Cycling your way to work is an excellent, low-impact exercise that will leave you feeling energized and healthy. This guide outlines everything from the best bike for commuting to how to dress for success. It also has a list of essential items every cyclist should have with them when they ride in order to stay safe on their commute. If you want a great workout without putting too much stress on your body, cycling may be the way for you!
1. Choosing the Best Bike for Commuting to Work
Finding the right bike doesn’t have to be difficult. As long as your bike is comfortable and has a few features, you’ll do just fine. Here’s what to consider when choosing a bike:
- The Size of the Frame: If the size of the frame isn’t correct for your body, it will be extremely uncomfortable and can even cause injury. To find out your ideal frame size, take a measuring tape and measure from your groin down to both of your ankles. Your knees should make 90-degree angles when you are sitting on the seat with both feet touching the ground.
- Features You Like: There are tons of different types of bikes! Some are made for speed, while others are made for exercise. Find a bike with gears so you can adjust according to the hilliness of your ride, and make sure it has an adequate braking system as well as lights and reflectors.
- Comfort: The most important feature on any bike is its comfort! You shouldn’t have to put up with discomfort when you’re commuting to work because your body will be in pain all day and may even affect your performance at the workplace if the pain is bad enough.
- Accessories: Whether you want storage space or just something that looks nice, find a bike that suits your needs! There’s no need to go overboard, but do consider what features might be helpful for your commute.
2. Learning the Rules of The Road
Riding your bike safely to work is important. Take the time to learn about all of the rules of the road so you can stay safe! This includes knowing how to follow signs, where you should ride on the road, what side of the road to ride on, and more.
3. Outfit for Your Commute
Clothing is extremely important when it comes to bicycling because it will affect your ability to ride your bike successfully. Here’s a list of what you should wear for maximum comfort:
- Cycling Shorts and Shirt: Choose something loose fitting but made from breathable fabric.
- Gloves: Gloves are great not only because they allow you to grip the handlebars better but also because they prevent hand fatigue if you plan to commute for a long time.
- Sneakers: Make sure your sneakers have good traction so they don’t slip when you’re pedaling.
- Helmet: Your helmet should fit snugly and be worn level with your bike seat, not resting on top of it. This will provide the best protection in case you fall or need to stop quickly while riding.
4. Plan ahead and practice the route
Make sure you plan out your route and practice it on a different day before taking the commute on the road for real! This will help prepare you for any obstacles that may come up, such as heavy traffic or construction.
4. Choosing the Right Time to Commute by Bike
It’s important that you choose the right time to ride your bike if you can. Here are some tips to make sure your ride is safe and efficient:
- Ride In the Morning When It’s Cooler: Most drivers commute during rush hour which means it will be safer for bikers because there is less traffic on the roads.
- Don’t Ride in The Rain: While it might be tempting to ride in a light rain, doing so can cause slippery conditions that make biking extremely dangerous.
- Plan Your Route Ahead of Time: Try out any routes you plan to take at different times of day, particularly around rush hour. You want to avoid having many intersections where drivers are more likely to become impatient and endanger their surroundings by racing through red lights or speeding up just before turning left.
- Avoid Busy Streets and High Traffic Areas: Riding your bike near busy streets will cause too much congestion for bikers who need room to move freely in order to feel safe and comfortable when they commute.
5. Essential Items to Bring While Commuting
There are some items you should always bring with you while biking to work. Here is a list of the most useful:
- A Good Carrying Bag or Backpack: This can be used to store any items that are too big, bulky, or heavy for your pockets, as well as anything else you want easy access to.
- Water Bottle and Snack for Energy: It’s important to stay hydrated and have enough energy for your commute! Simple snacks like granola bars will ensure that you don’t crash half way through your ride.
- Emergency Phone and Money: You never know when something might happen, so it’s best to be prepared by making sure you have a phone on hand in case it is needed. Make sure you have an emergency twenty dollars at the very least.
- First Aid Kit: Accidents do happen, so it’s best to be prepared with a first aid kit that includes bandages, ointment for abrasions, medication, tweezers, needles and thread in case of any small cuts or broken fingernails.
- Reflective Gear and Lights: Don’t risk getting hit by another vehicle after dark. A reflective vest will keep you visible while both front and back lights make sure other people see you!
6. The Physical Requirements of Commuting by Bike
Before you decide whether commuting to work is something you want to do regularly there are some important factors that need to be considered. Here are some tips to make sure you are physically capable of biking to work:
- Always Warm Up and Cool Down Properly by Stretching For At Least 10 Minutes Before and After Riding.
- Don’t Overdo It! You shouldn’t ride your bike for more than one hour at a time during the first few weeks as your muscles and joints get used to the new activity.
- If your workplace is more than 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, consistently commuting to work on your bike can be extremely challenging.
- Avoid Biking When It’s Freezing Outside: While this might be tempting on cold winter days, biking in extreme weather can be extremely dangerous and will wear on your body over time.
- If You Start to Get Tired, Get Off Your Bike and Push It for The Rest of Your Journey: Don’t risk falling over in the road when you’re too tired to be biking safely!
Conclusion
With these tips and tricks, you too can enjoy a seamless commute every day! Just remember that your safety should always come first.
Why not tell us how this guide has helped you in the comments below? We’d love to know if this information was useful or not, or if we missed anything important.
