Bike Commuting

I’ve enjoyed getting back into the world of bike commuting over the last few months. Since the start of the school year in late August I’m estimating that I have close to 25 days of commuting under my belt. This number would be a little higher, but the fall has been rainier than is typical. Lately the weather has been a little mild which has made the rides to and from work much more enjoyable. Another thing that has made the rides more enjoyable is the fact that I’ve been commuting with a few other co-workers. Todd Schlenker, Mike Snyder and myself all live within a few miles of each other and have been meeting up along the way and riding in together. Todd teaches Spanish in the Middle School and Mike teaches math in the Upper School. Unfortunately we’ve lost Mike due to his coaching responsibilities with the varsity basketball team, but Todd and I have continued to ride in as much as the weather and schedules have allowed.

We’re quietly trying to recruit others to join us on our rides into work. Hopefully we'll have a small train of bicycles riding up to USM every day!!

Below is a little list of recommended items to carry along if you’re considering taking up bike commuting:

Bike commuting essentials:
Helmet
Good clothing
Good shoes
A headlamp and a taillight. I use the Niterider Digital Pro 12E with their LED tail light...this makes me quite visible on the road. http://www.niterider.com/
Spare tube and pump to change out a flat

A small little notepad and a pencil-unfortunately, many motorists are not bike friendly. In the event that you are involved in a hit and run (which happens quite a bit to cyclists), it is important to have something to jot down license plate number, description of the vehicle, etc.

Bike commuting links:
Corey the Bike Fixer: http://www.corythebikefixer.com/ Corey has an awesome little shop on the east side of Milwaukee with some really cool bikes.

Bike Commuting Blog http://bikecommutetips.blogspot.com/ The "Bike Commute Tips Blog."

Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips: http://www.runmuki.com/commute/


The ultimate commuting machine
http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/853_commuter.shtml