Bike Commuting: Tips to Keep You Rolling

Bike commuting is a way of life for many people in Bellingham. You’ve seen them – they’re the ones pedaling into a storm, a goofy grin on their faces as they duck helmeted heads into pelting rain and gale force winds. With a bit of planning, an adventurous spirit and a healthy dose of dedication, you too can join these two-wheeled warriors.

What does it take to become a bike commuter?

Commitment: This is the first step, and it’s the most important. Commit to commuting by bike. You don’t need to do it every day, but try to ride to work at least once a week. Plan out your route to and from work, choosing quiet streets or ones with dedicated bike lanes if possible. You probably live closer to your work than you think. Once you make it a habit, part of your routine, you’ll find yourself riding more and driving less. Eventually, hopefully, you’ll find yourself looking forward to the commute. It’s a chance to organize your thoughts, a time to enjoy being outside, away from cubicles, computers and other distractions.

A Bike: What kind of bike should you commute with? Any bike, as long as you don’t mind pedaling it from your home to work. If you live a few blocks from your work, anything from a tall bike to a single-speed beach cruiser will do the trick. As your distance from work increases, you’ll want something more like a road bike or a cyclocross bike. Mountain bikes with narrower, slick tires work well too. Your commuter bike is going to be ridden in all types of weather, so we recommend choosing durable components over light and fancy. This is your workhorse, a utilitarian steed you will depend on day-in and day-out. Leave the fancy carbon fiber featherweight in the garage for the nice days, and choose a bike that can take some abuse.

NOTE: Broken glass in the road is the bane of the bike commuter, and Bellingham has plenty of it. The flat tire excuse only works a couple times to explain why you’re late to work; it’s best to save it for those days you hit the snooze button a few too many times. Invest in bike tires with flat protection or some thorn resistant tubes. They’ll add a little weight to your bike, but it’s a small price to pay to avoid changing a flat as cars whizz by.

Fenders: It rains a lot in Bellingham. There’s no way around it – with an average of almost 35 inches of rain per year, you will find yourself riding in the rain sooner than later. Fenders are crucial – they stop water and road grime from being flung into your eyes, and they prevent a muddy skunk stripe from decorating your back. No matter what type of bike you ride, there are fenders to fit it. On a budget? In the D.I.Y. mood? Old plastic milk jugs or 2 liter soda bottles can be fashioned into fenders. Get creative with the scissors and a handful of zip ties – it might not look pretty, but you can make something to get the job done.

If you can afford it, and if your bike will accommodate them, full fenders are the way to go. Total coverage means you only need to deal with the water falling from the sky, not the water on the ground. If your bike has fender mounts installation usually isn’t too painful, but if you’ve never installed them it will take longer than you think, guaranteed. Short on time? Let us install your fenders for you – after installing hundreds of fenders, we’ve got it figured out.

Lights: There are lights to help you see, and there are lights to help you be seen. At the very least, you’ll want to get a red blinky light for the back of your bike, and a white one for the front. The more visible you are, the less likely it is someone will cut you off or pull out in front of you.

If you are going to be riding at night, you’ll want more powerful lights. In recent years the light output (typically measured in lumens) of lights has gone up, while the size has gone down. Batteries are now the size of a quarter package of Ritz crackers – no more lugging around a water bottle size behemoth. Prices have dropped as well – they’re still not cheap, but they’re much more affordable than they were five years ago. Some batteries even come with a USB charger, so you can charge them at work.  Ask around, see what others are using, and come visit us for recommendations. There are so many options it can seem overwhelming, but we can help you narrow it down.

Clothing: Choosing apparel for bike commuting is an area where you can go budget, or spend enough money for a down payment on a house. We’ve already firmly established the fact that you’ll be riding in the rain, so purchasing quality rain gear is a good move. It can be an investment, but you’ll be glad to have it when the sky opens up and the deluge begins. As far as getting a new wardrobe of stretchy lycra/spandex cycling specific clothing? Go for it, but you don’t need to dress funny to commute by bike. You can wear your normal clothing – you might want to put on some padded shorts under your pants if you have a longer commute, and possibly pack a change of clothes depending on your workplace’s dress code, but there’s no need to look like a misplaced Tour de France rider. Keep it simple, keep it comfortable.

Carrying Stuff: This is another area where there are multiple options, and it all comes down to personal preference. Some people like messenger bags, others like the comfort of a backpack, or you can carry everything you need on your bike via racks and panniers.

   NOTE: As the late, great, Sheldon Brown said, “Contrary to popular belief, ‘pannier’ is not a French word, and should not be pronounced as one. The normal English pronunciation is: ‘PAN-yer.’” Remember this – it will help you avoid getting funny looks from know-it-all bike mechanics.

Again, how you carry stuff is up to you – assess your needs, how much stuff you realistically need to carry back and forth each day, and go from there. Don’t forget, you’ll want to carry a small repair kit and a pump in case you get a flat or need to make a minor adjustment.

Final Thoughts: Well, there you have it. Those are the basics of bike commuting in Bellingham: commitment, a bike, fenders, lights, clothing, and a way to carry stuff. It’s pretty simple, really; after all, it’s just riding a bike. Good luck, and don’t forget to wave at your fellow bike commuters.

Questions? Comments? More tips? Feel free to post them below – we want to hear what you have to say.