I started a new job last week, and it’s close enough that I can bike to work! I gave it a test drive 3 out of 5 days last week and here’s what I’ve discovered:
Slow down
Even biking at a leisurely pace only takes a bit more time than driving there. Studies have shown that trips of less than 3 miles are often quicker by bike. It takes 10-15 minutes to bike the nearly 3 miles to my job. When I drive, it takes at least that long (by the time I find parking and walk to the building). 10 minutes of cycling is just enough time to get a little sweaty so I walk my bike the final block to cool down a bit before I enter the office.
Ride safe in the bike lane!
On the ride there, I’ll zoom past cars that are stuck in traffic and can often maneuver through a red light (carefully) to keep my momentum. Studies show that 60% of auto pollution happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively. So even a short ride like this is helping the planet just a little.
Bike safe
Own the road. On wide roads, ride just to the right of the traffic lane; on narrow roads, you have a right to the road. Stay just inside the traffic lane a bit so that cars must partly cross the middle line to pass. (This removes the temptation to try to squeeze by you.) This might seem counter-intuitive but don’t bike all the way over to the right too close to the parked cars or curb. Instead safely take the space you need. Use hand signals, bells, whistles. Be alert, and obey traffic laws. Wear a helmet!
No backpack
Some days I need to transport things to the office. I can wear a backpack to carry my books, change of clothes, and other necessities – however, I think I will invest in different kind of pack soon. Even from cycling just 10 minutes, my back gets hot and sweaty (not very professional!). I could look for a pack with a mesh back to keep me cool, or transfer that weight into a container away from my body. You can get racks for your bike that accommodate packs called panniers. For many people it makes much more sense to carry items this way.
You can bike in a skirt!
Dress for success
Did you know you can bike in a skirt? As long as the dress/skirt isn’t too short (you wouldn’t be wearing it to work if it was, right?) and not too long (it could get snagged in the wheel) you will be fine. There are skirt guards available if you are worried about long coats, skirts, or other fabric getting caught in your wheels. One day I wore a dress on the bike to test that out, and the other two days I changed when I got to work. I definitely felt more comfortable wearing fitness gear and changing when I got there, although it was another step in the process to choose an outfit and then pack it up for changing into at the office.
This week I’ll have to test my dresses and see what else I can get away with wearing. If you wear pants on the bike, you’ll want to roll up the leg on the right side so that it doesn’t get caught or dirtied in the chain. When you get to work, take about 10 minutes to cool down and then you can use baby wipes to ‘clean up’ a bit. Fit Milwaukee reader Megan says she joined a gym near her work so that she can shower if she needs to, or fit her workout in right before or after her bike ride to and from work.
Putting a bike on a bus rack is easy!
Check with your workplace
Bike commuters are eligible for extra benefits. You could earn $20 a month for expenses like locks, tires, and tune-ups, thanks to the Bicycle Commuter Act. (Your employer needs to sign up to participate.)
Still can’t commit?
“I have to drop off the kids.” – Hop in the van, throw your bike on a Bones bike rack and bike from the daycare/school.
“It’s too far.” – Cut the mileage in half: The first day, drive to work with your bike, then ride home that night. Ride to work the next morning, then drive home.
Or, take the bike halfway – park it and take the bus the rest of the way. The Milwaukee County Transit System now offers bike racks on buses! I tested out the bike rack at Chill on the Hill the other day with some help from Meghan, and it’s way easier than it looks. Don’t be intimidated – give it a try!
See, now you’re all out of excuses.
Additional resources for bike commuters can be found here:
Paul Dorn’s Bike Commuting Tips
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
Do you bike to work? Do you have any tips to share?
Way to go, Anne! Thanks for the tips! I might try this if I can find a place to put my bike at work
Haha, what Joe – biking in a skirt?
JK! I bet you’ll love that commute!
From one cyclist to another, please stop going through red lights. Look, we have a right to take a whole lane when we need to do so to be safe (and the commute from Bay View to downtown has at least two spots in which that is necessary). The flip side of cars sharing the road with us is that we should obey traffic laws just the same as if we were driving.
You’re so right Charlie – I should stop doing that. One of the main rules I read up on was that cyclists should remain predictable. That behavior was certainly unpredictable and against the law. Thanks for calling me out on it.
Just a note: if you are maneuvering through a red light to keep your momentum, then you are not following the traffic laws. Wisconsin law permits bicyclists to proceed through a red light if, AFTER stopping for 45 seconds, no other vehicles are at the intersection.
Thanks Z! As Chalie mentioned – I shouldn’t be doing that. Thanks for the input on that. I’m certainly not a great representative of the cycling community – YET! But I’m getting there with help from the pro’s like you. The 45 second rule is a good one to know.
That’s interesting, that law should apply to cars too. Seriously.
Here’s an important (yet admittedly obvious) lesson I learned when I was biking to work: Wait till you get where you’re going, THEN take out your smartphone.
I’ve learned this one. Even while stopped – not a great idea. I have the bruise on my hip to prove it.
I too have started a new job and was just considering biking to work. I use to take the bus to school and used the bike rack on the bus all the time. The only thing that I worried about was someone taking it off the front. What I did was locked the front tire to the frame of the bike before I put it on the bus. That way if someone removed it they couldn’t ride away with it.
Great article! I think I’ll start biking to work next week!
That’s awesome, Dan! I never thought about someone taking it off the front. I would hope the bus driver would be paying attention to who’s who but I guess that’s really not part of his/her job! I hope biking to work goes well for you!
Thanks for this post, Anne, it’s great!
I do have to agree with Charlie and Z, though, technically you should stop for all red lights (for the law, and for safety).
With that said, I will stop (complete stop, foot down, look around) and then proceed through a red light under one circumstance: there are no moving cars in a 1-2 block radius in any direction of the intersection. If there are cars stopped at the red light (either going my way or reverse) I will stop and wait with them. It’s less about catching a breather and more about respecting the rules.
The 45 second rule almost never applies, unless riding late at night or in sensor-activated areas only. If you really want to be a law-discusser you should read up on the Idaho Stop rules.
Speaking of stop signs, remember to never blast through them at full speed, even if it’s a 4-way stop. I’ve seen and had too many close calls (as a cyclist and a driver) when other people disregard the stop signs and stop thinking.
Thanks for your thoughts Sam. I should have made it clear that by ‘momentum’ I simply meant ‘going about my way’ and not to imply that I’m blazing through lights. I’m a timid cyclist and I do stop at lights and signs, even wait through them while pedestrians go through. One question for you — when there is a bus stopped at the light, do you wait behind it? What if it is parked just a bit away from the light, do you go around?
If the bus is on a route and is a stop and the stoplight is red, I’ll wait behind it. Usually they’re just going to pull out into traffic and have to pass me anyway. If the light is green I will usually pass it if it is safe to do so. I really dislike playing leapfrog with busses, even though we end up traveling the same distance in the same time.
If it’s parked a little before the intersection it’s usually waiting, so I’ll go around it if it is safe to do so.
And good to hear you’re cautious when riding. It can take a while to find the right balance between assertive riding and over-cautious hesitancy – things like taking a lane and riding as a vehicle are fairly nerve-wracking ideas, but if done correctly they lead to safer travel for cyclists and drivers.
“The 45 second rule almost never applies…” Well, in the sense that the traffic laws as set forth in the Wisconsin Statutes always apply, the 45-second rule actually DOES apply. But I won’t tell anybody if you only wait 20 seconds and go through a red light when no cars are around.
I’ve even been known to not come to a complete stop at stop signs in low-traffic residential areas if no cars are around. But unless you commute at really odd times or take really minor roads, the chances that you will encounter a signal-controlled intersection with no lights at it during your commute are very slim.
I said it almost never applies because I mainly bike through the city (and Anne’s commute from Bay View to Downtown is in the city as well) and have yet to come to an intersection that allow me to count to 45 before the lights changed. I’ve always found lights to change via a timer or if it’s late enough they turn to flashing yellows. I’ve often had to sit at a red light for 45 seconds or longer but could not proceed because of cross-traffic not providing any opportunities.
Besides, there are lots of traffic laws that apply millions of times each day, but that doesn’t keep drivers and cyclists from disregarding them.
Oh, gotcha, Sam! I misunderstood you. I wish I only lived a 10-minute bike ride from my office. I’d have to bike 45 mph to pull that off!
Anne, that’s awesome. But that bike rack on the bus would never fly in NYC, LOL!
Great article Anne – you’ve really done your research for someone who’s only been commuting by bike for a week!
Thanks Joe! I’ve still got a lot of learning to do but I’m glad to be in the saddle and nice to hear from so many supportive cyclists out there like you!
I moved to Milwaukee in September and got a job with the Boys and Girls Club. I’m a tutor in Walker’s Point and have been riding my bike from the Lower East Side every morning since, including during that crazy windstorm we had recently. It’s a fantastic way to travel. I agree that it is just about as fast as driving (Oak Leaf Trail makes that possible.) This is the first time I’ve ever been a serious cyclist. I dig it. Love this bike friendly city.