If you own a bike, you should try biking to work. The reasons are many: it’s good for the environment, good for your soul, it’s fun, and when your co-workers see your helmet hanging off your backpack you’ll get all kinds of kudos too! Oh, not to mention gas prices. According to some internet searching the average American commutes about 12 to 14 miles one way, let’s use 13 for our math. As of writing this the national average gas price is 4.46 per gallon. Fuel economy is the most difficult to nail down since there is such a wide range, but let’s go with 26 mpg to make the math really easy. That means you are saving $4.46 every day. If you only commute a couple times that won’t likely move the financial needle, but money probably isn’t the most valuable aspect. Did I mention it will make you feel good? Biking to work forces you to slow down, literally and figuratively, see things differently and enjoy the outdoors and I think that is priceless. There are however some things to consider so let’s go over a few things.
Equipment
First off is the bike. The best bike for your first commute is the bike you own! Don’t go buy a bike if you already have one, however do make sure it is in good working order. Check that the tires hold air, and that it shifts and brakes well. Also, it is always a good idea to make a small kit that has a spare innertube, tire levers and a way to inflate it. The next biggest piece of equipment is something to hold your gear (clothes, laptop, etc). Many commuters like a rear rack and panniers, but again, don’t go buy them right now. I suggest using a regular backpack for your first time. Keep it simple. Clothing depends on a lot of factors such as time of year and weather but for our first time we are going to plan this around a nice day, therefore any outdoor clothing will work, just be aware that if you are wearing loose fitting pants you will want to tight roll or use a band around your ankle to avoid a cuff getting caught in the chain. I’m assuming you already have a bike helmet…wear it!
Planning
We want this first time to be hassle free. Look ahead at the weather forecast and pick a day with good weather and better yet pick a day where you don’t have any early morning meetings. This will take longer than driving a car so you need to account for that as well. When I am considering bike to work times I think about the whole package, what I call “door to desk”. This includes the ride, stop lights, arrival (changing, showering, etc) and getting to my desk. In my case I can ride about 18 to 20 mph, meaning I should complete my 16 mile commute in less than an hour. In reality though, my door to desk time is consistently about 1.5 hours. This is an important consideration, your boss will agree. Remember you have to come home too, don’t ride in on a day where you have kid pick-up duty or an after-work appointment.
Other Logistics
Will you be riding in the dark? If so, remember a light. Will you be showering at work? If so, remember a towel. Yes, I have gotten to work and realized I forgot a towel. I had to use paper towels to dry off after my shower. Don’t forget other toiletries either (comb, deodorant, etc).Does your work have bike storage or do you need to bring a bike lock?Do you bring your laptop home everyday? Maybe on the day you have planned, you could leave it at work the day before, this helps lighten the load and lets you disconnect when at home.
The Route
Unless you are already very familiar with the local roads and bike routes, it might be a good idea to spend some time planning a route. If you have a paid Strava account you can build maps, there are also free options like Ride With GPS that lets you plan a route with a free account. These apps let you see bike paths, distances and even terrain types such as pavement or gravel. You can also use these for navigating or download a cue-sheet that gives you turn by turn directions.
This should be enough to get you started. Oh, one more thing; headphones. I get it, some people really love music or audiobooks, but I don’t feel riding a bike is the right time for it. When I’m riding, I want all my senses being used and if you can’t hear someone yelling, or car tires squealing then you are putting yourself in danger. If you must wear headphones, be sure to NOT use them on noise cancelling or only use one of them. OK, I’m off my headphones soapbox, now get out and enjoy the ride!
You can also check out the video of this content here: Bike to Work!
Below are affiliate links to a few of the repair items that I use and fully endorse. Note that if you click and purchase from these links, I may get a small commission, but at no cost to you.
Affiliate links:
Allen wrench set: https://link.amazon/B0257FEll
Tire levers: https://link.amazon/B058xyBiN
Bike pump: https://link.amazon/B0fIV0TlI
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