Little epiphanies: Sharing some little moments that made a big difference in how I get around my life.

Food is fuel. When I was twelve, I was riding my bike to friend’s house when it dawned on me, "Milk Duds and vanilla Coke make good fuel for this vehicle." I’ve been hooked on bikes (and chocolate and caffeine) ever since.

Make driving your bike as easy as driving your car. Heading out the door one morning, car keys in hand, I stopped and wondered, "Why do I take the car, instead of my bike?" This started me thinking. The car was really easy and it was always in good repair. All I had to do when I wanted to go somewhere in the car was get the keys and go. When I wanted to take the bike, I had to drag it out of the basement, air up the tires, and find my helmet. That day, I got my bike out of the basement, aired up the tires, and parked it next to the front door with the helmet hanging from the handlebars. Making my bike just as convenient to drive as my car was a huge step in changing my transportation habits.

Start with a small radius and work your way out. While training for an adventure race, I decided that I would use my bike for all trips within a five-mile radius of my house when I was traveling alone. I decided that I would only go in a car if someone else was driving and they were already going that way anyway – no special trips to drive me somewhere. This really opened my eyes to how much is within five miles, or one mile or two miles, of anywhere. I found myself riding to classes at the University, the library, the movies, downtown, friends’ houses, the video store, the post office, and on and on. By adding a rack, panniers, and a messenger bag, I was even able to do a lot of our grocery shopping. I was amazed by how easy it was once I got started.

My way is not the highway. While living in St. Louis, I realized that for every major road/highway that I traveled on, there are lots of roads that parallel the major roads. These parallel roads have surprisingly low traffic density, because most of them have low speed limits. I also noticed that traffic is surprisingly light during most of the day, especially between 10AM and 3PM and after 6PM. This opened up a new and wonderful world of cycle commuting in St. Louis, of all places. I rode all over town with my two small children in a bike cart. We enjoyed gorgeous architecture, found lovely little pocket parks, discovered unusual shops and restaurants, and developed a keen understanding of the city and its layout that I never would have gained driving my mini-van down Hwy 40.

When you can’t change your situation, change your attitude. As with life, some days on the bike are better than others. Riding with my kids has taught me that your attitude can take you a hell of a long way. One day, Max, Annarose and I got caught by surprise in a cold rain with no rain gear or jackets. As we rode home, Annarose told me "Mom, I’m changing my motto to ‘It could always be worse.’" I told her that was a good way of looking at things. She continued "You know what I like about riding in the rain?" I admitted that I didn’t. She told me "I don’t need to tuck in my pant’s leg, because the rain makes my pants stick to my legs." I chuckled in agreement. She continued jovially "No one could tell if I peed in my pants, and it would make me warm if I did!" All I could do was laugh. It was cold and wet and could have been really miserable, but with the right attitude most anything can be a fun adventure. It’s all in how you look at it.

Bike Maintenance: Make your bike as easy to use as your car. If the brakes went out on your car, or you got a flat, or your transmission went out, would you just leave it in the garage or would you make it a priority to have it repaired? It should be the same with your bike. If something goes wrong, fix it right away.

-Good condition Keep your bike in good operating condition. If you haven’t ridden it in a long time, have it tuned up. A good tune up will cost you around $45, about as much as a tank of gas for a sub-compact car.

-Accessible and ready Keep you bike easily accessible and ready to go with your helmet, lock, and other necessary gear close at hand. This will make it just as easy to hop on your bike and go, as getting in the car.

-ABC Quick Check A quick pre-ride check will help ensure a properly operating bike and a smooth ride.

Air – Check tires for proper inflation. This is best done with a tire gauge. If no gauge is available, squeeze the tire, it should be hard and unyielding. Look the tires over quickly for signs of wear and/or foreign objects caught in the treads.

Brakes – Grip both brake levers tightly, push the bike forward, the brakes should hold the bike. Try each brake individually, each brake should hold the bike. With the brake levers pulled in, there should be a thumb’s width between the lever and the handlebar. Look at the brake pads. They should be in good condition with no cracking or glazing. There should be plenty of rubber above the wear lines. The tire rims should be clean to ensure proper braking.

Chain, Cassette, Chain rings, Cranks These elements make up your bike’s drive train. They should be clean and in good condition. The chain should fit snuggly with no excess slack. It should shift smoothly. To protect your drive train and get the most out of your bike, the chain should be kept clean and properly lubricated. Wipe the chain clean, apply one drop of lubricant to each bushing, rotate the chain by back pedaling, and wipe off excess oil. An overly lubricated chain will attract and hold dirt, which will shorten the life of the chain.

Quick Check all quick releases to make sure they are tightly fastened and pointed back so as not to catch on anything.

Check Take a short ride to ensure all components are working properly together.

Further Education Flats are the most common type of bike problem. Learn to change your tires and always carry a spare tube, a flat kit, and an inflator (mini-pump or CO2 inflator). Bicycle maintenance is pretty simple, intuitive, and fun. Take a bike maintenance class, check out a book on the topic from the library, or check out the internet and/or youtube for loads of helpful information about how to work on your bike.

Bike Safety: Knowing how to control your bike in all conditions is your best and most basic safety tool.

Properly Maintained Bicycle A properly operating and tuned up bicycle is key to safety.

Properly Fitted Bicycle A bicycle that fits properly is easier, safer, and more comfortable to operate. Proper bike fit helps you get the most efficiency from your efforts and helps you avoid sport-related injuries.

Properly Fitted Helmet, Properly Worn 85% of cycling related deaths and disabling injuries are the result of head injuries that could be avoided by wearing a properly fitted helmet. A helmet that does not fit properly will not protect you in an accident.

Properly Illuminated Bike According to state law, and common sense, your bike must be equipped with a white, front bike headlight and rear red-reflector or light. You should never ride in low-light conditions – night, dusk, dawn, fog, overcast, rain – without proper bicycle lights.

Bike Safety Skills

1. Always maintain control of your bike. 50% of all bike crashes are the result of falls, which result when a cyclist looses control of the bike.
2. Practice stopping and starting your bike with control.
3. Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. Cyclists have the same rights to the roads as drivers of automobiles, this means we also have the same responsibilities. Obey all traffic laws…stop and wait your turn at intersections, signal your intent, ride in the same direction as traffic, ride as far to the right as is safe and practical.
4. Learn emergency avoidance techniques to help avoid crashes should you find yourself in a dangerous situation.

A last word on safety The number one killer of Americans between the ages of 3 and 33 is car crashes. Over 43,000 Americans die in car crashes every year. The number one killer in this county is heart disease, which is associated with sedentary lifestyle. Many other deadly and debilitating diseases are associated with sedentary lifestyle, as well. These include diabetes, obesity, many cancers, and depression, among others. Commuting by bicycle works exercise into your life everyday, everywhere you go. When thinking about safety and risks, make sure you are looking at whole picture.

Route Selection: Think outside the car. For every heavily trafficked primary road, there are many parallel roads going the same direction. Learn your town, you will be amazed by how many beautiful ways there are to get around.

In short, with a little imagination and adventure, you can get just about anywhere easily and comfortably by bike.

Weather Issues: When you can’t change your situation, change your attitude.

Many folks are put off by cycling in less than perfect weather. When talking to people about bike commuting, I invariably come up against lots of "Yeah, buts" about weather. "Yeah, but what if it rains?" "Yeah, but I’ll get sweaty." "Yeah, but it’s too cold." "Yeah, but it’s too hot." "Yeah, but. Yeah, but. Yeah, but."

It’s true: sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it snows or sleets. A big part of dealing with it is dealing with it. As my daughter, Annarose told me one day as we were riding home in a soaking driving rain "Mom, I’ve decided my new slogan is ‘It could always be worse.’" A huge part of all weather riding is your attitude. That said, start in your comfort zone and slowly expand it.

Thankfully, there is lots of gear out there to help you with a wide range of weather conditions, which brings us to…

Clothing and Equipment: Think ahead, be prepared.

Outfitting your bike for commuting –

-Lights – You must have properly working lights on your bike to be legal and safe. White headlight on the front, red reflector/light on back.

-Fenders – Fenders help keep you dry and comfortable in less than ideal weather conditions. Fenders keep you from getting a road grime stripe up your back and they keep your feet and lower legs dry. Fenders also protect your drive train, brakes, and frame from road grime.

-Bell – A bell is a pleasant, friendly way to warn people of your presence.

-Coffee Cup Holder – A most civilized way to enjoy your morning coffee on the way to work, especially nice on cold mornings.

-Cycle Computer – A fun way to keep track of your speed and all those miles you are riding, saving the earth and natural resources.

-Lock – Locks are a must for bike security. There are many types available. I prefer combination cable locks, because I don’t have to carry a key and I can lock up to most anything.

-Racks – As a commuter, you will invariably need to carry stuff; racks allow you to carry stuff on your bike. Rear racks are the most common, front racks are available if you really want to carry lots of stuff.

-Panniers – Panniers are like saddle bags that mount easily on your racks. There are many, many types of panniers available in a huge range of prices and sizes. You should think about what you will want to carry, and choose panniers accordingly.

-Trunks – Trunks are usually smaller than panniers and sit on top of your rack. They are generally for holding small loads of stuff that you want to have with you most of the time.

-Milk Crate – Milk crates are cheap, spacious, weather resistant and easily attached with zip ties.

-Bike Carts – Bike carts allow you to carry/pull child passengers or haul large loads of stuff. They come in many sizes and shapes.

-Tag-a-longs – Tag-a-longs are designed to carry slightly older children who are big enough to hold on to a bike and pedal a little bit. They help kids learn to ride while staying close to mom or dad.

Safety: Helmet, Gloves, Glasses, Bright Visible Clothing.

-Helmet – Always wear your helmet.

-Gloves – Can help protect your hands from abrasions in case of a crash or fall, pad your hands for comfort, and keep them warm in cold weather.

-Glasses – Help protect your eyes from bugs and flying debris, as well as rain, snow, and sun.

-Bright visible clothing – Bright colors help drivers see you, which keeps you safe. A safety vest is a good idea and can be worn over any type of clothing.

Comfort and convenience:

-Rain gear - There are many types of rain gear available for wet weather riding. My personal favorite is a combination of fenders, which keeps water and dirt from getting thrown up on you, and a rain cape. Rain capes are big in Europe, not so much here. A rain cape is a specially designed poncho to keep you and your bike dry in rainy weather. It allows for air circulation so you don’t get all sweaty like in a rain suit.

-Cold Weather Gear- Your body generates a good deal of heat as you are cycling. I recommend dressing in layers, so you can adjust your clothing as your body heats up. The real challenge lies in keeping hands/fingers, feet/toes, and ears warm. The best gloves I have found for commuting are insulated hunting gloves that came from a large discount retailer. They kept my fingers warm through the most extreme cold, way better than the expensive cycling specific gloves that I wasted money on. Keep your toes warm with thick warm socks and wind resistant shoes/boots. Always cover your ears with a stocking cap or head band under your helmet.

-Messenger bags – If you don’t want to fit your bike with racks and panniers, you can carry stuff on your body with a back pack or messenger bag. My favorite is a Chrome bag. I have experimented for years with messenger bags and Chrome is the best one I have found, hands down.