Share Your Biking Strategies

Do you bike to and from work, or around town? Do you bike with a group or with kids? Do you bike for exercise, to save gas, or just for fun?

Now that spring is here, we're pulling our two-wheelers out of storage and putting them to good use. But we want to know your strategies for safe and enjoyable bicycling -- whether you're commuting, running errands, or just riding around the park.

If you have any tips, questions, or feedback, share it here:
Tell us why you bike and how you overcame biking challenges -- and if you have biking questions, ask them here, too!

Tags: bicycling, biking, exercise, transportation

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by kevverh on March 31, 2010 at 3:06pm

For fun, I ride on trails and bike paths. I also try to bike to work in warmer weather, which mostly involves riding on the road. I had to get comfortable with riding in traffic. To start that process, I practiced riding the route on weekend mornings a few times, when there was far less traffic.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Whole Living on May 5, 2010 at 2:29pm

I recently started riding my bike to work in New York City ... my mom is terrified, but I keep telling her that NY is probably a lot safer, if done right, than the NJ suburbs where she lives, with the highways and jughandles and all.

I've been using RideTheCity.com to map my route; I'd highly recommend it if you are in one of the few cities that it currently serves. I've heard Google bike maps isn't as good yet, but it can also help you find safe bike routes from one place to another.

I ride in designated bike lanes, across the Brooklyn Bridge, across downtown Manhattan (again, in bike lanes), and up the Hudson River Greenway bike path. It is a glorious ride, and I feel so energized when I get to work! (Alternatively, I'd be falling asleep on the subway.)

I was concerned about the sweatiness problem, so I joined a gym two blocks from my office. I needed a gym anyway, and now I can bike to the gym, lock my bike up outside, shower, and then walk my bike to work. On a few days when it's been relatively cool, I've ridden straight to work and changed in the bathrooms, and that hasn't been to bad, either.

I have a road bike and am racing in a triathlon this weekend, so I don't have any fun baskets or pannier bags on my bike. I typically just ride with a bookbag, which holds my clothes and everything I need for the day (sometimes my laptop!). But I recently bought this really cute bag that somehow attaches to your handlebars ... I haven't been able to try it out yet, and at first glance it's pretty confusing as to how you hook it up, but I'm hoping to this weekend.

My favorite thing so far about biking is these guys who pass me wearing their suits with pants tucked into their socks. How intense is that?? And seriously, aren't they a mess when they get to their offices?

Anyone else biking to work these days?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Health Adventure Coach on May 30, 2010 at 11:38am

Safe bike riding begins with wearing your helmet, checking your tires, gears, brakes before you launch out, checking the weather so you can be prepared for the road conditions and be dressed appropriately.

I bike recreationally because it is an activity my husband and I can do from our door and not drive anywhere to recreate. We live in a rural, desert area which lacks the trails and forests that I am accustomed to (I come from British Columbia) so in order to stay cardio conditioned and burn lots of calories, it is an activity that we can do together for companionship and to stay healthy.

There are plenty of country roads, canyons and 'rollers' so we have a diversity of rides that we do.

Our area also has a road bike club so having others to bike with, which is also a safety factor, makes biking even more enjoyable.

Two of the most aggravating factors about biking in our areas is #1: Unrestrained dogs that give chase and #2: Puncture Vines/Goathead Thorns

We've been chased more times than I can mention by dogs that run off their property, both within and outside city limits. I carry pepper spray with me as it provides me with 'get-away' time when they are giving chase. Some are puppies under a year who don't know any better and are not agressive and others are very aggressive and intent on making contact with a piece of my body with their teeth. There are a lot of herding dogs in our area so they think that we are prey and thus give chase.

We first try to make contact with the owner to alert them to what their dog is doing. We ask them to keep their dog restrained or we will have no choice but to report them to the authorities. Some owners then become responsible but more often than not, they ignore us, won't talk to us, or worse, scream at us. At that point we do call the authorities because our greatest concern is that their dog will harm a child or young mother with children passing by, or a senior or another biker.

An unfortunate example of a dog giving chase ended up with me crashing to the ground, breaking my helmet, receiving whiplash, bruised ribs, a ripped thumb, endless scrapes and roadrash and a broken clavicle at the AC joint. The rehab included constant pain and disability, 3 months of PT, surgery to remove a piece of bone which was causing constant bone spurs and inflammation and missed work (as a personal trainer) for almost a year. And of course, thousands of dollars.

We've become advocates within our bike club to exhort other bikers not to ignore chasing dogs as it may only lead to someone else getting injured. I've also been chased by dogs just while pole walking, jogging and inline skating.

Getting our tires punctured so often by Goathead Thorns is another very annoying and costly downfall to biking in this area. The seed case resembles the shape of a goat's head with big and very sharp spikes sticking out of it. In our area these nasty thorns proliferate and because we receive so much wind here, they blow from place to place. They can be carried inside on the bottom of a shoe and when you find one on your carpet by stepping on it in your sock or bare feet, it feels like a dagger has embedded itself in your foot and it stings in abundance. My beagle has many times had these thorns embedded in his paws when he has bolted from our yard in pursuit of the great escape. It stops him immediately and we find him in the midst of the vines, holding up his little feet as he can't walk further. Trust me, I don't wish this on him but it is the only time I am thankful for those evil thorns :-).

To resist getting our bike tires punctured so often, we use Armadillo tires. They are reported to be durable, puncture-resistant and all season performance tires. They weigh a few ounces more than the average tire but the time and money and aggravation that they save is well worth the extra weight.

Not too long ago, I took a galfriend out biking and she gleefully said, 'I never knew you could burn so many calories in so short of a time while sitting on my butt'. Not only that, but one gets to enjoy the beauty and scents around them in a new and adventurous way. Biking can be incorporated into a personal wellness plan, moving us from a place of stress and overwhelm, to simplicity, balance ."Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast-you also miss the sense of where you are going and why". Eddie Cantor

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Maddie Allison on June 7, 2010 at 5:33pm

I live in a small city in Texas where I go to college. The hardest part about biking is all the hills! I can almost pedal up all of them... I wonder if it would be easier with a lighter bike or if I'm just not in shape. I have a Schwinn Rangler 21 speed; it probably weighs about 60lbs. I work about two miles from where I live, and even though the ride is mostly downhill I still end up a sweaty mess by the time I get there... thanks to the brutal Texas summer heat. Also, the cars with which I share the road don't respect me as a mode of transportation.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Victoria Liccione on June 8, 2010 at 5:01pm

I'm guessing your Schwinn only FEELS like it weighs 60 pounds, probably weighs more like 25 or so. But, if you're not making use of all 21 gears, it certainly can feel like it weighs 600 and the hills will be killer! Two suggestions, first, go to an empty parking lot on campus and play around w/ different gearing combinations to find where the "easy" gears are for you. My guess is that they will be on your big ring in the front and some where around the middle on your back (cassette). Then, as you approach a hill, shift into your easy gear and feel your legs spin. As the hill gets steeper, you'll still be able to spin. You want to be able to spin up hills, not mash the pedals. Second, suggestion, change out your knobby tires (which give you a fair amount of rolling resistance thereby making you work harder) for some "slicks." You can find them inexpensively on line at numerous on line vendors. Look at your current tires for the proper dimensions.

As far as the lack of respect my motorists...don't get me started! Do what you can to earn their respect and keep yourself safe... 1) obey all traffic laws (nothing more annoying than a cyclist who thinks s/he can ignore the signs/lights); 2) ALWAY wear a helmet; 3) affix red flasher to the rear of your bike and your helmet if possible; 3) be predictable to motorists (hand signals are critical) and lastly, remember, you'll never, ever, ever win in the match up of car v. bike, if you have to...ditch it. Good luck!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Linda on June 7, 2010 at 6:47pm

We are 60-plus RVers (campers) we plan all of our camping trips around bike trails. We find all of our trails on a website that is dedicated to rail trails. These trails are typically off road (much safer) and usually flat. The trails typcially follow old railroad beds. We bike on off road trails near home during the week and find a new rail trails to bike on during the weekends.

We bike rain or shine. With a little extra equipment you can be prepared for most things and not have the excuse of the weather to keep you at home and on the couch. I use a large bike bag with panniers to hold all my traveling goodies. Dress in layers and as the day progresses I can pack my layers in my panniers. I have very light weight rain pants, rain jacket and rain cover for my large bike bag and handle bar bike bag. I carry at least two large water bottles and organic healthy snacks/lunch that fit into my special needs diet. Use a handle bar mirror so you can see what's coming (very dangerous to turn around) and a bell to warn others when passing (I hate when someone zooms by without acknowledgment). Also travel with a Garmin GPS on my handle bar so I know where I am and how far I've gone.

If we are traveling without our bikes we look for bike rentals where we are and find local trails to ride. Our best ride to date was from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. - 364 miles - we stayed at B & B's along the trail - best time EVER!!!

What challenge did I have to overcome - breaking my wrist last July 10 weeks before our big bike trip. I learned that you don't wear your camera around your neck, shift your gears while stationary, try to get on your bike going uphill while being passed on the left by a car - yep! You fall - and something has to give and it was my left wrist. It was maddening to do such a dumb thing. Lesson learned - when biking do one thing at a time!!!

Why I (we) bike - if gives you a sense of freedom, time to think, time to be alone and time to be together, a chace to see this great country we live in - getting the exercise is a wonderful side benefit.

Attachments:

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Whole Living on June 8, 2010 at 5:13pm

Thanks for this great discussion, everyone! I just want to give a quick shout out to one of our newest expert bloggers, Caroline Samponaro, who's the director of bicycle advocacy for the NYC non-profit Transportation Alternatives. Caroline is blogging once a week about bike safety and commuting -- hopefully she'll be a great resource to you all!

Read her bio and her post archives at wholeliving.com/blog.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by litolpea on June 11, 2010 at 3:21pm

Linda...I just completed the PITT - DC trip last month! AWESOME!
I am a backpacker and a cyclist (road, commuter and rail trail). I have two bikes (Violet: KHS Flite 300 road bike, and Ralphie: GT MTB turned hybrid turned touring)...and am in the process of building a third (Timmy: Old Schwinn World being pimped out for commuting in the city). I bike for both fitness and fun. Nothing like getting the cardio workout of 22mph jaunts on my Monday night rides! (we usually ride about 20 - 30 miles).
I also like the exploration and enjoyment of cycling as well.
Which got me thinking about "backpacking on bikes"....aka: Touring.

I took Ralphie and pimped him out for touring, and we hit the trail on May 22.
We did a combo of campgrounds, B&B's, bunk houses and hiker/biker camp sites. It was great!

Bike challenges....learning the hard way about OVERUSE injuries. IT band? Yah...mine LOVES ME. (not)...and my physical therapist reminds of this often. DON'T GO SO HARD...build up to it... (yah, i know. ok....so when the snow melts i cant help but jump on the bike and think i can go as long and hard as i did at the end of the previous season! lol)
Other challenges? Bike advocacy in our city, sharing the road, learning to FIX and maintain my bikes...but it's all worth it!

Attachments:

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott on June 13, 2010 at 9:51pm

I'm fortunate to live in a town in West Virginia that has 40 miles of rail-trail conversions which offer nearly flat routes through wooded areas and along rivers. Usually after work, I go home, throw my hybrid Trek bike in the back of my pickup, and drive a couple of miles to one of the trailheads (there are no safe roads between here and there.) I can get in a good hour ride and still be back home long before dark.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Christine on July 12, 2010 at 1:04pm

Sounds like lots of you are already bike commuting-- anyone have additional tips to share? Do you wear your work clothes or bring them to change into? What kind of shoes? How do you get rid of helmet head? Do you use panniers or just wear a backpack/messenger bag? Have any websites that sell cool biking gear?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sabine Lagerwij on April 8, 2012 at 5:20pm

I live in The Netherlands. Everything is done on the bike here; getting your kids to school, doing groceryshopping, getting to work, etc. There are more bikes then there are people :). But offcourse our country is the most bikerfriendly country in de world I guess. We do not have to wear helmets here, but I strongly suggest that you do wear a helmet, especially when you are riding on a trail. It is a great work out and fun. I've been riding a bike since I was almost three years old, and been riding ever since (when I got my drivers license it got less offcourse). It's just great to be outdoors, getting some fresh air. Sometimes it seems that is not a priority. Have fun and be safe!