| Edina and neighboring communities are a great place for starting your commute to work. We have many informal bike routes through the cities. Additionally, we have connections with many city buses which each hold two bicycles in the front rack if you need to combine your bike and bus routes. The good news is that the more people commute by bike, the more visibility and potential bike route improvements we could see as a community, which is one reason why we have the mission statement on our home page. |
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Article posted by Kirk Johnson, February 2007. All photos by Kirk Johnson unless noted otherwise. Interactive discussion is available in our Commuting section in our Forums area.
Have you considered commuting by bicycle? What would be the benefits? What are the costs? This area covers some of the basics, including winter commuting. Topics covered below:
If you'd like to speak with someone active with bicycle commuting during all four seasons, please contact me, Kirk Johnson. I'd be very happy to talk with you (phone or email). My contact information is in my member profile in the Forums area.
... Bottom line: For most people, the benefits can outweigh the costs.
Some people are concerned about bike safety. Unfortunately, not everyone knows basic skills for safe urban riding. I'd like to recommend two great books: The Art of Urban Cycling and Effective Cycling. Related to this, some web sites quote studies demonstrating that per million hours of usage, bicycling can be safer that driving a car. Locally, I would like to point your attention to a wonderful resource, ShareTheRoadMN.org. There are excellent resources at that site than contribute to safe riding for all ages.
Biking laws in all U.S. states give bicyclists the right to ride their
bicycles on the road except interstate highways.
Bikers on the road should follow the same core
rules of the road as motorists. Although sidewalks are nearly always more
dangerous than roads, it is legal to ride on sidewalks except in business
districts. My personal advice is to stay off of sidewalks unless you are going
no faster than a walker.
For regular bike riding, use the road. It's not only your privilege, it's the law. References:
The two books above go into great detail about techniques to keep you safe. Remember that you are safer following the core "vehicular cycling" guidelines, which keep you on the road and within good vision of other motorists. Be sure not to hug the right side of the road: Often it is best to ride right in the right tire area that motorists would use. Look back frequently and make eye contact with motorists--they'll appreciate you visibly being aware. Motorists are not statistically likely to hit you from behind, especially if you ride visibly.
Statistically, failure to yield and disregarding traffic control devices are two of the three top contributing factors in collisions with vehicles attributed to bicyclists. If you want additional information on bicycle/motor vehicle collisions go to the ShareTheRoadMN website and click on "Crash Facts."
When you are biking, you are probably way more alert than some of your car-driving peers, who are possibly yakking on their cell phones, eating breakfast, or adjusting their climate control systems (or worse yet, all three). The main point is that you are less likely to be in an accident than a motorist if you remain alert and use good judgment. That to me is one of the enjoyable, engaging aspects of commuting.
In the winter, here are my layers. Start from the left (summer) and go to the right (spring and fall) and for the coldest days, I wear most or all of these things. When it is -10F, you can still dress comfortably (yes, comfortably) and commute to work...or be in that three-hour alley cat race.
Prepared and photographed by Kirk Johnson
The left column of clothes is ideal for me. Your experience of course will likely vary. I've arranged this by temperature range (includes wind chill factor):
This is the basic clothing set, much of which is re-used with other layers. If you have questions about specific items, please email me. This details the first column on the left.
Here are notes in the second column of clothes, pictured above. These are used in addition to the base clothing set, so that is why the list appears short.
Here are notes in the third column of clothes, pictured above. These are used in addition to the base clothing set and other layers.
Here are notes for the fourth column of clothes, pictured above. These are used in addition to the base clothing set and other layers. Pack some of the toe and hand warmers shown in the "What's in the bag" section below in case you need them.
Photo by Lisa Johnson
Honestly, these are some of my favorite weather conditions. Besides layering all the items above, you'll definitely want to have some leg/toe warmers ("Heat Grabbers") available or some kind of battery-operated heating device, especially if you are going to be more than 20 - 30 minutes between stops.
I can still go 30 minutes without any supplementary warming items such as those mentioned above if I follow these two steps: (1) curl my fingers into a loose fist in my lobster gloves and (2) ensure that I keep my shoes/shoe covers indoors so that they don't start cold prior to the trip. I also make sure that my ski goggles are coated on the inside with de-fog/freeze material and I ensure my first balaclava layer covers my nose. The good ones are thinner for this purpose.
Do plan your route, however, to have some warming stop options ever 30 minutes or so.
The coldest I've experienced so far is -45F wind chill (sub-zero day with headwinds) while going from downtown Minneapolis to Edina in the night. It was a solitary, magical experience when the snow beneath my tires squeaked and scrunched loudly in an eerie, other-worldly manner. The air was so frozenly dense that an occasional motorist or airplane's hum seemed to crack abrasively. Most people weren't willing to venture out that evening in any form, so for the night, it felt like I and my bike were the sole inhabitants. The clothing and gear layers during this dark and bitter night kept me warm and visible and I hope to repeat the experience again.
Here are the basics that I carry in my bag (the warmers of course only for the winter). These include (counterclockwise, sort of, from left to right):
You need reflection and lighting for safe night riding. Picture above are great ideas. I use them all during my dark rides.
What are some options if your workplace doesn't have a locker room or there isn't a health club nearby? With some creativity, you can get completely clean and changed--even in hot or rainy weather.
Considerations:
Assuming you are comfortable, your actual route is likely going to provide you with the hugest enjoyment factor for the commute. I have learned to like all kinds of roads...quiet, flat, busy, scenic...whatever. My current commute is about 12.5 miles round trip from Edina to Richfield (near 494 and Lyndale). I like it because although it is mostly residential streets, I pass through Southdale and surrounding shops, making it easy to do any errands after work.
The process for finding your best commute route may include these steps:
I purposely put this last. The items above are critical for keeping you comfortable and visible. The bike itself is a huge topic. I recommend multiple bikes, especially if you get rid of your car. In my household, we are a family of 7 with two drivers and we easily went down to one car more about two years ago. Again, removing a car from your annual finances results in a savings of $5,000 to $7,000 according to cost of ownership experts, including AAA (see 2006 report on average cost of owning a car).
Your bike(s) is a personal choice and if you obtain a new bike for commuting, I recommend visiting your local bike shop such as the Edina Bike and Sport. You should also talk with at least a few experienced commuters. Your office might have a bicycling community intranet site (mine does!). You will learn that there are many choices. The books mentioned above will also give you some insight. Your commuting bike doesn't need to be expensive. In fact, if it is too expensive, you will worry that it might get stolen. Put your attention on the fit, especially the dimensions that handlebars, seat, and pedals provide for you. This is where you should be professionally measured for the right bike fit. Call around to your local bike shops to find which ones you'd like to try.
When I felt overwhelmed while considering options, I finally realized that the hardest part was trying to find a single, perfect bike: Instead, I realized I should have a few bikes. This is especially cost-justified considering the amount of money I am saving per year by having gone from two to one cars in our household.
Remember, your bike selection is personal. I'm offering details on mine only for comparison purposes. There is no overall perfect bike in my opinion, and no one should look down on a form of bicycle. Different bikes have different advantages.
Here is what I like: For winter and special terrain biking, I enjoy the versatility of my Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra. This is because it accommodates two wheel sizes: The regular 700c (road size) diameter plus the typical 26" mountain bike diameter. In the winter and for special terrain I use the mountain bike tires, which are about 1.5 to 2 inches wide. They are Specialized Armadillo tires, which for me have been puncture-proof. I like flat (slick) treads for all weather for paved surfaces. I do not recommend studs or knobby tires for winter because there is less surface area on the tire making contact with icy patches. But you may have different opinions.
For paved, regular, non-frozen terrain, I like my fixed gear Surly Steamroller bike. This is light, fun (brilliantly fun!), and is a great workout. If you haven't experienced the joy of a fixed gear ride, contact me and try out Uncle Slurpy. You can also read a nice article by Sheldon Brown about Fixed Gear biking.
For travel, I have a folding Dahon bike. The idea is that this folds nicely in a suitcase. Check it like your regular luggage, then unfold, stick the pedals or whatever back on and ride at your travel site.
For fun and training, try a unicycle. These are growing in popularity and some people are even using them on mountain bike trails.
For hauling, I recommend any bike that you are willing to rig up the hitch for a Burley or similar other trailer.
All of these bikes and more are pictured on my Velospace area. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. And, happy commuting!
Kirk Johnson (kirk.johnson@LoganLogic.com), Edina, Minnesota. February 20007