Getting Started Bike Commuting

Have the gas prices got you down? Ever thought of bike commuting? You are not alone if you have thought about it, but have not made the move of venturing out for the first time. Some people need some tips on how to get started and some need a little push. This is precisely what the BCC is all about! Hopefully we can get you started. Here are a few tips on setting a beginning pace, what to wear, and finding the right route:

1. Start out easy: Don't be intimidated by stories of 25 mile bike commutes. Start out with a short 2 mile trip to the store or to a friend's to see how you feel on your bike. Set an easy goal of riding once a month or once a week to get started. If it rains on the day you have decided to venture out, re-schedule your ride for another day when you are more comfortable. Have someone more experienced ride with you your first time out if you are uncertain about riding in traffic (we have an event just for this near Earth Day called the Neighborhood Market Ride where experienced riders familiarize new bike commuters with riding in traffic, check out last year's).


2. Don't get scared off by all of the gear: The spandex and neon colors can be a bit frightening for people trying to get into bike commuting. While you want to be safe and be seen, you do not have to go out and buy all new stuff. Try biking with something in your closet first and see how you do. Lots of people commute in their jeans. Try to keep your hands and your feet warm and dry, your core will warm up a bit when you get your heart rate up. If you have a particularly long ride, you might want to gear up a bit more, especially if rain is in the forecast. Gear is different for everyone. It all depends on what you are comfortable wearing. There are a few necessities however: ALWAYS wear a helmet, even if you are only riding a mile down the street. Make sure your shoe laces are tied if you are wearing regular sneakers, and you will want to roll up your pants or tie them with a Velcro strap on your right leg (the drive train side of your bike). Wear a brighter color to be seen and if you are riding at night or in heavy fog, always have a white headlight and a red taillight affixed to you or your bike. If you are riding in the rain, fenders will become your best friend. These pieces of plastic (or metal) are way underrated. They will also keep the morning dew on the roads from spraying on your clothing even when it is not raining.


3. Finding your route: It is very important that you find a route that is accessible by bike for your commute. If you live on a busy street or normally drive your car on one to get to and from work/school/store, chances are good that there is an alternate way to get there that has less traffic. Look at a map and find a route that runs through a quiet neighborhood, or ride a little farther to use one of the local trail systems. Check out the Thurston County Bike Map to find streets with the most bike accommodations or to find the nearest trail to you. You can then map out a route for yourself and save it using Gmaps Pedometer. If you need help finding a route, send me an email and I will help you. ktarullo@intercitytransit.com

I will post in more detail about commuting tips and traffic etiquette, but for now, be safe and share the road!

Lance in the news, but not on racing...

Lance Armstrong unveils his new commuting bike shop
Cyclist hopes to encourage bike use in downtown
From the Austin American-Statesman 2.18.08

It's not about the bike sales.
That from Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, who plans in May to open a bike shop, commuting center, training facility and cafe in a 1950s-era building at the northwest corner of Fourth and Nueces streets.

"This city is exploding downtown. Are all these people in high rises going to drive everywhere? We have to promote (bike) commuting," Armstrong said Wednesday, gazing up at the towering 360 condos rising next to the site of his new shop. "This can be a hub for that."

Mellow Johnny's, named for the nickname Armstrong earned while wearing the Tour de France leader's "maillot jaune," or yellow jersey, will be housed in a yellow- and red-brick building next to the music venue La Zona Rosa. It is a block north of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a path that will cut east-west through downtown Austin.

Armstrong said he'd like to see Austin evolve into a place like Portland, Ore., where biking is part of the culture and people pedal to work, to restaurants and to run errands. "Walk outside, and the streets are lined with bikes — because they have a safe place to ride," Armstrong said of the city long known for its bicycle-friendly amenities and policies.

So how does Austin get to that point?

"The (Lance Armstrong Bikeway) is a big start," he said. Armstrong and his general partner in the project, Bart Knaggs, said they'd like to see Austin create bike lanes separated from vehicle traffic and a system like a new one in Paris where people can use a credit card to rent a bicycle from a bike rack station and return it at any of the dozens of other stations around the city. (read more)

News: Washington State Bike Commuter

Story from the Columbian (WA) 2.17.08

Road Tales From A Bike Commuter
Tom Simon knows it made little sense to choose November to start commuting to work by bicycle. It can be cold, foggy, rainy, snowy and icy. It's dark both going and coming. But three or four days a week since November, Simon, 44, pulls on Lycra and neoprene and rides from his Felida home to work in Portland. It's a trip of 17 miles each way to his office on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. But there are bike lanes most of the way and other bicyclists to commune with. "It's a relatively bike-friendly commute," he said. "The best part is the commuting community. You feel safe."Simon, an engineer, is among a small but growing number of ­Vancouver commuters who brave the Interstate 5 Bridge from the bike lanes. Their numbers are expected to increase with higher gas prices, more highway delays and expanded bike capacity planned for the new I-5 bridge. He rates both Vancouver and Portland pretty good for bike friendliness but wishes drivers would keep their eyes open. "Please give us room," he said. "We're your neighbors out there living the American Dream and commuting to work." (Read More)