Bike to work - why not? It's all training ...

Cycling to work is a great way to increase your winter mileage and to build for next season. I sometimes wonder how those who cycle high mileage each week without commuting on their bikes do it. Where do they get the time to go out either before or after work? I have kids and this would not be a runner in my house. Commuting to work for an hour or less and then home in the evening can give you (depending on your speed and route) anything up to 60km per full commute. The more days you commute by bike, the more mileage in the tank. Personally, my problem is trying to stop myself doing too much, as once you are on the bike you just want to keep on going.

In any given week, I tend to have done 150km on the bike between Monday and Friday. This is some winter training and coupled with a weekend spin with a club, it is all you need to get very strong on the bike.

Cycling to work I can get there 45 minutes faster than taking the train (with walks to the station and to my workplace at either end) and an hour faster than if I take the car. On days where I have to go by train or car, I find myself frustrated watching cyclists flying by. Once you start cycling to work, it is hard to motivate yourself to take any other mode of transport.

Those who use Garmin or a similar GPS device can track each of your commutes in the same way as you do your other training rides. If you upload your rides to Strava, you can see how fast you cycle into and out of work relative to other cyclists who have ridden the same roads. If you are a Strava segment hunter, you can vary your routes according to where you want to challenge existing times on given roads. My advice though is to try a number of routes and use the one where there is least traffic and fewest traffic lights. This way the commute will feel safer, be less stop/start (and probably warmer as you are not standing at lights) and you will get used to the routes and start doing it without thinking. You will start to know where all the potholes and dangerous sections are and know how best to deal with them (bunny hop, swerve, etc.). Personally I have two routes I can do in forty minutes and then two longer routes of about 60 minutes. I can then add to or shorten these depending on the time available on any given morning or evening.

Don’t let the negative stories of biker vs. drivers put you off. I commute by bike regularly and seldom have any issues. I simply avoid those areas where there is always congestion causing head to head rivalry between bikes and vehicles. There are usually many routes to take to get where you need to go and if you enjoy biking, adding a few kms on to find the route of least resistance is worth it. I find a 45 minute or so cycle into work sets you up nicely for the day and knowing you’ll be cycling home gives you something to look forward to in the evening. It all keeps your head clear.

I commute on my winter racing bike, so the entire commute feels fast enough though I try to stay below threshold at all times. To other cyclists I am sure I seem to be going quick, but I am mostly holding a steady pace. This is my advice to those cycling to work: keep it steady. This is not to say you will get opportunities to sprint, hills to climb and hard drags to master. Commuting, rather than indoor bike training, gives you a bit of everything. Even the stopping and starting at traffic lights gets your body used to getting up to speed.

Of course it is now dark when cycling home and so you need a decent mountain bike light on the front and a bright red light on the back. I also have a light on the back of my helmet and a strip light on the back of my bag. You should carry spare front and back lights in case something goes wrong with those you normally use.

I wear all hi-viz. I am sure I don’t look the coolest on the bike, but I do my best to be seen. You don’t need to wear your best cycling gear. Actually if you start commuting most days, you will go through so much gear, while saving a fortune on fuel and/or public transport fares, that you can treat yourself to more gear. I tend to buy gear in the sales and now have good quality cycling gear. I find the better the gear, the warmer (and drier) you will be in colder temperatures. Not because you wear lots of gear, but because you only need a base layer and a cycle jacket on top. You will however need cycle hats, neck scarves, gloves and over-shoes. I don’t wear a rain jacket unless it is very wet. Most cycle jackets will keep out drizzle for over an hour. I keep a rain jacket (again hi-viz) packed and easily accessible while on the bike.

You should get yourself a back pack which is comfortable on the bike – you can get ones specifically designed for the bike. I don’t use panniers as they make the bike cumbersome and hard to handle when moving through traffic. I don’t notice the bag unless it is very heavy. You can get a hi-viz cover for the bag or some bags come with a built in cover. I tend to attach one or more additional light to the bag.

I park and lock up my bike in the underground car park of my office and then go to the changing room to shower and dress. I can leave my gear hanging to dry all day and it is normally pretty much dried when I am putting it back on. Some people don’t have the luxury of showers in their work place and this makes things more difficult. I know people who shower before they leave home and just get dressed in the toilets when they get to work; whatever you need to do, do it. Don’t use the transition from the bike into work clothing as a reason not to commute by bike.

The best advice I can give to those starting out on cycling to work is to spend ten minutes each evening getting the bike ready, getting your bike clothes ready and thinking about what you need to bring on the bike the next day. For me this includes: (1) Charging my Garmin Edge to track the extra training the commuting delivers; (2) Packing a bike pump, spare tubes and tyre levers; (3) Charging and checking the batteries in my mountain bike light and/or other lights; (4) Checking my bike helmet; (5) Checking my bike shoes – are they dry?; (5) Packing clothes for work; (6) Packing any other work-related items – I bike with a laptop;  (7) Cleaning and lubricating my bike chain (it gets heavily used when commuting and needs care); (8) Checking the tyre pressure in your wheels - especially after a weekend; and (9) Leaving a pile of cycling gear ready to be put on in the morning.

There are downsides to commuting by bike. Sometimes the weather is shite. Sometimes you get punctures (not very often with decent tyres fitted). Some motorists will make you angry. You have more cycling gear to wash each week – especially in winter when you are wearing more gear. You go through cycling gear more quickly so spend some more money. But, on balance, the time and money saved by cycling outweigh the negatives. Add to this the training and health benefits and cycling to work wins every time.