Bike to work

Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark


Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered

ufatbastehd wrote:
Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.
You're a candidate for sainthood!

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Reasonable preparation.


Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.
Good, but baskets that fold might be handier

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

Some places are like that, sadly.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark


Look for a generator light. Unless you work short hours
one leg of your commute will soon be in the dark. Not
too many places offer genny/LED combos, but that's what
I'd look for. Here's my homebrew:
http://www.zefox.net/~bob/bicycle/
It's lightweight compared to a hub generator and cheaper
by far.

A Lumotec headlight combined with a Shimano hub generator
would be a good choice also, my dad's Breezer uses that
system and it works very, very well.

Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

How good is your health insurance? Ugly question, I realize,
but getting hurt is a real if small risk.


Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered
Excellent choice, but I'd add a pair of bar-end mirrors to cover
the times when the helmet mirror is absent.

bob prohaska

ufatbastehd wrote:
Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.

Is there any inside, more secure place you can leave your bike? Even
with u-locks bikes in the city have a short lifespan before they walk
away.

Mine comes in the office with me, but you need a fairly tolerant office
for that to work.

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark

You probably have some time before you have to worry about that.


Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thieves, taxis, buses. Buses can be tough.

--

David L. Johnson

I believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our
educational system and that in a few years it will supplant largely,
if not entirely, the use of textbooks
-- Thomas Edison, 1922

Hey ufat******* dude;

The very first thing any serious city bike commuter needs is a proper
jersey. I have a closet full of them. Germany is intimidating:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1110

Italy is for lovers:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1110

Ireland is multi-purpose; good if the cop who stops you is Irish:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1110

If you are on a double-secret killer mission, Army or Marines would be good
choices:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1110

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1110

Also, here are pics of my trusty steed, note the high-security Medeco lock:

http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/bike1.jpg

http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/di...tail-light.jpg

Jay the Chicago Bike Commuter (who takes no crap from any motorist, big or
small)

+++++++++

"ufatbastehd" wrote in message
ups.com...
Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark


Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered

Thanks for the replies

Bob my health insurance is good(Sounds like my wife)


I'll look into indoor parking no way I can bring the bike into my
office.

Also will look into the mirrors

Thanks again

It begins tomorrow!

"ufatbastehd" wrote in message
ups.com...
Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark


Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered


Have you considered fenders? They are really nice for keeping the puddle
grime off.

ufatbastehd wrote:

Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered

I think you've pretty much got it covered as well.

I'm not a city commuter, but do share the road with faster
moving traffic on some of my routes to/from work.

I'd recommend a decent rain suit as well as fenders.
Fenders in particular can make a world of difference
in keeping grundge off you during rides in less than
optimal weather. It's no accident most "work bikes"
come with fenders in commuting nations of Europe and
Asia.

I'd also recommend you put a head and tail light on
the bike despite your intentions not to be riding
when it is dark. You never know and even the cheap
opticubes can provide enough light to be seen by others
at intersections (which will be the most likely location
of negative interaction with the motored kind!

Get a couple blinkies for astern. Run one steady and
one flashing. Seems to catch motorists eyes better
for some reason.

Finally, since you're parking the bike outside, you may
want to consider a bike cover (depending on the likelihood
of it disappearing or not). Cover the bike and lock it
over the bike.

Not certain if a cover will slow a bike bandito or not.
It is certainly more effort disentangling a bike cover
from a locked bike than just hauling a bike off.


SMH

You are welcome.

I have an enclosed office, with walls that go all the way to the ceiling,
and a very heavy security door.

I have a storeroom behind my office, which I use as a bike repair / storage
area. Fully equipped, all tools and repair stand.

I have full ins coverage, as a civil servant. I never see a bill.

Mirrors are for punks. Shoulder checks are the best. They tell everyone
around that you are paying attention to what is going around you. There is
no doubt about it. Mirrors can be misleading, and they distort. I don't like
them, and I have tried all of them at one time or another.

Also, get rid of the rear brake, if you have rim breaks. Front rim brake is
all one needs.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus for tires. Bullet-proof for wino glass.

I ride every single day in Chicago 15 miles daily, 364 days every year.

- BIKE PUNISHER

http://www.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/

+++++

"ufatbastehd" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks for the replies

Bob my health insurance is good(Sounds like my wife)


I'll look into indoor parking no way I can bring the bike into my
office.

Also will look into the mirrors

Thanks again

It begins tomorrow!

Grand Poobah wrote:
Also, get rid of the rear brake, if you have rim breaks. Front rim brake is
all one needs.

Use them both. One day your front brake cable will break, and the other one
is nice to have working (and not frozen up with gunk from disuse).
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

On Jun 23, 7:29 pm, ufatbastehd wrote:
Decided I'm going to bike to and from work aboujt 8 mi each way.
I live in NYC and have a Trek "Mountain Trek" bike that I'll use as my
commuter bike.

Just changed the tubes, bought a pump and bottle holder and seat pack
for tools and spare tires.
Have a chain lock and a u lock. BIke has a rack over the rear tire to
carry clean clothes.

Plan on removing the seat/pump/waterbottle when the bike is locked for
the day.

I don't have a light yet but will be home before dark

Any city bike commuters have any insight as to what I'm missing or
what to look out for?

Thinking about getting one of those rear view mirrors that hook up to
the helmet but other than that I think I have it all covered

May not help much in NYC, but Chicago recommends uglifying your bike.
Wrap electrical tape around the frame tubes under the cables. An area
of duct tape for emergency supply on top of the electric tape could
help when you need it (tire boot).

I use a cateye EL-530 as a headlight for commuting. http://eddys.com/page.cfm?PageID=493
compares various headlight.