Lots of good advice here. On the head space front, I have a couple positive thoughts that I keep bouncing around - cycle commutes are the only time I get paid to ride my bike. The $$ saved over other commuting modes means cycling isn't just an expensive hobby. I also consider the exercise of my 9mi commute with 430' of climbing to be the easiest way to find time in my day to get the heart pumping. I mean, I'd have to spend time commuting anyways.
I've landed on tubes instead of sealant for the lack of hassle of maintaining tire pressure and drying sealant. I pump up 1x per week to keep my 29/30 psi. On carrying stuff in, my strategy is to leave a pair of shoes & towel at the office to lighten the load. I have the equivalent of one pannier worth of stuff to bring, so use a porteur rack & bag to keep it all centred. Fenders and 650x48 slicks stay on year-round to manage lousy pavement while enjoying the ride. Lastly, commuting is great way to make sure you bike is ready for the longer weekend rides. You can fine-tune fit and ensure everything is working before you headed to the riverside camp spot. Hope this helps. On Friday, 27 October 2023 at 14:47:44 UTC-7 velomann wrote: > I really can't add much to what's already been said, but these would be my > own main points based on 5-days/week bike commuting for over 20 years. Most > of that was about 11 mostly flat miles each way, one year of 16+ miles each > way with more stressful traffic and a couple big hills, and now averaging > about 6-7 miles each way (I'm technically "retired,: but still working > 5-days/week.) > > If you can keep a change of clothes at the destination, that's helpful. At > the minimum, if you can keep a pair or 2 of work shoes at work, that's > super-helpful and cuts down on the load. > > If you have a quiet commute (it doesn't sound like you do) > podcasts/audiobooks can liven things up. But safety first. > > I ran Orange Seal in tubes for several years when I was commuting through > flat-prone areas and it helped a lot with flats. > > For commuting, don't allow yourself to get caught up in any feeling that > you need "performance" whatever for your bike. Reliability and durability > are far more important for the daily grind. This is especially true for > tires. The shop I work at, which caters almost exclusively to bike > commuters, only sells Schwalbe Marathon tires. They're not flat proof, but > about as close as you can get. > > Habits are not developed overnight. For bike commuting to become a habit, > you gotta stick with it. Soon enough, driving becomes much less appealing. > > Mike M > > On Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7:26:25 AM UTC-7 Michael Morrissey wrote: > >> Lately I have been biking to work again, from my home in Queens to work >> in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my commute is less than ideal. There are few >> bike lanes in my neighborhood. I leave at 6:30, when it’s dark and cold >> outside. There are lots of big trucks and fast drivers. It’s hilly. Then, >> when I get to the bike lane section of the ride, it’s crowded with electric >> bikes, deliveristas, and stand-up electric scooters. >> >> My commute is 7.8 miles point to point, and I make it in about 53 >> minutes. I started keeping track of my times on Strava. I like looking at >> my records (eastbound across Central Park in 1:40!) but I feel Strava is >> mostly a record of how long I get stuck at red lights. There are so many >> stoplights that I struggle to raise my average speed over 11 MPH. >> >> I use one Ortlieb bag, and I’ve tried to lighten my load as much as >> possible. Yet, I still feel like I am carrying a lot to work. One thing >> I’ve been doing is rolling my work clothes and putting rubber bands around >> them. That helps with the organization. >> >> I’m riding my Rivendell Appaloosa with a big back rack and fenders. >> Fortunately, even after riding it for about 7 years, the bike still feels >> amazing. I also feel great getting so much exercise, and I find I feel I >> have more energy on days I ride compared to when I take the subway. >> >> I was wondering if anyone has any bike commuting advice? I’m finding it >> hard to stay motivated. I want advanced level advice - not just “keep your >> tires pumped up,” but more along the lines of “Buy 5 Bromptons and have >> your wife drop them off at work every Sunday so you can ride one home per >> day.” One thing I might try is a lighter wheelset on the same bike. As Bill >> Lindsay said, “If everybody had a gravity knob on their bike, we would all >> peg it to the minimum.” >> >> Thanks, >> >> Michael >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/81b71489-aff5-4379-81aa-079ebe630f89n%40googlegroups.com.
