Prepare to Commute
Preparation is everything short of getting on the bike and riding. I take care of this the night before my commute. By executing all of my preparation I eliminate the need to think about anything but jumping on the bike and riding to work.
Outfit selection: Make sure that all accessories are accounted for [belt, socks, tie, etc.] I polish my shoes and keep them in a special cloth bag so they don’t mark my clothes. I can get away with sneakers at work most of the time, but I need to look professional 40% of the time. I could wear jeans everyday as long as they have no holes. This keeps things fairly easy e.g. I never have to worry about wearing a suit. A typical outfit for me is shoes, belt, tshirt, underwear, dress shirt, jeans/slacks and socks. This goes together in a small backpack. I store toiletries and a towel at my commuting center [more on this later].
Bags: I choose to ride with a back pack as I can keep my load lite and my commute is short enough that I don’t work up much of a sweat. Once summer hits I may consider a rack trunk to reduce sweat between my bag and back. The best part will be experimenting and finding out what works best for me. I can try several different methods for well under what 1 car payment would be. I am a fairly experienced bicycle commuter so I think I will hit right on the first attempt with my bag selection.
Folding and packing: I am an excellent folder and make sure to prep my clothes so they look as good as if they just came out of a drycleaner. I have a system for folding and I find it to be bullet proof. I first fold everything individually, making sure to integrate the individual size of each garment into one another. I fit the dress shirt , tshirt, and underwear into the pants. The pants wrap around everything as a protective shell. Accessories, belt and socks, fit inside the shoes. The clothes are place inside the pack with the shoes on top. The clothes function as a nice cushion between my back and the shoes. On days when I am dressing more casually I can fit everything into a camelback sized back pack making for the ultralight commute. Try to remember that good packing facilitates organized unpacking. If you packed it correctly getting dressed will be a snap.
Breakfast: I usually have a clif bar for breakfast and two flintstones chewable vitamins. I place them on the small backpack I use to carry my clothes in. This is so I do not forget to get nourished before I start spinning. My waterbottle is also on the ready. If I don’t have a clif bar I will sub in some fruit or a hard boiled egg.
Flight check: Once I have all of my work stuff ready to go I give my bike a quick once over to make sure that the tires are still inflated. My bike is pretty much set to go all the time. Small LED headlight/taillight and a wedge pack with the essentials to change a tube and reinflate is all I need. I run a set of Mr.Tuffy tire liners so I can avoid flats. They work well and are a great way to add confidence to your commute without much of a sacrifice in performance and weight. This visual check off takes less than 30-40 seconds but will save the heartache of having to change a tire in the morning. Squeeze the brakes, squeeze the tires, check for trueness…voila.
Flight suit: Next I put together my riding outfit. First I look at the projected weather. I live in Tempe Arizona so I’m lucky in that my biggest worry is heat. I also have a dedicated commuting facility with a locker, towel, and shower that I ride to so it’s easy for me to change and shower when I get there. I usually ride in a pair of bike shorts, converse sneakers, and some type of breathable shirt. Nylon windbreaker in the winter and a light pair of cotton gloves and hat. I don’t wear a helmet yet…but I’m shopping for one. I hang it all on my bike.
Putting it in action: So I have everything ready and laid out for quick transition time the night before. This means that right when I wake up I can concentrate on biking. I wake up, I shower, I exit the bathroom and everything I need is ready. I get eat while I dress and I jump on the bike. Hassle free.
Next task: Bike To Work