Bike Commuting Trial Run

Here we are, half-way through our 31 Days To Becoming a Bike Commuter.

The irony is that we don’t actually think you need to become anything in order to use you bike for getting around, running errands or other practical (non-recreational) uses, as often or as occasionally as you like. Ideally, you’d be using your bike when you feel like it, and when in makes sense to you.

So, our guide is intended to be a repository of information should you ever want to get more serious about bike commuting, and perhaps shift away from your reliance on the car or transit. And if you’re going to get a bit more serious, it makes sense to test your plan and the reliability of your equipment. Rather than getting committed to wall-to-wall week-long commuting schedule, we suggest you start slowly, give yourself plenty of time, and allow for pitfalls. For example, March 15 in Chicago brought a layering of snow after a week of springlike temps. Maybe not an ideal day to stick your toe in the bike commuting waters. It might be better to plan ahead a bit, and begin when conditions improve.

So, if you’ve been following along, you have your bike in good repair, all your essential accessories and a lock ready to go, you’ve planned your route, you’ve got the understanding of the rules of the road, and the right mind set. It’s time to ride.

1. Pick a day, check the weather, and commit.

2. Taking weather into account, decide what you’re going to wear, and have it ready the day before*.

3. Also the day before, gather everything you plan to bring—your biking gear, plus stuff you need for work or wherever it is you’re headed— and put it with your bike. Check the tire pressure and top off as needed.

4. When you set your alarm, allow a little extra time for getting ready, and leave your house with time to spare, so you can ride calmly and confidently without worrying about arriving late.

5. When you’re ready, wheel out your bike, check that you have everything you need, hop on, and go.
   
   We’ll take this brief interlude here to let you focus on and enjoy your ride. Hopefully, you’re feeling the sun on your face and the wind through your helmet, and you’re delighting in how efficiently you can cover the distance on your own power, transferred to the wheels of your trusty bike. Don’t worry about how fast others are traveling. Go at a pace that seems comfortable to you.
   
   Fun, isn’t it?
   

6. Now that you’ve arrived, locate your predetermined lock-up spot. Don’t worry if you feel like you need a third hand to keep your bike with all your gear on it from falling over as you try to get the lock properly positioned to secure the whole thing. I assure you that even very seasoned cyclists struggle with this.

7. Brace yourself. With your helmet and bike bags in hand, you’re likely to encounter some questions and comments from your co-workers.

On a regular basis, you should not need this level of planning, although to be perfectly honest, getting stuff ready the night before can save you some grief as you’re trying to rush out in the morning wherever you are in your bike commuting journey. On your return trip, make a mental note of things that worked and felt good, and anything that you need to tweak, add or alter, so that you can make changes moving forward.
_____________________

* We’ll tackle clothing in detail in a future post, including handling professional attire, and rainy weather gear. For your trial run, we’ll assume you’ve picked a casual dress day and fair weather.