When it comes to your daily commute, you have a few options. You could drive and inevitably end up sitting in traffic and suffering from serious road rage. You could take the train or subway, where youâll likely be crammed into a tiny train car next to a million angry commuters, all of which are likely to sneeze a little too close for comfort. Or you could bike to work.
You donât have to be a superstar cyclist to consider biking to work. Tons of major cities now offer appealing (and affordable) bike-share programs and getting to work on two wheels not only gets you a few bonus miles for the day, but itâs also more likely to have you showing up to the office feeling refreshed â and far more germ-free.
Ryan Starbuck, a 2:47 marathoner, is an avid bike commuter who recently moved from New York City to Denver, CO. During his time in NYC, Starbuck biked to work every day, only making exceptions for the occasional run commute.
âI made it a point never to take the subway to work, and I stuck to it,â Starbuck says. âThe commute to work on the subway took around 40 minutes. By bike, it only took 15, so it was definitely the better option.â
Here, Starbuck shares everything heâs learned about biking to work â including how heâs managed to rack up hundreds of bike commuting miles over the years.
1. What is your number one tip for biking to work?
The best return on investment youâll ever get is a good pair of windproof gloves and a jacket. Whether itâs four miles or 14, youâll do OK biking in a pair of jeans and boots if you just have flat pedals. But, if your hands are cold for the entire commute, youâll be miserable.
A windproof jacket goes a long way because as your body heats up from the ride, you can stay warm inside. I have worn just a sweater and a windproof running jacket down to the single digits during commutes in NYC. Ski helmets and goggles also work for those super cold days!
2. What about a backpack? Do you rely on one for your bike commutes, or do you plan ahead and stash a change of clothes at the office?
If I take my laptop home, I commute with a Patagonia messenger bag. Iâve had it for six years now, and itâs held up perfectly. It keeps things dry when it downpours, itâs comfortable in the summer and winter, and it has lots of handy pockets for stashing your phone or a pair of sunglasses. But, I donât usually commute with too much except for the occasional clothes rotation at work.
2. So how do you plan for the âclothes rotationâ when you bike to work?
I have half a wardrobe at work, basically. I keep spare clothes to change into if needed, but sometimes I just commute in what Iâll wear to work that day since I donât get too sweaty on the ride. I also leave a couple of pairs of shoes at work because those are the most annoying things to have to carry.
4. What about helmet hair?
I have no idea what to do with my hair, to be honest. Itâs just always crazy at work. I have a brush at my desk and some hair gel, but lots of times, I forget about it until halfway through the day when I see my hair going in all sorts of directions. The fact that itâs sort of long and sticks out of my helmet doesnât help.
So yeah, I would love some advice on this, actually! I donât think thereâs anything I could do besides just showering at work every day.
5. What weather wonât you bike commute in?
Ice, snow, and severe thunderstorms. Iâve had a few cases of surprise snow on a ride, and thatâs the worst. Iâve had to catch a ride home with coworkers who live nearby.
6. Do you commute with your own bike â the one you train on â or a commuting-only bike?
I usually just ride my road bike to work. Most of my ride is on paths, so I donât have to worry about damaging it any more than if I were just riding it for fitness. But in NYC, I mostly commuted using the CitiBike bike share.
7. Have you ever gotten a flat during a bike commute?
Tons! I have a spare tube on my bike at all times, so Iâve been able to fix it on the go. I can proudly say a flat has never caused me to be late for a morning meeting!
8. Serious question: Do you log your bike commuting miles on Strava?
Of course! I love it because Strava actually uses data from bike commutes to help better plan cities. Itâs also nice to be able to see if I was faster or slower on a specific day and to try and beat those times.
9. Do you ride the same route every day? And do you choose the most direct route or the most pleasant and scenic one?
Iâve switched it up a little over the past few months as Iâve found faster routes, but I generally take the same trail when biking to work. I have a more direct route to work on the way in, and my ride home is more scenic and avoids more roads.
10. Speaking of safety, whatâs your best safety tip for bike commuters?
Lights! Get so many lights that you think itâs overkill. Cars can see blinking lights a lot easier than the normal ones, so I make sure to have a couple of those on in addition to my main beam.
Rechargeable ones are good, too, because you can recharge at work and not have to worry about batteries. And always stay in the bike lane and follow the rules of the road. Obviously.
11. Why do you bike to work?
I think biking to work is much nicer than sitting in a car or on a bus. Itâs more sustainable, more fun, and sometimes quicker.
Given rush-hour traffic, biking to work is only 10 minutes or so slower than driving, and it provides a much more pleasant start to your morning. I like the added fitness you get from riding, and I like how fun it is to bike fast. Riding a bike is just as fun now as it was when I was a kid, so I try to do it as much as possible.
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