What You Need To Know About Bike Commuting

By Amara B. Beatty


I love riding my bike to work. The fresh air and exercise wake me up and get my blood pumping. But here are some lessons I've learned for bike commuting.

Use a Pannier Yes, wearing a backpack makes you look cool, but it also makes you sweat. Wearing a pannier might make you look nerdy, but it also leaves you smelling like a nerd. Personally, I'd rather smell nerdy at work than smell like a jock. And anyway, a nerdy pannier will probably go nicely with your neon helmet.

Purchase a Gortex Jacket Gortex is breathable but also waterproof, so it keeps you cozy and dry in rainy weather. There are a whole lot of styles and colors readily available, and some of them are highly noticeable while also being stylish. And you can use your cool-looking new jacket to hide your nerdy pannier and neon helmet.

Love a Glove Your hands give you a lot of love, so you need to provide them a glove. Gloves lessen the road vibration that can stress out your hands. They also keep your hands warm on cool mornings and protect them when you fall. Gloves are also wonderful for cleaning the mud from your fenders. Carry CO2 or a Pump Using CO2 to pump up your tire may not be eco-friendly, but CO2 cans pump your tire up instantly, not matter how much air your tire needs, saving a lot of time and sweat. They're also lighter in weight than pumps. You'll need to carry one or the other, as well as a spare tube and tire levers.

Wear Padded Bicycle Shorts These probably aren't absolutely crucial if you only ride a couple miles to work and don't do any touring. But they help protect against rubbing and they wick moisture away from your body. They're definitely more comfy than normal shorts for bicycling. Get Tire Liners and Flat-resistant Tires Flat tires can not only make you late for work, but they can also boost your chances of having an accident. Tire liners and flat-resistant tires won't fully eliminate flats, but they'll decrease the likelihood, especially if you ride on gravel.

Carry the Correct Tools A multi-tool is handy to have, so long as it's well-designed and strong enough to stand up under hard use. But a multi-tool can be tough to utilize for some jobs, so you may need to supplement it with other tools.




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