i do a random mix of keeping stuff at work and bringing it in.

most of the time i’m a mess. work are understanding and/or i’ve broken their willpower to argue any more.

I commute six miles in as part of a mixed road / rail commute with a Brompton. The Brompton mounting kit and bags are brilliant – you end up with a bag mounted over the front wheel. I use the S bag, which is big enough for a 13″ laptop and lots of clothes and bits. tools, tube, rain cover and lights in one ear at the back, water bottle in the other:

I keep two pairs of shoes, troosers and jumpers at work – you can put a sweater on and hide a creased shirt quite well that way.

Merino tops are also great – they don’t pong. I use the Endura Baa Baa long sleeves, and will be buying more. I wear shorts (Humvees and similar) in the summer, longs in the winter. I’m about to buy a pair of Endura Urban trousers for winter commutes – it’s difficult to find something that doesn’t make you look an idiot if you get into the office and don’t have time to change.

Alternative to overshoes – Sealskinz. Less fugly, but your shoes get a beating.

One other thing: riding every day will give your kit a beating, so budget in a fair bit for new clothing and kit each year. Hub gears are well worth it if you don’t want to go ss or fixed – much cheaper to fix the drive train.

Commuting to work by bike is excellent – bizarrely it’s best when the weather is foul (like today) as it gets me out on my bike regularly when I’d otherwise have an exercise-free day.

I carry my stuff with me and shower when I get into work – usually keeping it to just a shirt & underwear and leaving trousers, shoes, ties, towel, shower gel, deodorant etc in work. I tried bulk carrying of shirts into work but it’s too much hassle for me, and there’s the risk of losing track of how many clean shirts are left, and in my works case, the certainty of shirts absorbing the lovely “eau de changing room” smell.

I use one of these to carry folded shirts in my backpack and pack my bag the night before so I can just grab the bag, chuck some biking gear on and head out of the door (helps with the motivation on cold, dark winter days)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EAGLE-CREEK-Pack-It-Folder-black/dp/B004RHJH92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349797268&sr=8-1

The creases fall out in the first 10 mins or so (probably sooner if you unpack and hang it before showering) and so after half an hour in work, I bet no-one could tell if I have cycled or driven in. Don’t pack the shirt into the bag soon after ironing though as the creases tend to become permanent.

A good point above about cycling clothing – you’ll go through a lot of clothes, both in terms of the sheer quantity of wet & dirty clothes generated through the week and in terms of wear to the clothes, so I don’t wear my “best” stuff, but have some functional gear, largely decathalon type (tehcnical fabrics rather than cotton, they’re easier to wash and dry for one, and less unpleasant to wear when wet / sweaty).

When it’s really wet and nasty i’ll bring in a seperate set of clothes for the ride home, to avoid the horrible “putting on wet clothes” moment.

Lights – LED lights are good and cheap now so there’s no reason not to be well lit, from “be seen” lights to thousand lumen jobbies. I got a bit fed up of always charging lights (for an off-road commute so they’re the bright types) and have made a dynamo set-up, so no battery charging anymore.

Finally, the problem I’ve not found a good solution to yet is footwear for wet days – am currently experimenting with overshoes, but they’re a right faff.

Sorry, that was rather long and rambling but in conclusion, bike commuting is great so do try to do it as often as possible, it if at all possible.

Before and after for me.

I do 15/16 miles pendin route. Go quicker on my. Roadrat than i did my fixed and have been eating more because of that.

I agree as often as possible . Look on folks faces on bad weather days is great

Yep – 12 miles a day five days a week plus an evening ride and a sneaky bimble at the weekend if I can squeeze it in (we have two nippers under 2.5 years old) keeps me happy. Perversely, especially in filthy weather. You feel you’ve achieved something before you get to work.

By the way: Double espresso before I head off, then tea and toast (free of charge at my place of work) and a hot shower. No towels of lockers, but we’re in temp offices while our place is being refitted, so I live in hope. 🙂

so…quickest way of making a (decent) espresso while putting on overshoes is…………………

(stove top!)

still the cafetiere here

Baby Gaggia – a wedding present. Warm it up while I’m getting the eldest nipper dressed and fed for nursery, draw a quick double shot, take some juice up to Mrs Udder while it cools slightly, then it’s good to drink. I have a stovetop I used to use, but the Gaggia is quicker, cleaner and more predictable.

so…quickest way of making a (decent) espresso while putting on overshoes is…

I’ll probably get flamed horribly for this but shamefully I use my little Krups Dolce Gusto:

Yes I know, it’s not a real coffee, and even worse it is Nestlé (boo hiss!) – but it was a present so I can’t ignore it, it’s quick and the espresso is actually quite drinkable.

a bean to cup set on a timer-plug to get warmed up before you even wake, then push a button.

hmmm what about riding with the (double) espresso / americano? Camelback thermos thingy?

Terry,
Think I passed you in the van a couple of days ago in Dyce and Hazlehead.
What have you got on your wheels? They are seriously “hi viz”
Rich.

Ah you have the white vw with animal graphics ?

I have clip on 3m reflective strips

Works dunnit .

what about carrying lunch? few baps in the back pocket?

Tassimo espresso for me.

I carry lunch in an old school Thunderbirds lunch tin. Throw it in the panniers. Bulletproof.

-4 this morning.

anyone change their route each winter to keep on gritted roads? this is my first winter, so i might have to do that…………..

i tend to change my tires rather than the route

used 120 stud conti claws before on an mtb but commute was shorter. just took advantage of the early bird offer at spa cycles on winter marathons. – 30 quid a pop

Nearly got taken out by a taxi this morning at a roundabout – god knows what he was thinking im hardly invisible (my bike looks like tron from the side and has 1200 lumens pouring out the front and a red eye on the back plus reflective yellow flashing red led ankle bands) i was aware he was coming onto the round about but he just went as if i wasnt there accelerating hard then skidded to a hault and got on his horn(as if he thought i should have given way to him entering the roundabout) as soon as he realised i was there …. cocknose.

oh and it was only zero with us today at 6.30 – was frosty last night though.

Nordic spike would be 700c version but a bit wide at 40 / 42 !

edit: schwalbe marathon winter is a bit thinner – would be good for cross/ roady-hybrid

edit: interstingly seeing some reviews of studded tyres suggest the holes for the studs fill up with rubbish and cause punctures on the tubes.

so perhaps a heavier tube is needed?
or UST with slime – to fill in the holes of the studs coming through – might be a bugger to inflate though?

i’m now thinking i’ll run a mtb in winter with these kind of tyres on , then decide on the morning of the commute which way to go, remembering of course to swap the lights across before i ride 😉

thats tosh of the highest order

only time i ever had to run a heavy duty tube was when i did a home brew studded tire … and it was shite.

i went for the marathon as my commutes largely tar path / road and a nordic spike would penalise me on the road sections