Bike to Work Week 2009: Tips for the First Time Commuter

Riding the bike to work for the first time can be a little daunting. During ride the Bike to Work Week 2009 there will be many first time bike commuters undertaking the task for the first time. There will be many people who will be biking to work during May, and you should be able to find first time bike commuters who will help you overcome your anxieties. As a general rule, there are many cyclists who will more than help you as your bike to work for the first time in 2009

If you are biking to work for the first time, you should follow a basic checklist. You should map out a route that you will bike to work. Do a couple of bike to work dry runs. This can be done the weekend before you actually ride your bike to work for the first time. See how long it will take you to bike to work. Are there too many hills? Do the roads look too congested? I will go a little out of my way to go on roads that provide me with a continuous bike ride, rather than the stop and go in congested traffic.

Once you have a route mapped. You should make sure that your bike is in good shape, ie, tires are inflated, brakes work, all other mechanical parts work properly, biking to work is different from going on a sunday ride. Make sure that you have a small repair kit, extra tube, wrenches, hex wrenches, a water bottle with fresh water, etc. Can you fix a broken chain? There is a replacement bike chain by Bell that I always carry with me, it only takes a few moments to replace a broken chain.

Talk to your employer about storing your bike. I have found that most employers are very accommodating about bike storage. If you cannot store the bike in your building, maybe there is a building next door you can store the bike. If you still cannot store the bike in a building, get yourself a good U-lock and a good chain and link the chain and U-lock through every possible bike part and chain it to a building in a well-lit area with high pedestrian traffic.

You will want to store your work clothes at work. Also make that sure that you have some toiletries at work as well. I hope your employer has a shower facility. Talk to your employer, they will bend over backwards to help you.

See, if you can find a bike buddy, they are very helpful. They are listed on some of the larger community bike websites, but see if you can find someone who rides their bike to work around where you work, that would be great. They can be very helpful in routing, moral support, technical support, etc, especially for those who bike to work for the first time. Below are five important tips that I always give to people who are biking to work for the first time.

1) Put a flag on your bike. It helps drivers to be aware of your presence.
2) Do not drive to close to parked cars. You may think that there can be no harm from these vehicles, but someone can pull out in front of you, or a door can open. You have to be as aware of the parked cars as well as the cars on the move.
3) Wear a helmet, this will prevent head injuries.
4) Wear a rear view mirror on your bike or on your helmet. It helps you to see who is behind you.
5) If you are wearing regular sweats, or jeans, make sure that you use something to bind the bottom of your pants. I personally use elastic bands. There is nothing worse than getting the bottoms of your pants caught up in the chain of your bike. I also use an elastic band to wrap around my shoes, so that the laces do not tangle up in the bike chain.

I hope that these will help you as your bike to work for the first time. It is not as daunting as you might imagine. As you bike to work, get out there for health, exercise and have some fun.