If, like me, you live in a city that is not very bike-friendly, bicycle commuting can sometimes be intimidating. But bike commuting is an amazing way to improve your life, so I thought I’d share a few tips I picked up over the years the hard way. Hopefully, this video will help you avoid some of the mistakes that I made.
0:00 Introduction
0:36 Trying to do too much
1:38 Gear overload
2:19 Choosing the wrong route
3:13 Being impatient with the logistics
4:04 Going for speed, rather than efficiency
5:15 Dressing like a cyclist
6:21 Not recognizing the risks of a hybrid bike
7:35 Bragging about your commute
#cycling #bike #bikecommute
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• Here’s the winter bike I’m riding these days:
• Cliq Smart Bike Light (nice rear brake light):
• RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals (clever lights for your pedals):
• Aftershokz Titanium bone-conducting headphones (if you want to listen while you ride):
• JBL CLip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (for your party-pace group rides):
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime):
• Ibex Merino Wool clothing (good for summer and winter):
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?):
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho):
• Kryptonite U-Lock (your bike is going to get stolen eventually, sigh, but at least make it difficult on the thief):
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount):
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Wear a helmet
Is one of those mistakes not wearing a helmet?
Wear a helmet, not letting my kids watch this
One of my biggest tips for newbies would be to learn to ride defensively, but not submissively.
On the first point, always try and leave yourself an out. If you have the right of way, but a car's creeping out from a side road, slow down if you have to, be ready to stop if they do suddenly pull out. Always assume that they don't see you.
On the second point, Don't be afraid to take a dominant position in your lane. If you try and stay out of the way at the side of the road, cars will attempt to squeeze by when there's not enough space to do it safely, and you'll often be trapped far too close to curbs or parked cars. Far too many cyclists die from getting stuck in the door zone, and knocked into traffic when someone opens their door without looking.
If there's not room for a car to safely pass you in the lane, or if that space disappears in the next 100m or so, you should ride far enough out that they have to pass you using the other lane (like they would pass a car). It may annoy some bad drivers, but you're better off getting honked/yelled at by some impatient jerk, than accidentally injured/killed when they think they have enough room to squeeze by.
Another tip would be to leave lots of extra time the first times you commute by bike. If you're not already a regular cyclist, you'll probably be pretty slow at first, but don't worry. After a few weeks your speed will probably improve a fair bit, even if you're riding at a fairly relaxed pace.
It's funny, I'm more inclined to ride my bike if the commute is shorter. The shorter the commute the more I can justify using a bicycle or walking.
1 Not wearing a helmet!
I think people that want to brag is because it is just better than the other options. If it's the norm, everyone gets those benefits. It it's not, people don't realise.
Tip #7: Hybrid bikes. Similar to people who justify buying a pickup truck because he or she "needed" a truck bed that one time. Rent?
Just excellent.