First day Biking to work!

[cbr shadow]

It's not that badass compared to many here, but for me it's a huge step in the right direction.  Today I biked the 10 miles to work on a route that I was told by many coworkers is "not possible to bike".  Not only is that not true, but the 10 miles route I took was very safe and comfortable.  It's 20.2 miles round-trip daily, which took me 41 minutes to bike to work today (10 miles).  That was my first ride though, so I think I'll improve on that time as I get more comfortable with the route.  Driving takes 30-40 minutes (depending on traffic) so it's barely slower to bike!

The only thing I'm nervous about is SWEATING on the route.  I dont mind being at work after I've cooled off, but even today with fairly mild temperatures I was sweating a good amount when I got here.  It took about 15 minutes to cool down and stop sweating.  I'll bring some baby wipes to clean up a bit in the future.
Does anyone have tips on staying cool during the ride?  I even thought of getting some kind of ice pack for the back of my neck or back while riding.  Or an almost frozen tube of water that I can put around my neck? 

Anyways I do plan on riding to work as much as possible, which should be nearly every day!

[boy_bye]

great job!! that's quite a commute and you are awesome for working it into your lifestyle!

is sweaty/hot for 15 minutes in the morning such a bad thing? unless you immediately have to be up in front of people doing a presentation or something, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?

when i bike in (6.5 miles), i usually sit down for 10 mins or so outside, then come in once my face is no longer the color of a tomato. MMM talked somewhere about how when he was commuting, he'd take the last mile very slow and easy to help him cool down, possibly with his shirt off. you can also stash a spray bottle of water on your bike somewhere and spritz yourself a mile or so before you arrive. this will cool you down nicely.

good luck and keep us posted on how you do. are you joining the may biking challenge? 20 miles a day will add up very quickly!

[cbr shadow]

I probably didn't word it well, but I dont mind the 15 minutes of cooling down at the office.  The issue is going to be when it's much hotter and more humid in the mornings.  Right now is still spring but in 3 months it's torture even sitting in a car w/ the windows down on some days.  I'm still going to do it, but I need to make a few changes (like the spray water bottle and slowing down for the last mile) to deal with it.

I also was carrying a big heavy backpack with my work clothes, work SHOES, a small jacket (stupid), and a few tools.  I think it'll be better to have some bags for the bike for my commute so I may do that.  Also I'm thinking I'll leave my dress shoes at work as to not have to haul them in a backpack both ways. 

One thing that really helped with cooling down is to chug a bunch of very cold water when I got to the office.  Maybe I should drink some ice water on my way in as well.

[boy_bye]

I probably didn't word it well, but I dont mind the 15 minutes of cooling down at the office.  The issue is going to be when it's much hotter and more humid in the mornings.  Right now is still spring but in 3 months it's torture even sitting in a car w/ the windows down on some days.  I'm still going to do it, but I need to make a few changes (like the spray water bottle and slowing down for the last mile) to deal with it.

I also was carrying a big heavy backpack with my work clothes, work SHOES, a small jacket (stupid), and a few tools.  I think it'll be better to have some bags for the bike for my commute so I may do that.  Also I'm thinking I'll leave my dress shoes at work as to not have to haul them in a backpack both ways. 

One thing that really helped with cooling down is to chug a bunch of very cold water when I got to the office.  Maybe I should drink some ice water on my way in as well.

ah, ok, i see what you are saying. in my experience riding with a backpack causes a lot more sweat than riding without one. i remember when we were in costa rica, the grossest/hottest/most irritable i ever saw my husband get was riding around in hot humid weather with a heavy backpack. a good back rack and a set of panniers will help a lot, i think.

i'm going to try the cold spritz of water on myself, too, once it gets hotter. i will probably also ride in the least amount of clothing i can get away with, like a tank top and some shorts, or a short breezy dress, then change into work clothes once i cool down. might take some experimenting but i'm sure it can be worked out.

[Tami1982]

Congrats!!  I just rode for the first time last week too!  Sweating wasn't as bad as I thought, and I agree that the backpack is lame.  I'm looking into a bag for the bike too.  Just to get stuff off my back.  You are way faster than me though!  I have a lot of hills, but doing 6 miles took me almost an hour (I had to wait through alot of lights though too) but the way home was 45 minutes.  If I drove? 12-15 minutes.  Taking a lot more time, but I figure I'm doing two things at once - exercise and getting to work, so it's REALLY more effecient:)  SO I KEEP TELLING MYSELF.

[hybrid]

I probably didn't word it well, but I dont mind the 15 minutes of cooling down at the office.  The issue is going to be when it's much hotter and more humid in the mornings.  Right now is still spring but in 3 months it's torture even sitting in a car w/ the windows down on some days.  I'm still going to do it, but I need to make a few changes (like the spray water bottle and slowing down for the last mile) to deal with it.

I hear you.  My problem challenge is that my upcoming ride will be about 8 miles each way and I need a shower after 8 miles, period, and my office building does not have a shower.  Baby wipes simply aren't going to cut it in a law office in the Southeast.  Since I have a friend that lives in my neighborhood and works a few blocks away I think I may start by carpooling with him to work, and then biking home.  It's a start.

[cbr shadow]

That's a great idea about carpooling then biking home.  Today there is a heatwave going through my area and it was 81 as I got in to work.  I was sweating like crazy but I brought a towel and a bottle of ice water this time.  I sat outside the office for about 10 minutes and drank the water in the shade, then wiped off w/ the towel and went inside to change clothes.  I was still hot when I got to my desk, but I looked professional and cooled off quickly.  I think drinking the ice water (tons of it) helped cool me down quickly.

[little stache]

Grats on that first ride. I just started as well and don't have allot of advice. My ride is about 5 miles and I have dedicated bike lanes the whole way. I am lucky that my work has lockers and showers for us bike to work or lunch time run people. That said, what I try to do is....go slow! I don't worry about the time. I pace myself. Let the downhills do the work. I wear bike clothes (shorts & t-shirt) and pack the work clothes in a nice size back pack that used to be for a laptop (the pressed shirt and dress slack go where the laptop would have been). I have Brooks Brothers 100% cotton no iron shirts that snap quickly into place.

Since you don't have a shower option. Perhaps...pack a little towel and wash clothe, hit the bathroom to towel off and wipe down. Bring a plastic bag for the wet stuff and poof you are fresh!

Good luck!

[Frugalapolis]

In Florida it is 80F in the morning and 95F in the afternoon so there is definitely sweating. I assume you're wearing biking clothes on your ride (cycling shorts and tshirt), so in the summer you need to wear tank tops. Don't wear a backpack, get a rack and panniers. Drink water during your ride. Take a shower before you ride, then it will be a "clean sweat". Make sure you wear clean clothes every day, even though you only wear them a half hour if they are sweaty they will smell after a couple rides. Get a small fan for your desk to cool down your area. Ride slow and cool down the last 1/2 mile, take off your helmet to get air moving through your hair too. Use a hand towel to dry off sweat and relax a few minutes before changing into work clothes. Leave your shoes and pants in a desk drawer so you don't have to carry them back and forth each ride.