If you’re still on the fence about biking to work, or are biking but worried about forgetting some vital piece of gear, we’ve got 4 tips to help make it a low-stress Bike To Work Day! These suggestions originally appeared in a Time.com article promoting Bike To Work Day 2015 and they’re worthy of a re-post:
Don’t get overwhelmed with tons of gear. It’s a good idea for anyone who rides a bike to know how to patch a tire. But if you get a flat and you aren’t sure how to fix it you are most like going to call somebody to pick you up. The point is that it’s not necessary to get bogged down loading up with gear in anticipation of every potential pitfall during a cycling commute.
Forget cycling apparel. Wear a helmet. Other than that, no other bikewear is necessary, assuming your commute isn’t 30 miles of windy hills. “You don’t have to wear special cycling gear in order to ride a bike, everyday clothes work just fine,” advises the League of American Bicyclists. “If your bike doesn’t have a chain guard, you can keep your pants away from the chain by rolling up your pant leg or using a leg band.”
Plot the most sensible route. If your bicycling commute route isn’t obvious, do a little research. The shortest ride by distance is not necessarily the easiest or smartest way to go. It’s often worth it to go a bit out of your way to hook up with trails and other paths reserved for non-automobile traffic, or at least to ride on roads with dedicated bike lines or extra-wide shoulders. [Editor’s Note: We suggest trying 511CC’s Bike Mapper to plan your route to work.]
Scope out the basics ahead of time. Get a good lock and know where you’re going to park your bike during the work day. Figure out the options for grabbing a shower, or at least washing up after the commute. Perhaps there is a gym nearby to negotiate a shower fee with, or maybe there are showers at the office office.
Bike To Work Day is about having fun getting to work, so if you’ve got a bicycle, a helmet and the desire to bike to work, you can do this!
For additional information and resources, visit our Bike To Work Day page.
