Newbie communter, all advice wanted.

[kaiser]

Hi everybody,

I've took the notion i want to start cycling to work, mostly for fitness, i want to step it up this year, also because i smoke & i'm quitting in the new year, something to keep me busy, & also to save money, i think cycling to work should cover all of those things in one hit.. lol i already do some mountain biking, 2, 25 mile lesiure rides a week, i own a decent mtb, a full suspension merida one forty.
my work is 10 mile from my home, so it'll be a 20 mile round trip. mostly flat too..i've got the lights, have good altura mayhem waterproof jacket, use clip in spd's. the proper cycling shorts etc.

i've quite a few questions i'd like to ask you kind people if somebody would take the time to answer them as best they can.

firstly, is doing this 5 days a week in the dead of winter possible, sorry realistic i mean.??
also i do a manual outside job, my work doesn't have decent toilets or showers so i'm gonna have to completely change once i get in to my work gear, we have a small store i can use, (hopefully) to do this.

if it rains you get wet right? no avoiding that i'm sure, what do i do regarding my bottom half? i can wear a pair of shorts over my lycra but they certainley wont be waterproof. or do i just get wet on the bottom? is 10 mile a relativley short distance to go & you just put up with a wet bum?

i work in the country so i'm cycling straight out of town into country side, i'm also lucky i have a nice route thats all small back roads so i expect to have very little traffic both ways, none of it is main roads, think country lanes..

i've a good led battery powered light on the front & a red led light on the back is that enough?

i shave my head, so insulation is zero up there, will a monkey hat on under my helmet do the job of keeping me warm?

should i just ride it on knobbly's as its just 10 mile, or would it be worth changing tyres, i really dont want the hassle of changing the tyres every weekend, or when we go out at night to the trails.

& when its chucking it down at 7am & it freezing outside, how do you get past the comfy car & still take the bike.

also i'd like to listen to music i think, i know on the road this is frowned upon but it'll really make the journey more bearable.. whats your thoughts on this?

if anybody has any other advice they can add, or if i've forgot something, please let me know.

many thanks in advance to anybody who takes the time to reply & help me out.

 

[vickster]

Get some good locks even if you have somewhere to leave the bike. Workplace theft is common. Also at least one more light for the back if riding country roads in the dark

Personally I wouldn't countenance riding listening to music, but then I ride mostly in heavy traffic and need all wits and senses about me

I don't ride if it's already raining, but many do.

Get a thermal skullcap or buff for your head and a buff for your neck

Carry inner tubes, a pump and the necessary tools for the inevitable punctures

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Hi everybody,

.

Comments in bold, do'h, not bold but CAPITALS :

I've took the notion i want to start cycling to work, mostly for fitness, i want to step it up this year, also because i smoke & i'm quitting in the new year, something to keep me busy, & also to save money, i think cycling to work should cover all of those things in one hit.. lol i already do some mountain biking, 2, 25 mile lesiure rides a week, i own a decent mtb, a full suspension merida one forty.
my work is 10 mile from my home, so it'll be a 20 mile round trip. mostly flat too..i've got the lights, have good altura mayhem waterproof jacket, use clip in spd's. the proper cycling shorts etc.

i've quite a few questions i'd like to ask you kind people if somebody would take the time to answer them as best they can.

firstly, is doing this 5 days a week in the dead of winter possible, sorry realistic i mean.?? YES IT IS POSSIBLE, YOU MAY WANT SPIKED TYRES FOR ICE AND SNOW THOUGH
also i do a manual outside job, my work doesn't have decent toilets or showers so i'm gonna have to completely change once i get in to my work gear, we have a small store i can use, (hopefully) to do this. WIPE DOWN WITH BABY WIPES

if it rains you get wet right? no avoiding that i'm sure, what do i do regarding my bottom half? i can wear a pair of shorts over my lycra but they certainley wont be waterproof. or do i just get wet on the bottom? is 10 mile a relativley short distance to go & you just put up with a wet bum? GOOD SET OF MUDGUARDS WILL MINIMIZE WET BUM SYNDROME - YOU COULD WEAR WATERPROOFS BUT WILL MAKE YOU SWEAT

i work in the country so i'm cycling straight out of town into country side, i'm also lucky i have a nice route thats all small back roads so i expect to have very little traffic both ways, none of it is main roads, think country lanes..

i've a good led battery powered light on the front & a red led light on the back is that enough? HAVE A LOOK AT THE CREE THREAD IN THE CYCLING ACCESSORIES BIT OF THE SITE

i shave my head, so insulation is zero up there, will a monkey hat on under my helmet do the job of keeping me warm? YES OR A BUFF OR A SKULL CAP

should i just ride it on knobbly's as its just 10 mile, or would it be worth changing tyres, i really dont want the hassle of changing the tyres every weekend, or when we go out at night to the trails. KNOBBLYS WILL HELP WITH THE WEIGHT LOSS AS THEY WILL MAKE IT HARDER

& when its chucking it down at 7am & it freezing outside, how do you get past the comfy car & still take the bike. I JUST GET ON THE BIKE AND GO, ONCE YOU ARE WET, YOU ARE WET

also i'd like to listen to music i think, i know on the road this is frowned upon but it'll really make the journey more bearable.. whats your thoughts on this? PERSONALLY I DON'T DO IT, YOU COULD DO IT WITH JUST ONE EAR

if anybody has any other advice they can add, or if i've forgot something, please let me know.

many thanks in advance to anybody who takes the time to reply & help me out

 

[Pale Rider]

Your knobblies (ho-ho) may not like lots of road work.

Watch out for side wall cracks, which is where MTB tyres used on road usually wear first.

Take your point about not wanting to change tyres all the time.

Might be worth finding out how much a pair of wheels/commuting tyres would cost.

 

[ACQPL]

I, like you, have got a full suspension MTB. I dusted it off a few days ago to start commuting and have done a few mods you may find useful.. the first (and best, in my opinion) was to replace the knobbly tyres with road slicks. In your case you could use those hybrid tyres that are smooth in the middle, but knobbly at the edges to improve grip in corners. I now don't have to pedal as hard to get the same speed, as the rolling resistance is much smoother.
The other option is to get another set of rims & inner to mount some hybrid/slick tyres on that, so that you don't have to faff about taking the rubbers on and off.
This = less energy used and a smoother ride !
I also dropped and moved the handlebars forward, adjusted the seat to make it fit properly for road cycling, and added DIY drop bars. (two bullhorn grips turned upside down)
The ease of cycling, and the speed compared to what I started with has been huge ! And the modifications have cost me nothing but new tyres... so far..

 

[Gez73]

Hello there, I cycle 5 days a week in all weather, I simply have no other way and work shifts too. If you're determined to have some tunes on your ride and I do myself I'd recommend these:http://www.aftershokz.co.uk/
You need to charge them and the bass values aren't great but they do allow you to hear ambient sounds if the volume is not too high. They are not so good for use with people around as the sound can be heard quite clearly by others, but they are ideal for solo cycling. I find with the right music I can enjoy the ride and feel safe with these on. Can definitely hear traffic approaching and sirens etc. Evans sell them too.
I can change my clothes in work and can shower too so I wear cycling shorts/tights and a very good jacket(Night Vision Evo). Everything else gets wet and dried in work. Overshoes are a great addition to your wardrobe too and prevent cold and wet feet in all but the heaviest downpours. At the end of the day you'll tailor your routine and options to whatever you can manage but try to buy the best you can to avoid buying rubbish stuff. I'd recommend SPD pedals and a MBT recessed shoe if that's what you're considering.
Do let us know how you get on and stay safe!!

 

[kaiser]

some great advice thanks everybody, just to update you, i went into my local bike shop to get some bits & pieces i needed, explained to them what i was doing & he basically told me not to cycle to work, said i would ruin my good mtb, now it was £1500, not the most expensive, he said i'd have to wash it every night to get the road scum off it, & that it would make the parts wear out fast on my bike, & come the summer my good mtb would look knackered. said i'd be better buying a cheap road bike to get me to work. was quite surprised he was putting me off doing it.. said fine in the summer, but forget about doing it in the dead of winter, whats everybodys thoughts on this?? i'm a bit deflated now about it.

 

[vickster]

Sounds sensible really unless you can afford to maintain expensive parts

Halfords Carrera Subway at £200-300 is a sturdy and admirable commuter bike

 

[2wheelsgeth]

If you're heading off road at the weekend anyway, I imagine you'll have to clean your bike pretty thoroughly after that. That should keep your bike in reasonable condition. You may well find that you end up buying another bike (the joys of n+1) after a few months of commuting, but you can pay for it with the money you've saved by giving up smoking! At least consider getting a second set of wheels with narrower rims and slicks - you'll find it a lot easier.

If I can give any advice, it's just to start doing it. I've never regretted starting commuting by bike two years ago, and even when I'm soaked in the winter, I'd still choose the bike over the train every time. You'll soon find out what works for you, as far as clothing and tyres are concerned - in the meantime, enjoy it!

 

[smokeysmoo]

Firstly, is doing this 5 days a week in the dead of winter possible, sorry realistic i mean.?? Absolutely, but you might want to start off doing 2-3 days. See how you go and build up from there. PS: keep your suspension locked out on the road.

If it rains you get wet right? Yup. There's no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothing. Waterproofs and mudguards will sort you out.

I've a good led battery powered light on the front & a red led light on the back is that enough? Can't have enough lights IMO, but forget Quadrophenia here, quality over quantity.

I shave my head, so insulation is zero up there, will a monkey hat on under my helmet do the job of keeping me warm? Don't know what a monkey hat is, (and Google isn't helping!), but I use something like THIS.

Should i just ride it on knobbly's as its just 10 mile, or would it be worth changing tyres, i really don't want the hassle of changing the tyres every weekend, or when we go out at night to the trails. Agree with Pale Rider in post #4 here.

When its chucking it down at 7am & it freezing outside, how do you get past the comfy car & still take the bike. Dedication that's what you NEED.

Also i'd like to listen to music i think, i know on the road this is frowned upon but it'll really make the journey more bearable.. whats your thoughts on this? I always have and TBH I always will. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[biggs682]

@kaiser i commute as much as i can no matter what the weather , the only weather i wont ride in is when its really windy , packed snow or icy conditions .

i use a road bike with full guards fitted fr & rr , as for lights i use 3w cree torch from Tescos along with a Cateye hl530 up front and then a led on the rear , and a hi viz vest that has built in flashing leds fr & rr .

using back rd will be quieter for sure but will they be treated when its icy ?


i cant see how people can cycle safely when they have music playing as surely it blocks out the traffic noise

either way best of luck and enjoy it

 

[uclown2002]

@kaiser
i cant see how people can cycle safely when they have music playing as surely it blocks out the traffic noise

Not so for me but only have one earphone in. Still hear a grasshopper fart from 100 yards.

 

[BlackPanther]

I started commuting on a mountain bike, soon swapped to a road bike. Although a road bike is far easier to commute on roads than a mountain bike, you'll find that you get the same level of workout.......if you're on a fast bike, you tend to ride faster. At the very least (until you realise you're gonna be a long term commuter) swap you knobblies for decent thinner road tyres. I can't recommend Marathon plus tyres highly enough-20,000 puncture free miles for me up to now!

Assuming that your wheels are quick release, you could pick up a 2nd hand set (look on ebay, lots of people upgrade and sell their old sets-or ask on this forum) and just swap them form a road set to on off road set as required.

As for 'waterproofing', a decent waterproof/breathable jacket is the most important thing. I also have some decent overtrousers, but I only use these when it's seriously cold (-5 or lower) the rest of the time thermal lycra does the job, and getting wet legs really doesn't bother me.

It's certainly 'realistic' to cycle 10 miles each way. My commute is 12 miles each way, and I'm a 5 day a weeker.

I too have a shaved head, but a cheapish (fiver or less) skull cap can be sourced from ebay, and I wear one if it's below freezing. Anywhere above zero and they get uncomfortably hot after 5 miles or so.

As for sweating due to the ride, I just ride in steadily so as not to break sweat. After a few weeks, when your legs/stamina have built up you'll find it's possible to not break sweat whilst still averaging a decent speed. On the way home it's a race all the way for me, and I never arrive home without being proper sweaty and out of breath from a sprint finish.

Music? There have been dozens of threads about the dangers of this. Me? I listen to Radio 2 every morning. I wear buds, and I have the sound just so I can hear it. I find that due to the buds, I can actually hear traffic just as well (if not better) due to them blocking out the wind noise.

If you're on country roads, then good quality rear lights are essential. Blackburn 4.0 lights are my choice, and 2 (at least) rears are a good idea for if one fails/battery runs low. The Blackburns easily last a full week (7.5 hours) so I recharge every Friday night.

You don't mention how you carry stuff, Ortleib panniers (though expensive) are perfect for carrying all the kit/clothing/snap etc you need daily.

Carry a spare tube, it's so much quicker than repairs.

Finally, if you're going to commute every day for years to come, it's good to have an incentive and something to keep you interested. Put the money you save from not driving into a separate account (For me it's £50 a week/£2,500 a year) so don't feel guilty if you spend a large portion of this on bikes/gear etc. Every time you swap machines you'll get an extra lift for a good few weeks. Of course, if you want an extra buzz, go down the recumbent bike/trike route!

 

[BlackPanther]

i cant see how people can cycle safely when they have music playing as surely it blocks out the traffic noise

It depends on the volume (of course) and the type of head phones. I find that when riding very fast, the wind noise blocks out the majority of traffic noise. Wearing ear bud type headphones without any music vastly improves my ability to hear traffic. Obviously, playing music loudly would prevent me from hearing traffic. There's a balance where I can listen to music at a low volume, and still hear traffic better than not wearing the buds, due to the recuction of wind noise.

Now, say you ride slowly on a mountain bike (12-15mph), the wind noise probably isn't loud enough to bother you. If however, you ride fast on road bike (18-22mph) then it becomes a problem. And if you ride a fast on a recumbent (25-30mph) then it's pretty uncomfortable.

Also bear in mind that a road bike can easily hit 35+mph downhill, and a recumbent can approach 50mph.

The sad thing with most drivers is that even when you're doing 30 (or more) in a 30 zone, they simply must overtake as they feel they're being held up by a mere cyclist. It's when you're traveling at these speeds that you really need to hear what's going on around/behind you, so some kind of earplugs are necessary.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Hi everybody,
firstly, is doing this 5 days a week in the dead of winter possible, sorry realistic i mean.??
Entirely possible. Some do triple that distance on these boards.

if it rains you get wet right? no avoiding that i'm sure, what do i do regarding my bottom half? i can wear a pair of shorts over my lycra but they certainley wont be waterproof. or do i just get wet on the bottom? is 10 mile a relativley short distance to go & you just put up with a wet bum?
I've gradually come round to the idea that waterproofs are useless in anything but light rain, you still get wet but also hot and sweaty and they flap around as well. In rain less clothing is better imo. Overshoes are useful though as shoes take longer to dry than clothes. If you know it is going to be wet in the morning then bring a spare pair of socks.

i've a good led battery powered light on the front & a red led light on the back is that enough?
If you are on unlit country roads then you might want to get a more powerful front light, although they can be pricey. Get a backup light for the front and rear for when the batteries run out, possibly one on flashing as well because that marks you out as a cyclist.

i shave my head, so insulation is zero up there, will a monkey hat on under my helmet do the job of keeping me warm?
Helmet is usually toasty enough. Fingers and toes more likely to get cold.

should i just ride it on knobbly's as its just 10 mile, or would it be worth changing tyres, i really dont want the hassle of changing the tyres every weekend, or when we go out at night to the trails.
10 miles is a decent distance. Knobblies will be a drag on roads but will get you fitter quicker. 2nd bike time? Riding slicks might make you more willing to commit to cycling every day.

& when its chucking it down at 7am & it freezing outside, how do you get past the comfy car & still take the bike.
Get rid of the car.

also i'd like to listen to music i think, i know on the road this is frowned upon but it'll really make the journey more bearable.. whats your thoughts on this?
Not my cup of tea, like to hear what is coming up behind me.