Bike Commuting

Simple Guide to Bike Commuting: Hygiene

One of the biggest excuses why not bike to work is hygiene. Most companies do not offer showers and if you happen to work for one, lucky you. My places of work did not have showers, I also had a desk job so a change of clothes was also mandatory. How did I beat the stink?

Well, for starters, I used to “cruise” on the last half mile on my way to work. I basically “air dried” so I was not as sweaty when I arrived at work. Once I had arrived to work, I kept a small desk fan to continue cooling and air drying.

On my desk drawer I kept Baby Wipes (make sure they are the flush-able kind), 2 towels, body deodorant, mousse, hair brush and a bottle of Rocket Shower. Here is the run down of my “office shower”:

I would dry off whatever sweat I had on my body with one towel, clean my body with the baby wipes, spray the Rocket Shower and let it dry for a moment and then use the body deodorant. I would change into a clean set of clothes, rinse my hair (having short hair is a huge plus) and then style it. Voila, good as new!

One thing to remember is that the “office shower” process takes about 10 minutes, so arrive to work with time to spare.

Simple guide to Bike Commuting: What to wear

What to wear while riding your bike to work is mostly an individual choice based on weather, style and practicality. I envy those who are able to ride to work with their work clothes on, having to change at work can be a pain sometimes.

Myself, I like practicality over style. I also tend to be a little “thrifty” on my choice of what to wear during my ride. Living in Southern California, I can get away with riding with shorts and short sleeve jerseys. I prefer mountain biking shorts or knickers over Lycra or jeans. I also like hi-viz cycling jerseys, I prefer the “house brands” (Pricepoint, Nashbar…) because they are cheaper. Here are links of clothing that we have reviewed in the past in BikeCommuters.com (including a cooling vest!)

Tops:
Faction Cycling Metro Flatlander Jersey
Shmaltz Brewing Co Micro Beer Jersey
Hoss Pony Polo shirt
Loeka Waterproof Shell Jacket

SWOBO Men’s Short Sleeve Merino Jersey
Arctic Heat Cooling vest
Zoic Namaste Hoodie

Bottoms:

Outlier Summer Shorts
Hoss Sienna plaid knickers
Zoic Damsel Skirt
Hoss Stallion Shorts
Bicycle Fixation Wool knickers

Shoes:

Simple Shoes Eco S

Keen Commuter Sandals
Sette Elite Carbon Road shoes

Again, what to wear is a very personal choice, I’ve seen riders wearing “skinny jeans”, regular jeans, denim shorts, sweats and full blown lycra kits. If it is comfortable for you, ride with it!

On my next installment I will address hygiene, the #1 reason (in my opinion) why people are reluctant to ride a bike to work.

Simple Guide to Bike Commuting: Bike Choice

Choosing a bike to commute to work will depend in a lot of factors. How much do you want to spend? How hilly is your terrain? How good are you at fixing bikes on the road? How long is your commute? How good in physical shape are you? What is the weather like where you live? Are you going to take a bus or train as well?

Breezer Uptown 8

For a lot of Bike Commuters, a commuter bike should have fenders, racks, chainguard, lights and dynamos. I’m totally cool with that, but all those accessories add heft and price to a bicycle. These bikes are great for those who can commute with their work clothes on and desire a comfortable ride.

KHS Flite 100

Fixed gear bikes are hard to miss (some are just plain ridiculously hideous), but they also make great commuter bikes for those who are minimalist and don’t mind riding with a backpack. Fixed gear bikes are good for mid-distance flat commutes. Fixies are also inexpensive and don’t require much maintenance.

KHS F20-R folding bike

For those who do a multi-modal commute (bus/train), a folding bike is an excellent choice. Although they haven’t caught on in the U.S., they are super popular in Asia.

Kona Smoke with Xtracycle

If your commute requires you to haul equipment or if you want to drop off your kid at school before heading to work; a cargo bike is the bike for you. The Xtracycle kit is very popular, you can add the kit to most bicycles. Bear in mind that these bikes are heavy and during windy days, it can be quite a grueling ride.

Torker T-450E

Electric and Hybrid bikes are gaining popularity. These bikes enable some riders to get to their destination faster, less sweaty and they can be really helpful to those who are not quite fit. The drawback of these bikes is the price and their weight, but they are certainly cheaper than a car and with these gas prices, they can pay by themselves on the long run.

KHS CX 200

I’m a huge fan of cyclocross bikes as commuter bikes. They are sturdy, you can add big tires, fenders and they are on the lighter side. Cyclocross bikes also enable you to go off-road if your route permits so, it also adds to the fun factor of bike commuting.

Wal-Mart Bike

So what about Wally World bikes? Sure they cost less than $100 bucks, but I know for a fact (my neighbor commuted on one) that these bikes are super heavy and they are quite unreliable. My neighbor suffered from broken pedals, bent rims and poor brakes.

So which bike is best to commute? Well, it is totally up to you but the real answer is: “The one that is between your legs!”.

Simple guide to Bike Commuting: Surveying the routes

May is bike to work week in California, and with gas prices nearing 5 bucks a gallon, riding a bike to work makes sense and it is easier than most think. I’ve been a bike commuter for over 5 years, my commutes have ranged from a 32 mile round trip to a 12 mile round trip in the streets of L.A. Here are some tips from my experiences:

My first step is to survey the routes; safety is paramount and I don’t mind riding a little more if that means that I get to my destination in one piece. I use Google Maps to check out my different choices of streets, here is an example of one of my previous routes to work:

I can see that my choices are plenty but since I know that the area is a big thoroughfare for big rigs and the 5 freeway over-passes are rather narrow, I have to decide what it is the safest route for me to ride by first driving the different routes.

Here are the things that I look for in a route:

*Heavy Traffic- I try to avoid a very congested street; drivers tend to be a little too aggressive and they tend to disregard cyclists as vehicular traffic.

*Wide Streets- I like riding wide streets, less jockeying for lane position.

*Neighborhood quality- Besides traffic, another thing to contend with in L.A. is crime. I avoid riding through rough neighborhoods, the least thing I want to do is to get mugged for my bike and possessions.

*Freeway On-ramps/Off-ramps- Drivers are usually ramping their speed up to get on the freeway or are exiting the freeway too fast.

*Don’t be afraid to experiment and modify your route often, but remember that it is all about your comfort level

After settling on a route, the next step is to choose what bike to ride to work. The choice will depend on one’s fitness level , how much time it will take to get to work, and the terrain. Stay tuned for the next installment…

Riding to work on the KHS CX200

Santa was good to me this year, I got a brand new 2009 KHS CX200 cyclocross bicycle for Christmas. The KHS CX200 is a fine bike, it features:

A carbon fiber fork,

Tiagra/105 Shifters and derailleurs and Tektro Top mount brake levers, Avid Shorty cantilever brakes,

and Q2 Quasar rims with Kenda Kwicker 700 x35c tires.

I did add a couple of “personal” touches to the CX200 like an Ascent carbon fiber seatpost and a Serfas TI-RS2 STINGER RS saddle. (Review on that saddle to come later on)

I’d always thought that cyclocross bikes make very good commuter bicycles. Why? Cyclocross are built to take abuse while also being lighter than a mountain bike, so riding through rough roads is like being at home for a cyclocross. My commute consists of 6 miles (5.99 to be exact) one way and half of my commute is riding on a street with train tracks, potholes and rough asphalt, perfect for a cyclocross bike.

Yes, the knobby tires do not roll as smooth as 700X23c road tires, but it is an small amount to pay for the comfort and grip that the 700X35c tires provide. The Shimano Tiagra/105 combination is good, not great, but good (I’m just really used to Ultegra) shifting is smooth and precise. The Avid Shorty brakes are great, once they are set up correctly. Setting up canti-lever brakes can be pain in the ass for me, I’m just used to caliper and disc brakes.

Next for me is to try the CX200 on the dirt, stay tuned for that adventure!