Commuting, a Practical approach.

I have been cycling for about 15years, having got hooked by Le TDF on TV, and then getting into Mountain Biking. The Mountain Biking I saw as just another means of keeping fit, apart from pounding the streets running. However it soon overtook running as my main source of exercise, and now with the onset of arthritis in my hips, running has become a distant memory, however cycling gets the Doctors seal of approval, so still rolling on. For many years I worked too far from home to even think about commuting by bicycle, however a couple of years ago I started doing some IT contract work about 6miles from home. Now 6miles seemed like a do-able distance to commute by bike, and since 2005 I have been using the bicycle to commute at least 2-3 days a week, and sometimes a lot more. Here's not so much a guide, as my observations and general ramblings on the subject of bicycle commuting.

Route

Find your route, and do a "dry run" before throwing yourself into your first commute.
It will almost certainly take you longer than you anticipate the first time, so allow yourself an extra 10 mins or so.

Clothing

Do you cycle in cycling gear, and then change at your workplace, or do you cycle in regular clothing, and hope you don't sweat/smell too much?
For me there is only one answer to this, wear cycling clothing and change at the workplace, of course this now means that, either you have to carry a change of clothes or leave a change of clothes at your workplace, which brings me on to....

Luggage?

How Do you carry your change of clothes?
A rack with panniers is always hailed as the best option, and this is what I opted for in the first instance, it has the advantage that the weight is kept low on the bicycle, however the weight can adversely affect the handling. A rucksack or backpack is normally considered as a poorer second option.
After 2 years of commuting with panniers, I had to switch to a backpack because of a lack of pannier mounts on the New bike I was using, and quite honestly, so long as you don't try to cram the kitchen sink in there, a backpack is the better option in my opinion, it also has some other advantages which I will come to later.

Clothing again

I have now modified the way I handle the the whole "Clothing" dilemma. I leave a change of clothes at the workplace (along with a can of deodorant), and then periodically change an item of clothing, so I am only ever carrying a small "Clothing" payload. Shoes should definitley be left at the workplace, as they are bulky and heavy. My personal clothing dilemma is doubled as I work out of 2 different workplaces, so leave a change of clothes at each location.

Bike

What type?
Well the common or garden bicycle these days is a mountain bike, but unless you are riding some very rough off-road sections, or plan on doing a spot of jump farming on the way home, they really are not the best option. They are heavier than road bikes, and those big fat tyres come at a price, you will have to work a lot harder to make the wheels go round. Many modern road bikes have very skinny tyres and are aimed at the Peleton wanna-be's. Road bikes do have the advantage of 700c wheels (about 27inch dia) as opposed to 26inch mountain bike wheels. 700c wheels roll a lot easier, but can feel a bit skitish on bumpy serfaces. A Mountain bike can be fitted with road or semi-slick tyres which will make the ride easier, and a road bike can be fitted with slightly wider tyres, or even Cyclocross tyres (check the frame will accomodate them). A number of manufacturers are now making Hybrid type, or "City" bikes which offer 700c wheels, but with mountain bike running gear, and more upright riding position, these bikes are sometimes referred to as "Dutch Style". Of course the best type of bike will be governed by the type of route you have to ride. My personal route(s) both have at least 50% off-road (mostly Forest fireroads), and after some experimenting I have recently purchased a cyclocross bike, which works brilliantly both on and off-road.

Safety

Whether riding off-road or on road, you need to see, and be seen. Not much of a problem during those long hot British summers! However the weather can and does change rapidly, so you could ride to work on a bright sunny morning, and be riding home in conditions where visibility is decreased. Lights are a must at any time of year, there are many inexpensive, lightweight, lighting options available, and with rechageable batteries now also being inexpensive, there really is no excuse. Even on designated cycletracks lights should be used when conditions require.

Safety tips

Fit a mirror on your bike, especially if you have to ride on the road, Bike Eye is the mirror I use, it works really well.

This is probably the most affective lighting option I have tried to date:

Take a small rear LED light, and attach it to a strap of some description (old toe strap will do), and attach this to your ankle with the light facing rearwards, now as you pedal the light is moving up and down, and really does get motorists attention. A light attached to the bike should still be used. Of course this doesn't work if you have panniers, because they get in the way of the light.

Save Money

Commuting by bicycle, could save you a small fortune compared to commuting by car. Fuel is well over £5.00p per gallon at the moment, and climbing, the average car does less than 30MPG on short runs, so just do the mathematics.

Assuming a 6miles each way commute 12 miles per day, 5 days per working week, and Fuel at £5.00 a gallon.

In one week you would commute 60 miles, that 60 miles would use 2 gallons of petrol @ £5.00 a gallon, cost £10.
One year is 52 weeks, but none of us work 52 weeks, so taking out 5 weeks for holidays, that leaves 47 weeks.

So the saving for one year is 47 * £10 = £470.

But fuel is only a fraction of the true cost of running a car, factor in road tax, car insurance, depreciation per annum, servicing, tyres etc. AA figures suggest that the average cost per mile:

If that kind of money does'nt inspire you to get on yer bike, I don't know what does? Don't foget these are AVERAGE figures, a smaller car would cost less, but a larger one would cost more, scared yet?

It doesn't stop there, that hard earned money, has already been taxed at the standard income tax rate.
Factor in income tax and NI:
To walk away with £1891.09p in your wage packet, you would have to earn £2350.00p approx.
To walk away with £3099.18p, you would have to earn £3850.00p approx.

When you start to make these kinds of calculations, taking a slightly lower paid, less stressful job closer to home makes sense.
It also means that spending a little more money on a quality bike also makes sense, and makes the ride a far more pleasent experience.

Don't forget the immense benefits that this will have on your health, you will very quickly become fitter, trimmer. Many of my trousers that were a "good fit" when I started this little commuting adventure, are now either loose around my waist or long since gone to fund the local Air Ambulance. My arthritis in my hip is now almost a distant memory, the increased fitness, and muscle tone, have meant that my body deals with the problem much better.

If all those benefits aren't enough, consider the Incalculable. The people you meet, the sights you see, the wildlife, the changing seasons, these all make the commuting experience richer. I am a much calmer person now, then when I started commuting by bicycle. I hope I never have to resort to getting back in a car to commute, I think I would go very swifly crazy.

* These are "ballpark" figures, they are not meant to be used as a definitive guide. However do your own calculations, and do them honestly, no cutting corners, and you will soon be On Yer Bike.