Bike commuting-Busting Misconceptions

“My work got more sedentary and hectic. I got too lazy to workout or couldn't find a suitable time slot even if I wanted to. I started getting that ‘lifebuoy’ around my waist and all. It was my emotional state that bothered me more. I was getting more and more depressive; loosing focus and temper most of the times. Work began to get compromised. Moreover, relationships began to get compromised! Deep from my heart, I always wanted to break away. Become a free bird.

I want to get my old self back. I want that good old outdoor-ish, fun-loving, adventurous, nature-loving, healthy and happy person back. But I just don’t know how. “

Is this your story that I am telling? Well, this is not just yours. It was mine too.

Life is only a process. It’s our perspective that defines it. When you get the perspective right, life suddenly becomes happy and meaningful.

I am neither a fitness freak nor a professional sporting person. Not only is my workplace far from home, the roads are not that perfect too. I am not a very rich person and I am not as crazy as you think. I mentioned all these personal stuffs here because all the taboos and misconceptions regarding Bike Commuting have to be shed in the very beginning.

Though I was using bikes regularly during my school days, the whole idea of biking took a backseat as I grew older. For the past 10 years, I had not even looked keenly at a bike. Cars and motorbikes ruled my roads. I wanted to reach my destinations fast, whether needed or not. I was so much into cars and motorbikes that I was reluctant to walk even a mile. All these times it never occurred to me that biking is going to revolutionize my life. It was then that one of my colleagues got a bike. He began to ride every day to work. I was not impressed. We began to have heated arguments and very long debates on biking. So I thought of Googling it up and this was my keyword: “Cycling demerits”.  

Based on my research, I had listed out the “Disadvantages of bike commuting”. But today, as I know that there are not really disadvantages but misconceptions, I decided to rename and define my list as follows:

The Misconceptions I had about Bike Commuting

1.       Not suitable for long distance travel- I live 16kms away from my work place, which I believed was too far away.

2.       Will get all sweaty after a bike ride- I am going to my workplace. How will I be able to work with all that sweat and stink?

3.       Takes a lot of time to reach the destination-Even if I decide to bike I would never reach there in time since I am living so far away.

4.       Safety issues- You will agree with me if I say that the road is where crazy people hang out. Most of the times it is not an exaggeration. A mild hit on the handle can knock you over.

5.       Repairs and Maintenance- What if I get a flat tire on the way? What if a crucial part gets damaged?

6.       Weather will be a problem- I live in a place that gets heavy rains for 3-6 months around a year at least. I won’t be able to bike on those months. Sometimes the summers are too hot too.

7.       Health complications- A lot of people get back aches, knee joint problems, neurological injuries and so on due to biking. I just don’t want to be one among them. Using bikes on a long term basis will certainly give you trouble.

8.       Expensive- It would cost a fortune to get a decent bike. That doesn’t end there. I will have to shell out humongous amount of money for accessories as well.

As I was going through the demerits I could see that majority of the demerits were actually not because of biking but due to improper biking or due ignorance and negligence. So I went on with my search and all the forums and websites out there helped me out to come to a buying decision.

The first thing I did was to understand my need and purpose of biking. As commuting with small trips on weekends was my priority, I opted for a hybrid bike. Then I went through some models and brands and checked with my local bike store for the availability, price and performance of these bikes. I also consulted my other biking acquaintances. I fixed a budget and then shortlisted the bikes of my liking within that price range. The next part was the toughest. I analyzed and compared each component of these shortlisted bikes (See it here). By this time I had become a big fan of biking and I wanted to know everything technical and practical regarding it. So this exercise not only helped me choose a bike but also made me a bit more wiser regarding biking as a whole.

So..This is how I busted my misconceptions:

1.       Distance: Today, I ride 16kms each to and fro daily to work and back home. Trust me, I have been doing this from day one. Initially I had planned small sessions as training runs. The day I bought the bike I decided to ride 5 or 6 kms and transport the bike in a pick-up van the remaining distance. But I got so indulged in the process that I didn’t care about the distance. I biked all the way to my home (18kms). I broke a lot of sweat but there was no muscle pain or fatigue or cramps or anything. I had mild tenderness on my butts for a couple of days and after that there was no problem at all.

2.       Sweating and clothing dilemma: Sweating is good. It is not just the water that you drank that is coming out. It is also a good excretory mechanism of the body by which a lot of metabolic wastes are flushed out. But that won’t sound like a good excuse to your colleagues or employer, right? So, this is what I do. I carry a small backpack in which I tuck in my well-pressed office clothes and accessories. I wear a t-shirt and shorts while biking. On reaching the workplace, I cool myself off, would take a shower if necessary and then change into my formals. It takes me only about 10-15 minutes for the entire procedure.

3.       Time Consumption/ Delay: Biking is time consuming. But if you look at it in a holistic angle, there are some very good investments going into that time consumed. Primarily, I don’t have to spend an extra hour for workouts. Besides, for me, bike commuting is not very time draining altogether. Earlier, I had to take a bus to the main transit which would take about 5 minutes, then comes 2-10 minutes of waiting for the bus to my workplace. Another 20 minutes in the bus, plus or minus 10 minutes in traffic and finally there is a 5 minute rush to my workplace. Adding it all up, I would take 50 minutes to an hour to reach from home to workplace. I cover 16 kms in 45 minutes by bike and the time is slowly decreasing as I am getting more and more experienced in biking. Another thing that I do is that I take special care to put in 10-15 minutes extra into my commuting time slot. In other words, even though I reach my destination in 45 minutes, I start usually about 60 to 80 minutes early to the commencement of my work time. By doing this, I don’t have to rush to work, can take a rest of 5 minutes half way or whenever I need it and get time to freshen up and change clothes. I even spend some time with people on the way or would stop for a couple of snaps.

4.       Safety: Safety is one of the major concerns that keep a lot of individuals away from cycling. Yes, there is a risk involved when you are biking; just like anything else in life. If that is your excuse for not biking, then you might have to reconsider your decision. Alertness, caution, some preparations, obeying traffic rules, cooperation and positive attitude can make biking a safe and pleasurable experience.

I have listed out the safety concerns I came across as a bike commuter, here.

5.       Repair & Maintenance: A bike is usually subjected to a lot of wear and tear. I travel long distances, so I thought it would be wise to carry a portable tool bag with a puncture repair kit in it. They are not usually very heavy and can be kept in the saddlebag or backpack. Another thing I noticed is that the bike is an amazingly simple machine. It didn’t take long for me to decipher its mechanics. I don’t have any technical or engineering know-how but a lot of sites like parktool.com and youtube helped me to learn some of the basic repairing techniques. I opted for a bike with quick-release skewers for either wheel so that a flat tire can be fixed without much time delay. I also carry a glove and some cloth pieces to prevent and to clean off the dirt and grease that I gather in the process of bike repairing.

Maintaining the bike is another crucial element. A huge lot of trouble, time and money can be saved if the bike is maintained and checked thoroughly for any abnormalities and it has to be done at regular intervals also. I give special attention to my tires (the pressure in it and its overall condition), brakes (the status of the brake shoes and the amount of break that is delivered) and the drivetrain (the chain and derailleurs in particular). I believe that if the bike is very well maintained and if I am careful on the road, there should be hardly any reason why I should get stuck half way on my commute.

6.       Weather: For me, rain is not a problem. It’s just a challenge. A decent rain jacket and waterproof shoes will certainly clear that obstacle. Likewise when it’s too hot, I wear very light clothes, keeps myself hydrated and make sure that my skin and eyes are well protected. Mostly, bike commuters travel by morning and evening. So an extreme of heat or sun is generally not an occurrence.

7.       Health concerns: Health complications of bike riding usually arise due to improper fit and bike abuse. I tried to get the fit right as soon as I bought a new hybrid bike. I selected the right frame size for my height. Then I adjusted the saddle height. I didn’t set the height such that the knees are fully extended when the pedal reaches its lowest. Instead I kept a flexion angle of about 25 degrees. I also double checked that I am not bending too forward and my shoulders and elbows are not stretched out or stressed. Even after fixing it on day one, I had to make some slight adjustments with the saddle height. Getting the fit right is a gradual process, I guess.

After every ride, I do a small meditative self scan to see whether the entire me is alright. I look for any signs of repetitive stress injury or fatigue. I ensure that I am properly nourished and hydrated. I wear padded gloves to protect the wrists and palms.

Along with getting the fit right and maintaining the bike regularly, I am also planning to do some seasonal Ayurvedic treatments so that my body is also kept attuned with my activities.

8.       Expense: There are bikes that are mind bogglingly expensive. But they serve a different purpose. Purpose..That should be the key consideration. Rather than a cheap model under my initial budget, I went for a decent model which I felt was very VFM. A good bike may appear expensive superficially but in the long run you save a lot of money and effort from better performance, lesser maintenance and longer durability. Also you can get relieved from frequent upgrades. Additionally, I didn’t spend a lot on accessories. I just bought some dire necessities in the beginning and slowly identified my exact requirements. This way I could get the precise commodity that I wanted and could also abstain myself from wasting money on unnecessary equipments.

As a conclusive coda, I don’t have to conclude just by saying that biking will take me where I want to go. Much beyond that, it is absolute fun! I don’t have to find additional time for my routine workouts and surprisingly, my work efficiency has also increased. I can feel that I have become more alert and attentive in all my activities. So, it is one less car or motorbike on the road and hence I am reducing my carbon footprint too. A small tribute to my mother nature as well.
The only thing I regret now is for the delay that I made to embrace biking.