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Fair weather bicycle commuting

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The daily bicycle commute is my personal outdoor gym, almost free and time-efficient. The recumbent bike makes it comfy, enjoyable and it turns a few heads.

Especially here in Japan, where recumbents are rare, tandems unseen and traffic runs on the left side.

Regular bicycling gear and then some for the cooler commute

Winter in the Tokyo Yokohama area is fairly sunny, and a bit frosty in the morning for about a month. Snow is rare.

Here is how I keep riding comfy in sub-freezing temperatures. The glaring colors are for safety, better be seen.

knit hat

ski goggles (not shown)

ski gloves, added white reflector patch to see my turn signal at night

fleece jacket (with gore-tex layer if sub-zero)

running pants (with long undies if sub-zero)

regular socks

clipless cycling shoes with hard sole. I added 3mm cork insole to keep toes toasty

Bicycle is a 2003 HP Velotechnik Spirit (German made) with full suspension, disc brakes and 24 gears, 8 by chain x 3 in hub, about 12 gears without overlaps. Seatback bag by Lone Peak usually holds toolset and lunch.

Bottle in front is for the Airzound bike horn, because car drivers won't hear a bell - pling. For a horn, they hit the brakes. Triple life-saver, together with the disc brakes that keep me zipping. Braking hard on a regular bike would send me flying over the handlebars. Not so on the recumbent, the true safety bicycle.

The bicycle as my commute

A quick introduction

Cycling was just the convenience when I was a student, for economics and for getting around. These days it is for exercise, relaxation and fun. For the less fair weather days, I can use the subway and it takes about the same time.

When in 2003 I selected my first recumbent bicycle, this yellow "compact long wheelbase", I had followed the newbie advice at BentriderOnline and taken a few test rides.

Recumbents need to be tried for size and fit, there is so much variety. And like any bicycle, they benefit from being tailored like a good suit and from adjusting for the perfect fit the cyclists call the sweet spot. That takes time, training and patience, but it is a lot of fun watching your power grow in a year or two and cruising at speeds comfortably that left you breathless only a few months earlier.

Flickr Photo Pickr

My trusted bike and other signs of cyclist commuting along the way

Others about bicycle commuting

- preferably recumbent

Bicycle commuting in the news

Bike Commuting: On the wheels of a WNBA team owner: He is also an avid bicycle commuter and graciously answered a few questions for us. DP: How long have you been a cyclist? Michael: Alter: I have been a rider for three years but I consider myself more of a commuter than a cyclist.
Job: Bike Commute Challenge Program Coordinator - BTA: Want to play a major role in generating workplace rivalries, executing fun events, and building excitement for biking to work through the 12000-person-strong BTA's Bike Commute Challenge? We want to you to join our team!
Portland Is Top Bike-to-Work City as Lawyers Hit Street: 1 for bike commuting in the US, according to 2010 Census figures for cities with more than 250000 workers. A study of the data by Bloomberg Rankings shows that bicycles carry 5.4 percent of workers in Portland, ahead of second-place San Francisco, ...
For Carmel bicycle commuter, his way isn't the highway: Bruce Baldwin, who has racked up 20000 miles in 10 years of commuting, removes his bike from lockers provided by his employer, Eli Lilly and Co. / Rob Goebel / The Star Bruce Baldwin, a fixture on the Monon Trail, commutes an hour from Carmel to ...

P.S. The Exercise is Free

To enjoy it, get a good bicycle.

Bicycling may be cheap, and if you enjoy it, you build power and stamina in a year or two and you may want a good or better bike. For the commute, it needs to be reliable. After all, you save on other transportation expenses.

If you bike often, the consumables do add up. Tires, chain, repairs, gloves and clothing you wear out may cost in a year as much as 1/10 of a new gorgeous bicycle. The message is: If you like your bike, you will use it more often. Do not skimp on your equipment if you know you will rely on it it daily.

Bikes in YouTube vids

Electric assist may be the ticket to get some people biking. I have not tried it, and maybe I won't do more than a test ride, as I value the daily workout.

Green living books

(first try)

Reader Feedback

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CoCreatr Dec 10, 2008 @ 6:40 am | in reply to bdkz | delete

, [in reply to JaguarJulie]

Thanks, you two masters. On this first of my lenses lens, I could add the big photo, remove that green advice thingie, but it refuses to store my changed bio and the edited tags (forgot the commas first time around). Yes, I did press save and publish, tried more than once. I know bugs if I see them.

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bdkz Dec 6, 2008 @ 6:52 am | delete

Great idea for a lens Bernd, You're in great hands with Julie's advice here!

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CoCreatr Dec 5, 2008 @ 8:27 pm | in reply to JaguarJulie | delete

Thanks, Julie. Learning the basics in low gear.

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JaguarJulie Dec 4, 2008 @ 6:53 am | delete

Hello Bernd, congrats on joining Squidoo and having created your first lens. Great to see you here and looking forward to welcoming you to Giant Squid status. If I may suggest that you add more of your personal experiences on a recumbent bicycle and maybe add a text w/big picture module. You'll want to add a few more relative tags. I'll drop back by to check your progress. Let me know please if I can be of any help or if you have any questions. ;)