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Commute by Bike: This is as simple as well… riding a bike!
- Article Written by Vinnie Tortorich
I’ve heard every excuse in the book as to why more people don’t do it, and I will discuss some of the most common ones here.
- I don’t have a bike and I cant afford the expense.
Bikes can be very inexpensive or free! Yes, Free. If you don’t have one sitting in your garage or storage, ask a few friends if they have one cluttering up their garage.
Hint: It’s usually the friend who already rides. Most people, who are in to the sport, will have upgraded at some point and the original ride is collecting dust!
Great deals can be found on (Ebay) or by checking out (R.E.I.) which has a large collection of bikes to fit any need. Also, according to AAA, it costs over $8,000 per year to drive a car 15,000 miles.
- There is too much equipment to deal with.
Actually there is no special equipment to ride a bike. The only exception to this rule is a helmet. Although it’s generally not a law to wear a (helmet) it is a good idea to have it on whenever you ride. I won’t leave home without it.
- Where will I put my work clothes?
There is no shortage of ways to deal with this problem.
- Use a backpack. I’ve seen a few techniques to keep clothes from getting wrinkled in (backpacks) and would encourage you to write in and give me your special techniques. My favorite is to neatly roll them.
- (Panniers). These are basically saddlebags for the bicycle. They work great for work clothes. They also work well for light to medium grocery shopping and runs to the hardware store etc.
- Drop clothes at work. This is a favorite technique of doctors, lawyers and business folk that wear suits and business dresses etc. The idea is to drive to work once or twice per week and leave what you will need for the entire week. That will give you the other 3 or 4 days to ride your bike to work.
- I sweat too much and my work place does not have a shower.
One of my professors at Tulane gave me an experiment to try and it works. He said that sweat won’t make you stink, but letting sweat dry on you and stay for several hours will create bacteria that will cause odor.
The simple solution is to take off the sweaty cloth and dry your skin of the remaining sweat, reapply deodorant and you are set. Keep washcloths or baby-wipes at your desk
- Cycling takes too much extra time.
This can vary a great deal. I personally find that I get places quicker in the areas of Los Angeles that I have to travel. Plus, you can also cut out that parking hassle of big cities. (Cycling to work can count as your cardio, it’s a two-fer!) This is a time and money saver.
- Maybe Ill ride when I’m in better shape.
As a fitness expert, I’ve heard this statement one billion times in my career. It seems that everyone has this magic time in their heads of when they will get back to being lean and mean. The most common excuse for getting out of shape in the first place was “time”. No one seems to have enough of it to stay in shape. By commuting you solve two problems.
- I work too far to effectively ride a bike! I have to use freeways!
The best solution is to carry your bike on your car for the freeway portion, and then bike the rest of the way. Most city buses now have bike racks for people to use in the same type of situation
- My bike will get stolen if I leave it outside!
It will only get stolen if you don’t lock it. Most cities have bike racks, but you have to have your own lock. Find one suited for your bike. R.E.I. and Ebay are good online sources to find just what you need.
Also, ask your employer if its ok to take your bike in with you. It will usually start a conversation with co-workers. I’ve heard of situations where whole groups will begin to go for a spin at lunch time.
- I won’t wear Spandex!
No one says that you have to wear it. That stuff is for the performance gear heads and weekend warriors….”Guilty!” Remember what I said in #2, “there is no special equipment to ride a bike.”
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