Bike commuting advice wanted

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by CMiller

Perfect bike! I'd do fat 650b tires with full fenders, and invest in good lights. Great you don't have to lock it up.

What fenders would you recommend?

I’ve got a number of lights from years of early AM rides that will burn for at least a couple hours at above 1000 lumens


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[froze]

Fender wise the more coverage you can get the less wet you will get, and the less of a mess your bike will be, but you're limited due to no fender mountings on your bike along with the Wright Style dropout really limits what you can do, so you'll need clip ons. I would go with a mtb style of fender like the Zefal Swan Road rear fender this will cover up to a 45 mm tire but I think that size tire would push the limits as to how well it will cover, so I think 38 or less width of a tire is idea. Then for the front use the Crud Catcher fender, not as good of coverage like the Zefal Swan but does pretty good. Another option are the Ass Savior fenders, these you can actually stow away in your backpack if you don't want some fender always on your bike; these don't work quite as good as the Zefal but something is better than nothing, and some people swear by them; they do make a long one now too, it looks like it could work really well, it's called the Fender Bendor regular X, and they'll fit any bike.

Personally if you'll be riding on nothing but paved paths and roads I don't see the need to have 45mm wide tires, I would go with the narrowest you can find down to 28 to 32 max, the wide tire on a long commute will make the job more difficult by taking more watts to turn the wheels and tires, and going home especially you will feel it more.

If your route will be on roads you need to get a VERY bright tail light, I bought the Nite Rider Omega that puts out 300 lumens of spot like coverage to the rear, this light is so intense it's incredible, but I got this so that people will see me during the day from far away, and it does just that. I also have the Nite Rider Sentry Aero 260, this light is not as intense as the Omega because it's more of a flood, plus half of those lumens are being used to cover the sides, I bought this one because the side lighting is amazing at night and cars can see you extremely well from the side, there is currently nothing remotely close to this light for side illumination on the market. So I put the Aero 260 on my helmet and the Omega on my bike seat tube. Technically you're not suppose to put anything, a light or a camera on your helmet, but people do and so do I just not the camera. You need a lot of light out the rear because we have idiots out driving and texting or yakking away about what to bring home for dinner and they're not paying attention to the road, but if you have lighting that can be seen from a long ways it will attract their attention and hopefully wake them up a bit.

In regards to tail lights and how to use them, this study was done at night: a Canadian study showed blinking lights work best, but a European study showed steady light works the best, so since I use two tail lights I set the Aero 260 on alternating strobe like action, and the Omega I turn on solid so I cover both spectrums of the study!

Just like the problem with people coming behind you have the same with those coming at you, so I now use a Lezyne Mini Drive XL on my fork, though they do make a helmet mount I just haven't gotten it yet, anyway day or night I put that on strobe and it's also very intense, then my handlebar light is a Philips Saferide which was an extraordinary light that unfortunately is no longer made, anyways this thing is so bright I rarely run it on high.

Make sure you leave yourself enough time space when going to work if you have a flat you will have the time to fix it; not sure what kind of boss you have but most won't tolerate a worker being late too many times before they're let go, and some bosses think that riding a bike to work is not a reliable way to get to work and if you get flat and are late getting in they could tell you to no longer ride to work you have to drive. Yes I know that sounds silly because you can have a car breakdown as well but people don't really know what a bike really can do.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by froze

Personally if you'll be riding on nothing but paved paths and roads I don't see the need to have 45mm wide tires, I would go with the narrowest you can find down to 28 to 32 max, the wide tire on a long commute will make the job more difficult by taking more watts to turn the wheels and tires, and going home especially you will feel it more.

On the other hand, if you're carrying your clothes and what amounts to a light touring load, you will need higher tire pressure than riding unloaded; with a narrower tire that pressure will be higher still. All together, that makes for a harsher, more tiring ride.

If you are commuting in the dark, unless you have perfect road surfaces you can expect to ride over and through more rough pavement, potholes and road debris than would be the case in the daylight, when you can easily see that stuff to avoid it. You're far more likely to pinch flat on a narrower tire than on a wider one.

[marciero]

Handlebar bags are great for small stuff. Once you use them you can never go back. Rear or front rack and panniers for computer, clothes, food. I have a bike rando-type rack and decaleur setup that can fit a small computer and sees occasional commuter use. I have an Ortlieb pannier briefcase for computer but also try to keep one machine at work. Same for clothes.

Lights: Front generator hub and light. It is so great not to have to worry about charging. Plus these lights are better. USB or battery for rear is fine since they last longer. Flashing lights are no-no in my world-front or rear.

Fenders: yes

Backpacks: no

[AngryScientist]

that's a long commute.

sounds perfect to do a few times a week.

i would definitely prefer to stage your gear at work during the days you drive in. leave a bag with personal hygiene stuff, shower kit, work clothes, everything at your office, that way you can ride in unencumbered. bring the laundry home and swap for clean stuff when you drive.

for a shorter commute, i would opt for street clothes, but in that length proper bike kit will make the task better.

consider how you will get your bike and yourself from the street to your office. this has everything to do with office culture and the people/place you work, for example, in some cultures, it may not be "cool" to walk yourself in bike kit and wheeling a bike through the office lobby during business hours with clients around, etc. you may want/need to adjust your schedule to blend in more. just a thought.

it sounds like you'll be riding a CX type bike so you're probably in mtb shoes, but consider the footwear too. i have very nearly killed myself on multiple occasions walking in cycling shoes through an office lobby with marble floors on a damp day. think ice skating!

[madsciencenow]

I'm curious why no flashing lights?

My thinking is that on the front I want both a flashing (low power) and non-flashing light. The flashing helps draw attention to me and the non-flashing helps illuminate the road and will allow drivers who use the casual glance to turn out onto the roadway to not miss me. In addition, I also like having a light on my helmet to be able to direct where I want. I will often use this on cars coming up on my right to make sure they see me before turning onto the road in front of me.

In the rear, I'm a fan of four or five flashing lights. I like having a couple on my jersey, and my garmin varia and another flashing light on my post. In addition, I have this multi colored vest thing that lights up and is visible in front and back plus it has reflective straps.

I'm not sure what else I could do unless I light my a** on fire or have a flare on top of my helmet?

I'm not super familiar with the hubs that provide power to a light. This seems like a really nice feature but one that's a bit of a pain to get up and going as it requires a dedicated front wheel?

[marciero]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

I'm curious why no flashing lights?

My thinking is that on the front I want both a flashing (low power) and non-flashing light. The flashing helps draw attention to me and the non-flashing helps illuminate the road and will allow drivers who use the casual glance to turn out onto the roadway to not miss me. In addition, I also like having a light on my helmet to be able to direct where I want. I will often use this on cars coming up on my right to make sure they see me before turning onto the road in front of me.

In the rear, I'm a fan of four or five flashing lights. I like having a couple on my jersey, and my garmin varia and another flashing light on my post. In addition, I have this multi colored vest thing that lights up and is visible in front and back plus it has reflective straps.

I'm not sure what else I could do unless I light my a** on fire or have a flare on top of my helmet?

I'm not super familiar with the hubs that provide power to a light. This seems like a really nice feature but one that's a bit of a pain to get up and going as it requires a dedicated front wheel?

There is disagreement on the flashing lights thing. I fall into the "no" camp. There seems to be conflicting evidence that they increase visibility or not. Some evidence even suggests flashers have the opposite affect, especially with impaired drivers at night-again, not conclusive in my mind. My feeling is that they are both fine and safe.
My personal feeling is that flashers are sort of obnoxious, though I dont judge others for choosing to use them. It's worth noting that in Germany, where they actually have standards and regulate bicycle lights the way they do for cars, flashers are illegal. Also, if you are riding with others flashers in the rear are annoying. One consideration though, is that on flashing mode the battery may last longer.

With the generator hubs, yes-dedicated front wheel. But I dont swap wheels on these bikes, so it's THE wheel on the bike. There are some pretty cheap setups. You can find used wheels for sale from time to time on 650b or ibob google groups. I bought a new A23 wheel with Kasai hub for $200 which is functionally as good as my more expensive ones. Inexpensive hubs from Kasai, Shutter Precision, or Shimano. Nice ones are more. The B and M Eyc is an inexpensive light (~$75) that is miles better than the most sophisticated lights from 10 or 15 years ago.

A complete light setup would have a tailight also wired to the hub, which is really pretty awesome. But again, battery or USB rear is fine for commuting

[DreaminJohn]

A question I have that is hopefully relevant to the OP:

What do y'all do about the dirty clothing that may accumulate? As someone who sweats profusely there's NO way I could use the same clothes to ride home unless there was some sort of washing involved.

Thanks.

[froze]

Originally Posted by palincss

On the other hand, if you're carrying your clothes and what amounts to a light touring load, you will need higher tire pressure than riding unloaded; with a narrower tire that pressure will be higher still. All together, that makes for a harsher, more tiring ride.

If you are commuting in the dark, unless you have perfect road surfaces you can expect to ride over and through more rough pavement, potholes and road debris than would be the case in the daylight, when you can easily see that stuff to avoid it. You're far more likely to pinch flat on a narrower tire than on a wider one.

On the other hand I tour with about 45 pounds of gear with just 32mm tires and have no issues with harshness of ride because the tires are only inflated to 60 in the front an 70 on the rear, so with the much lighter weight of commuting clothes 32mm tires, and using lower PSI to reflect the less carrying weight, are plenty large enough tires; heck I commute to work myself on 25mm tires and I'm 63 years old with lower back fusion and the ride quality doesn't bother me at all, and of course it doesn't bother me touring. What's weird there is times that I think the 32mm tires on my touring bike is a bit too large! But I use those in case I have to ride a gravel or dirt road, which I've had to do, plus they wear longer, but I definitely see no need to go larger than 32mm while touring on roads (obviously not off road) and for sure just commuting.

IF your headlight(s) are bright enough you'll see potholes with no problem, I ride a lot at night, especially when the sun starts setting earlier in the evening, and my lights are more then enough to see potholes with. You only need about 1000 lumen light...HOWEVER, you won't be running the light at it's max of say 1,000, you really only need 700, so you run the light at the lower setting to save battery, the reason to have around a 1000 lumens is in case of rain at night when it gets really dark, then you flip it on high and you can see the road far better.

While you could pinch flat if you fail to see a pothole while using 23mm tires that won't happen with 32mm, I've hit potholes while touring and never had a pinch flat, of course it helps to use the correct psi.

[froze]

Originally Posted by DreaminJohn

A question I have that is hopefully relevant to the OP:

What do y'all do about the dirty clothing that may accumulate? As someone who sweats profusely there's NO way I could use the same clothes to ride home unless there was some sort of washing involved.

Thanks.

All I do is take a change of clothes with me to work in, I also take a "sponge" bath in the restroom as I'm changing into work clothes. If at all possible either hang or lay out your kit in such a way that it can dry throughout the day, you could take another kit with you if you want, I don't because I'm going home and no is going to care once I'm riding if I stink. Using a wool kit cuts down on odor A LOT! So I use wool so I don't have that issue, but I still have to air it so it will dry.

[mktng]

Some great bits of advice.
Although I don't completely agree with some. But everyone's different.

One thing I could add. From experience, and having bought one recently after thinking it was a waste of money for the longest time.......Garmin VARIA rear radar.

It helps a lot. A lot more than than I thought it would. Its very accurate. It will never replace shoulder checking. But some sections of my commute require me to pay as much attention as possible at whats in front of me.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

I dunno why you guys hate backpacks so much, it’s so nice not having your bike weighed down with crap and what’s an extra 10lbs on your back, you hardly notice it if you get a good bag.

Agree with Mtechnica on this. I prefer backpack to panniers or weighing down bike. My commute is 24 miles and with the backpack, even my normally comfortable Dave Scott Centurion became to harsh with the added weight of backpack so now I opt for the CX bike which has 35's and low 50 psi.

My advice:

Get your setup to where you THINK you want it, then try the commute on a Saturday morning as a test run. You'll learn a lot more from that test run that from a bunch of yahoo's on internet

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by mktng

Some great bits of advice.
Although I don't completely agree with some. But everyone's different.

One thing I could add. From experience, and having bought one recently after thinking it was a waste of money for the longest time.......Garmin VARIA rear radar.

It helps a lot. A lot more than than I thought it would. Its very accurate. It will never replace shoulder checking. But some sections of my commute require me to pay as much attention as possible at whats in front of me.

I have one of these and love it! I use it for all my rides regardless of where they are. It's a game changer. Probably won't keep me from getting run over by a distracted driver but it's helpful to at least know where traffic is and to think about how to better "share the road" with moving vehicles.

[froze]

Originally Posted by azrider

Agree with Mtechnica on this. I prefer backpack to panniers or weighing down bike. My commute is 24 miles and with the backpack, even my normally comfortable Dave Scott Centurion became to harsh with the added weight of backpack so now I opt for the CX bike which has 35's and low 50 psi.

My advice:

Get your setup to where you THINK you want it, then try the commute on a Saturday morning as a test run. You'll learn a lot more from that test run that from a bunch of yahoo's on internet

I agree as well when it comes to commuting to use a lightweight well made backpack, save the panniers for touring. But I have never commuted 30 miles one way to work and back 30 miles with a backpack so I wonder just how uncomfortable it might get on a longer commute? On my commuter bike I don't have an option of putting on panniers anyways if I was doing a long commute. Some commuters I've seen and read about use fancy panniers (the guys I saw used just one pannier) that double as briefcases, so when they get to work and change their clothes they look professional. And some of the commuter panniers double as backpacks.

Another consideration in favor of a backpack is laptops and the such, these things take a beating in a pannier but no so much in a backpack. Just make sure that you put the computer into some sort of waterproof bag REGARDLESS if the backpack or pannier says it's waterproof, never assume anything is waterproof.

[froze]

Originally Posted by mktng

Some great bits of advice.
Although I don't completely agree with some. But everyone's different.

One thing I could add. From experience, and having bought one recently after thinking it was a waste of money for the longest time.......Garmin VARIA rear radar. It helps a lot. A lot more than than I thought it would. Its very accurate. It will never replace shoulder checking. But some sections of my commute require me to pay as much attention as possible at whats in front of me.

I like the idea of the Varia, but it's tail light only has a 16 lumen ability which makes it useless in today's world, plus highly dated in that area when other tail lights are putting out up to 300 lumens. I just bought a Nite Rider Omega that puts out a screaming 300 lumens, and it's startling bright even in full sun. I just think with today's distracted drivers you need something far far brighter than 16 lumens. They already charge nearly $200 for the Varia, so charge another $45 and have a 300 lumen tail light I doubt people who like techy stuff would even blink at paying $245 for such a thing.

Personally I use a mirror fastened to my sunglasses, I'm sure it works just as well as the Varia for far less money even when considering the tail light.

https://www.niterider.com/product/5091-omega-300/
https://www.rei.com/product/752285/b...-a-look-mirror

Some people prefer the mirrors that hook onto the handlebar end instead, I've never used one so I don't know if I would like it or not, but I do like the ability to simply move my head and see whatever I point my head to vs on the bar that would be nearly impossible without veering off the road doing so! Maybe a combination of using both mirrors might not be a bad idea?