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Bike Life: Year One

I ditched my car in May 2008 and have been commuting by bicycle for a year now. This is a little bit about me and why I've done it, what has happened so far and what I've learned from the experience.

About Me

I learned how to ride a proper bicycle around age 8 or so. I rode all over my neighborhood and my town. I stopped biking when I got my driver's license, around age 17. The next time I rode a bike was when I lived in Las Vegas age ~24; I was living 2 miles from work and by chance bought a used GT mountain bike from a co-worker for $200. I had to get in to work early, and the dusty desert neighborhoods south of The Strip is a nice place to ride at 7am. When I moved back East I brought my Jetta with me. I never really knew anything about cars or took care of it properly, and the combination of my ignorance, the quality Mexican construction and the cost of repairs led to me opting not to fix it when the computer, clutch (and something else, I forget) decided to die all at the same time. I abandoned my car and started riding my bike every day.

Biking Every Day

• I actually started walking to work, not biking. I had no bike fetish, my agenda was to get to work in the most reliable way. It's about 5 miles each way (the distance from my home to the train station + destination train station to my job). A human's average walking pace is 3 mph; I walk fast, so maybe ~4 mph. Still, that's 2.5 hours of walking each day, plus time waiting for the train. I did this for about 2 weeks before developing annoying blisters. Even if I hadn't, this option was just too time-consuming.
  • The best option at this point, obviously, would have been to move closer to work. Ironically, my route to work took me past my previous apartment. Unfortunately I really like the place we're in at the moment, and my wife was commuting a considerable distance in the exact opposite direction; therefore moving wasn't really an option.
  • An obvious secondary option would have been to get a job closer to my home. Unfortunately, I like my job, so I decided to see if I could make it work.
  Even though I was unwilling to do it, I highly recommend one of these options. The nearer one lives to one's work the less time and energy one wastes on a given day.

• Summer 2008

• I started biking to work around June 1, 2008. I had my used mountain bike from Vegas with standard, knobby mountain bike tires. I brought all my office clothes to work in my backpack every day. I wore a cotton t-shirt, gym shorts and cotton socks + sneakers on slightly chilly and/or dry days and sockless with flip flops on very hot and/or wet days. I bought a poncho that fit over myself and my backpack for when it rained; but the only thing it really kept dry was my backpack. I used google maps (with the "car" option) to select a route on which to ride. The optimum car route included a trip on the freeway; a no-no on a bike. I selected another route along a major local road.
• The first thing I decided was that I didn't like was the route; I only rode it for two days. The route included two respectably-sized hills; I had driven up and down this road many times before and the incline is no problem for a car, but something else entirely when you're self-powered. I went back to google maps and looked for alternative routes. I selected one that took a local backroad and went through a truckstop and freeway onramp.
• The second thing I changed was my bike tires. The heavy, soft, knobby tires of a mountain bike are great for riding on dirt path and in the woods, but on the street all they do it weigh you down. Furthermore, because they are designed to run at lower inflation pressure (maximizing contact area with the ground) they are more prone to punctures. I was getting flat tires quite often. I got a "patch kit" and learned how to patch a tire. Luckily there is a local bike shop quite near the train station. I described my problem to the gentlemen in the store and bought a pair of replacement tires; they were much smoother, with indentations for grip instead of kobs sticking out. This was a worthwhile investment, though tires aren't exactly cheap (~$55 for the pair). The mountain bike "road tires" allowed me to run them at a higher pressure and made pedaling noticably easier; however, I continued to get flat tires. Sometimes I would go a whole week without a flat; other weeks were considerably worse. In one particular week; ten trips totaling ~50 miles, I got 4 flat tires. I realized that it was my route and my tire pressure that was the problem; one particular backroad was in pretty poor condition; containing:
  • numerous serious potholes
  • smashed bottles
  • tree branches
  • large pieces of lumber
  • metal pieces and screws
  • large patches of sand
  • kitchen sinks, etc.
  it took me quite a while to realize just how bad this road was. I also started paying attention to tire pressure; buying air pumps both for home and for work that contain pressure gauges. I started inflating my tires to the max recommended pressure. I changed my route yet again and have been using this third way ever since. It is slightly more hilly, but the backroad is much cleaner and as a bonus has much less traffic.
• I initially lost some weight (205 lbs -> 195 lbs), but I found myself eating more and I gained the weight back (195 -> 205 lbs); though the gain was in muscle in my calves, thighs and butt. I lost a bit of my spare tire (but not enough!) As I got in better shape I became less tired after my rides and began to enjoy them even more.
• I found myself actually being tired at the end of the day, whereas before I'd be wired. I started going to bed earlier. I found regular exercise helped me fall asleep more easily and feel more rested when I awoke.
• I began taking books with me and reading on the train; whereas previously I had read before going to sleep. By combining two things I did everyday I found that I saved time.
• I found public transportation a lot less stressful than driving.
• I found public transportation at least as reliable as driving. Both methods have their delays:
  • Cars need gas stops and can break down. Accidents, construction, weather and large events can slow down or stop traffic, or sometimes even shut down a major road completely.
  • Trains occasionally break down or are a few minutes late. They're slower in snow and ice, but so are cars. Sometimes they're packed and you have to stand.
• After about two months I realized that
  1. I wasn't going to die
  2. I wasn't actually insane, no matter what everyone thought
  3. I could actually get away with bike commuting
  riding in the rain and taking the train did not bother me. Riding in traffic was scary at first and I had read biking horror stories, but drivers were overwhelmingly decent. I did not miss my car, nor did I miss driving on the freeway or going to the gas station. I decided I would try and do it year-round.
• I looked for road bikes on craigslist and found a cheap one in New York City. I called the seller up on the phone and set up a meeting. I didn't know what I was doing. I bought an old (1970s-era) road bike. It didn't work very well. It didn't have quick-release wheels. While trying to un-bolt the wheels I managed to strip the screw. I lost my temper, threw the bike and ended up bending the rims. Not good.
• I bought a new road bike; the kind with skinny tires and curved handlebars you occasionally see spandexed men riding. I got it at a bike shop a few miles from my home. I took the train one stop, walked the rest of the way to the store, bought it and and rode it home. I didn't know much about it, it was expensive and the shifters/gears were in one piece on the handlebars; it felt strange to ride at first. I didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but I figured I'd give it a shot.
• Riding it to work was immeasurably better than my mountain bike. For one, the bike was properly sized (I'm 6'4"/190 cm tall) and my mountain bike was "average guy" size, i.e. too short for me). Secondly, the road tires could be inflated to high pressure (~100 lbs), far higher than my mountain bike tires, allowing them to roll more easily; this speeds things up. Being in decent shape and on a decent bike made the whole trip much more enjoyable.
• I started doing research. I bought a book on living carless. (The book contained a few useful tips but was more a feel-good exercise for the newly carless). I started finding places that were closer to my home or my commuting route. For example, the library in my hometown is ~4 miles away, and the most direct route goes by two freeway onramps (dangerous), but in my work town my commute actually brings me right by the town library. I started finding and visiting smaller, local groceries (and my wife did too in NYC) and we found that we didn't have to visit the mega-marts as often, and when I did I could buy less.
• I started leaving my work shoes at work all the time, and bringing a week's worth of clothes in my backpack on Monday morning (and bringing them back on Friday). This greatly reduced the amount of crap I was carrying in my backpack on a daily basis.
• The next thing was my riding clothes; every day in the middle of summer I would end up in a cotton t-shirt, soaked with sweat. The shirt would stay wet for the rest of my commute. I bought 2 short-sleeve polyester shirts; they're much lighter so I sweat less, they let more air through, and they dry off much more quickly than cotton.
• I discovered that we actually had a shower in my building; I used it a few times but ultimately ended up not using it regularly because I found that it wasn't worth the time and effort. If I showered in the morning and allowed myself a "cooling off" period before I changed I didn't stink.
• I occasionally found myself riding at night. Riding after dark on windy suburban roads is very dangerous. I got myself both a front and a rear light, a reflective vest and reflective stickers to mount on the rear-facing elements of my bike.
• I got a rear rack for my mountain bike.
• I attached a plastic milk crate from our garage to my rear rack with bungee cords and used it to run errands a few times. It worked, but it wasn't terribly stable and couldn't carry too much weight.
• I bought some expensive (~$100) rear panniers (bike bags) for groceries; they were rain-resistant, could hold a lot and were stable.
• Whilst riding to the grocery store one day in summer I happened upon a farmer's market. There was a regular Sunday summer-time farmer's market less than 2 miles away on our street and we hadn't even known about it.
• We also discovered another close-by summer's farmer's market, but it would close for the day before I could get home.
• I stopped eating the free Pop-Tarts from my work's kitchen. I started bringing yogurt, granola and bananas to work for breakfast. I would ride in fast, get hungry and eat a healthy breakfast.
• When it rained heavily I just waited it out. When it rained less heavily I rode in it.
• Getting your sneakers soaked in the rain isn't much fun. I tried some of the "toe cover" things, but they didn't fit on my big feet and wouldn't keep one's shoes dry anyways. Apparently most cyclists keep their shoes dry by not riding in the rain. I solved the wet shoe problem with some thick rubber galoshes; they work well (and are extremely fashionable).

• Autumn 2008

• My wife missed not having a car sometimes. We tried going on rides together, but her legs are weak and every bike seat causes her pain. Also, she is afraid of riding in the road. We don't do road rides anymore.
• She started shopping online more.
• I found that for some things having a car was the most sensible mode of transportation, i.e.:
  • Holidays/visits at my parents' place upstate.
  • Buying big/heavy stuff, i.e. fertilizer, plants, cat food, cat litter, etc. (Some stuff you can have delivered, but not everything makes sense.)
  • Camping trips.
  • Ski/snowboard trips (There is a ski bus, but just getting to that is hard if you don't have a friend with a car)
  • Miscellaneous errands all around town that would take a whole day on a bike but two hours in a car.
  I started out renting a car through a tiny local place, but they proved too tiny and inflexible. Also, the rental place was near my work instead of being near my house. I then started renting a car from Enterprise Rent-a-Car for one weekend, every month or two. Their "pick up" service is extremely useful; I almost always take advantage of it. We plan ahead a little bit and save up our "going out" chores for when we have a car. I do laundry at the local laundromat using a duffel bag and a bike. Riding back up the hill isn't that much fun, but it gets easier as you get in better shape.
• I bought a long-sleeve polyester shirt for days that were a little bit colder; it was still very thin though and was only slightly warmer than the short-sleeved variety, though I do use it from time-to-time.
• I bought a pricey Gore-Tex helmet cover for the rainy/cold conditions. It kept my head dry and was surprisingly warm (sometimes too warm, but it's easy to pull off and stow mid-ride).
• I bought a fancy seamless backpack cover from L.L.Bean, which has done an excellent job keeping my backpack dry. It cost as much as the backpack it's protecting, but wet backpacks are uncomfortable, heavy, take a long time to dry and I don't trust just a plastic bag to protect my wallet, cellphone, current novel, train pass, etc.
• It started getting chilly out. The first thing to get cold is your hands. I ordered some generic cycling gloves along with some other stuff. They were good enough for chilly mornings, but my hands would still get cold sometimes.
• I had been wearing a thin polyester baselayer that I already had for skiing, this in concert with my ski jacket shell worked well for >= 35°F / 1° C.
• I did some research into what cyclists wear in the cold and ended up choosing Ibex knickers for over $100. They are fantastic and well worth the price for something that I wear every single day. They are comfortable. They keep me warm when it's cold and cool when it's warm.
• As it got colder I experimented with wearing my existing ski gloves over my cycling gloves and that combination worked pretty well. I stuck with that throughout winter, but on the coldest days my hands were cold.

• Winter 2008

• I toyed with the idea of just getting by with knickers (which leave your calves exposed), but wisely decided I need another layer of clothing for spending more than an hour outside every day during the New England winter (which is below freezing in December, January and February). I bought a pair of tights to wear between my underwear and my knickers; this worked well on all but the coldest days (< 20°F / -7°C).
• I bought a merino wool Patagonia base layer, the thickest they offered (#3). This cost about $100, which I consider expensive, but was well worth it. I wore this every day the temperature was < 45°F / 7°C. In concert with my existing ski jacket shell this kept me warm enough except on the coldest nights (< 20°F / -7°C) waiting at the train station.
• Once we started getting even a tiny bit of snow my road bike ceased to be a reasonable choice; the thin, slick tires are not safe in slippery conditions. I did ride it to the grocery store once in the snow, and I actually managed to make it almost all the way home before crashing it, but I did crash (something which has happened relatively infrequently).
• I started out riding my original mountain bike with the road tires on it in the snow, but it was too unstable. I installed an even wider front tire on it which improved steering, but it still wasn't good enough. Mostly it was because the bike tires were too slick, but also because the bike was too small for me. I couldn't use the original mountain bike tires, as the sidewall had worn away; they were years old and had to be thrown away.
• On the day before the first big snowstorm of the year I went to the local bike shop and bought a big, thick, low-quality mountain bike with wide, knobby tires. The bike's components were crappy and it was very heavy overall, but it was still a decent choice. It proved, thankfully, to be very stable in the snow; I only ever lost my balance on it once (while trying to start on ice; rolling over ice while already moving was ok).
• Whenever we got more than a light dusting of snow I wore rain pants on top of my normal winter gear and hiking boots.
• The melting snow and road salt got all over the bike's drivetrain components and rusted the chain. I bought a chain cleaner and this helped slow the rusting.
• To be clear: riding a bike in the snow is much more difficult. The combination of the cold, the wind, the slippery/uncertain conditions, the tires' decreased density and surface's increased friction all conspire against you. Also, given heavy enough snowfall riding on the road is just too dangerous. Be especially careful in the areas around intersections, as there is always stopping and turning involved, and this is when more frequently cars lose control. I ride on the sidewalk when there is one. If a pedestrian comes along, go off the sidewalk around them; if you cannot, dismount your bike and walk it by them. Do not ride in close proximity to a pedestrian, ever — it is potentially dangerous to them, yourself and the reputation of cyclists everywhere.
• Even worse than riding in a snowstorm (which is actually often quite peaceful and pleasant, if more physically taxing) is the day after the snowstorm when the roads have been plowed. The roadsides are filled with all manner of chunks of ice, snow and rocks. Be careful and go slow.
• It takes me more than twice as long, sometimes 3x as long, to go a given distance in the snow; but it will depend heavily on the layout of the streets and geography of your route. Note that off-road paths that would normally be considered too slow or out-of-the-way may be better choices in the snow if they get you away from cars. Unfortunately I haven't found any significant off-road paths, yet, but I'm still looking.
• There are some roadside parking lots that I utilize during snowstorms, but only because they are not typically very busy. I am also looking into longer but less-heavily-driven alternate routes.
• During the winter I wore three pairs of socks: a thin polyester baselayer to wick moisture and two thick pairs of wool socks on top of that. One pair of thick wool socks was not enough on cold days.
• On the coldest days I would wear my Patagonia baselayer and my full ski jacket. I was never cold wearing this, but it made me overheat and was too bulky.

• Spring 2009

• It was one of the colder, longer winters on record for my area, and I was glad to see it go. Around late March the weather started warming up significantly.
• I basically have my clothing situation all sorted out, though a new pair of cycling gloves I bought have already started to rip, they'll need to be sewn up.
• Lately I have been focusing on learning how to perform more complex maintenance on my bicycles, such as removing components and cleaning them (and hopefully putting them back on.) You may think you know everything that goes on with regards to your bike, but you'd almost certainly be wrong. There are dozens of components on a modern bicycle; I'm still trying to remember all the names.

• Future

• There are a few simple goals I have:
  • Figure out how to attach some nice, metal fenders; I currently have plastic ones on my old mountain bike, and they suck. I have no fenders on my road bike nor my new mountain bike, because if I fail to wear rain gear I'll get soaked anyways.
  • Get a bike (and especially, a seat!) that my wife can ride so she can come with me.
  • Tune up my winter mountain bike, possibly replace some of the crappier parts on it.
• Ultimately I'd like to learn enough and acquire enough tools to assemble my own bicycle from scratch, but that may take a while.

What I've Learned the Hard Way

In order of importance, about bikes, commuting and biking in general:

1. Your wheels are the single most crucial component of your bike. Without a seat you can still stand, without a drivetrain you can still roll and without steering you can still go in at least one direction, but without two wheels you do not have a bicycle. Learn how to take care of your wheels. Your rear wheel will be the source of most of your problems.
   • Get a bike pump that can do both Shrader (like a basketball valve) and Presta (skinnier road bike) valves and has a pressure gauge. This type of pump is a bit more expensive but will work on both mountain bike and road-type tubes and allow you to run your tires at the maximum pressure without going over, making for a faster, easier and safer ride.
   • Figure out how much pressure your tires are rated for (it's printed on the side).
   • Learn how to remove both wheels and tires and patch a flat.
   • Always ride with a patch kit and a spare tube. If you're in a rush, remember it's faster to replace a popped tube with a new one and patch the flat tube later (just make sure to remove any junk from the tire first).
2. Learn how to ride properly (with traffic, in the street). It's scary at first, but it's the proper place for bikes, is faster and is safe.
3. Find the flattest, safest (and not necessarily shortest) route to where you're going. The best bike route is probably the worst one by car. Also remember that bikes can go some places that cars can't (my regular route to work includes a shortcut you couldn't do by car).
4. Find a local bike shop. No matter how self-sufficient you want to be, you'll want professional help along the way.
5. Buy and leave a thick U-lock or chain any place you regularly need to lock your bike. No need to carry it around (and no one steals a locked, empty lock). If you have more than one place you need to lock up, leave one lock in each place. Several top-of-the-line U-locks are cheaper than even the cheapest bike.
6. Know how to lock your bike, even in the sticks. I always carry a short bungee cord wrapped around my handlebars and a decent locking cable wrapped around my head tube. I bungee my handlebars to the train to keep it from falling over and hitting someone on rough train rides, and it also makes it just a tad harder for someone to run off with. If I'm running a really quick off-bike errand sometimes I'll be lazy and bungee a wheel to the frame, it provides a modicum of security (this would never fly in the city of course). For errands > 2 minutes I use the cable lock. For leaving the bike at the train station over the weekend I use the on-bike cable lock and my train-station-resident-U-lock in the manner specfied by Sheldon Brown's locking strategy. My seat is hex-bolted, which is slightly better than quick-release, though someone could steal it if they wanted to. Remove anything not bolted to your bike, especially lights and bags, as they will disappear.
7. The most dangerous type of vehicles I have enountered in the suburbs by far are tow trucks; and if you think about it it makes sense. Tow trucks are big, powerful vehicles, the more jobs they do in a day the more they get paid and with vehicles breaking down all over town they need to get everywhere ASAP. I am not saying I think they are reckless, but the closest, scariest calls I have had is getting passed by a thin margin by a tow truck headed to a job. Tractor trailors are big and scary too, but in my experience their drivers are exceedingly careful and courteous.
8. There are different types of bicycle frames for different types of riding. For commuting down the street a mountain bike may work, but I wouldn't recommend it for any more than that. For short-ranges (a few miles) you can get by with a "hybrid"-style bike, for longer distances I'd suggest a road bike or a "touring bike" (which is the station wagon equivalent of a road bike).
9. "Toe clips" are the most versatile pedal. My road bike came with "clipless pedals". This is the current style of road bike pedals where you wear special shoes that actually attach directly to your pedals; road cyclists rave about them. I opted for toe clips, which are like "normal" pedals except they have straps you can slip your toes into. Why do this? Toe clips allow you to get much of the benefit of "clipless pedals" (your foot being attached to the pedals, which aids in efficient, smooth pedaling and adds stability), but without the requirement of any special shoes. You can ride with sandals, sneakers, and hiking/snow boots in all sorts of weather. So, I find toe clips the best compromise between the two, though they're no panacea (sometimes it's hard to rotate the pedal and slip your toe in.) Oh, and if your bike does come with clipless pedals, make sure to keep them, you can sell them or use them someday.
10. WD-40 is your friend. Buy some. Spray it on and around any old/rusty bolt before you even try to open it up. It makes an enormous difference.