Wise Words - Commuting
Bite size tips to fine-tune your daily commute from riders who bike to work, day-in, day-out.
NEW!!! Now including Your Wise Words
Bike
- Keep it light and simple. Too many people pile everything but the kitchen sink onto their commuting bikes. A light simple bike is easier to ride meaning you'll get to work fitter and fresher. A simple bike takes less maintenance and less to go wrong when you're already late for work.
- Keep your tyres pumped up to the maximum PSI on the sidewall, it'll protect you from punctures
- A bike with narrower bars will help you ride past queues of stationary traffic. Ever wondered why couriers use drop bars or bull horns?
- If you want to make the best of the bike for all those short trips, keep it accessible, not locked away in the garage. Keep everything you need on the bike or close by, and use flat pedals and mudguards. Do this and you'll be able to jump on the bike and out the door while others are scrabbling around in the shed or changing into 'cycling kit'.
- Keep your chain clean and fit mudguards. It'll keep the rest of your bike, and you, clean too.
- Look around in boot sales for an old 10 speed 'racer'. It'll make a lean, cheap commuter (which the thieves won't look at) for not much more than the price of a takeaway
- You don't have to rush out and buy a special 'commuter bike'. Any bike will do if you're journey is fairly short. I've commuted on everything from lightweight road bikes to hardtail MTBs. At the end of the day, it's only riding to work.
- Get your bike ready the night before. Nothing is more stressful than looking for your missing gloves when you're already late.
- Hard-tail Mountain bikes make brilliant commuter bikes, the upright riding position gives comfort, control and vision; the heavy tyres are very puncture and pot-hole resistant; there are usually plenty of brackets to fasten mudguards and carriers to; and don't be fooled into thinking they are slow! Oh, and the brakes are usually better too!
Riding
- Make yourself as visible as possible. You might think that reflective vest makes you look stupid, but it'll keep you alive
- Make use of as many off road routes as you can. Where legal, parks, canal towpaths and cycle paths are there to be exploited.
- Check out maps of your rout. You may find that there's a direct option you can use which is not open to cars - so you get there quicker!
- Doing a journey for the first time by bike that you're used to doing by car? Forget about your 'car' route. You'll find that it takes on a very different complexion on two wheels. Get the maps out and look for quiet back streets. Remember that they nicest way to work isn't always the shortest or straightest.
- Use your journey home in the summer to check out variations to your route - you'll have more time than on your way in and you may be able to find quieter, safer or greener options.
- Make eye contact with motorists in a non threatening way. Make sure that they've seen you.
- A car which looks like it might pull out in front of you probably will. Again, make eye contact with the driver. This will help you decide if they have seen you.
- Play to your advantages. You can usually keep moving when motorised traffic is stationary. This is a win-win for you in that you are passing the cars and they are of very little threat when stationary!
- Think defensively but not negatively. Riding in traffic means you have to have your wits about you, but with care it can be safe and satisfying.
- However tempting it may be, don't get into arguments with drivers. If things turn nasty, let the police sort things out.
- Remember, car drivers view cyclists as a minority and that means they like to stereotype us and lump us all together. If you annoy a driver he/she is likely to suddenly view all cyclists as the enemy. It's not logical, but it's the truth. Conversely, a little courtesy is likely to produce a more positive outlook towards all cyclists!
- It's worth doing a recce of a proposed cycle commute before committing to it. Even trying it first in a car has its merits. That quiet little lane you found last Sunday may be a busy rat run at 8am on a Monday morning.
- Right turns in heavy traffic can be tricky. Don't be afraid to play the percentages and pull over to the left and cross as a pedestrian. Don't think of it as a defeat, it's one of the many advantages of being on a bike. You can't tuck your car under your arm and step onto the pavement, can you?!
- When moving up the inside of a line of stationary traffic, be aware that pedestrians are likely to be nipping between the vehicles, so limit your speed, cover your brakes and be prepared to stop.
- Mutual respect is a great mind-set for riding in traffic. Don't antagonise drivers and always acknowledge those who help you to make progress.
- Traffic lights also apply to cyclists!!! Nothing turns a car-driver into a bike-hater quicker than the sight of a cyclist jumping a red light!
- Use you hearing. Don't be tempted to listen to music when riding in traffic. Not only are your ears able to pick up traffic coming from behind, they can even detect its direction and range and warn you if it's too close.
- When waiting in a queue of traffic at lights, try to place yourself well in front of the leading car (many lights now have an advanced line for cyclists). In this way you make yourself more visible and eliminate the chances of being cut-up by a car turning left.
- Never overtake a moving car up the inside when it might be turning left. Just because it's not indicating, doesn't mean it won't turn left!
- Hand signals are not illegal for cyclists! Car drivers appreciate the courtesy of signals from cyclists just as much as cyclists do from motorists.
Clothing and kit
- If you don't want to look like a cyclist, look out for non-cycling stuff that'll work on the bike. Look out for light, quick drying stuff that doesn't flap around but isn't too tight to stop you moving. Lightweight travel clothes are usually good - their designed to be used by active people, pack down small and light, dry quickly and some are passable in the office.
- The best investment is a light, waterproof and breatheable cycling jacket. More that any other item of clothing, it'll keep you warm and dry where it matters most, your upper body.
- Make sure your hands and feet are warm in the winter. Nothing ruins a bike ride more than cold, sore hands and feet.
- Always wear a helmet. Mine saved me from a nasty crack on the head when I hit a lorry mirror the other day. It was my fault and not life threatening, but the helmet saved the day.
Security
- If you're leaving your bike anywhere for any length of time, use a lock. Don't be tempted to just 'nip into the shops' - it could end up being an expensive visit.
- Think about how much your bike is worth when buying a lock and apply the 10% rule of thumb - if your bike's worth £500, you spend around £50 on your lock. However, read up on lock tests in the magazines as not all locks are created equal, no matter how much you spend.
- If you can buy two cheaper locks of different types, e.g. a U-lock and a chain/cable. This will mean that the thief will have to have two sets of lock breaking equipment to make off with your bike
- Secure all easily nickable parts on your bike (wheels/seat etc) using a separate cable extension.
- When you get a new multitool or minipump, test it out at home before you need to rely on it at the roadside.
Carrying stuff
- If you need more than you can carry on your back, you're carrying too much. Remember, you're on a commute, not a world tour. Sure, you can carry huge loads with trailers and racks, but you'll take a lot of the joy from the riding the bike.
- If you're carrying a laptop, carry it on your back rather than in panniers. Your body will isolate the computer from vibration and shock. Top cheapo tip is to use a big Jiffy bag as a cheap and cheerful laptop sleeve. You'll save pounds and protect the computer from knocks.
- Invest in a waterproof bag. There's no use carrying a change of clothes for wet days, only to arrive and find them wet through in your bag. Or if you can't afford one or begrudge it, just put the contents of your bag in a thick bin liner, or buy a dry liner from an outdoor shop.
- Plan what you need to bring in and take home each week, so you don't find yourself lumbered with huge loads to carry at the end of the week. If you're carrying a laptop, use clothing to pad it and protect it from knocks.
- Couriers use courier bags for a damned good reason, not just because they look cool. The weight of the load rests comfortably on your lower back keeping your back sweat-free. It also isolates the contents from road shock far better than carrying stuff in panniers. Make sure you get a proper one, with an effective anti sway strap - there's nothing scarier that your pseudo courier bag swinging around your neck as you slam on the brakes in thick traffic.
Riding at night
- If you're riding at night on well lit roads, go for the smallest, lightest lights that will make you visible. Modern LEDs are the best
- Two back lights offer insurance if one fails and you don't notice!
- Pay attention! Riding in the dark requires extra concentration and awareness, especially to spot damaged road surfaces, glass, debris etc.
Multi Modal Commutes
- First time you try your bike/train journey, give yourself plenty of time, especially if you have to make connections.
- Not all rail operators allow bikes on trains, some insist on pre-booking, others are far more lenient. Remember it's the train company, not the station staff who make the rules, so don't go railing at the poor chap on the platform.
- A recce of the route as a foot passenger will generally reassure you ahead of a planned trip on a train with your bike.
- Look out for the small bike icons on the side of train doors. They indicate where cycle storage is located on the train.
- Carry a toe-strap or some other quick-release strap to secure your bike on the train. It will prevent your pride and joy careering down the carriage!
- Don't take your precious carbon fibre road bike on the train. Take your hack bike so you can relax when someone else appears with a bike and proceeds to jam it into the bike compartment!
- When the train is pulling into the station, take up an advanced position on the platform, scan the train for the bike area (they move it around to keep us on our toes!) and make a beeline for it as soon as you spot it. I've had trains pull out of the station before I've made it to the right carriage.
- Be courteous to non cycling passengers - like car drivers their overall impression of cyclists can be helped or harmed by their encounter with you.
Self Protection
- If you do have an accident, it pays to have thought through the procedure beforehand. Getting witness details, etc is easy to forget in the heat of the moment
- Consider some dedicated cycling insurance to protect you and others in the event of an accident
- Mobile phones are a god-send for all cyclists. Put in the number of a local taxi firm as a final get-me-home option. And use the camera if you have an accident to record car numbers etc.
Happy Commuter!
- Enjoy it! Commuting is your personal contribution to saving the planet, fighting the indifference of borough engineers, getting fit etc. And it is genuinely great fun, even in the big cities!
- I enjoy my journey to work. I get 30 minutes of exercise, I beat the rush hour traffic and I get an hour on the train to work, listen to music, read a book or (shock horror) speak to other people! How many car commuters can say that?
- My 1 hour of riding per day takes the guilt (and the cost) out of that latte and muffin at the railway station. Guilt-free food and getting around by bike! It doesn't get much better.
- Don't let the rain get you down. It sounds crazy, but rain is much more depressing from inside a steamy car, especially if you've got dry clothes and a coffee waiting for you when you get to work.
- When you commute, you feel part of the environment but 'separate' at the same time. You experience the town, city or countryside in a unique way.
- Riding to work can simplify your life. You ditch a ton of metal from around you. You use your body for propulsion. You take with you only what you can carry. Your journey to work is 'human-size'.
- Since I started commuting to work by bike, I've liberated 2 hours of my day from the anonymity and stress of sitting in lines of traffic.
- Cycling takes a different kind of concentration that driving. Although you need to keep your wits about you, its not stressful like driving. You arrive at your destination 100% awake and with a few of your day's problems unwittingly solved.
Have your say
If you've got any Wise Words for commuter cyclists, send them in. We'll publish the best ones right here. Send your words of wisdom to info@everydaycycling.com with the words 'Wise Words - Commuter' in the Subject line. Here are some of your thoughts below:
Your Wise Words - Word of Wisdom from Everyday Cycling Users
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When checking routes, don't be put off by busy main roads. Some times they can be safer than quieter side roads as most of the traffic is going straight, there are fewer parked cars, fewer cars stopping and parking, fewer doors being opened and the pedestrians tend to cross at the proper crossings. Even better you often get the use of bus lanes - Frances
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If you are a nervous on the roads find a cycling instructor and get some Bikeability training, it will give you road riding skills and boost your confidence - Chris Lewis-Smith
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Ride defensively: anticipating that other road users may make unexpected manoeuvres helps prevent collisions. As well as the obvious dangers from car, van and lorry drivers, pedestrians often step off the pavement and THEN turn their heads to look for traffic, passengers are prone to opening car doors in stationary traffic to hop out without checking for bikes coming up on the inside lane, and other cyclists may hurtle through red lights or go the wrong way down one-way streets. Assume the worst and be ready to react in time! - Jo Fulford, London
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A note regarding mudguards. Many hardware stores sell a floor mats that are meant to go in a cars footwell. Look for ones with a 'circle' pattern on one side. It is just right to be cut and used as a front mudflap. To fit it, you will need to drill out the original rivets which hold the metal strap onto the mudguard at the rear of the front mudguard. Cut the floor mat into a long strip and using washers, nuts and bolts; (you might need to add a fixing hole at the very end of the mudguard to stop the rubber mat fouling the tyre) fasten it to the mudguard. The circle pattern faces the tyre. This pattern kills the water splash. Trim the bolts and give them a dousing with Finnigans Waxoil or something similar to prevent rust. Assemble the wheel back into the bike, adjust the mudguard stays to allow free rotation without fouling and then trim the new mudflap so it swings 1 - 2 mm above the road surface. You might need to trim further due to tyre compression when you are riding the bike. Now you will find that whatever puddle you ride through, the water splash won't even hit the rear rim, let alone the bottom bracket. Only when the bike is travelling 25 mph down a hill and then through a ford or deep puddle will the splash hit the rear rim. This is an absolute must on the three bikes I have which have mudguards fitted. Jim Lee
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COMMUTERS, FIT FULL MUDGUARDS! I'd like to start a campaign along these lines. Even if you're happy to have a black, greasy line running up your back, it's positively immoral to subject the guy behind you to a spray of your filth in his face. This is likely to be a lost cause among the usual hoi polloi who ride their mountain bikes in the city but keen beginners starting in the summer ought to do this this now before the autumn weather or the occasional summer storm. And don't be selfish, those crud catchers aren't good enough. They might stop you getting dirty but not your fellow cycling commuters. Graham Bates (London commuter)
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BANISH SOGGY SADDLES - To keep your saddle dry when your bike is standing out all day, try a blue disposable overshoe of the type used in leisure centres (and on oilrigs where they are sometimes known as "Swedish wellies"!). Elasticated shape ensures a quick fit and it looks much neater than a supermarket carrier bag! When it's wet, remove it, give it a shake and store it underneath the saddle while you ride home in comfort. Christine (East Lothian)
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