cycronin

To wash up after riding to work I've been carrying a canister of face and hand wipes and deodorant. I use maybe two or three of them and wipe myself down, then reapply deodorant, and put on different clothes for work. That works pretty well... it's clean and quick... I've also used paper towels wet at the sink and usually need to use more towels to wipe up water that's dripped around. The draw back is the waste for those who are conscientious about that... for me it just being two or three wipes daily, I'm not giving myself much grief over it. Carrying clean reusable rags/towels would of course accomplish the same thing without the waste, though I think the sanitizer in the wipes probably helps.

Hoshnasi

Something I started to do recently. Wear your jersey and cycling pants into the shower after your rider into work. Wet them down in the shower, remove and ring out. Then let hang dry on the bike. When you ride home the mostly clean jersey and pants are a big improvement over the alternative, dried sweaty clothes.

spare_wheel

buy a lighter, faster, and more aggressive bike than you think you will need. just about everyone who ends up addicted to commuting buys a first bike that is way below their ability. this means no suspension, no hiten/crap cromoloy, and no el cheapo components. imo, a good commuter will have a carbon fiber fork, disc brakes, 700 c tires, and weigh less than 24 lbs without pedals. if you think you are going to go car free i would splurge for a commuter that is less than 22 lbs.

and the most important upgrade is a new wheelset. going from 2200 g wheels to 1650 g wheels is like ****ing night and day on just about any bike.

Crankforward

Monday is always a *****.

cycronin

Any advice on determining the safety of riding in certain areas past dark? Sometimes I don't go home from work right away and stay out. Generally I've avoided commuting when I expect this. I live near a trail which has been great for commuting, but it's not lit after dark and there are semi isolated areas on the trail, as well as some sharp turns where you have to slow down. In addition lately the trail has been messy after a storm earlier this week which forces slow downs, particularly underpasses.

I've seen shady characters on the trail during the day... not threatening necessarily but I do wonder what kind of elements would be out at night. I wouldn't ride it at terribly odd hours (not after people generally start going to bed). I've only ridden it once after dark. There was a vulnerable feeling but it could just be a "what if" paranoia. Riding fast seems like a good idea to avoid human based danger, but there's also the factor of decreased visibility of non human dangers like loose dirt, wet or icy areas,etc, which would necessitate riding slow and cautious.

Winter time riding this trail after dark would be unavoidable when commuting. Two months into my commuting experience I already want make it a year round thing.

keiron curtis

I'm afraid I have no advice for this situation, I started to use a similar route, isolated and along which I felt decidedly vulnerable, coming across odd characters, so decided to stick to the roads. Perhaps I'm a wimp, but this was a towpath, and I couldn't get it out of my mind that, all it would take is a quick shove as I was passing and I would be in the drink!

keiron curtis

Oh the luxury of a shower at work! No such luck for this commuter, a quick swill and wipe down with a towel, chang into work clothes, and I'm ready to go.

azesty

I disagree with this....

I dont mind a clunker, it keeps me more fit. I push hard enough on my 20 odd minute commute to be a ball of sweat dripping my way up the stairs in summer, and even in winter I sweat.

z

Zrane

Agreed. It's getting to work, not a crit. Buy what you like, what you're comfortable on and what you'll ride on every day. If that means top end, weight shaved components so be it. But I get along just fine on my heavy, clunky bike. I do wish I had some better wheels, but that will come.

I probably carry close to 20 lbs of gear on the rack when I've got my notebook, anyway.

cycronin

I could also take a route back on streets. It'd be more lit, though not convinced it'd be any safer.

treadtread

Found a pretty good resource on bicycle commuting today (San Mateo county production, but most stuff is generic):


English - https://www.commute.org/images/storie...%20booklet.pdf
Spanish - https://www.commute.org/images/storie...%20booklet.pdf

bloodfont

I've just started commuting to work (a folding bike is my weapon of choice) and I just can't figure out how to manage my clothes so I can do the cycling clothes - work clothes swap without issues. I've got nowhere to hang the sweaty clothes out to dry, so I've been trying to come up with a clever way to manage my clothes, so here's what I've come up with (please note that I haven't tried any of this yet):
- in a backpac have 3 water proof zip lock bags, one containing work clothes, one empty and one containing a fresh base layer (I'm talking about underpants, t-shirt, socks, nothing fancy, just something that absorbs and holds moisture well) for cycling back home
- once I arrive at work I would take my sweaty base layer and place it inside the empty bag, dry of with a towel and place that in the bag and as well and lock it tight (maybe throw in some catnip in a sock as I've heard it absorbs moisture and odors)
- put on my work clothes and place the top layer cycling clothes into the backpac keeping it open so the clothes will be somewhat dry for going back home (a wet jacket, raincoat or helmet can go on a wire hanger on the clothes stand)
- when going home I would just throw my work clothes in the bag they came in and throw on the fresh base layer, then the outer layer and I'd be good to go
- once I get home I can hand wash the sweaty clothes and the bags they lay in and air out the backpac if required

It does sound quite complicated but I'm trying to figure out the most elegant/fast way of doing this without hanging my sweaty clothes out to dry in my working environment.

I'd like to get your feedback on this. Perhaps some of you already have a better way of managing clothes where hanging out to dry is not an option.
Also, has anybody used catnip or any other product that obsorbs moisture and odors for storing sweaty cycling clothes purposes?

Thanks

pressed001

Yeah, that isn't an option for me either. A change of skivvies and socks is what I do. And this time of year, the commutes are just fantastic. I get to watch both sun up and sun down whilst on the bike. Perfect!

pressed001

Agreed as well. Although none of my bikes are what I would call low-end. My favorite commuter is my heaviest and oldest road bike which has a flat bar and mud guards. I mean, why would I want to use my lightest super-bike every day? I want to get some training in after all. Not to mention wear and tear on my expensive bikes.

Short Cut

This is the best product I have found by far for keeping your glasses fog free. It is a clear liquid that wipes on and that's it, no buffing required. I use little makeup applicator sponges to put it on my glasses and goggles.

Amazon.com : MotoSolutions FogTech Anti-Fog 30ml Bottle Paintball or Glasses : Paintball Goggles : Toys & Games

Leebo

Can you bring a weeks worth of clean clothes to work on Monday? Able to have shower/locker use at a nearby gym? Other bikers in your office with similar issues? I leave my car at work, so I can put some stuff in there if needed. I also have 3 lockers, HS type narrow ones. No closets, boiler rooms or other storage areas?

bloodfont

Thanks for your quick reply.
Showering wasn't the issue. Also there is no storage space where I work (except for documents and such). The only rooms here are the kitchen and bathroom. The only place to hang clothes is on the clothes stand. I basically want some ideas regarding what to do with my sweaty clothes when I get to work. I have read on different forums that people hang them out to dry here and there but for me this isn't an option. This is why I was thinking to store them somewhere (where they won't stink up the place) while I'm at work and quickly wash them when I get home.

chefisaac

Can you hang them on your bike? Do you work in a cubicle? One option is to bring a pair of extra rising clothes with you. Ride to work, stash your old clothes in your bag and bring out the new ones when you are ready to ride home. But how far is your commute? I ride 18 miles one way and my clothes don't stink afterwards.

bloodfont

Can't hang my clothes on my bike as it's a folder and I keep it under my desk. I work in an open workspace. The extra pair of clothes is exactly what I said in my first post, along with stashing them in a bag. So I guess I'll try that as an experiment to see if it works...

Amitoj

This discussion is quite relevant to me too. So, thanks to bloodfont for posting and everyone else for contributing.
I plan to start commuting to work starting next week (~10 miles), when the weather finally hits 50 to 70 degrees. Yes, initially I will be a fair weather commuter only, I feel no shame in saying that
I also plan to use my one and only bike, the one I have used for populaires and brevets, my trusty Specialized Sirrus hybrid.
I also recently took advantage of REI's garage sale and got myself a Timbuk2 cycling backpack
https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/produ...r-cycling-pack

Now, I work in a place that has business casual dress code and I have been contemplating about my riding gear. I have bib shorts and jerseys but I am a little hesitant about wearing them in to work, even though I will be changing once i reach office. Are there any biking specific pants that I can use? Or am I just being a little too shy about walking into office wearing bib shorts and clipless shoes?

noglider 

Your plan makes sense. Build up a tolerance for bike commuting, and in time, you'll build up a tolerance for doing it in bad weather. You'll find what your limits are with how much rain and how low a temperature are tolerable. My own limit is about 25ºF. Because of the street layout and the nature of traffic and the way snow melts and refreezes in this area, I prefer not to ride when there is snow or ice on the ground.

I sometimes arrive at work wearing bike shorts or tights. It is a little embarrassing, but I try to look as if it's not. No one says boo, so I figure I'm OK. I've found that corduroy pants, the kind styled like jeans, are nice for riding when it's not too hot. They're also decent when I roll them up to make them look like knickers. Levi's makes something called commuter jeans, which I haven't tried. There are also loose fitting cycling clothes, usually aimed at mountain bike riders or just more modest people. Generally, I wear cycling clothing when it's hot and street clothing when it's cold, but I don't live by hard and fast rules on that.

Amitoj

Thanks!

Maybe I will start off with jeans and a jersey and see how it goes before moving on to regular cycling clothes. It is only 10 miles ride, so I should be able to adjust as I get more used to it.

I am really looking forward to commuting by bike!

kayakindude

I wear cargo pants in the cooler weather. Lightweight, dry quick from sweat/light rain.
I prefer the GH Bass brand (similar to military spec) and pockets come in handy for commuting.

Amitoj

I wore workout pants on my first day of commuting, which was yesterday. I was roasting on the ride back in 80 degrees weather.
So today, I have ditched the pants and rode in wearing my usual bib shorts. Only thing is that I parked my bike on the other side of the building
But that's also closer to showers, so it makes more sense.
Really enjoying my commute. I hope I can continue with this.

davidz32z

Saw a lot of things about carrying spare spokes in here. Would it be terrible to ride a couple miles with a broken/missing spoke? Would it damage my wheel?