Lights, Helmets, Action

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Security

Park your bicycle in secured areas if provided by your employer. Otherwise, lock your bike in plain site, securing all quick release components with a Kryptonite lock and cable. Bring your saddle inside.

Now that you’re tricked out and ready to commute, what’s life going to be like on two wheels? Greg and Chuck from Spin Doctor both agree that it’s best to start with small bicycle trips to get milk at the grocery store, to return a DVD to the video store, to go to your child’s soccer game. Get used to riding your bicycle instead of your car.

Ready to take the plunge and bike to work? What are the factors that will affect your commuting life?

Distance: Most commutes are under one hour and fifteen miles. Longer than that just isn’t practical for most of us. Start slowly, perhaps one day a week on casual Fridays.

Route: The most direct route sometimes is not the most practical. Find those “roads less traveled” that parallel arterial streets and highways. Cityofchicago.org along with biketraffic.org publish great cycling maps of the city. The State of Illinois publishes reverse density maps for cyclists that highlight preferred cycling routes. Check local maps in the collar counties and look for roads that intersect a lot or squiggle on the page. These are usually less favored by motorists.

Weather: Rain affects visibility and stopping distances, so ride carefully when it’s wet out. Allow more time for a longer ride. Wind gusts can blow you out of your cycling line and into traffic. Headwinds can slow your trip. Wind chill can take a tolerably cool day and make it dangerously cold.

Temperature: Hot, humid days and ozone alerts should make all commuters take note, especially riders with respiratory concerns and those who aren’t in the best shape. Single digits and wind chills, especially on longer commutes, should make a cyclist think twice about riding to work.

Technique: Use bike lanes and designated routes wherever possible. Motorists are used to seeing cyclists on these streets. Ride confidently, consistently, predictably and legally. Use hand signals. Watch out for suddenly opened car doors. Get used to searching side view mirrors on parked cars. Be careful when swerving into traffic to avoid road hazards. Expect nothing from motorists on car phones.

Sanitary needs: It’s nice to have a shower and locker room at work, but you can also get used to taking birdbaths in the bathroom sink and changing in stalls. Keep baby wipes at work. Good news for Loop commuters. The McDonald’s Cycle Center (chicagobikestation.com) offers bike parking, showers, and locker room facilities for a modest $20 month. Randy Warren, program specialist at the Chicago Bike Federation, says that the Windy City boasts the only one of these kinds of facilities east of the Mississippi.

Mixed-Mode Commuting

Many commuters ride their bikes to Metra or CTA trains and lock them at the secure parking provided. If commuting during non-peaks hours, your bike rides free on Metra and CTA trains. Many CTA bus routes have cow-catcher type bike racks on the front of buses for up to two bikes. Randy Warren talked about a commuter who took a folding bike with him on the train so he could pedal to his suburban office when he got off and no other public transportation was available. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Visit cityofchicago.org for more info and handy links about mixed-mode cycling.

If you’re ready to start commuting to work, try joining thousands of other Chicagoland cyclists June 7-13 and ride the Commuter Challenge sponsored by the Chicago Bike Federation (www.biketraffic.org). Randy Warren projects more than 300 companies in Chicago and suburbs will join together and “put their pedal where their mouth is.” Waren says that businesses are more interested in promoting bicycle commuting. “How do they retain good workers? Is compensation the only way? If they can spend a few dollars on a locker room and showers and keep a dedicated core of workers happy, it’s cheaper in the long run.” Commuters are healthier, driving down health costs. With the endorphins released on their bicycle ride to work, they’re happier and more productive.

More than ever, bicycle commuting makes sense. Why not give it a try?

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