Seasoned Commuters, help

I'd rather do it on a unicycle.
:smokey:

I see a guy pretty regularly using a uni to commute from downtown to at least kits

Ok, so I've been thinking of doing the same thing when I get to Victoria and biking
to Camosun (depending on where I can find a rental).

Road bike scare the jebeeezas out of me (my only concussion was on a road bike,
then there's train tracks, glass etc).

So I've been thinking about getting a DJ bike and use that as a commuter. Maybe
CrMo 9speed with a full length seat post. I figured the rain, light snow conditions
they get in winter it might be safer for me?

1) Is there anything wrong with this idea?

2) Maybe safer if I can bunny hop and stuff?

3) How do you guys deal with the sweat factor?

4) For you guys going to school, how safe is the lock-up areas?

5) And, can you leave a modno chain w/ lock at the school lock-up so you didn't have to carry a "real" lock and chain?

Mic, good on you for getting out of the car. Could this be an attempt to loose
some extra padding a good wife can put on ya?

a dj bike is good to have for the riding in Victoria, but it won't be a great commuter at all, definitely try to get a commuter bike or cheap xc mountain bike, my sister managed to get a really good commuter bike off my neighbor for $20 so maybe keep your eyes peeled for something used

I see plenty of expensive bikes locked up at uvic, so lots of people there must think it's safe

a dj bike is good to have for the riding in Victoria, but it won't be a great commuter at all, definitely try to get a commuter bike or cheap xc mountain bike, my sister managed to get a really good commuter bike off my neighbor for $20 so maybe keep your eyes peeled for something used

I see plenty of expensive bikes locked up at uvic, so lots of people there must think it's safe

Thanks for the info, but I'm downtown now so riding my bike to interurban isn't
in the cards.

a dj bike is good to have for the riding in Victoria, but it won't be a great commuter at all, definitely try to get a commuter bike or cheap xc mountain bike, my sister managed to get a really good commuter bike off my neighbor for $20 so maybe keep your eyes peeled for something used

I see plenty of expensive bikes locked up at uvic, so lots of people there must think it's safe

I totally disagree, a nice light DJ bike would be fine for commuting: just make sure you have a long seatpost (that comes OUT when you dj), and an extra wheelset that has super narrow tires.

I don't think bikes are allowed on the highway shoulder are they? I think there's a minimum 60km/h limit on highways.

As for bike storage -

I liked riding to work when I worked in a new Credit Union Branch - we had showers, lockers, and I kept my bike in one of the vaults.

When I changed to an office downtown, the storage locker in my building does fill up regularly. My manager was fine with me bringing the bike into my office on the condition it was reasonably clean (I rode my mountain bike to work)and dry (I only intended on riding on dry days). The property manager forbid bikes in the building, but we didn't really pay attention to that.

Unfortunately I'm now in a different office, no elevator, no room to store my bike, and no shower. I'm hoping for a transfer by the time the weather gets better. I liked one riders idea of doing a half commute to get around the inconvenience of no shower or lockers at work.

If you do have an office and ample storage, keep a spare set of clothes at work. Don't forget to keep your shower supplies (towel, shampoo, soap, etc) in your office, and be sure you're organized if you have bike storage, your office, and shower facilities on different floors. I was a disorganized fool the first time I rode in, ended up coming in through the loading dock, elevator up to the 8th floor, down to the 2nd for shower, back up to the 8th because I forgot my towel, down the 2nd for a shower, back up to the 8th to start work, but forgot my biking shoes on the 2nd. Beat the bus into work, but lost time because of the multiple trips in the elevator :-(

I used to ride from Coquitlam to Cap College for a couple of years and then from Poco to Langely for 5 years. Couple of things to make the commute more than just "doable" but something you will eventually crave.

1) get slicks, I loved the Tioga City Slicks from MEC. I rode these tires from Vancouver to San Diego and never flated

2) When I was commuting from Poco to Langley I was often on farm roads which are not very clean and I did flat quite often UNTIL I got the Mr Tuffy strips. These are kevlar strips that fit between the tire and the tube - I never flated after getting those

3) Panniers - do not put anything on your back

4) Lights - lots of lights, the best description I have heard is try your best to look like a "rolling rave"

5) Bar Ends - maybe not for a road bike but make sure that you have lots of hand positions. Their is a nerve that you apply pressure to if the bar runs across the palm of your hand. If you apply continues pressure to this nerve you will loose feeling in your 4th and 5th digits. It took almost half a year to get the feeling back in my finger when I cycled the coast.

6) Buy the best clothes you can. This makes riding in any conditions that you are going to experience here very doable.

7) Find side streets and bike paths and try not to use busy roads. After all my years of riding I was finally hit by a car last Summer riding from Coquitlam to my office on Burrard. I was riding on Lougheed Hwy.

8) Do your planned ride on a weekend so you have a sense of how long it will take for YOU to ride without the pressure of being late. You may experiment with different routes as well.

I think the greatest part of riding is the sense of accomplishment that you have even before you start your work day. After a while you will be craving more - 17 km will barely whet your appetite.

Considering commuting by bike from Port Moody to Langley. Am I insane?

My best time from Shaunessy and Lougheed Hwy (Poco) to the WC Blair Pool (Langley) including the ferry ride was 70 minutes but I was in amazing shape and it was just one of "those" days where you just felt soooo good.

The construction around the Pitt River Bridge is brutal right now. Drive to the Pitt River Bridge and park there. The ride from there is quite nice and the Albion Ferry is cool.

I was hoping to ride from my home in Mission to my office downtown this year but the construction along the route made it a really horrible ride. Most of the time I made it to Lougheed Mall and grabbed Skytrain.

your not allowed to ride over the port mann so you have to do queensbourgh or albion ferry. Ive ridden downtown to langley a couple of times its pretty shitty. especially for an out of shape slob like me.

it will be alot better when they complete the central valley greenway.

if your close to the skytrain you can rent a bike storage box at the skytrain station and ride fron king george to langley, its a pretty decent non traffic route. those storage boxes go for 10 bucks a month.

Hey, there's some really good advice here. I think I'll have to decide what will work best for me. Maybe drive to the Abion Ferry and ride from there. I also like the skytrain storage box idea too. As for what bike to ride, I was at first thinking about getting a second set of rims w/ slicks for my hardtail but it's always muddy after a good weekend ride so I'm probably better off picking up a Kona Dew or something. Adding fenders, bar ends and panniers seems like the way to go too. And tons of flashing LED lights and a fairly bright light up front for when it gets dark.

Thanks mates!

Maybe drive to the Abion Ferry and ride from there.

That's what I use to do when I was running late or the weather was brutal. Riding from the ferry through Langely was the best part of my ride…by far.

buster where are you trying to get to in langley?

if your going the storage box idea buy a beater with slicks

there will be riding on the golden ears bridge come summer time

the ride from the albion into langley is pretty nice, low traffic, well paved flat except for one nasty ass hill.

I wonder what it will be like with the new bridge. I really like riding the Albion ferry and stopping in Fort Langely for a coffee and a snack when I'm going between Vancouver and Aldy.

Get the Dew and then get a nice Kryptonite lock. My g/f locked hers at Granville Island for over a year when she worked there and it was fine.

buster where are you trying to get to in langley?

if your going the storage box idea buy a beater with slicks

there will be riding on the golden ears bridge come summer time

the ride from the albion into langley is pretty nice, low traffic, well paved flat except for one nasty ass hill.

My office is pretty close to Willowbrook Mall. I'm in the 194th and 60th area.

Not quite sure how I'd get here from the Albion. Must look at map and devise route…before too late.
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