What to Consider Before Bike Commuting

For the regular office worker bee, a twice-daily trip to the office and back is part of everyday reality. For many, this means getting into a car for a half an hour or more, with frequent stops at lights. As you sit there, you uselessly burn fuel, pay for car insurance just to sit there, and all while silently rack up some wear-and-tear for the next time your vehicle suddenly decides to break down.

Some people have rid themselves of a car through taking public transport. To cut the commute time, many others have taken a more drastic step by moving to a home located much closer to work.

If you've taken so many steps to move closer to your work, why not take steps to move closer to yourself?

What this means is getting into shape, and enjoying the body in which you live. Try bike commuting. Aside from needing a bicycle, you would need certain equipment, which I discuss in the next section.

Before You Start Pedaling

Before you hop that tire off the curb, here are a few things to think about:

* Bicycle -

While it seems obvious that you would need a bicycle of some kind to make your commute to work, not all bikes are made the same. Bicycles come in all shapes and sizes, and in varying degrees of ruggedness for the task. For some solid advice on which kind of bike to choose for commuting, read here.

* Know-How -

For some folks, using and maintaining a bike is as easy as breathing. But for others - especially those who've not ridden before - having the know-how to fix a bike can be a challenge. Let's assume you at least know how to ride a bike...

If purchasing your bicycle brand new from a local bike shop, see if you can make an up-front deal with the folks there to have them teach you how to do some basic repairs for your new wheels. While you don't need to get into infinite detail on repair, knowing how to remove and re-affix a wheel and to fix a flat tire are essential skills for any bike commuter. Depending on how easy (or hard) it is to fix a tire on your bike, being able to do it quickly will make the difference between arriving at work on time - or being really late.

If you've taken bicycle repair lessons yet still find yourself "mechanically challenged" - there are yet other alternatives just short of giving up... Find a partner who will ride the same route along with you, or at least for most of it. When it comes to maintenance, in the absence of a readily available partner, then make certain whatever route you ride on any given day has a bike repair shop every few miles In the event of trouble, you haven't got far to walk to get the help you need.

* Location & Safety -

The last statement had to do with selecting a route for the sake of maintenance, but I would say your personal safety factors in greatly also. Where you ride your bike has everything to do with this.

Before you take up bike commuting, map out where you would have to ride. Ask yourself:

- Is the route "bike friendly?" Would you be putting your personal safety at risk if you were had to travel a heavily trafficked road too narrow to accommodate both yourself and the regular load of cars for which the road was designed? If not, then plot out an alternative route. Sometimes this means having to go way out of your way to get from point A to B.

- Are the inhabitants along the route friendly also? If you find yourself overjoyed that you live only a few miles from work, might your joy be dampened if your route lay in an area where someone was prone to spring out of the bushes for an ambush? While this may sound pessimistic, this kind of thing has been known to happen - and it needs to happen only once to make bike commuting impossible, let alone discouraging. Make certain your path is free of questionable areas. Steer clear of any if possible. Whenever possible for safety in numbers, share the route with another friend or two.

- Does your destination have a good bike lockup? While some employers may kindly allow you by allowing you to lean your bicycle against a wall somewhere in the place of business, other employers are not so accommodating. Make certain to select a bicycle lockup area near your workplace that has a secure, frequently visited area where other may keep an on eye out for bicycle thieves. Likewise, make certain that the fence rail, bike rack, or other immovable object to which you lock your bike won't inconvenience others or cause the property owner to have your bike removed.

- Alternative transit. If your bike breaks down and you decide you may have neither the time, parts, nor patience to repair it, sometimes it's just more convenient to lock up your bike and walk a few blocks to a local rail tram or train to ride the rest of the way to work.

* Physical Condition -

If you've not exercised in a long time or run a health risk during strenuous exercise, it's wise to get into shape slowly over a few weeks (or even months) before even getting a bicycle - let alone suddenly start using a bicycle for a full commute to work. If you do have any health issue that may be adversely affected by strenuous exercise, consult with your doctor first before using a bicycle.

If after trying to use your bike, you find that riding to and from work is too much to handle, then at least keep it for weekend or evening jaunts.

Before taking on the sudden change in lifestyle through bike commuting - let's say, after a long cold winter of not riding - be certain to use every opportunity to get into shape through whatever means. Some avid commuters walk up and down the stairs at their office building whenever they can. Others even go for a run or a walk during lunch hour.

Get To Work While Getting In Shape...

As a cheaper and healthier alternative to recently rising fuel prices, it's no wonder that even more people are pushing a bike pedal instead of the gas pedal.

Recommended Reading:

What to Consider when Buying a Commuting Bicycle:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5667944/what_to_consider_when_buying_a_commuting.html