Preparing for your tour by bicycle commuting

Dale Owsald has been stepped up and volunteered to lead off on a page about getting started bicycle commuting.

For me bicycle commuting is the number one way that I prepare for my tours. Although I also use other methods the vast bulk of my preparation occurs everyday as I bicycle to work and back.

Without further ado I turn it over to Dale.....

Dale Oswald out on a ride.

Although not mentioned anywhere on this page has almost completed his multi-leg ride across the United States! Quite an amazing achievement.
Click to enlarge.

"Cycling to work (or shopping or visiting…) shouldn’t be a big deal. Most people who are of basically sound health and who live within ten miles of where they want to be can successfully use a bicycle to get there. Take a few simple preparatory steps and buy a couple of inexpensive things on the way home tonight and start riding tomorrow!

What you need to have:

A bicycle suitable for your route.

Most bicycles will work for most routes. It need not be fancy, new or stylish. What it should be is reliable, so if you’re dragging the old beast out of the garage you may want to have a shop check it over.
A helmet.

Any ANSI or Snell approved helmet. The $14.95 one from K Mart is just fine if it has one of these approvals.
A Bag to carry stuff.

You don’t need anything fancy or expensive. Backpacks aren’t ideal but they will do the job. Try riding to work, and if you like it, go buy a proper pannier or seat bag.
Contingency clothing.

Toss an old jacket or raincoat in the bag.
Some tools.

Buy a set of tire levers, a pump and a spare tube. Learn how to use them; a knowledgeable friend is the best teacher but a repair or owners manual will usually do. Practice at home or on an old bike. Put these things in your bag, or mount the pump on your bike if you have the brackets.
Lock. If needed.

Some places let you park your bike inside or have a bike rack under the guard’s nose (and many perfectly useable commuter bikes have no theft value…).
"Effective Cycling" by John Forrester (ISBN: 0262560704):

Buy this book. Read the chapter on why you ought to obey the rules of the road, and the two simple rules on your lane positioning. Cycling is not an inherently dangerous activity if you use a little common sense and learn a couple of things.

Planning:

Pick a route

Pick a route that has low traffic volumes or wide shoulders. Avoid expressway ramps; that is, places where the traffic merges onto or diverges off your route.
Find out where you’re going to park your bike at work.

Decide whether you need to shower on arrival. This depends on how you are expected to look, distance ridden, your comfort level with being a little sticky and the weather. You can take a couple of these things to work and leave them there: Shower stuff if desired and your lock if needed.
Take a trial run on the weekend to check out your route and determine how long you need to allow for travel.

On the day that you ride:

Pack your bag with the stuff listed above, your change of clothes and a jacket or raincoat.
Take some water if it’s hot and you’re riding more than a couple of miles
Allow enough time to go at an easy pace.
Start out easy, relax, pay attention and have a good time."

Submitted by Dale Oswald

This picture is from one of my winter commutes on my longest route. Here you can see the narrow track winding along the river. Very pretty, great exercise and much more soul soothing then driving a car in heavy traffic.
Click to enlarge.

Dale mentions a number of excellent points but I would like to add a few more.

Bicycling to work can be alot of fun and often gives you a very nice break between the stresses of work and the pleasures of home. While cycling you have the chance to think about your day, see the scenery and contemplate life. I find that my cycle commute often one of the best parts of my day.

Many people think of commutting as something that can only be accomplished during the spring, summer and fall seasons. This isn't necessarily true. You always have to look at your comfort level but it is very possible and enjoyable to ride through the winter months too. If you are interested in learning more about Icebiking consider looking at the Icebike website and joining the associated Mailing List.

When considering your route always be on the lookout for alternatives. I actually have three different main routes that I take in to work.

The first route is about 10 km long and consists of a series of small roads and multi-use paths. The multi-use path is especially nice since it runs alongside a river, meanders through some woods, has very low traffic in the morning and allows me to skip railroad tracks, traffic lights and stop signs. It even has a hill or two to make it extra enjoyable.

The second route is a longer route that mostly runs right next to the river on technical single track. Although I have ridden this with a touring bike it is most enjoyed riding a mountain bike.

This is an example of gaining access to some unused space for a secure lockup. Each of the two racks in this picture cost $200 canadian. During the summer months this rack is overflowing with bicycles.
Click to enlarge.

My final route is a short, direct line, route that gets me to work in the shortest distance along mainly low traffic streets. There are lots of stop signs and a couple of traffic lights but when I am in a hurry or I just want to go on a short ride then this is the one I take. I use this route more in the winter then any other time.

Another excellent book that covers "cycling in traffic": strategies is "the Art of Urban Cycling - Lessons from the Street" by Robert Hurst (ISBN: 0-7627-2783-7).

I am lucky enough to work for a company that provides secure indoor lockups for bicyclists. You might consider asking your employer if they have a basement storeroom or something similar that you can also use.

The type of bike you ride may also play a role when commuting. In order to reach my lockup facility I need to descend in an elevator. This works fine for both my touring and winter bikes but it could be trickier for a long wheelbase recumbent.

When it comes right down to it the most important thing needed to start bicycle commuting is a decision on your part to give it a real try for some period of time. Usually a week or two is enough to give you an understanding of how well it works for you!

What is easy to confirm though is that by riding into work on a daily basis you are making your first few days of touring significantly easier!

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