"But I'm not in good enough shape to do that!"

Tips to make your bicycle commute pleasant:

Get your bike in decent shape:

• Simple maintenance that anyone can do:
• Pump up your tires.  Low inflation will make riding very hardand will likely damage tires and rims. Pump at least once a week.  If your bike has sat unused for long periods, the tires may be completely flat, but that doesn't necessarily mean the tire is damaged.  All tires lose air over several weeks. Buy yourself a bicycle pump with an inflation gauge so you can pump up your tires.  Gas-station air hoses are a bad idea; they can fill bicycle tires to bursting before you have time to react.  I have personally seen this happen more than once (boom).
• Make sure your seat-height is appropriate.  Riding with the seat too low makes riding hard and is hard on your knees.  When you are sitting on the seat with a pedal at the bottom of its stroke, your leg should be slightly bent.
• Another seat-height test: sit on your bike with your heels on the pedals and pedal backwards.  You may need a friend to hold you.  Your seat should be as high as possible without your hips rocking as you pedal.
• Sometimes folks have trouble coming to a stop with the seat at its proper height.  When you come to a stop, you should slide forward off the seat to put one foot on the ground.  A properly adjusted seat won't allow you to put a foot firmly on the ground from a seated position.
• Need to borrow some tools or get some help with bike maintenance? Stop by the Willamette bike shop - the friendly volunteers will teach you how to do basic maintenance; tools are available for use on-site, and many small parts are available for free.
  
• Rather have someone else do it?  Consider a tune-up at a local bicycle shop.  $35 should buy a moderate going-over.  If you are so inclined, you can learn some basic bicycle maintenance, but that's another story.  You could check out The All New Complete Book Of Bicycling by Eugene A. Sloane at the W.U. library as one place to learn.  There are three private shops close to campus, within easy walking distance:
• Scott's Cycle, 147 Commercial SE (between State and Ferry)  map
• The Bike Peddler, 174 Commercial NE (between State and Court) map
• Santiam Bicycle Way of Life, 388 Commercial NE (corner of Center) map
• If your bike is shot or you don't have one, you can:
• Borrow one from the Willamette bike shop "rental" program
  
• Buy a new bike: Consider bicycles costing at least $275 new.  This may seem like a lot of money, but it's far less than the costs of operating a car for a year. Department-store bicycles are often a bad deal - they are typically poorly assembled (or you have to do it yourself) and often the quality is very poor.  Buying at a bicycle shop is a far better deal in the long run.
•  or you can do even better buying used.
  

Clothing:

• Sweat: Americans are, sadly, obsessed with sweat.  "I can't ride to work, since I don't have time for a a shower" they may say.  After nearly 20 years of bicycle commuting, and as someone who sweats more than the average human, I can say that it's all overstated. Most folks will be fine with a shower in the morning before they ride to school.
• A short ride at a moderate pace need not cause much sweat.  Trick #1: Take off that heavy jacket. Active humans need far less insulating clothing than inactive ones.  If it's 60 degrees out, a pair of shorts and a short-sleeve shirt are all I'd wear to ride to work.  If you need a coat for when you cool down, carry it in a backpack or bike bag.
• Trick #2: change clothes when you arrive at campus if you have a longer/harder commute or if you must wear heavier/formal clothes in the workplace.  A clean set of clothes in a bike bag does wonders for freshening you up.  In a pinch, I've used a bathroom to change, but usually one can find a private room in which to change at a workplace.
• And if you really want to, you can even arrange to take a shower at Sparks Center after you ride in.
• Riding in the rain?  First, keep in mind that if you ride every day in Salem, you will ride in heavy rain perhaps only 10 to 20 times a year.  In the light, misty rain, if your commute is short, ignoring the rain is pretty effective, especially if you brought a change of clothes.  For slightly more rain, a breathable shell will shed plenty.  If you want to ride in heavy rain (good for you!), a breathable-membrane (Gore-Tex and various competitors) jacket and pants are a really pleasant investment. More important that rain clothing are fenders, under other equipment below. See also rain safety.
• Riding at night?  Make sure you wear bright colors and have adequate lighting; more on that under safety.
• The most important bicycle-specific "clothing item" is a helmet; see safety.

Other equipment

• Flat-tire prevention: It's worth investing in some heavy-duty tires or, alternately, if you are handy, a flat-repair kit.
• Kevlar-belted tires work well in my experience in reducing flats.  Commuting daily year-round, I get a flat only once or twice a year using these, and I ride through some glass-infested areas.
• "Mr. Tuffy" protective tire-inserts are available at bike shops, and are just about bomb-proof if installed correctly.  A strip of pliable plastic between the inner tube and the tire, they seem to stop just about anything that would puncture your tire.  I've used one of these in my front tire for four years with no flats.  When I replaced the tire, it was full of holes, but the Mr. Tuffy protected the inner tube from puncture.
• Have some skill mechanically?  Skip the tough tires and fix the flat on the spot.  You can change a tire in about 10 minutes or less with practice.  You need a good bicycle "frame" pump (attaches to the bike frame), one or two spare inner tubes to carry along, and a wrench if your wheels are bolted on (most now have quick-release cam levers).  Don't try to patch the tire on the side of the road; save that for when you get home.  Just pull the tack/nail/whatever out of the tire, put in a spare tube, pump it up, and ride away.
• Carrying stuff: For small items, backpacks work, though they can overheat you and imbalance you.  A rack on your bike with an attached bag works fine for even heavy loads.
• Riding in the rain?  Fenders are a must to avoid that stripe-down-your-back look.  Available at bicycle shops.  These used to come with mud flaps hanging from the back of the front fender, but not anymore.  Make your own flaps by attaching a piece of linoleum, cut-up milk jug, or whatever is handy - the flaps keep water from splashing up on your feet. See also rain safety.
• Riding at night? Then a good bike light is absolutely necessary.  See lights under safety.
• This sounds expensive! First, you may not be commuting except on dry days, so some of this won't apply. Second, this is cheap compared to the cost of maintaining a car.

Picking a bicycle commuting route:

Bikes on the Bus:

Rules and responsibilities:

814.400 Application of vehicle laws to bicycles.
Every person riding a bicycle upon a public way is subject to the provisions applicable to and has the same rights and duties as the driver of any other vehicle concerning operating on highways, vehicle equipment and abandoned vehicles, except:   a.Those provisions which by their very nature can have no application. b.When otherwise specifically provided under the vehicle code.
c.Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section: d.A bicycle is a vehicle for purposes of the vehicle code; and e.When the term "vehicle" is used the term shall be deemed to be applicable to bicycles.

 Safety

• There's no excuse for riding without a bicycle helmet.  They are much cheaper than they used to be, and brain surgery is so expensive these days. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, "They can prevent up to 88 per cent of cyclists' brain injuries". Questions and Answers about Helmets from the BHSI.
• If you ever do fall, the next most vulnerable part of your body after your head may be the palms of your hands (used to break your fall).  Cycling gloves sold in most bike shops will preserve the skin on your palms.
• Obey traffic rules as if you were driving a car. Not only is it required by law, but it's safer that way.  Wrong-way riding is a major cause of bicycle accidents, as is running stop signs and lights.
• Riding at night: Quality bicycle lights are much better than they were just five years ago, and they are a must if you will commute during the hours of darkness, especially in rain. A white headlight and a red taillight are a minimum; the bigger the better.  There are many effective flashing taillights now sold.  Don't depend on reflectors alone - would you drive your car at night with only reflectors?
• Rain:  Riding in the rain requires greater caution.  Not only is visibility reduced, but bicycle braking distances can go up dramatically.  Test your brakes long before a necessary stop to see how wet they are.  Usually braking performance goes up after a few seconds of holding the brakes, as the water is swept from the rims - make sure you have that few seconds.  Some brake pads work much better than others in wet conditions, but one thing is certain:  Braking with aluminum rims is vastly superior to braking with steel rims under wet conditions. (Use a magnet to tell the difference - magnets aren't attracted to aluminum.)  If riding in the wet with steel rims, beware.

Security

• If you lock your bike outside, use a large-U-shaped lock; these are much more secure than cables or chains.  Lock both wheels (take the front wheel off and lock it alongside the rear one) to an immovable object.  Small trees don't count - thieves cut the tree (ouch!).
• Better yet, store your bicycle inside your office if you have one, or in a departmental storeroom, closet, or lab.
• Campus Safety says "Free bicycle registration and sticker at the Bike Shop or at the Campus Safety office."

Links

Prof. Janeba's Home Page | Send comments or questions to: mjanebawillamette.edu