Hi Tim, Perhaps you should post this on the Bicycle Lifestyles Group, but let me share my experience with a 30 mile round trip commute for 13 years. My experience is in northern NE, not the pacific NW. But my environment was perhaps even more challenging than yours.
I had the advantage of a workplace (medical center hospital) which allowed me to take a shower every morning when I arrived. I doubt I would have undertaken such a long bike commute without that. Some people recommend driving half way or driving one way on alternate days but I never did that. It typically took me about 60- 65 minutes each way, while driving took about 45 minutes, so I always thought of it as squeezing two hours of riding into a half hour time frame. Fifteen miles doesn't require any particular nutritional plans, but it does require attention to fluids. When its very hot on the way home, running low on fluid is not good. Over time I learned that it was much better to find the most enjoyable, and safest route rather than the shortest or fastest. Unless someone enjoys the ride they most likely will not sustain the practice. Unless you are enjoying the ride, telling yourself it is good for your weight, your cholesterol, your fuel cost, or carbon emissions will not sustain you. Enjoying yourself will, even under adverse conditions. When necessary take whatever lane on the road you need to and trust in visibility. It sounds like you have chosen a great bike for commuting. Reliability and durability are paramount, but on a 15 mile commute comfort and joy are also very necessary. I learned that I appreciated having a variety of bags that allowed me to carry what I needed that day. Some days I needed only a few office items, other days my macbook and lots of miscellaneous stuff. I learned that carrying as much as possible above the fenders was much better than panniers, but used a carradice commuter bag when necessary. Typically I drove to work at least once a week and carried a weeks worth of clothing with me. I also learned that wool slacks lasted much longer at work than cotton. I always started out feeling quite cold in the morning and quite hot by the time I got to work. It was always a challenge guessing how to dress, but learned to use light wool and many layers to create options. Having bag space to peel off items helps. You asked about clothing. I found that a light (Ibex) wool jacket strapped to a carradice saddle bag provided the best combination of warmth, breathability and water protection. I sometimes used a lighter rain jacket or a more substantial Showers Pass, but often found them less breathable. Lots of controversy about lighting. I liked both fender and rack mounted rear lights. I used a pair of Dinotte front lights - light weight, moveable from bike to bike, and leave them home most summer days. Happy to share more if you have specific questions. keep the rubber side down, michael On Monday, May 13, 2013 8:17:22 PM UTC-4, Tim Tetrault wrote: > > Hey Gang- > > I'm contemplating a long commute in the Seattle area- 15 miles each way > (long for me anyway) on my Hilborne. Any advice on handling the day in day > out grind of this? > > Ideas could include: > > Food management/tiring out after long day > reasonable raingear for the price (knowing I will be exposed for a soaking) > time management tips I may have not considered > > Thanks- > > Tim > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
