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Sport Factory Blog

Bicycle Commuting: How to Start, What to Ride and Carry

Posted by Matt Russ

Bicycle Commuting: How to Start, What to Ride and Carry

Commuter riding a red bicycle in city lane

Bicycle commuting works best when you keep it simple: ride a bike that fits you and is in good working order, pick a calm route, be visible, and carry what you need to fix a flat. You do not need a special bike or an expensive kit to begin. You need a plan for the route, the load, the weather and the parking. This guide walks through each of those, in the order you will meet them.

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TL;DR

  • Any comfortable bike in good working order can be a commuter. Fit, brakes and tires matter more than the bike category.
  • Choose your route for low traffic and slower speeds, and test it on a weekend before the first workday ride.
  • Core kit: helmet, front and rear lights, a strong U-lock, a rack or panniers, a pump and a repair kit.
  • Start with a short, achievable distance and a few days a week, then build up.
  • Have a backup plan for bad weather or mechanical trouble, such as transit or a ride share.

Table of Contents

Why people commute by bike

The reasons that keep riders going are practical. The League of American Bicyclists says commuting by bike can cut fuel, maintenance, parking and ticket costs and can replace some gym time. The same page notes that it builds a workout into the daily schedule and may be less stressful than driving.

The health case is documented too. The CDC’s surveillance report points to transportation-related activity such as walking and bicycling as one way to meet the federal guideline of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, in bouts of at least 10 minutes. A CDC article in Preventing Chronic Disease states that active transportation is associated with better fitness, lower cardiovascular-disease risk, and lower rates of obesity and diabetes.

The honest challenge is infrastructure. The League reports that a lack of safe, connected bike routes is a major barrier to commuting. That is why route choice, covered below, deserves more attention than almost anything you buy.

Bike commuting is still uncommon. CDC data show that 2.6% to 3.4% of U.S. respondents used active transportation as their primary work commute between 1999 and 2012. You will not be alone on the road, but you will often be unexpected, which is one more reason to ride visibly.

Choosing a bike for your commute

The League’s position is reassuring: any comfortable bicycle in good working order works, including road, mountain, hybrid, cross and touring bikes. If you already own one, start there before shopping.

If you are choosing, match the bike to your priorities. Boston’s city bike guidance suggests upright bikes for comfort, road bikes for speed, hybrids for balance, and folding bikes for portability, with step-through or mixte frames if swinging a leg over a high top tube is hard. The same page tells you to consider what you carry, where the bike will be stored, the terrain and the fit. Rack mounts help with errands, gears help on hills, and the frame should fit you before you adjust the seat.

A rough guide by commute:

Your commute What tends to work Why
Short and flat, under a few miles Upright city bike or hybrid Comfort, easy to ride in work clothes
Hilly Bike with a wide gear range Gears make climbs manageable
Long, open roads Road or gravel-style bike Speed and efficiency
Mixed transit and bike Folding bike Portability on trains and in offices
Heavy loads or errands Bike with rack mounts Carry weight on the bike, not your back

Electric assistance is a real option for long distances or hills, and an e-bike versus city bike comparison for commuters lays out the trade-offs in sweat, cost and security.

Tires matter more than you think

Most commuting trouble is a flat. Wider, more robust tires roll over broken pavement, grates and debris with fewer problems, and a tire that suits your surface saves you from roadside repairs. If your route mixes pavement with paths or gravel, look at gravel and cross tires, which offer volume and grip without feeling slow on asphalt. For rougher, dirt-heavy commutes, MTB tires are the durable choice. You can browse everything in our tire category.

Wide bicycle tire crossing mixed pavement

Plan the route before the ride

The League advises choosing a route by distance, traffic volume, road width and condition, and terrain, and testing new routes on a weekend. NHTSA’s advice is similar: plan a route with less traffic and slower speeds, use a bike lane or path where appropriate, and stay away from heavy traffic where you can.

A practical routine:

  1. Map two or three options, not one. The fastest is rarely the most pleasant.
  2. Ride them on a Saturday or Sunday, when traffic is lighter and you can stop to look.
  3. Note the trouble spots: a merge, a bad intersection, a stretch of broken pavement.
  4. Time each route so you know how long to allow on a workday.
  5. Check where you will park and where you will freshen up.

Bay Area commuters can use the 511 biking maps to find local paths and routes that avoid freeways and steep hills. Many other regions have an equivalent from their transportation department or city bike program, so search for yours before you invent a route from scratch.

If you are nervous, bring company. Washington State DOT suggests that new riders consider a commuting mentor or partner for the first rides.

The gear you actually need

Official guidance converges on a short list. The 511 program lists a properly fitting bike, a certified helmet, a strong U-lock, a headlight and tail lights as the essentials, plus a rack or panniers, a repair kit, a pump and a water bottle as helpful extras. Washington State DOT adds fenders for wet weather and layered clothing.

Item What it does Notes
Helmet Protects your head Choose a certified, properly fitted one
Front and rear lights Make you seen See the lights section below
U-lock Secures the bike Use a strong one, lock frame and wheel
Rack and panniers Carry your load Keeps weight off your back
Fenders Block spray Useful on any wet commute
Pump and repair kit Fix a flat Learn the repair at home first
Water bottle Hydration Handy even on short rides

Carrying your things

The League lists racks with panniers, baskets, backpacks and messenger bags as the main ways to carry a load. A pannier moves weight onto the bike, which keeps your back dry and cool and makes the ride steadier. Browse bike bags, panniers and racks for the full range, or go straight to panniers if your bike already has a rack. For a light load such as a lunch and a jacket, a bike pack can be enough.

Five bicycle commuting carry options

Before your first workday ride, test the route with your normal work load, as 511 suggests. A laptop, shoes and a lunch weigh more than they seem, and you want to learn how the bike handles with them on a quiet weekend, not in rush hour.

What to wear

For shorter rides, regular clothes work. Washington State DOT notes that you should feel comfortable to slightly cool before you start, because you warm up as you ride. Overdressing is the classic beginner mistake.

Once your commute reaches several miles, padded cycling shorts can be worn under or instead of regular pants and make a big difference to comfort. More options sit in our apparel category. The League recommends keeping spare clothes at work, so a change of shirt and trousers can live in a desk drawer instead of your bag.

Lights and visibility

If you ride at dawn, dusk or in poor weather, lights are non-negotiable. NHTSA advises a white front light and a red rear light or reflectors at night or in poor visibility, and recommends bright or reflective clothing and equipment.

Our recommendation is to treat lights as year-round equipment, not just for winter. A rear light that flashes in daylight is far easier for drivers to notice. We wrote about this in more depth in our piece on daytime running lights for bicycles.

Where to look:

Charge rechargeable lights on a routine, such as every Sunday evening, so you never leave with a dead battery.

Ride safely

NHTSA’s rules of the road for cyclists are short. Ride in the same direction as traffic, obey signs and signals, signal your turns, stay predictable and avoid distractions. Watch for hazards like potholes and grates. The League adds that you should ride visibly and predictably and arrange safe parking.

The data explain the emphasis. NHTSA reported that 840 bicyclists were killed in U.S. motor-vehicle traffic crashes in 2016, and the agency identifies falls as the most common bicycle crashes and vehicle collisions as the most serious. That is an older figure, so check NHTSA’s current statistics for the latest numbers, but the lesson holds: avoid conflicts with cars through route choice and visibility, and keep your bike in good shape so you do not fall.

A pre-ride check takes under a minute. NHTSA advises checking fit and function, including your brakes, before you ride. Squeeze both levers, spin the wheels, look at the tires and make sure nothing rattles.

Flats, chains and basic maintenance

The League’s list of skills for commuters is modest: fix a flat, fix a chain and inspect brake pads. Practice the flat at home at the kitchen table, not on a roadside at 7:45 a.m.

Carry a spare tube or plug kit, tire levers and a pump. A small hand pump is the classic, and a compact electronic inflator is faster when your hands are cold or you are in a hurry. Our pumps, inflation systems and tools category covers both. Know your valve type, Presta or Schrader, before you buy anything, because the pump head has to match.

Once a week, wipe the chain, check tire pressure and look at the brake pads. That habit prevents most mechanical failures.

Weather and the backup plan

New Jersey’s commuting guidance recommends thin layers and full-finger gloves in cool weather, plus fenders and breathable waterproof clothing in the rain. It also suggests an alternative plan, such as a pickup, transit or ride share, for days when conditions are unsuitable.

That backup plan is the most underrated commuting tool. Knowing you can get home another way makes it easier to start riding, because a flat or a storm is no longer a crisis. Pick your fallback now: the bus line with a bike rack, a friend, or a ride-share.

Parking and storage

At work, find out before your first ride where the bike will go. Indoor storage beats a street rack. If you must lock outside, use a strong U-lock and secure the frame and a wheel to something solid. At home, a good setup removes friction. Bicycle storage solutions for a garage, apartment or ceiling keep the bike where you can grab it in a minute.

Our perspective

We sell performance gear, and the riders we talk to are often chasing watts and race results. Commuters teach us something different: the best equipment is the equipment that makes you want to ride tomorrow.

In our view, three upgrades do more for a commuter than any exotic part. First, tires that suit your surface and resist flats, because a flat is the number one reason a new commuter gives up. Second, lights you never have to think about, bright enough to be seen and easy to charge. Third, a way to carry your load on the bike instead of on your back. After that, comfort items such as pedals that suit your shoes and a handlebar position you can hold for the whole ride.

We pick products for engineering quality and rider-focused features, and we pay attention to what riders report after using them. That approach applies to commuting gear too: look for reliability first, then weight, then looks. And if you are new, start with the bike you have. Upgrade what bothers you, one piece at a time.

— Coach Matt

Get equipped for your commute

If you are ready to build your commuter setup, start with the pieces that remove the most hassle: tires you can trust, lights for every ride, and a rack and panniers for your load.

Sportfactoryproshop

Browse tires, lights, pumps and tools, and pedals and handlebars at Sport Factory Pro Shop, or begin on our home page and see what is highlighted. Our selection comes from brands chosen for engineering quality and rider-focused design.

A two-week plan for your first commute

Washington State DOT and the League agree on the spirit: start small. The Cycling magazine advice in the same vein is to begin with an achievable distance and frequency, so build it like this.

Week one: practice.

  • Day 1: Do a bike check, and fix any issue. Fit lights and rack.
  • Day 2: Ride your route on a weekend with your normal load.
  • Day 3: Practice changing a tube at home.
  • Day 4: Pack your work clothes the night before and leave a spare set at work.

Week two: ride.

  • Ride to work once or twice and take transit or drive home if you are tired.
  • Note what went wrong: sweaty back, cold hands, slow intersection.
  • Add a day when it feels comfortable.
  • By the end of the second week, most riders know their timing and have fixed their biggest annoyance.

Resist the urge to ride every day immediately. Three days a week is a great start, and you can still hit the CDC-cited weekly activity target of 150 minutes of moderate activity if your round trip is long enough.

FAQ

What are the best tips for commuting by bike?

Test your route on a weekend, ride visibly and predictably, and obey traffic laws. Keep spare clothes at work and learn to fix a flat, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Begin with a distance and frequency you can manage, then build up.

Do I need a special bike to commute?

No. The League says any comfortable bicycle in good working order can be used, from road and mountain bikes to hybrids and touring bikes. Focus on fit, working brakes and decent tires. If you carry loads, a bike with rack mounts makes life easier.

What should I carry on a bike commute?

Carry a pump or inflator, a spare tube or patch kit, tire levers and a lock. Add a water bottle and a rain layer. A rack with panniers keeps the weight off your back, and lights should be on the bike, not in your bag.

How do I stay safe riding to work?

Ride with traffic, follow signals, signal your turns and avoid distractions, as NHTSA advises. Use a white front light and a red rear light in low visibility, and wear a properly fitted helmet. Choose lower-traffic, slower-speed routes whenever possible.

What if the weather is bad?

Dress in layers, use fenders and breathable waterproof clothing for rain, and wear full-finger gloves when it is cool. On days when conditions are unsuitable, use a backup such as transit, a pickup or a ride share, as New Jersey’s guidance suggests.

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