know. I'm going to start out on the friendlier routes that are through side streets, neighborhoods to avoid the major roads. It will add a little distance, but I feel it's safer so it's worth it. Also, how do you girls handle left turns. Do you take the sidewalks or go all out and take your place in the left hand lane? I think I'll be taking the sidewalks....

[thinpaperwings]

Congratulations on bike-commuting.

Perhaps you might convince a friend or coworker to bike with you: two bikes are easier to see than one. Also, I recommend going at about the same time every day: that way, the people who drive along that route every day at the same time will get used to a bike being on the road.

As for left turns, I judge it by the road and how comfortable I feel.

Do you have showers where you work? I sometimes shower right before I leave, and then my sweat isn't as smelly as it would have been if I hadn't showered. But usually I like to shower at work. I've read that one person brings a washcloth soaked in water and ethanol in a baggie and uses that to wash the smelly parts when he gets to work.

I also recommend bringing a spare tube in your pannier (I heartily recommend panniers over backpacks). When you get a flat, it's a lot nicer to just switch out the tube and deal with repairing the hole later.

I'm looking forward to all of the great advice others will have : ).

-Sara-

[miffy'sFuji]

Once you try a few of the different routes you mapped out, you'll get a feel for which one you like best. I commute in the city of SF and added about 1 mile to the basic route that I take home, and I now have a route that is "quiet" (for SF standards) most of the way.

As for left turns, I play this by ear. If there isn't much traffic, you can do a left turn with traffic. With lots of traffic, I find that people get impatient with the bike and will try to get past me. In those circumstances, I just stop at the corner, wait for the signal and generally walk my bike across the intersection in the crosswalk.

For supplies, definitely bring everything you need to change a flat, just like thinpaperwings said. Spare tube, pump or C02, tire levers if you need them, and handiwipes...

Are there any bike shops along your route? You might note their locations in your head just in case you ever had an emergency.

best wishes! I always feel great after my ride into work.

[KnottedYet]

Here's a book you might want to look into: The Essential Bicycle Commuter by Trudy E Bell. (isbn 0070055033) It's well written and funny with good pictures and diagrams. Covers EVERYTHING, from locking your bike to yeast infections. (really! I'm not kidding! pg 137.)

She includes a great list of resources. Also covers how to ride in traffic.

Just a great all-round book. I've been putting consecutive holds on our library's copy. Really I should just go buy it, cuz it's that good.

[Geonz]

Online there is a very good booklet at http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/litlist.htm (look for the pdf about safe bicycling in Illinois). It has all kinds of stuff including suggestions for dealing with police who may not know the laws (and tell you you shouldn't be doing something you should be doing or the other way around). The Chicago Bicycling Federation is, I believe, behind that particular tome.

Good ROllings on your adventures... yea, try to find cmpany! THen the drivers might think there's a movement...

[KnottedYet]

p.s.

Where in Michigan are you riding? The Tri-County Bicycle Association (www.biketcba.org) can give you some info about bike routes for commuting, if you're somewhere in their area. Ann Arbor has a honkin' big active bike club, too. Can't remember their name.

TCBA does the DALMAC ride, which is a real hoot. If you get the chance, do it!

[tulip]

I second Paperwing's endorsement of panniers. Also, put a chain tool in your toolset in case your chain breaks...you can fix it and keep riding (learn how to do it if you don't know).

I commute 14 miles from Maryland through DC to my office in Virginia. The Virginia part is on a multi-use trail, but the other part is all on streets with traffic. However, I do not go the same way I would go in a car. My rather roundabout bike route is much nicer, quieter, and only 1 mile longer than the car-route. It's also a whole lot safer. So get creative with your route.

Left turns: usually I am on smaller streets, so left turns are not a problem, although I'm careful and signal and take the lane. In one spot, though, I do hop on the sidewalk. It's bridge over RR tracks, so there's no danger of cars pulling out of driveways (a serious hazard of sidewalk riding). The road over the RR tracks is crazy fast and there's not much vertical sight distance.

Clothes: I wear obnoxiously bright clothing. See www.alertshirts.com for some good shirts (see my post under "Sewing Shirts" to see how I'm adapting mine to cycling). I also have good lights, front and back, and reflector things on my ankles. I figure you can't be too bright.

Have fun. It's a great way to improve fitness while not adding any more time.

[betagirl]

Cool, welcome to commuting. I just started about a week ago and am hooked. I commute from a suburb to downtown chicago, which depending on the route I take is anywhere from 11 to 15 miles each way. I tend to be pretty aggressive in traffic - not reckless, but I ride like I'm a car. Chicago is great for bike lanes, so I try to take roads that have those as a priority. But there are times when I find myself on a busy road without that. The biggest risk I seem to see is people opening car doors from the parking lane. So I try to ride as far into the parking lane as I can but not too far as to not get cross checked by a car door. The roads I ride on are wide enough to let me be out into the road a bit without holding up traffic. When I make left turns, I go into the left turn lane and either stay behind the last car or go up along side the one in front and turn with traffic. I ALWAYS try to make eye contact with the driver in front and point that I'm making a left. That usually works well for me. I also signal when I'm changing lanes by pointing to that lane and looking at the cars behind me. I don't change lanes unless I have a good gap. That's typically only in the downtown area I'm doing that though. I obey stoplights (for the most part) but stopsigns I typically try to time to go through with another car. If there's cross traffic waiting to go, I'll slow down so they can go through. I never just blow through an intersection, but I'm also not one to come to complete stops all the time (I know, I know).

For carrying stuff, I got a Timbuk2 medium messenger bag. It holds a ton of stuff and rests comfortably on your back. If you can, bring clothes to leave at the office so you don't have to haul clothes every day. I have a couple of shirts and some pants and shoes that I stash there to change into. Oh and of course get a good lock if you can't store your bike in your building. I work in a rather nice part of town, and bikes are stolen in broad daylight apparently. If you have quick release wheels, make sure you lock them also.

Enjoy!

[SalsaMTB]

Thanks for all the tips girls!!

We have a gym and locker room here w/ showers, so if I join, I get a locker which of course I'm going to do. That's a good tip about leaving my clothes here for a few days. I don't think I'll be able to commute every single day, due to schedule constraints, so those days can be used for loading/unloading the locker

I'm in the metro detroit area, so I don't think the Tri-County thing will help. Thanks for the tip though. I'll have to do some searching for something like that around here. There just doesn't seem to be too much from Livonia to Farmington Hills (if you're familiar w/ the area). There is one rough paved path that runs along the freeway, but it dumps you off at one of the busiest interstections in the area so I don't think I'll go that route.

I'll have to look into that book and the messenger bags. Do you prefer the messenger bags over a backpack? If so, how come?

[betagirl]

I like the messenger bag over a backpack for 2 reasons:

1) your back doesn't get nearly as sweaty with a messenger bag.

2) The weight seems to be better distributed with the messenger bag, though I can't explain how. It just "feels" better on my back and shoulders.

A backpack will certainly work though.

[CorsairMac]

and I'm a backpack girl. I just bought a new slightly larger one so I can carry my heavier clothes in the winter. As for commuting on busy streets:

I've done it here and Beta is right (although I would've used the word "assertive" LOL) Anyway, you are entitled to 3 feet of lane as a biker. I try to be very aware of cars here and try not to upset them but on the occassions when I've had to ride on busy streets with no bike lane, I take my 3 feet and hold my line. That way the cars Know I'm there and that I'm not afraid. As a rule on left hand turns I do take the turn lane IF I can get across the traffic. I will stay to the right of the lane or close to the lane line, (whichever is easier to visual) so cars behind me that are turning have the room to pass me as we both make the turn. It tends to not upset the drivers so much. I'll also crowd the crosswalk lines so the cars can get far enough forward in the lane to trip the signal. It seems to pacify the drivers about having a cyclist in the turn lane. On the rare occassion (I don't think I'm spelling that word right) I can't get into the left turn lane, yes, I'll pull up onto the sidewalk and use it to cross the street. There are times in the winter when I wonder why I'm doing this - but then I get on the bike and start commuting, and it all comes back to me! Enjoy your commute!! and Let us know how it goes!!

and Beta: congrats on your commuting. I'm glad to hear you were able to work a route out! Isn't commuting awesome!!!???

[SalsaMTB]

Gosh, you girls have me so excited to start now!!

I'll get a new bike and get at least 30 miles of riding in each day!

At work I don't even think there is a rack to lock your bike on (the joys of working in automotive). I'm definitely storing it in my cube until someone tells me otherwise. There isn't much room, but it will work!

[KnottedYet]

I also crowd into the crosswalk line if I'm the first to a stoplight. Cars seem to be happier if they can get right up to the stop line, and they can trip the light. Plus it gives me a head start through the intersection. And I "take the lane" (even though I'm in the crosswalk) so my big ol' tushie is RIGHT in front of them. They can see me just fine and they don't make a right-hand turn over the top of me.

[Geonz]

Aw, heck, panniers and that stuff are still piling onto a machine not *really* made for the job. http://www.xtracycle.com/index.php is what I would do :-) (I have the "free radical" on my Giant hybrid and love it... but I would love one fo the Breezers even more, with their weather-resistant setups and dynamo lights and the whole works). They're giving two away with a contest (the Free Radicals, not the whole bikes)
I have to say that I get a little more friendly treatment with mine 'cause I look like I'm a commuter... but people are just friendly here and it's not too busy.

[KnottedYet]

Oh, man, I want one of those.... Don't need, just want.