Bicycle Commuting - Tips & Advice

I've been bike commuting for a couple years now and I wear slacks/dress shirt nearly every day.

Carrying stuff: I use an Eagle Creek Pack-it Folder to carry my shirt and pants and never have a problem with wrinkles.  I also am able to put a proper rear rack on my road bike (eyelets on the rear dropouts) so I use a pannier (or two, depending on how much I'm hauling) to keep the load off my back.  Before I got a rack though, a backpack worked just fine though a little hot in TX summer.

Work Clothes: I normally leave my dress shoes at work along with my belt and usually my slacks if I plan to wear them again the next day.  That way, I only need to bring in a shirt, socks, and boxers the next day.  Not carrying shoes, pants, and belt back and forth saves a good bit of weight.

Bike storage: I bring my bike into my office without an issue.  It's a nice conversation starter too.  Just be sure to keep your bike relatively clean so no one looks at you sideways for wheeling your crusty bike into the office.  If this really isn't an option or you, find a shaded, well-trafficked palce to lock your bike.  Leaving your lock on the rack will also help you save the weight of toting a lock back and forth.

Route: That's up to you.

Repairs: Do NOT rely on CO2.  Carry a pump.  A commute isn't a race so those precious seconds aren't as critical.  I always carry 2 tubes just in case I have a really bad commute one-way and keep another in my desk with a patch kit.

And yes...fenders are awesome.

I've been a part-time commuter for a few years now and here is what I can think of:

• Roll your clothes rather than fold them. Be sure there are no creases when rolling and you have a good chance of being ok. Having said that, I'm usually in shorts & a polo shirt so I may be way off with your attire. You may be able to get some kind of steam effect by hanging your clothes just outside your shower.
• Panniers over a backpack. Living in TX, you'll appreciate it. Your bike will handle much differently, but having panniers is pure freedom. It took me 2 years to figure this out.
• Earlier you can leave (both ways) the better. There is a point were traffic increases exponentially.
• Two lights up front; one flashing and one steady, very bright if you're on streets without street lights.
• Two lights in the rear. You'll never see it if one quits on you (or flies off)
• Know when and where the sun rises/sets. Cars do not see you if the sun is behind you at sun rise/set. Almost all of my close calls were in this situation.

Route is very location specific. I currently commute 20 mi each way in suburbs. I have no problem finding 4-lane low traffic 30-35mph roads. Where I don't, I'm riding in the neighborhoods. This creates alot of start/stop at stop signs, but the risk is low. I also cross major streets at stop signs whenever possible. I ride through 2 lights on my 20mi route. I really don't want to be clumped in on the street with a bunch of cars, many of which are in a hurry. When I did have to be on major roads, I'd keep the distance short and time the lights such that traffic was in my favor.

I commute on my tri bike (10 yr old Litespeed) and lock it up at the parking garage entrance. At a past building, I'd bring it in as this is ideal, but I'm comfortable with my bike locked up outside the office. There is also a guy with a Bob Jackson roadie that rides some and parks in the same area. Again, this depends on your location.

Great stuff!  I'm planning on testing this out tomorrow, so it sounds like I'll need to hit the bike shop on the way home.

My notes so far:
-  More lights, brighter lights!
-  Leave clothes at work.
-  Roll clothes or use something like the Eagle Creek Pack it Folder
-  Panniers.  I cringe when I think about this one, but function over style...
-  Get a hand pump

I generally leave about 630 on most days, so I plan on moving that back to 6.  Unfortunately, it will still be a little dark, which worries me.  I'm also worried about heat/humidity in the evenings after 10-12 hours in the office.  Houston can be oppressive...

Sounds like a beautiful commute!  Hope you enjoy it.  We just have flat concrete here...

My thoughts:

If you can get some panniers of some kind, do.  Get good reliable waterproof ones.  They beat a backpack hands down for comfort and your back is less likely to be dripping with sweat when you get there until the temps are 100+ -- then it's inevitable...).

I generally take brief 'long-cuts' to avoid bad traffic areas, but otherwise take the shortest route.  Quality of road isn't really an issue for me (apart from width).  Quality of drivers is.

I store my bike in my office.  It goes behind the door, and when the door is open, it is almost entirely hidden by the door and a chair.  (But the atmosphere where I work is probably considerably more relaxed about that sort of thing.)

Besides bringing work clothes for the week, I also permanently keep a two pairs of dress shoes at my office.

good luck! hope it works out for you.

I recommend the Topeak Road Morph G for a hand pump.  I never had much luck rolling clothes but maybe I'm just no good at it.

Ride safe tomorrow!!

Houston isn't quite as bike friendly as Austin...has me a bit nervous.  I ride on the roads all the time, but never during rush hour!

I don't know about Houston in particular, but the last two places I've lived - riding in rush hour traffic was actually EASIER in many ways than riding at other times.  This is because when you are clearly commuting on a bike, I think people in cars view you differently.  You are no longer an 'annoying elitist cyclist out on MY roads getting in MY way'...you are now just "some dude who uses a bike to get to work".  At least, this has been my experience.   Put a bag on my bike (or my back) and people in cars treat me differently than when I'm dressed in lycra and clearly riding for recreation or training.

Other things to keep at work - extra food, towel, toiletries, extra underwear/socks.  You never know when these things will come in handy!

The absolute first thing I would consider working out is a safe place to store/lock your bike.  Everything else is meaningless if it means your bike could get stolen.  Either that or ride a bike that you don't mind getting stolen...with DA on your bike...I doubt that's the case.

I undertand.  Grew up in Houston area.

My commute is so easy nowadays....bike lane all the way to daycare drop off and then 50% of the way to work after that.  I <3 Austin.

Yeah, I checked with my boss today just to ensure it would be okay to keep it in my office.  No way I'm leaving it outside unattended...

Know of any jobs!

I definitely recommend (along with others) to leave some clothes at work. I made that mistake twice in my first year of bike commuting and had to go 'comando' under my pants (it was either that or keep my bib shorts on during the day!).

So, if you can leave some of the essentials: belt(s), socks, underwear, shoes, maybe an extra shirt or a pair of pants as well.

I'm a teacher and can keep my bike in my classroom - it's definitely a conversation starter each morning: did you ride today?

I just started doing the same thing.  We're not allowed to bring bikes into the offices, but in the parking garage the bike racks are right in front of where the attendant is.  A lot of bike commuters just leave their locks attached to a rack when they go home.

My ride is about the most varied you can imagine.  Big hills getting out of my place.  Fast traffic exiting my town.  Bike-only path for the middle third of the commute across the bridge.  Massive wind on the bridge.  And then downtown city traffic heading into work.

Ride your commute round-trip off peak hours on a weekend sometime and get familiar with it.  I found several alternate streets to avoid some of the really dangerous traffic spots.  But you don't want to be messing around with something new when you're trying to get to work on time.

I found that leaving early I missed most traffic, and when I didn't, the commuter traffic was all jammed up and slow. I rode faster than they drove through the congested areas. When everyone is going slow, they usually see you better too.

Hope it works well for you!

Apparently there's a difference between race bikes and regular road bikes.  I went by the shop today to pick up a frame and some panniers only to find out that they require a bolt somewhere near the rear brake that I don't have.  Looks like it'll be a backpack for now until I can get it figured out.

I drove the route (backwards) on the way home today.  It was the peak of rush hour, so it shouldn't get much worse that what I saw.  Very doable!

Prepped the bike.  Only one (very powerful) light up front, but three in the back, plus a reflective belt. 2x tubes/CO2.

Seems like I'm overthinking this, but anything I'm forgetting?

The shop talked me out of the mounting system that Bill mentioned, stating that it wouldn't be secure enough.  I might give it a shot; I don't carry a whole lot, so weight shouldn't be an issue.

Michael, I'm going to interested to see how it impacts my training.  I figure an extra 150 miles/week will help one way or another, but I don't want it to degrade the quality of my other workouts. 

Do NOT get a seatpost rack if you're planning to hang panniers (or even just one pannier on it).

I don't have a hole near my brake either but you can make-do using a p-clip from your local hardware store.  I use one p-clip on the right side of the frame with a bolt and nut to hold the sliding metal adjuster in place and secure the two bolts at the bottom of the rack to the holes in my rear dropouts designated for a rack.  They also make racks which attach to the skewer if you don't have rack-mount bosses on your drop-outs.

Here's a pic of my p-clip setup