Bike to Work

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halfnote19_IHB

halfnote19_IHB

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<p>I am thinking of biking to work; I live 2.5 miles from work. It sounds like we have many bikers on this blog so I figured this is a good place to start.</p>

<p>Does anybody do/tried this? Any ideas suggestions/tips.</p>
 
Well, it was a black bimmer that almost hit me on the PCH. But, I think it's a good idea to watch out for those bimmer drivers. Remember, it's graph's fault (TM).
 
I want to cycle into work but the company I work for doesn't provide showers (which is surprising considering the size of the company and they will pay you some money towards buying a bike).





I would feel sorry for the people sitting around me if I cycled and didn't shower.





I have considered buying a Segway. Are these allowed in Irvine and the neighboring cities?
 
<p>I remember once a colleague of my from Europe (UK) told me he biked to work. I asked if he had a shower at work and he replied that he was European and it was pretty common to have "body odor" (British humor I guess...). </p>

<p>So if you want to bike to work and you don't have a place to shower just say you are "European" if anyone complains about the odor </p>
 
2.5 miles is nothing! Just go kindof slow on the way to work.





I ride once or twice a week, 12 miles each way.





It takes one hour, but driving takes half an hour, so I get one hour of exersize at a half hour time cost, a great bargain. And I feel better when I get to work without the traffic hassle.





Just do it <tm>
 
<p>Vicster, Europeans have a reputation for having Bad Teeth, BO and hairy Armpits, the Guys have an even worse reputation... </p>

<p>halfnote, do you live and work in Irvine? If so, you're lucky because this is probably the best City to ride a Bike......plenty of Bike Lanes, no Hills plus the added bonus of Cyclist Buttons on all the Traffic lights which are reachable from the kerb, if you've never noticed them they have a green sign with a Picture of a Bike.</p>

<p>Do you already ride a Bike or are you considering buying a bike to ride to work? This could make a big difference.</p>

<p>I ride to work quite a lot, I take the San Diego Bike Trail, then a short section of sidewalk (illegal), cut across a couple of Parking lots (Dangerous), jump off some Kerbs (OK depending on what Bike you ride) and sprint for the Lights because if I don't make the Green, even with the Button on the Traffic Light, it can double the time of my commute... </p>

<p>It would help if you could let us know a few more specifics such as your Dress code at work, cycling on the road experience, your commute times etc and also whether you need to shop for a Bike or not....</p>

<p> </p>
 
Congratulations on your decision.



Yeah, 2.5 miles isn't enough to break a sweat unless you go balls to the wall so I doubt body odor will be much of a problem.



Signal your intentions early to help communicate with black beemers, but inevitably you'll experience situations such as when you approach an intersection and autos turning right will actually speed up to pass you and then slam on their brakes just to make the turn. Why drivers don't just fall back for 5 seconds is beyond me.



And now that you've started, just keep up on it and your body will appreciate it. Enjoy!
 
[quote author="PeterUK" date=1207376295], then a short section of sidewalk (illegal),



not true, in irvine at least, biking on the sidewalks is legal



have fun!
 
[quote author="freedomCM" date=1207537132][quote author="PeterUK" date=1207376295], then a short section of sidewalk (illegal),



not true, in irvine at least, biking on the sidewalks is legal



have fun!</blockquote>


freedom, the penalty for riding a Bike on a Sidewalk in Irvine is getting hit by a Car, it's not so bad riding on a sidewalk in the direction of Traffic, but riding against it Drivers almost never look in that direction when pulling out into the street, riding against Traffic in a Bike lane is also very dangerous....It's very nerve racking when you see a Bike coming towards you in a Bike Lane, or Jogger for that matter, who is gonna swerve out into Traffic? It should be the Cyclist coming towards you but I never know what they are going to do. If Pilots see another Plane coming towards them they are trained to turn left, I doubt any of the Riders I see coming towards me are Pilots.



I didn't know it was Legal in Irvine? Do they have their own By-Laws here?



Here's a handy sitehttp://www.sfbike.org/?bikelawwell worth reading for anyone who plans on riding on the Street.
 
I am in the IT department so I have a little more flexibility on the dress code, but it is basically business casual.



I do work and live in Irvine which is one of the reasons I am considering biking to work. I currently do not own a bike and would be looking to buy one. My main concern with a bike would be its weight since I do live on a second floor and my office is also on a second floor so I would have to carry it up and down stairs. (The office buildings in which I work do not have bike racks outside)



My current commute to work takes 7 min. (I know, how horrible)



I don't have much cycling experience above your average person.
 
[quote author="halfnote19" date=1207559328]I am in the IT department so I have a little more flexibility on the dress code, but it is basically business casual.



I do work and live in Irvine which is one of the reasons I am considering biking to work. I currently do not own a bike and would be looking to buy one. My main concern with a bike would be its weight since I do live on a second floor and my office is also on a second floor so I would have to carry it up and down stairs. (The office buildings in which I work do not have bike racks outside)



My current commute to work takes 7 min. (I know, how horrible)



I don't have much cycling experience above your average person.</blockquote>


The Bike below would be perfect for you, it's the Trek Soho, it's easy to maintain, lightweight and gives you a fairly upright riding position...



<img src="http://www.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/2008/large/sohos_black.jpg" alt="" />



Once you buy that Bike, practice by riding to work on a Sunday morning, you'll find all kinds of shortcuts you never noticed in your Car plus, you need to find a route without left hand turns if possible, this might mean you'll need one route for riding too work and one for riding Home? Left hand turns are difficult on a Bike because you have to make lane transitions.



Then you'll need a Helmet, they're not required by law but you should never ride without one, you can go cheap on a Helmet, any Helmet sold in the US is ANSi certified, so they'll all protect your Swede, the more money you spend the more vents and comfort you'll enjoy...



To avoid freaking your Colleagues out, if you're a Guy, wear Viktor & Rolf Antidote Cologne, this is highly recommended, if you don't like it, you can give it to me :cheese:



I am lucky, I wear jeans and T-shirt to work 90% of the time which is OK for Biking, I keep a spare pair of Jeans and a T-Shirt at work just in case plus shoes because I wear Clipless shoes on the Bike....



The best way to carry a bike up and down stairs is, with the Chain away from you (standing LHS of the Bike) bend, and grip it at the lowest section of sloping downtube possible, as close to the chain ring as possible, then stand up straight...voila! The Bike will be balanced nicely and you won't be struggling, the Soho seems a reasonably lightwieght bike for the $$.



Oh, then you might need a Backpack for carrying stuff, if indeed you do carry stuff, a Backpack is the best way on a Bike...



Enjoy the ride :-)
 
[quote author="halfnote19" date=1208817605]Just wanted to say thanks to PeterUK for taking time out of his weekend to help me select a bike.

Many thanks!!</blockquote>


You're welcome!



Keep us up to date on your Bike Commute, I'm sure there are others who are also thinking about it with these rising Gas prices.



It's a great way to start and end your Day...
 
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