Conquer Your Commute
Commuting to work on a bike is a great way to save money, reduce your carbon footprint, is often quicker than other forms of transport and helps improve fitness. Using a bike to commute and being out and active has been proven to reduce stress, which means you arrive at work feeling fresher, more relaxed and alert. The commute to work is also a very good way to fit in exercise, with such busy lives getting to the gym is not always the easiest option. Commuting during the winter months can be hard work, some do not have access to showers or wash facilities. So, what you wear and what type of bike you ride becomes more important. So here are some tips to help conquer your commute.
To make the commute easier give yourself more time than you think to get to work, this will mean you will enjoy the cycle more and arrive with time to spare.
If possible, do a practice run of the route you are thinking of taking, you never know what might show up on the way. Above all else, have fun and on the way home take a detour, you may see things you never new existed.
Bike
You can commute to work on any bike, what type of bike is best depends on how far you are riding, and whether planning on using public transport or drive part-way. If you plan on breaking your journey up, then a folding bike is a perfect choice. If you use the commute to exercise an endurance bike is a great choice. Or if you have a lot to carry then a hybrid bike is perfect as they have several mounting points for pannier bags.
E-bikes give assistance every time you turn the cranks, this means you can go faster with less effort, making the commute easier. Lightweight e-bikes offer less assistance but are easier to transport than full-fat e-bikes, which weigh more but give you greater assistance. E-bikes are great for commuting, as you arrive at work feeling less sweaty, especially useful when showers are unavailable. Due to the assistance e-bikes give, they can make the longest commute feel a lot shorter.
Bike Recommendations
Bags
If you have facilities to get changed at work, it’s good to have your work clothes in a bag. Pannier bags or a backpack are a great choice, you will want one that’s waterproof and with plenty of room. Bags can be bought with spaces to store laptops, cameras, tablets, and almost anything you may need. You will also need a way of carrying water, whether that’s a water bottle in a bottle cage or a bladder in your backpack. For a comfier experience, a bag with a chest strap is a must-have, this spreads the weight across your body and is comfier to carry.
Bag Recommendations
Clothes
It’s always a good idea to leave spare clothes at work if you can, you never know what may happen and the last thing you want is to worry about not having anything to wear home. Visibility is the most important part; you want to make yourself as hard to miss as you can.
If you have changing facilities, there are a few things that will make your commute comfier. Waterproof socks will keep your feet dry, which will mean your feet will be warmer. A cycling jacket is also a good idea, as they tend to be windproof which will help keep you warm. A cheap jacket will keep you dry, but they tend to not breathe which will make you warm and very sweaty. Waterproof cycle trousers are a must during the winter, although it may not be raining every day there are always puddles on the UK roads, so the trousers will keep you dry, which keeps you warmer.
Windproof gloves will help keep you warm as well; they block the wind which is the main culprit for cold hands.
If you don’t have somewhere to get changed at work, you will likely need to cycle to work in your work clothes. So, you will need something that goes over your work clothes and keeps them as clean as possible. You will need something waterproof and windproof; this will help keep you dry and warm. These come in an all-in-one or separate pair of trousers and jacket. The all-in-one option gives you fewer gaps for air to get into, which will keep you warmer. But the separate jacket and trousers mean you can remove the top half if you go on a train for example.
Clothing Recommendations
Shoes
Cycle-specific shoes give you better grip on your pedals and allow you to change to your work shoes once you arrive. You can also buy waterproof shoes, which will help with keeping you warm, by keeping you dry. There are also lighter cycle shoes, with less padding, so when you get to work, they will dry quicker.
Shoe Recommendations
Accessories
Depending on where you leave your bike, you will need a lock to make sure your bike is secure. D-locks are the best for commuting, but it pays in the long term to buy quality at a reduced price, rather than a cheap lock. Mudguards are a useful way of keeping all the water and muck off the streets being flung up onto you, keeping you cleaner and drier. Lights on the road are a must, commuting during the winter means you will more than likely be riding in the dark, so a good set of lights not only help you to be seen but also be able to see. Punctures are just a fact of cycling life, so having a spare inner tube and a pump is a useful thing to have, sometimes you get a slow puncture but with a pump, you can limp home. A bell is a must, this will help other road users be aware of your presence which helps keep you safer.
