You should definitely spend some time getting to know your city better via your bike!  It is fun to explore neighborhoods and find alternate routes.  One really fun way to do this is to participate in one of the Urban Assault Rides if you are lucky enough to live in a city that hosts one.  These are really fun events where you ride from check point to check point (in any order you choose) and the main objective is to help people discover the city on bike, and become more open to the possibilities associated with cycling in the city.

In 2010, the following U.S. cities will have Urban Assault Rides:

• Tucson, AZ
• Berkeley, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Charlotte, NC
• Austin, TX
• Fort Collins, CO
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• St. Louis, MO
• Madison, WI
• Chicago, IL
• Minneapolis, MN

I’ve given you some pointers on bike commuting, with a focus on getting to work at a corporate job.  Remember, though, you can benefit from riding your bike for other purposes as well.  Most car trips are actually very short – maybe you go over to a friend’s house frequently, or to the grocery store, or to the local library or video rental store.  You can replace these car trips with bike trips, too.  No need to limit yourself to getting to and from work!

Here are a few key safety tips to keep in mind when commuting by bicycle.

The laws of physics always override the laws of the people.

In other words, even if you have the right-of-way, if you are cycling and get hit by a car, you lose.  It is never the other way around!  So the key take-away here is to ride defensively.  Always assume that if there is something dumb that driver might do to put you in danger, they will do it.  Always assume that even if you are wearing neon yellow and have lights a-blazing, you can’t be seen.  It is your job to avoid getting hurt.  Trust me on this.  Every time I see a white Suburban I am reminded of that driver’s traffic ticket and my broken nose!

Try to be visible.

Notwithstanding the above, wearing bright and/or reflective clothing is a good plan, and  front and rear lights are essential equipment for riding in the dark.  Even if you should assume you won’t be seen, try your best to make sure that you are.

Drivers will forget about you once they pass you and/or they will often misjudge how fast they are going relative to you.

The following happens ALL THE TIME:  I’m cruising along at the side of the road, and a car passes me.  Then immediately, they turn to the right, and right in front of me, at the next intersection.  As noted above, invariably they either have (already!) forgotten I am there, or else they think that I must be going wayyyyyy slower than I really am, so I have to jump on the brakes or else I will ram into them as they slow for the right turn.

Similarly, when approaching from the opposite direction, drivers will also misjudge how fast a cyclist is approaching, and they may turn right in front of you across your lane.  You have the right of way, but no matter – you will have to brake to avoid hitting them.

It is a good practice to follow traffic laws.

Cyclists have a bad reputation for just blatantly running stop lights, and with good reason.  However, this kind of behavior just fuels road rage against cyclists, which is neither good for you nor for me.  Besides that, there is a benefit to having some predictability among drivers and cyclists.  You can’t read their minds, and they can’t read yours.  Therefore, if you signal your intentions with proper hand signals, stop when you are supposed to, and everyone follows the rules, then you have a lower risk of having an accident.  (However, I recognize that sometimes traffic signals will not “trigger” with a bike, so if it is early morning or late at night and that red light is never going to turn green, then you are just going to have to go on your way when the coast is clear.  Use good judgment.)

Even parked cars can be dangerous.

I’ve actually known more than one person to be riding along and just smack right into a parked car. One guy I know broke his wrist, which of course meant no riding for at least 6 weeks while he was in a cast.  He was just yakking and didn’t notice the car was there.

Other cars may be dangerous in a different way.  This is more of an issue in urban areas where cars are moving in and out of parallel parking spaces, but you could get hit either 1) from someone suddenly pulling out of a parking spot as you ride past, or 2) by someone swinging a car door open suddenly.  Always be on the lookout for drivers in parked cars; when approaching from behind, look through the back windshield to see if someone is in the car.  If so, slow down, and assume that anything could happen, including but not limited to either of the two above scenarios.  Be vigilant and keep your distance.

Helmets aren’t just for small children learning to ride.

Okay, it goes without saying that you are free to do what you want here, but I am going to wear a helmet whenever I ride, no exceptions.  My kids need their mom, not a “vegetable.”  I make my kids wear helmets, too — no exceptions.  And please, if you are going to make your kids wear helmets, don’t be one of those parents who then doesn’t wear a helmet when out on a family ride.  Sheesh, set a good example!   Why should your kid wear a helmet when you don’t?

Mark your calendars and set your DVRs!  Watch Chrissie Wellington ride to a new Ironman record!

Reblogging this video to provide some inspiration for everyone!  Check out these awesome ladies!

ellehcimhael:

Crossfit women!

Maybe some of you are lucky enough to be able to wear casual clothes to work, like shorts, t-shirts, and sneakers. (I’ll bet the percentage of employees of local bike shops or outfitters such as REI who commute by bike to work is much higher than for employees of law firms or corporations for this reason alone!)  But for many of us, a suit is the required dress code, or, at a minimum, it is “business casual.”  In any case, it ain’t bike shorts and a jersey!

No worries! There are solutions!  Consider these, for example:

• Keep a wardrobe box in your office.  I’ve had one in my office for well over a decade, and most people don’t even notice.  These are the kinds of boxes used for moving, which have a bar across the top where you can hang clothes on hangers, just like a small, portable closet.  They completely close up, so when someone is in your office, they don’t have to see your clothes. If they even notice, they will just think, “hmmm, wonder what’s up with that big box over there?” and then forget about it when they leave.

• • If you keep suits in the ol’ wardrobe box, you can take them to the cleaners directly one day during your lunch hour and pick them up the next.  Clean clothes? No problem.  No need to transport them to and from home on the bike!  Of course you will need to keep shoes, socks, hosiery, or whatever other accessories you need at the office, too, unless you want to transport them on the bike.
  • Warning:  the only downside to this solution is when you are at home and some particular item of clothing you want or need is at the office! Just try to plan ahead if you think you will need a particular item at home.

• You can, of course, also pack clothes in your bike bag.  The key here is to roll up each item of clothing to keep wrinkles to a minimum.

• A middle-of-the-road option that works for some people is to drive a car once a week, with a whole week’s worth of outfits, and then bike on the other days.  Then the next time you drive, take the dirties home and bring in new, clean outfits.

I mentioned Rocket Shower products in my Bike Commuting 101 segment on showering.  Here is a link to their products.

Check out this article discussing the Engine 2 Diet and how some folks who tried it found it surprisingly easy.

Probably the most common excuse for not commuting to work by bike is because there is no shower at the office, and people are afraid they are going to be all stinky and sweaty when they get there.  This is a legitimate concern, but in most cases there is a solution! Consider the following when formulating your commuting plan.

First, check to see if there is a shower at your work site! You may be pleasantly surprised, yet answering this question may not be as simple as you think.

Many times, people have a shower in their building and do not even know it.  I worked at one place for months before I discovered by chance that there was a shower in the building.  It turned out to be a really terrific facility with showers, lockers, and a dressing room!

At another place, I was smart enough to ask right when I started working there, but was told that there wasn’t one, only to find out from someone else that there really was!  (Keep in mind that if people aren’t using it, they probably don’t know about it.)

Another office I spent time in was in the same building as a hotel, and eventually I was able to confirm (with persistent questions) that, yes, those leasing office space could indeed get access to the hotel fitness facility and showers as part of the lease deal.

At yet another location, there was not a shower in my company’s work space, but another company in the building had a shower that was secure (i.e., with a lockable door) and yet accessible from a public hallway (so you didn’t have to enter their work space) and hardly anyone ever used it, so they were nice enough to loan me a key and let me use it (until a couple of years later when they decided they needed more space for photocopiers! (what the heck!?))

So now, years later, I’m still in the same building, and I can’t use the photocopy room to shower, so I have come up with other options that I have used at one time or another.  If you don’t have a shower facility at work, consider these possibilities:

• Go ahead and shower in the morning at home and then ride to work, because chances are you won’t really get that sweaty in the morning anyway (especially in the non-summer months).  It’s the ride home in the heat of the afternoon when you are more likely to get sweaty, and hey!  Guess what?  You can shower when you get home!

• Ride to a gym that is close to your office and get in a workout, then shower there, and go on to work.

• If all else fails and you do get sweaty on the ride in to work, then shampoo your hair in the sink in the bathroom, and/or use a sport cleansing spray or wipes (e.g., Rocket Shower) to sponge off.  Just keep toiletries and a hair dryer (if needed) in a file cabinet or desk drawer, and keep a towel handy (which you can dry on a rack that hangs over the inside of your office door or on the wall of your cubicle.)

Many people will be deterred by what other people may think:  “I can’t do that because it would be weird for me to wash my hair in the sink.”  The Placid Athlete is not concerned about this at all. Who cares if you get a reputation as the girl or guy who cycles to work and shampoos in the sink?  It is totally fine to be that guy or girl!  You will be secretly envied.  I promise.

Since I mentioned that cyclocross bikes are the best bikes for commuting, I thought it might be helpful to explain a bit more about cyclocross racing.  This video is a good intro to the sport.