Commute to work by bicycle? Click me! [plus loads of bike-related questions]

[Schizo]

ive got that lock set for my bike and it's very good for the money.

i cycle to work (4 miles) and takes me 10 to 15 mins with road tyres on my bike.

i wear a cycle jersey and get to work at least 20 mins early to cool down and just change into my work top.

some people do sweat a lot and smell but i just sweat so it all depends on the person regarding the smell

 

[PermaBanned]

A car keeps up with traffic in front, you don't so I am inevitably going to want to pass. So I am going to have to go on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic just so you can have a chat. Thanks.

My point was that if they went single file and you overtook them then you're clearly going too close, since what you're taught when you get a driving license is to give them as much room as you would give a car, since there's always the risk of them falling off, probably caused by you.

 

[starfighter]

My point was that if they went single file and you overtook them then you're clearly going too close, since what you're taught when you get a driving license is to give them as much room as you would give a car, since there's always the risk of them falling off, probably caused by you.

It might be the law and preferable in an ideal world but on narrow streets with cars at either side it just isn't physically possible.

It is inconsiderate and dangerous for everyone and creates traffic congestion.

Cyclists that go in single file get as much room as they want, and at the end of the day my car weighs 2 tonnes so argue all you like.

 

[Redman]

My point was that if they went single file and you overtook them then you're clearly going too close, since what you're taught when you get a driving license is to give them as much room as you would give a car, since there's always the risk of them falling off, probably caused by you.

There's no point arguing with them, they lump proper riders in with the wobble-from-side-to-side-dangerously crew and for some reason take personal offence at people using bikes. No idea why they willfully attempt to kill us, but as long as they remember they'll be the ones locked up for it.

And yes I have a car too.

 

[Lopéz]

From www.road-bike.co.uk

Average cycling speed - indications
For solo riders on general 'mixed' terrain (ie rolling hills about 30% of the time, and pretty flat the rest of the time):

* Beginner, short distance (say 10-15 miles): average speed 12 mph. Most cyclists can achieve 10-12 mph average very quickly with limited training
* More experienced, short-medium distance (say 20-30 miles): average speed 15-16 mph
* Reasonable experience, medium (say 40 miles): average speed 16-19 mph
* Quite competent club rider, some regular training likely, medium-long distances (say 50-60 miles): 20-24 mph

Many cyclists never get an average speed over 13-15 mph, don't worry about it, enjoy yourself. Plenty of cyclists can maintain 25+ mph over long distances, especially if conditions are flat or they are cycling in groups.


So, given that you will not be cycling on a billiard table and you will need to slow down and speed up at various points on the journey, I think that people advising a journey time of 10 minutes are being quite optimistic if you want a reasonably comfortable commute, because that's an average of 23mph - and as you will need to speed up and slow down at various points, and get up to speed in the first place, you'll need some decent 30mph+ stretches to get up to that average.

 

[Hotwired]

I do ~6 miles to work, I'm in Cambridge so there's just bridges and long gentle inclines. Takes under 20 mins and I cycle fairly hard.

I like it because its the only real exercise I do. Gets me around reliably too, whatever the road is packed with you can always get through, can always find somewhere to stash it when you go to work/shopping even if it is on a random railing.

There's no upside at all in bad weather except the exercise. Never makes me feel any better getting back wet and cold but **** it, take the bad with the good

Taking a change of clothes would be easiest. As has been said, cool down before changing, you keep sweating for a while after you stop. Also gives you time to get your breathing back to normal and un-redden face if you've been pushing it.

I have a Giant Expression N3 (3 speed hub gear, front and back drum brakes) £350, same bike before that in a smaller frame and before that about 4 mountain bike style things. Standard D locks on them all the time, never had one nicked. I park them in public places usually. No idea how much the D lock is worth, it's nothing special, just hardened steel but you'd still need a long bolt cutter or angle grinder for it.

Only time I've been bothered was when I had the bike seat stolen. Giant had this great idea to have a quick release on the seat of a commuting bike, needless to say it's been dropped for the new version.

I use 60psi, mine isn't a racing bike, bog standard bike oil from any old shop, dribble along the chain, into anything which spins round on the gears.

Pumps/kits/wossits... nothing special about them, any place will do.

 

[Tefal]

It shouldn't matter, should it? 'In parallel' they can't take up more space than a car,

But they go considerably slower and so if they stick to the side in single file don't hold traffic up.

 

[PermaBanned]

But they go considerably slower and so if they stick to the side in single file don't hold traffic up.

But if they stick to the side and you go past them then you're not giving them as much room as you would give a car.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

I've bought a new bike for commuting (Carerra Subway hybrid-style) and tomorrow I'll be cycling to work for the first time on it. Who else does this and how do you enjoy it compared to driving?

I do between 17 and 25 miles each way every day, which takes between an 50 minutes and an hour and a half depending upon which bike I take, traffic, weather and how knackered I am.

Driving isn't an option, but compared to public transport it's quicker, cheaper and a lot more fun. On the days I do take the train (I still cycle 1.5 miles to the station) i get annoyed because I've missed cycling.

- How long should it take a reasonably fit male in his mid twenties to cycle 3.8 miles on a relatively flat cycle path?

How long is a piece of string? It depends how hilly it is, how sweaty you want to get, any traffic you come across and the weather.

- No showers at work, but there are at a gym three minutes from work. Is my best tactic to go in work clothes and hope I don't sweat / get drenched / get terrible helmet hair, go in light casuals and change at work, or cycle straight to the gym and shower there? By which I really mean, what do people that don't have showers at their workplace do to 'stay fresh'?

I'd cycle to the gym. I know people on bike radar who advocate the wetwipe shower, but that's not me. I've never tried it and I don't really want to. BikeRadar has an excellent commuting forum with great advice.

- What lock should I buy? The bike is worth £200, is kept in a garage at night, and will be stored indoors on company premises during the day. Insurance covers against theft from home, if on actual property.

Get a Gold Standard Kryptonite. Two, if you can.

- Recommended pressure for the tyres is 45 - 60 PSI...what end of this scale should I be inflating to for road commuting?

45 will be the most comfortable but it will be harder work (more rolling resistance), will leave you more prone to pinch punctures (tube pinched by the wheel rim) and possible rim damage should you hit something very hard.

60 will be less comfortable, but everything else will be better. 60 is still pretty low, I have my road bike tyres at 120 so you aren't going to be in for a bone jarring ride.

- Where's the best place to buy accessories like mobile repair kits, water bottles and holders, pumps, panniers, etc.? Specific links if internet please.

Wiggle
Chainractioncycles
Edinburgh Bikcycle Co-op

I use google and use whoever is the cheapest.

- What greases and oils should I buy to keep the chain and gears protected and where should they be applied?

Get a bike specific lube and some citrus degreaser. Wipe the bike, particularly the drive train, including chain, after every ride, if you can and lube it. Never use WD40, it's satan in a can; it's not a lube, WD stand for Water Dispersal.

Most of all, make sure you enjoy it; it's great fun and a great way to explore and get fit. I bet you start taking some detours to make you commute a little longer before long.

 

[Redman]

So, given that you will not be cycling on a billiard table and you will need to slow down and speed up at various points on the journey, I think that people advising a journey time of 10 minutes are being quite optimistic if you want a reasonably comfortable commute, because that's an average of 23mph - and as you will need to speed up and slow down at various points, and get up to speed in the first place, you'll need some decent 30mph+ stretches to get up to that average.

Perhaps, but my first work commute was 3.3 miles which after about 3 weeks was sub ten minutes every time - except for heavy wind/snow. On a heavy mountain bike. To be fair there were no traffic lights on my route, and little traffic as I took a back road into a trading estate - once I got there it was artic city ofc.

It all depends how the OP approaches it, it can be a pootle in and take 25 minutes wobbling about, or it can be an all out lung bursting sprint - which will be 10 minutes.

As for accessories, try wiggle, chain reaction, evans cycles online. There's others I can't remember off the top of my head, but wiggle's pretty good.

 

[freebooter]

Give yourself 30-35mins to start with and then reduce to whatever you need. The distance isn't far and you should be able to cycle it in reasonable time at a low pace so you don't get hot and sweaty and hence you won't need a shower. Just pootle along at a pace that doesn't really take any effort and it still won't take very long.

As said spend about £20-30 on a lock. I like strong cable locks as you can lock the bike to trees etc. D locks are more limited.

If you cycle slowly you don't need specific clothes. I used to see lots of people cycle in suits in London.

I would go for 50-55 psi on the tyres.

Don't use wd40 as a lubricant. Any bike shop should recommend you decent stuff. If you don't know anything about bike maintenance it is worth learning the basics as it doesn't take long and the bike will be much better to use is maintained. This is one site that covers quite a bit in videos.

http://bicycletutor.com/

As said Chain Reaction are a good online shop and there are lots more. Also try and find a good independent local bike shop (lbs). As it sounds like you don't know much about bikes their advice will be worth paying a bit over internet prices for.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

It is inconsiderate and dangerous for everyone and creates traffic congestion.

Yes, that's right, bikes create congestion.......

Tell you what, how about we race from my house to my office during rush hour and we'll find out who is holding who up?

 

[NotAGolf]

Are you a member of the gym that you're thinking of using the shower of? Do you reckon it's possible to use the shower facilities at a gym without paying full on membership fees? I'm not talking about just waltzing in and having a cheeky shower for free, I mean paying maybe a few quid a month to become a member of the leisure centre, but not actually pay for classes or gym membership etc.

I would start cycling to work now if I had showers available but I don't. There are a couple of gym's in the area that I could use, but don't really want to join as there equipment sucks, but they have showers at least...

 

[steve-h]

If you're worried about sweating or not being up to it... make a few test runs

Also... give yourself a good 10 minutes to cool down after your ride before you go indoors.

Plus sweat != smell.. bit of pit spray, gg.

 

[pumaz]

I drive for a living but i'm also a cyclist and do a commute of 5 miles each way on a MTB with slicks. Your journey should take about 20mins at first but eventualy you will get down to 10 mins if you stick to it. Over that sort of distance with no major hills i don't think you'll be getting too sweaty so i wouldn't worry about showering.

The worst thing about cycling is the weather, Cycling in to wind can be harder than cycling up hill and the rain will soak everything including rucksack and shoes. So plan for this as your journey to work might be a lot different than your return journey.

Try to keep all your tools, spare clothes and anything else you need as small and lite as possible. I get everything I need including Pump, Tools, Waterproofs, Lunch and stuff for work in plastic rubble sack wich fits nicely in to a normal size rucksack.

Imo cyclist should ride single file.

 

[Russinating]

Plus sweat != smell.. bit of pit spray, gg.

Yup. I keep various bits at the office like deodorant and hair gel. Helmet hair is worse than hat hair.

 

[Gaijin]

I cycle about 7 miles each way to work in Brighton along a downhill, reasonably flat terrain. I use a full suspension lightweight XC bike, which although isn't ideal, is quick and comfortable.

Who else does this and how do you enjoy it compared to driving?

I do! I enjoy both but can only drive about once a week as my company has limited underground parking in the heart of brighton, and it has to be booked. I simply wouldn't be able to get parking everyday.

- How long should it take a reasonably fit male in his mid twenties to cycle 3.8 miles on a relatively flat cycle path?

It takes me 40 mins to get to work at a relaxed pace using a relatively direct route. The seafront cycle path (awesome in summer - sun, sea and boobies ) goes about a 1/3 of the way. I'd say 20mins is a good figure given my route is straight point to point.

- No showers at work, but there are at a gym three minutes from work. Is my best tactic to go in work clothes and hope I don't sweat / get drenched / get terrible helmet hair, go in light casuals and change at work, or cycle straight to the gym and shower there? By which I really mean, what do people that don't have showers at their workplace do to 'stay fresh'?

My route is flat on average, with a hill nearly where I live which backs onto the downs. I simply amble to work at a relaxed pace and this combined with the fact I don't sweat much, means that I don't stink and don't really need a shower. We have one but due to the budget cuts we endured due to the economy (We moved office when the economy went bad) it resides only in the ladies toilet

This also allows me to cane it home which is where I get the majority of my workout.

- What lock should I buy? The bike is worth £200, is kept in a garage at night, and will be stored indoors on company premises during the day. Insurance covers against theft from home, if on actual property.

I agree that £20-30 is a good price range. Kryptonite are pretty good. I have secure storage at work in a locked room, so I'm pretty safe.

- Recommended pressure for the tyres is 45 - 60 PSI...what end of this scale should I be inflating to for road commuting?

I'm knocking on the door of 60psi using Continental Travelcontacts. Comfortable and quick.

- Where's the best place to buy accessories like mobile repair kits, water bottles and holders, pumps, panniers, etc.? Specific links if internet please.

I use Evans Cycles for mine, as they are a client of my company, are local and we get discount. Otherwise i'd use CRC or Wiggle.

- What greases and oils should I buy to keep the chain and gears protected and where should they be applied?

I think my stuff is Muc Off wet/dry depending on the weather. I check the tyre pressures every weekend and wash/lube/service the bike on average every 2 weeks.

 

[Tefal]

But if they stick to the side and you go past them then you're not giving them as much room as you would give a car.

depends if you mean the distance from the right hand side of a car to your left as you pass or the left and side of a car to your left side as you pass.

You seem to be doing the latter.

 

[PermaBanned]

Well obviously, if you hit them they're not going to care if it was on the drivers side or not.

 

[bigsharn]

For a relatively fat 19 year old, it takes me 30-40 minutes to do roughly 4 miles up and down hills... It's not that long a ride usually.

Using a motorbike chain lock would be a good idea, I use a cheap cable lock but everywhere I lock up has CCTV surveillance so I don't see why I need to spend that much on a lock


Also, as for the overtaking space issue, I purposely cycle on the far outside of the cycle lane, partly to annoy motorists, but mainly because none of them give me enough room when they pass me, so it gives me chance to pull further in so I don't go flying

As for the riding in parallel Where is your God now?