Since the days are starting to get longer and warmer, it is time to reevaluate your commute to work. Biking to work is a great way to get a little exercise while reducing your impact. This can be a daunting task, but it is doable, and once you start, I think you will really enjoy this time. The most common reasons why people don’t ride to work are that it is too far, that it takes to long, that the don’t know the route, and that there is nowhere to put the bike once you get to work. So, to help convince you to start biking, I am going to share what I have learned about my commute as well as a few neat tidbits from other parts of the country.
My wife and I work about 45 minutes apart (in Golden and Boulder), and we are luck enough to live in between the two. That means that it is about 15 miles to work for both of us, which is not too bad in the car, but can take a while by bike (about an hour). I would love to bike to work every day, but it is difficult to take two hours out of every work day to bike. It is a goal of mine, so I am working up to that, but for now, I have developed a new system. Yesterday, I drove my car to work with my bike in the trunk. Then after work, I rode home and then this morning rode back to work. It was really enjoyable to be able to ride home, and after perfecting my route a bit, I think that it will be my preferred mode of commuting. The only problem that I had was that it was all uphill this morning heading to work. It is funny how you never realize that there are hills until you have to bike them. This method makes a full round trip on the bike, but it means that I can split the commute up so I only bike 15 miles a day and only commute for an hour and a half. Think of it as a way to cut your bike commute in half. Another way to accomplish this goal, are to ride public transportation for half of your ride, often making both parts faster.
thanks to Bicycling Magazine
The next problem that a lot of people have is knowing where to ride that will be safe and direct. This can be difficult if you are used to commuting in the car, but there are a few resources out there to help you. Google maps has started a new service, where they suggest biking routes. While they don’t have all of the bike routes charted yet, it is a good place to get started. Here is an article that we wrote about Google Bike Maps earlier this year. Another resource is called “Map My Ride” and allows people to share their favorite bike routes. The challenge with this service is that it can be difficult to find a route to a specific location (like work). One final suggestion is to check out your cities bike maps. You might be surprised how comprehensive they are, especially if you live in a semi bike friendly city, and if you are lucky enough to live in one of the top 50 bike friendly cities like I am, then you will be blown away. I just searched for “Bike Denver” in order to find my local resource.
And finally, if you don’t know where to put your bike when you get to work, here are a few ideas that I have picked up recently. There is the obvious idea of locking your bike up in the parking lot, but people often worry about their bike getting stolen this way. 
One way to prevent that is to carry a massive chain lock, but another way is to just make your bike look unappealing. There is no reason to commute on your new Litespeed, and it probably is not even the best bike for the job. You want a bike that can handle pot holes without getting a flat, has a rack and even a basket to carry your stuff, is comfortable, and looks like a piece of crap. The rack is a necessity, and what I have done to my commuter is to strap an old milk crate to the back making a perfect spot to carry my backpack. Nothing will get you sweaty faster than wearing a backpack while biking. For comfort, a steal frame bike is much better than aluminum and is much cheeper too. The best part about a commuter bike like these are that they are for sale inexpensively on Craig’s lists everywhere and can be turned into a smooth riding machine with $50 at your local bike shop.
Other places to store your bike, if you are lucky enough to have access, are inside stairwells of your office, in your office, or at the train station. This last one is not available to everyone, but after this amazing new bikestation at Union Station in DC, I couldn’t help but mention it.
So, take advantage of the nice weather and in the process get rid of those extra few pounds from the winter; I know that I could use a little help myself. Start slow, but give biking a shot. Who knows you might enjoy it.
More Information on Commuting by Bike
-MetaEfficient (best new commuter bikes, but we recommend an old one that no one will steal)
