As I mention on the Home page, part of this blog is about giving tips for bike commuting. Another part describing the adventures I encounter during my commute. Lastly, it is a medium to share pictures from trails and roads around Seattle. You can see a slide show of past pictures (from Eugene and Portland) on the
Home page.
I'm starting a series of posts that talk about some of the essentials of bike commuting. My goal is to help you avoid this
The most essential thing you need to commute by bike is ...... a bike. If you own a bike you have all that is really necessary. Everything else the I suggest will just make you safer, more comfortable, quicker, and avoid delays. So I recommend that if you want to give bike commuting a shot, you be a little more prepared than just having a bike. That being said, if you do own a bike, I invite you to pick a day next week and try traveling by bike somewhere you would normally drive, whether it be to work, the store, the park, your friends house, church or where ever else you may go during the week.
This is my bike. It is a 59cm Norco CCX3. I've been very pleased with it so far. It's a lot quicker than my old bike.
It is a road bike. Technically it's a Cyclocross bike. In my opinion, road bikes are much better than mountain bikes for commuting. This is mainly due to their thinner, lighter tires that are filled to a much higher air pressure, which means dramatically decreased rolling resistance. Throw in the fact that road bikes themselves are generally lighter you'll find that you can go a further distance at a significantly higher speed. Suddenly that commute that you thought was to difficult or would take too long seems reasonable. A lot of people don't like the drop down handlebars of a road bike, and will purchase a hybrid bike, which is kind of like a road bike with flat bar handlebars.
Most importantly, the best bike to commute on is a bike that you will use for more than commuting. If you go mountain biking on the weekends, the best bike would be the one you already have. I bought my bike with commuting in mind, but also the fact that I would like to do some 50-100 mile rides on weekends during the summer. If you are thinking of buying a bike I'd recommend a road bike or hybrid. Most likely you will not be riding on dirt or gravel trails, which is where mountain bikes would have the advantage.