Bike to Work Week tips from the author of 'Big Book of Bicycling'
It takes a good deal of pedaling, and editing, to bridge the gap between bicyclists who ride to the store for eggs and the Ironman triathletes who rides 100 miles and more on a Saturday morning.
The Big Book of Bicycling attempts to cover that ground with a comprehensive guide compiled from five years of stories from the magazine.
Emily Furia, a senior editor for Bicycling Magazine, tackled the task of winnowing the material and earned the author credits for her effort.
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Emily Furia
An All-American runner in college, Furia added biking and triathlons to her pursuits while working for the Rodale Inc. publication in the Lehigh Valley.
This interview with Furia serves as a timely primer at the start of Bike to Work Week in Milwaukee.
Gearing up: First thing is make sure that your bike is in good working order. Give the brakes a squeeze while you turn the wheels.
Get it in to the shop as early as possible, to avoid the wait. We tell people to do the tuneup in late winter or early spring.
I’d like to reiterate that you don’t need anything fancy to start riding to work.
You do need a lock. If your employer doesn’t provide space for bikes, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
We’ve run stories on people who have started commute clubs and things at your offices. If you can get more people riding to work, you can get bargaining power. Studies show that people who are fitter have lower health-insurance premiums, and they take fewer sick days, too.
And if they’re going to be commuting at night – a white light in front and the red blinky in back.
People here have different philosophies – panniers, backpack. Some sort of carrier, whatever best fits your needs.
Ease into it: "If you’re just starting out, try to work up the nerve to ride for errands more. I recommend they start out going someplace fun, just a few miles away, and if it’s less than two to three miles, you might get there quicker on a bike. Start small with short trips like that, and as you gain confidence you can make longer trips.
Riding by yourself can be soothing, but reach out to a local cycling club or join a group. The best way to learn is to ride with a group of people who are like-minded.”
The future of cycling: "What I hope to see is more people using bikes for transportation. I think what we’re starting to see with city riding, there’s a cool factor associated with it right now. More companies are coming out with clothing for people who don’t want to walk around in full kit. You don’t really need special clothes to ride a bike for every ride. We’re seeing more clothes for walking around downtown, then riding home. I think the growth of city riding and transportation and if gas prices continue to go up, we’ll see more of that.
I’d like to see women numbers going up, in racing, and in regular riding. More women feeling comfortable riding to work and around town.
Attracting women: Last year, we did a round-table discussion and podcast with some women who work in various segments of the bike industry. They’re trying to reach more women as well, whether it’s promoting races or selling bikes and clothing. It comes down to the women who are already racing or active, reaching out to other women. Women tend to be very social about cycling. Shops will host ladies nights or ladies rides. I think a lot of it will come from female cyclists reaching out to other female cyclists.”
Getting around the barriers: "If people take the time to realize they have the right to the road and they ride like they drive a car.
The bike isn’t a toy for the sidewalk.
Infrastructure improvements will go a long way to make people feel safe. People don’t realize how simple it can be. You don’t need a special bike, and the best bike for your commute might be sitting in your garage right now. Realize that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can ride once or twice a week. You can bring a week’s worth of work clothes. You can drive part way and ride the rest of the way.
On the book: My first take-away is that we had given a lot of tips in the last five years. It was hard for me to decide what to include, because there was a lot of good advice in there. I also wanted to make sure all the subcultures were being addressed. Cycling means so many things to so many people. I think in the end we accomplished that.
Cycling is a fun sport. We should have fun with that.
10 Comments for "Bike to Work Week tips from the author of 'Big Book of Bicycling'"
Hey Rick Jun 07, 2011 9:25 AM
jimtherepublican Jun 07, 2011 9:26 AM
money over 55 years ago. Moved to the East Side (Prospect & Brady) in
1965 - used to ride downtown to Gimbels and Boston Store to shop for
clothes, belonged to a ski club that rode around the lakes from bar to bar
in the summer. Moved to Europe and played soccer Mom for 20 years
with one car and 4 bikes (one for each of us). Could even bring home a
case of beer bottles without spilling any. Now, retired and owner of a
yarn shop I pedal down to the shop with my wicker basket every day
from May to Nov. and right now our car is in the body shop for 3 weeks
due to "doe contact". Yesterday we rode around Fond du Lac looking for
a new stove for over 2 hours and didn't realize there was a "heat
advisory" - the nice breeze made it comfy.
I bike in normal street clothes - do sometimes miss the elastic "skirt
guards" I used to have in Europe, but love to see people stare when
riding down the street in nice looking duds and not Spandex (it really
doesn't suit old ladies well). No big deal - that's just how I get from point
A to point B - no fancy gear needed.
Right now I use a nice Trek commuter bike with the mixed frame and 21
speeds. When I really get dilapidated, my kids promised me a "Pashley
Princess" type bike - saw it once at the Yellow Jersey - one of those
Inidian bikes with the long metal brake handles, Sturmey-Archer 3-speed
and a deep swan neck cutout.
I intend to keep riding - like those 80 year old ladies in the German village
where we used to live - they weren't triathletes, but quite active.
Sarav Jun 07, 2011 10:09 AM
that making short commutes via bike (or even walking) can be easily
adopted by regular people. If you live within a couple miles of wherever
you want to go- work, groceries, friends's places- you don't need to be
some athletic person or make huge financial or time investments to hop
on your bike and go.
That's why the "bike in your suit" thing is so great: it busts the myth that
biking is something reserved for folks who spend hundreds (if not
thousands) of dollars on bike clothes, shoes, gear. It's not a competition
to ride as hard as possible, or to have a "look" or the right bike. Hop on
your piece-of-crap bike in whatever clothes you would normally be
wearing and go.
redblack Jun 07, 2011 10:10 AM
East side liberals.
Delete this account Jun 07, 2011 10:18 AM
wear regular clothes while riding a bike to work. Rode three miles to
work this morning. Didn't ride as hard as I do on weekends because I
didn't want to get too hot, but I made it in less than 20 minutes. That is
about 5 minutes longer than it takes to drive.
Bike commuting is a great option, even if you don't have an expensive
bike. Just be sure the bike's brakes are in good condition, and wear a
helmet.
drytoast Jun 07, 2011 10:18 AM
redblack Jun 07, 2011 10:36 AM
Yup. In fact, I participated -- in a suit. I then made use of my fitness club's shower, and changed into different clothing. The suit goes to the cleaners today. It's called planning ahead and perseverance.
Also, the ride began at 7:30am. It wasn't anywhere near 95 degrees at that hour.
ChronicWhiner Jun 07, 2011 10:45 AM
Convinced of the Hex Jun 07, 2011 12:13 PM