Well, it's friday and I'm finished with my first week of commuting...here's life's lessons from a newbie!
1) Changing a flat is an ESSENTIAL skill that you should know before you actually need it!
2) Tire pressure isn't just good advice...it's also ESSENTIAL (especially for a big guy).
3) When you loose pressure from a flat...sometimes you don't really know until you take a corner!
4) No matter how bad a fall is....it's amazing on how quickly you can pop back up in hopes that nobody sees you! lol.
5) Commuting to work makes you real humble and appreciative of respectful drivers (I made sure to thank every driver that waited until I passed to pull out!)
6) Riding on sidewalks at 15-20 mph isn't just dangerous for pedestrians....those raised segments can wreck havoc on a tire!
7) Handpumps work great...but good gawd are they tiring to get to 115 psi!
8) Those tight biker shorts don't look nearly as goofy as I once thought...I now am daydreaming of owning a pair! (my poor bottom!)
9) Cadence for "strong" guys isn't as important as I once thought (on Monday I wanted to stay in the 70-75 rpm range...today I stayed in the 65 rpm and beat my weeks time by a minute. I'm a bigger guy that can go at slower rpm's but produce more watts of power).
10) A stationary bike does NOT fully prepare you for the real thing!
Bonus) Commuting ROCKS! I loved it! I'm just dreading the snow!
And as some of my numbers up there show....I had two flats this week. The first one I had around 90-95 psi. I heard a sort of pop that I just "thought" was me running over a rock. I was fine until I took a corner (luckily I was back at work after my workout and I was going reeeeal slow). Anyway, I bit it quick but popped up within a fraction of a second. Luckily I didn't break any skin, so it was a "great" crash if there's such a thing. My second flat was from me traveling on a 1 mile section of heavily traveled road on the sidewalk (this is the only portion that I take the sidewalk on). Anyway, I am going pretty nice and hit a raised section of sidewalk...I hear that same "rock" sound but am more cautious this time...I look down and my tire seems a bit low. I actually get off this time and fix it. From now on...I'm just going to travel on the road for that one mile.
Thanks for everyone that gave me your 2 cents! I love telling people that I ride to work. They always do a double take like I'm from another planet. I guess it's just not normal in my group of friends!
LOL big time :D I love to hear that others are experiencing the same. I have been commuting for 3+ years and gotta say it gets ALOT better Jose. Congrats and DON'T STOP dude. I had to smile reading your post. When I started I was 226lbs (I am 5'10"). I was chunky! Yes, I broke spokes and had a flat at least once/mo. till the weight loss and then the spoke breaking ended and the flats became less and less. Now I usually get a flat say once/6mo. or so, (Oh no, I just jinxed myself :eek: ). Anyways, keep'er up and fill us in on the fun your having. I love to hear commuter stories. They are so much fun to tell and especially hear. We road warriors go through alot on a daily basis.
Best of luck
BBB
Going along those same lines, today marks my official one year bike commuting anniversary. It's a good feeling, and I've saved enough money in gas to justify a few tri-oriented purchases. Commute stories are great.
Bike commuting forced my brain to make a shift in thinking, it's taken me plenty of time to get adjusted, but I know others have done it better.
Couple lessons I picked up along the way: make a list, and make sure it includes underwear and towel, always pump up the tires to pressure before you leave, wear lots of bright clothes, and you can never have too many lights.
LOL - I totally agree with 4,5,7, & 8! Bike commuting does get easier and then it's almost like second nature. I don't even really think about the difference between driving and riding anymore (almost 18 months bike commuting). It's just what I do now. It's been long enough that I don't really remember what it was like to not ride my bike everywhere. When I can't ride, I get cranky. You'll soon be the same way.
Congrats on your first week of bike commuting! Have fun and be safe. :)
Lisa
Congrats on quickly learned lessons. I would suggest some Mr. Tuffy inserts for your tires for the commute. I went from 3-4 flats a week to none in months. Great insurance!
Keep it up and you'll love it more and more. you wait-n-see.
Lame question here: I've thought about doing a commute - Are you able to carry things easily? I have to tote my laptop to and from work daily - in case I need to support one of my projects from home at night - Just not sure how to carry a big old computer bag such that it does throw the balance off and is secure enough to not shoot the PC out into traffic.
RV - There were pretty much three routes to carrying things....a commuter bag/backpack, a rack bag, and/or a set of pannier bags. I choose the pannier bags because I thought it would give me the most room. (panniers are the bags that go on both sides of your wheels). The panniers I got (both the support and the panniers were from Nashbar) are easy and quick to install. So when I get home, I take the panniers off completely. It takes about 3-5 seconds to take them off the rack. The panniers are also big enough for my work clothes, my workout clothes, my lunch, and my bike tools. It works really well. Hope that helps...
Thanks Jose - Now I have a good idea what to look for.
No problem....now that I have some more time...here's what I actually got.
[URL=http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=112&subcategory=1079&brand=&... Pannier Racks[/URL] which costs $34.99 now +
[URL=http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=66&subcategory=1004&brand=&s... Panniers[/URL] also for $34.99.
I used TKA6 as a code that receives another 10% off your order. So it was a pretty good deal. The panniers do come as a set, so you don't have to worry about getting two. Like I said earlier, I put everything in my bags except for my work shoes and my workout shoes (big size 12 feet take up a LOT of room). So without my shoes, I put everything else in the bag and still have room left over. I think a computer would fit pretty good in one of the panniers if it was put in sideways (i.e. the width of the computer would be up & down). The dimensions show as 14" x 14.5" x 5.5".
Great thanks for the details. I am planning on converting my old road bike, that is just gathering dust in the basement, over the winter and start in the spring - Now I have a few more items for the Christmas list!
I use the Performance TransIt Pro panniers ( [url]http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16435&subcategory_ID...) , and have done so for over 1550 commuting miles. They've been fantastic. Not the biggest on the market but they do allow me to haul my computer on the days that I need to (inside the Eagle Creek Laptop Cache [url]http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40...)[/url]. The side on which I carry the computer tends to have just enough space to hold my rain gear, and some fruit. When I don't have to carry the computer I have much more room than I need, even on days when carry running shoes with me to stop off for track workouts I have some extra space. The panniers seem pretty durable too, as they've survived a couple of my spectacular wipouts. They do also come with a rain cover, which I've actually never used, because the standard material as held up pretty well against most weather I've ridden in.
I second Dkidd's reco to use Mr. Tuffy. I have been over 10 months without a flat. (knock on wood). My husband hasn't been so lucky though. Somehow goat heads seem to seek out his wheels.
Keep up the commuting. It doesn't get any better! Even in the cold weather it beats sitting in traffic any day.
[QUOTE=JoseM]No problem....now that I have some more time...here's what I actually got.
[URL=http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=112&subcategory=1079&brand=&... Pannier Racks[/URL] which costs $34.99 now +
[URL=http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=66&subcategory=1004&brand=&s... Panniers[/URL] also for $34.99.
.[/QUOTE]
After my "rain commute" today I wanted to expand on this...I've gone to work before in a light mist rain, but today it was raining a bit harder. The first few times with the mist, I considered these bags to be very rain resistant...but today, I was going through puddles and well, was just wetter. I think my rear tire threw up water/dirt onto my pannier bags and then the water found it's way into the bag by the flap (it didn't seep through fabric of the bag, just found a way in by the flap). Anyway, I have a nice dirt smug on my pants for work today. The next time it rains, I'll put my clothes in a plaster bag. I read about other panniers being water proof (or resistant) and this one never said that in the ad, I just hoped it was...it's not.
Just FYI. I still love the bags...just have to take an extra precaution in the rain!
Jose, if you learn nothing from commuting learn just ONE thing. No matter what, if it rains EVERYTHING gets wet. It's part of the deal with the Gods! An unwritten law :D
BBB