Tips for someone who knows it all?

Johnpsanderson
Johnpsanderson Posts: 380
edited June 2013 in Commuting general
That person being me of course! Thought i'd ask though - incase I have missed any obvious tricks!

I've commuted by bike a fair bit over the years but am now planning on making my commute the main bit of riding I do. It's a minimum of 24 miles each way, so i'm planning on doing twice a week at first and perhaps 3 times a week if possible.

It's roads all the way - and i'll be using a cyclo-cross bike with road tyres and full mudguards. I'm planning on stashing plenty of shirts at work, and just taking a rucksack (one with a vented back - so comfortable on the bike) with undies/socks/shoes in. I could be convinced to fit a rack and a 'rack pack' although I am perfectly happy with a rucksack...

Where I work is well appointed with a changing room and showers and even a drying room.

There are two things i've never felt i've cracked about commuting.

1. What to do about breakfast. The usual routine is to get up at 5:50 and be on the road by 6:00, arrive at work about 7:20 then hit the showers and be at my desk by 7:45. Only problem is I then end up having a sausage sandwich by 8:30!

2. What to do if the bike gets soaked on the way in. Come home time it is invariably starting to suffer from rust on the chain, etc...

Any other helpful tips anyone can give me?
Put me back on my bike...

t' blog: http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/

Comments

  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    I have breakfast (cereal) before leaving for work <6am, then a banana when i get to my desk, then generally snack the rest of the day.

    Keep a rag at work and wipe the bike down when your there - or just leave to drip dry and wipe it down when you get home, and just clean and lube the chain when you get home.

    It wont rust during the day and bikes are pretty sturdy...
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • paul_mck
    paul_mck Posts: 1,058
    id defo do a pannier for that distance. lugging a backpack will be draining and make you sweat much more.
  • PHILATHAM
    PHILATHAM Posts: 50
    you could get a carridice saddlebag and a quick release bracket like I have SJS cycles do a good deal on the camper longflap and the sqr bracket .under £80 all in
  • rhext
    rhext Posts: 1,639
    Never cracked the 'what happens if it gets wet' problem myself, especially in winter. Thankfully, recovering from a slightly orange chain is relatively straightforward. In the worst case (salty roads, rain on Monday), I'll relube the dirty chain on tuesday once it's dried out a bit, but before it's seized up completely, then give it a good clean at the weekend. I do find that you have to keep using it daily if it gets a soaking in winter though, or you'll be trying to clean up a solid block of rust at the weekend. Even the dust from the salt can cause you real problems.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    A friend who's ridden forever, used to live up north and do all weather commuting through Durham's hills, now lives in London. Anyway, he uses a mix of GT85 and Vaseline to keep the rust maggots at bay on the wetter days. He gets 2000 miles from a chain so it seems to work.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • muttley_109
    muttley_109 Posts: 177
    How are your chains getting rusty from being wet for a day whilst your in work? I've been cycling to work everyday for the last year and not once has my chain rusted from being wet all day.

    Are you guys using any lube on your chain???
    Cannondale CAAD 10
    Genesis Equilibrium Disc 10
    Bird Zero TR
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Another winter/low maintenance trick is to, once you've cleaned and oiled the chain, smear some grease onto the chain. It acts as a mobile sealant and helps keep the oil where it needs to be.

    Looks ugly as hell though; don't do this if you like a shiny drivetrain!
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Why stash shirts but not underwear? I got into the routine of keeping enough clothes in a drawer to cover the commutes until the next car journey, then do a swap - bring clean shirts, pants, socks shirts in and take the worn stuff home for washing. All I carry on the bike is a small saddlebag with a couple of tubes + CO2 cans & tyre levers, and in the back pockets the usual cash phone keys & swipe card, and a bit of fruit & maybe a sandwich if I don't plan to buy anything. Once you get into it you won't need to eat much more than you would on car days - the body adapts.

    Never suffered rusty chains but I do keep a can of bike oil here for those days when the chain was in need of a lube anyway and the rain has made it more necessary. And breakfast - it takes about a minute to wolf down a bowl of weetabix. Coffee on arrival kick starts the working day.

    21 miles, twice a week except for school hols.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    I eat cereal before riding and fruit/toast when I get there

    As CiB says - if you are looking at riding 2 or 3 days a week you should take the full set of clothes on the days you aren't riding (have a permanent set of shoes/belt/office coat in the office) and then you don't need a big bag, just a tool bag under the saddle with spare tubes/mini pump on the frame (or in a waterbottle in a cage)

    I wouldn't worry about corrosion either, just keep the bike clean and well maintained, use good quality lube
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • paul_mck
    paul_mck Posts: 1,058
    edhornby wrote:
    I eat cereal before riding and fruit/toast when I get there

    As CiB says - if you are looking at riding 2 or 3 days a week you should take the full set of clothes on the days you aren't riding (have a permanent set of shoes/belt/office coat in the office) and then you don't need a big bag, just a tool bag under the saddle with spare tubes/mini pump on the frame (or in a waterbottle in a cage)

    I wouldn't worry about corrosion either, just keep the bike clean and well maintained, use good quality lube

    some good shorts are handy, I use endura humvees for commuting and there are plenty of zippable pockets for phone/cash/keys/pass etc. Then a small backpack for lunch + change of underwear. jeans/shoes etc can stay in work longer and just do a bigger load when they need swapped.
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    PHILATHAM wrote:
    you could get a carridice saddlebag and a quick release bracket like I have SJS cycles do a good deal on the camper longflap and the sqr bracket .under £80 all in

    +1 for this - I love mine, much prefer it to panniers.

    As to the rest, I'd echo some of the other comments regarding the chain - it shouldn't rust after one wet ride, are you using a wet lube?

    For my 18 mile each way commute I eat a bowl of cereal before I leave...but on those days when I'm running a bit late I really feel it when riding - ideally leave as much time as possible between eating and riding, or make sure the cereal you eat isn't too heavy or too much. You'll find what works for you soon enough. Not tried riding without breakfast as I'm a diabetic and so need to be at a higher sugar level before riding anyway as I cant be bothered eating while on my commute.

    Only other tip is to get everything ready the night before, but I guess you already do that if you're leaving within 10 mins of getting up!
  • freezing77
    freezing77 Posts: 731
    Be careful of using grease on the chain as this can induce chain suck.

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