Bike Commuting Guide

[@767bob]

Great video, I've been commuting by bike since the early 90's (34 miles round trip). I have carried my lunch and clothing both ways, backpack and rack/bags. I really do like the rack/bag method more, I hated sweating on my back but my backpack is still there if I need to carry something for a short distance on a bike with no racks. Fenders is a must in my commute, the roads I ride through are horribly maintained and in a few area the water does not drain very well, sometimes it sits there for weeks. I rather keep the road junk off my back and face. You are 100% correct about investing on a good lighting system and reflectors to be seen. I see too many on their bikes with no lights and dark clothing, they all blend in with the darkness.

[@bford64]

Clint, Great tips. I've been commuting 20 miles round trip daily for 5+ years now and love it. Excellent tips, especially about being seen. The only thing I would add to your Tips is to ride predictably. We're all creatures of habit and if you need to ride in the road then try to do it at the same time, same place, same way very day. I've noticed that the majority of the vehicles that pass me are the same ones I see daily. They have the same routes and routines as I do. They expect to see me and know that I'll always be taking the R/H lane at certain points along my route. Enjoy your videos. Thanks

[@adi5355]

Still commuting daily mate?

[@bford64]

@@adi5355 Hit and miss the last couple of years. I still work at the same place but scheduling has changed so it can be challenging to commute as often as I'd like to.

[@paulthompson2147]

I have used my bike for work every day for over three years. I love it. Leaving as much at work as possible is key.

[@alduarte8242]

Paul Thompson Yes that's exactly what I do by driving once a week and dropping all my clothes, shoes, toiletries and even breakfast items for the entire week!

[@notsponsored103]

Perfect, I commute over 7000kms a year. I don't think you missed anything!

[@noifjustlive]

Full of practical wisdom in terms of bike commuting. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@michaelbaudin]

Thank you very much for the excellent tips. There is another good point with the backpack in the winter : it keeps your back a little warmer. Instead, in the summer I rather use my front bag. In fact, I have a sheet which, depending on the temperature, tells me what clothes I should wear. That, along with the next day weather prediction, provides the information I need in order to avoid beeing frozen by cold or boiled by heat.

[@FeralEngineer]

I commute daily all year round in Moscow on a rather short (~5 miles one way), but hilly (around 600 and 400 feet of altitude gain back and forth) route. 8 years so far. On the tech side: So, the decision I came to is that I need two bikes, which in fact has cut the maintenance cost almost 1.5 times compared to a one-for-all bike. I've assembled a separate bike for winter, that can withstand the bumpy salty slush with ice underneath and has gears below 1:1, so I've used a simplistic 26" hardtail XC Alu frame with a reliable Sram X0 1(32NW)x10(11-36) drivetrain and an XC32 fork due to it's corrosion resistance and ease of maintenance. I've also installed fenders, to be more specific - the Topeak XC 1&2 (the front one is a moto-style with clips on the fork lowers, so it works as well as a city bike fender without interfering with the fork's travel). The brakes of my choice were Shimano M615 - the simplest ones with the ServoWave I could find. After four years of riding, I switched from Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro tires to the Nokian Hakka ones that last around 2.5 seasons compared to 1.5 seasons for Schwalbe. At the same time, I use the cheap ball bearings and a cheap Shimano cartridge BB with the square crank interface and I've replaced the XT hub balls with some matching noname ones and that proved to be effective to preserve the hub cups (8 years and around winter 18000 miles and they are still good). I just discard all the bearings, the BB, and hub balls every year and it takes less money for the components and maintenance time at the cost of some performance drop to the end of the season. For the spring-and-summer bike, I use the Cube Cross race CX bike in almost-stock configuration and I am really unhappy that I opted for the one with cantilever brakes. There were no road bikes with the disk brakes in 2012 and I was unsure whether the road bike frame could withstand my 240lbs, but now I am going to change for a disk-equipped road bike soon. I use 25mm tires, rarely switching to 32mm for heavy rains. The only fenger I use is a citybike-style full cover rear one. I wasn't aware of the BB height at the time of purchase and how it affects controls, so now I want a much lower one (my CX bike can spin like a forklift at low speed, but gets uncomfortably wobbly above 25mph). Money-wise, on the sunmmer CX bike, in addition to the usual drivetrain and pads replacement, I have to change the worn wheelset every 1.5-2 seasons for around 300$. And the cantilever brakes barely stop me even with the Koolstop Salmon pads (around 15$/pair here) which last only 0.5-1 seasons (or two dirt rides) and eat up rims like crazy.

[@clinxeo5702]

Ivan Elizarov How long did it take to write this essay

[@tactical_orange2181]

Ivan Elizarov I

[@Lolimaster]

Just use disk brakes.

[@jaysun3320]

Nintendork disc brakes

[@foitzer4839]

Хмм, интересно.

[@enriquegomezmolina]

Clint I've been bike-commuting to work for over a year. Another advantage is the environmental aspect by leaving your car at home besides the gas saving you already mentioned. Great work, I always enjoy your videos, keep it up. 👍🏼

[@fumurph]

Good video. Cheers. I love the boost that bike commuting gives me. As you say, arrive at work alert and de-stress at the end of the day. I live in a cold, wet climate (Scotland) and regularly have to cycle in pretty crappy weather so I use a bog-standard, basic Halfords mountain bike with a decent set of semi-slick tyres and some mudguards added-on. It means I don't get bummed out at subjecting my beloved Giant roadbike to the abuse of de-icing salts kicked up off the road. With regular maintenance it does the job fine. I guess my point is that even if folks don't live in a nice climate there's no need to be put off bike commuting. Just plan accordingly and adapt to your environment :)

[@ClintGibbs]

+fumurph 👍

[@wheeleyguy]

Excellent Post..Great Tips! I've been bike commuting for over 25yrs. and I love the feeling of getting to work under my own steam and the trip home wipes away the stress of the workday....Thanks Clint!

[@LanderGuy]

Good tips Clint. Commute 28 mi each day and you said a few things that inspired me. Thanks for taking the time!

[@countertony]

One of the things I like about other front lights, for example some of those made by Cateye, is that they have a pulse mode (X brightness for 75% of the duty cycle, and 4X brightness for 25%) - gives the conspicuity advantages of a blinking light, but makes it easier for a driver to keep track _once_ they've noticed you.

[@MeneerHerculePoirot]

For 5 years I had a 42 mile rt commute w/a 550 ft drop going in and obviously a 550 ft climb coming home. I would take my cx geared bike in on Mondays loaded w/food and clothes for the week. Then Tuesday-Friday I rode my fixed-gear w/a seatpost rack w/an expandable trunk bag. I would take food containers and work clothes home every day. Both bikes had fenders, lights, Topeak Road Morph w/guage, Park MTB-3, levers, patchkit and 2 tubes. Ran SMPs. 32mm on the cx and 28mm on the fg. Both had Brooks B17 saddles. The rigs did everything asked and more. One puncture in 5 years. My mantra was, "Never work in your cycling clothes or cycle in your work clothes." My work place let me store my bike indoors. Strive to make your commute as simple as possible. It's all in the prep work.

[@consun24]

Great advice! I’ve been commuting to work 16 miles each way for about 12 years now. I love how I feel when I get to work after a morning commute. Thanks again, and keep up with the informative videos Clint.

[@Piolin768]

Wow, you really thought about all of the aspects when commuting to work, especially for first-timers! This is one of the best videos on youtube.

[@1CrazyHillBilly]

Might be worth mentioning that bikes without braze-ons can absolutely handle a rack. There are numerous adaptors out there to allow for any bike to handle a rack. While I agree that riding with a pack vs. a rack make you more agile, I would say that the rack allows me to maintain my normal riding form (I notice a small but definite change when wearing a pack and riding). For years I lived in the mountains and commuted wearing a pack, but now that I live in FL the heat makes the backpack uncomfortable (and turns me into a sweaty mess). Great video that would summarize many of the things I've learned commuting over the years.

[@davidmiller564]

Just started bike commuting so thanks for these helpful tips.

[@ShermanSitter]

That was a great coverage of the commuting lifestyle! I like that you covered all the bases, including the little known tips about avoiding sunsets / sunrises.

[@ClintGibbs]

+DFTA (Don't Feed The Animals) 👍

[@vancollins651]

Really excellent video - thank you for taking the time to create it. Thinking about trying bike commuting when the weather cools a bit here. We just bought a couple of Hybrids - straight bar bikes and am surprised about how much I enjoy riding again. You have brought up some really good tips - stuff I may not have thought of. Much appreciated.

[@youngcycles9132]

This is awesome! Thanks I'm just starting a biking commute 🙌🏼

[@allydidier791]

I love the stories you throw into these videos and makes it worth it to watch it to the end! I have commuted once to work and it was a lot of fun. I'll definitely have to get creative with cleaning up at work in the morning because of the lack of cleaning options where I work. I love riding bikes and the stress relieving characteristics it has which, like you said, can start off the day right and help to get over a tough day on the way home. Keep up the great work and good luck with the rest of the cross season!

[@cx4130]

Great video once again. Working at a bike shop with a full shower, I have it pretty good. Another tip is add about 20-30 minutes to what you think is enough time to commute. Flats happen. I don't liked to be rushed when getting to work and having to shower and change.

[@401SNelson]

A coat rack is really helpful for me. I use it to hang dry my bib shorts, dry fit tee shirts, jacket, heart rate monitor straps leg and arm warmers. Another tip is...I bought one of those USB hub chargers and extra USB wires, I plug all my lights and bike computer to charge them.

[@MrGaberacer]

Clint, you may very well be the most thorough KZbinr out there. Good job as always !

[@blkcpdconure]

I recommend a pack liner also. Trash compactor bags are cheap and tough. With one of those nothing will get to your clothing and gear.

[@ravinandnaik]

Nice guide video Clint. I also started managing with sink. New job fortunately has a shower facility. :) One more gear is Anti-Pollution mask, a must have for those who commute in heavy city traffic.

[@maughtner]

Wish you could see the London commute - a lot of people go hard every day!

[@icemann1977]

Hi Clint, thanks for the video. i have been bike commuting for 2yrs now. i have 2 bikes i use. my MTB hardtail 26" still. and my converted Single Speed steel frame(bergamont) this was use to be my fathers bike. it was a geared bike before but i decided to make it a single speed to keep it simple and light. it has also a pannier installed on it. but its kind of a pain to lock my bag and then take it off when i arrive in our office parking. so right now im just using a bag pack.

[@carlespuyol11]

Great video! Been commuting by bike for years now, so not new to it, but very entertaining and I could relate to every minute of this video. Gotta get ready for tomorrows bike to work day :)

[@ClintGibbs]

+Fernando Hernandez 👍

[@lukepate8749]

Great info and video.Im starting a job lined up close by and am buying a used Gary Fisher bike on Wednesday.I cant wait to leave my car home with gas approaching $3.00 a gallon.Thank you,subbed from Texas.Got bless.👍🚲🚲🚲

[@TypeVertigo]

Nice video. You're fortunate to live in a place where you have a lot of gravel roads and trails you can use to commute to work. Where I live, those are almost non-existent - you almost automatically have to use the roads and deal with the generally appallingly low standard of driving and motorcycle riding. Hasn't stopped me though. And I'm with you on the bathroom with sink. Let's just say I'm very comfortable with the mops the janitors use to clean my office because I've adopted the habit of cleaning up after bathing myself.

[@ClintGibbs]

Nice. At one of my work places I used to "shower" with a little rubber hose in the mop closet in the little floor sink where the buckets were dumped. Thinking back on that it was nasty! We should make a video of funny commuter stories :) Yeah, what we lack here for mountains is made up by a plethora of gravel roads and a great trail system. Cheers!

[@marcusstiller2824]

A really good Guide for commuting, many interesting points, good tips and some causes for thoughts. I just wish I would have had known about hat guide BEFORE I started communting... :) Good job on that video!

[@Velofil]

Thanks for this grat video, I hope it's also a motivation for other people to leave the car in the garage more often. BTW, my favourite commuter light is the Fenix BC30R

[@stevepacenka2748]

The sunrise and sunset advice are unusual and very helpful; hadn't thought of riding on the "wrong side" shoulder which is usually more dangerous, but getting sideswiped when riding on the "right side", by a car blinded themselves by the sun, is the greater risk. The opposing traffic will be able to see a wrong-side rider more easily without the sun complicating their vision. I would wear sunglasses or a dark helmet visor in these settings. Thanks!

[@ClintGibbs]

+Steve Pacenka several years ago a lady in our town was riding on a hill into the sunrise and got hit from behind. It was very serious. She no longer rides.

[@Flix-f6q]

If you are wearing a backpack, add reflective material to your backpack. When riding in winter and its dark, wear bright coloured gloves so traffic is able to pick up your hand signals. Buy warm gloves and socks for winter, its worth it, also a bacalava to protect your lung from cold air. Invest in good bright lights, perhaps use redundant backlights, you won´t notice if the battery of your backlight fails. Put your head on a swivel, be aware of the traffic around you, not everybody follows the rules. Stay hydrated. Winter pro tip: overdress your body core, therefore your body tries to get rid of the heat via your extremeties which means your extremeties keep warm. Know your roads, know your potholes. In traffic, be visible, be predictable, be nice and follow the rules of streed code. Stay in the road next to parking cars, getting doored is partially your fault and not fun. Keep an extra lightweight bag in your packpack in case you overpack. You can clip it to your backpack with a carabiner. For rain, keep 2 garbage bags in your backpack as an extra protective layer. Always carry tools, spare tube and money with you.. A rain radar app on your smartphone can show you when it is smart to ride home without getting caught in the rain. Get a map with all the bikelanes from your city. Always be aware of pedestrians, they don´t hear you. When kids are nearby, be always prepared to brake hard. Kids always have the right of way. Never ride bike lanes in the wrong direction, this so dangerous that it is statistically the No.1 cause for bike accidents. When overtaking other bikes, announce it either by bell or by voice. When changing clothes, you can get rid of sweat with babywipes. When you don´t want to sweat, ride slower than 12 Mph/19km/h in the flat. That is the speed, the dutch ride in everyday clothes. No sweat, still 4 times faster than by foot.

[@etxeberre1]

The sunset and sunrise safety tips are really important!👍

[@DavidWilliams-vz4yy]

I have one radiator in the lunch room put my clothes on that beautiful and dry wen my shift is over no one else cycles great video Clint

[@ClintGibbs]

+David Williams 👍😀

[@peter_smyth]

I've recently started cycle commuting to university, and it's great. It's at least twice as fast as the bus, and costs a lot less than the bus or driving. I get away with wearing gym shorts all day, and taking a spare shirt to change into.

[@patiencelarson4128]

Well, no shower and no real sink, juste those in the toilets but too little to even wash my two hands at once, so I just go as slow as possible with my normal clothes on in the morning, and I go faster when coming back from work..

[@isbemorph]

and other coworkers rushing in and out constantly, yea how to wash itself then huh??

[@gunnar6674]

For the people who put a light on their backpack: Please check that it's actually pointing backwards when you're leaned down in the drops, and not sending all the light up in the sky. In my country at least one front and rear light have to be fixed to the bike, but it's fine to use additional lights.

[@allgoo1964]

Information I can actually use. I hope more of this kind in the future. Also from my experience. Pants with lots of pockets are nice specially with the zippers. When you find something is missing, you won't have to wonder if you dropped it somewhere on the road or you left it home. You can be sure you left it(keys, cards etc) home if the pocket is zipperable.

[@ClintGibbs]

👍

[@taurus20077]

If I take my bike to work in the early hours, I usually ride on a sidewalk (if there is a sidewalk) with full headlight and taillight because I want to protect myself from those half awake early commuters.

[@elzLeon]

Absolutely agree. One of the reasons I leave early to work, as there are few cars and the side walks are empty.

[@alduarte8242]

taurus20077 Don't trust sidewalks because cars pulling out and inside lots have a hardtime seen walking but specially bicyclists using side walks plus I read than cyclist have a higher rate of accidents when We ride on sidewalks!

[@se7ensnakes]

I commute on my bicycle everyday and so when I learned that 800 plus of people a year in the USA die while bike riding I was appalled, and so I thought about driving to work instead. Then I discovered the statistics concerning car accidents: 3,287 deaths a day or about 1.25 million people a year.

[@johndoes2434]

A good pack for bike commuting is the MFG German army rock it's a replica of the German army backpack at 65 L and it can be reduced down to 35 with the straps and it is canvas on the outside and rubber-lined on the inside on all Advanced Surfaces so it never gets wet into the large pockets on the inside are rubberized I've worn this in snow storms rainstorms nothing gets wet and it can be converted over to you use as pannier a little bit of playing with it I know I used to carry the newspapers for a local newspaper and if you go to your local newspaper office you can buy their newspaper carrying bags and they film on Amazon to they're not quite as good quality and they work good as cheap panniers they're not expensive as far as 200 $300 and heavy canvas and a can of Flex Seal you can spray it white or black or gray on the inside keep everything dry

[@miporsche]

I commute 10 miles. I ride year around. We get heat, wind, cold, sleet, rain, t-storms etc. It is midwest riding (Wichita). Worse than weather, though, is the traffic. People hate bicyclists around here. I have blinking recharging lights, headlight zip tied to the helmet, that way, since I take the helmet in, it’s convenient to recharge at work. I use a small backpack. In it is a light rain coat, gloves, sunscreen, spare tail-light, clothing. I use and old fashioned leather fanny back to carry emergency gear (spare helmet light, first-aid kit, pocket knife, zip ties, string etc.) Also, the keys and spare cash and work ID are kept there. It's very secure and I feel incomplete on the bike if it's not on. I've never forgotten it, which is important, because I can't get in without my ID. I carry a single water bottle on the bike, two is too much. I don’t use a comb or brush because I keep my hair short for biking. I don’t use cologne or those gels Clint has. My basket (toiletry bag) at work has shampoo, bar soap, floss, toothbrush, paste, q-tips, antiperspirant, contact lenses and cleaning solution. I usually only wear glasses, but I've broken my glasses before and I keep the contacts for emergency use. I keep my u-lock on the rack at work, but sometimes I can bring the bike inside. When I have to lock it outside, it's more work in that I remove the tool bag and pump because they'll get stolen. My tool bag contains a spare tube, patch kit, plug kit, co2, chain breaker, multi-tool. I've used all these things on commutes over the years. My most stressful time was riding home from work at 3 a.m., snowing, and my chain broke! I was able to exact a repair and get home without calling my wife. Win! The headlight on my helmet was a godsend for repairing the bike in the dark, because you aim the light where you need it if it's on your head. Like you, I keep shoes at work and change shoes in the anteroom. I just leave them there all the time and no one has touched them over the years. We have a shower, but no place to hang sweaty clothes, so I often bring my work clothes in a plastic bag, as well as a fresh jersey for the ride home. I put the sweaty clothes in the plastic bag. I plan to commute by bike indefinitely. It feels good. It gives me a natural stress reduction. Anyone can do this.

[@22magnum68]

Totally, the blinking mode is very good for blinding oncoming cyclists and motorists and inducing epylectric siezures in unsuspecting bystanders..

[@kellyriffle4750]

That jump on Avery is HUGE!

[@charlesissleepy]

regarding lights, I think its important to stress courtesy on populated cycling routes. I live in a large city and often commute home late in in the evening, and many people's lighting is complete overkill for the conditions (I imagine they use something akin to your thousand lumen system). The problem is that they often point the headlights horizontally instead of at the ground in front of themselves and turn on battery-saving flicker modes. This ruins the night vision of anyone riding (or driving) the other way and is completely unnecessary in well-lit city settings. On the path where I ride, there is major disparity in the lighting (very dark and very light patches), so dark vision is super critical and more useful than all but the most extreme lighting setups. tl;dr don't get carried away when buying lights and ruin other people's ride, possibly endangering them at the same time

[@ClintGibbs]

+charlesissleepy very true!

[@charlesissleepy]

i like to be able to see, yes.

[@moroquattro7581]

I like your route to work! mixed road and lots of nature's :)

[@tracker1009]

Brilliant video👍 like the tip about the sunset/sunrise 🚲☀

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

I really like commuting on my performance hybrid (I guess it's what you called fitness bike). I managed to fit schwalbe big bens on it, and man, what a pleasant and fast ride.

[@aden3113]

wish I also had more nature and trails to ride my bike instead of the stressful city. nice vid btw helped me alot.

[@mattm9689]

Bicycle safety is very important! I was hit by a car today and hospitalized I hit my head on the ground but luckily my helmet took the brunt of the hit. Helmet cracked open too.

[@ClintGibbs]

So sorry to hear!!! Heal quickly!

[@mattm9689]

@@ClintGibbs thank you. As soon as I’m healed up I’m back on the bike 👍

[@ClintGibbs]

Awesome. Was it a hit from behind?

[@mattm9689]

@@ClintGibbs no woman ran red and struck my side

[@ClintGibbs]

@@mattm9689 so sorry to hear. Hopefully she stopped and you were able to get insurance information.

[@easydoesithector]

All good advice, Thanks.

[@andreib2148]

what i find useful is to mix some protein powder into my water. I usually use one called real whey ... it's about 30 euros here on spain, and it lasts me about a month and a half. Calorie-wise it's on par with a kebab. It's my miracle potion. Also good tip with the mirror. that should be a must for all new bike commuters. When i started i would lose my ballance every time i looked back (not falling, but enough to make drivers nervous).

[@noth606]

I commute about 6km per way, and most of the time on a bike I've set up for that, it's a sort of cyclocross/mtb hybrid, 27.5" wheels, V brakes, shock in front and stem plus a soft gel touring type saddle, fenders and a rack. But I think what kind of bike does best is very much down to the kind of commute you have, now since it's summer and my commuter needs service I'm riding my full suspension cannondale and I'm a fair bit faster (5-10min) than on my regular commute bike. Not totally sure why but I think it's more that I'm pushing harder because my MTB is a lot crisper and more fun to ride.

[@EnricoFranconiPolisportiva]

Nice vid. Thanks for sharing all the info. I've just ordered Cube Nuroad Race for cummuting and I'm waiting to ride it. I will do a video on my channel too.

[@iSangreVerde]

Really good tips! Thank you so much!

[@pw510577w]

I make sure drivers can see me. I have a Cygolite. It was relatively expensive, but after being hit by a car on a bright, sunny winter day, while also wearing a high visibility jacket, I don't want drivers saying oh I didn't see you. On the fast blinking mode it's impossible not to notice.

[@wimarshiseneviratne1233]

Damn! If I had such a view to work everyday ,, I would be riding a bike to work and everyday!!!

[@TThomas939]

awesome video! going to get into bike commuting soon. Still looking for a bike

[@shivaprasadbk2027]

Nice video. Awesome tips. Learnt a lot!

[@craigharrell1372]

I have an 11 mile commute & use a small pack on a rear storage deck on my mountain bike

[@retrojoe1590]

For those of us who sweat at the drop of a hat, I would recommend giving yourself about 15 minutes before beginning your sink bath for you body to shut off the water works. Its multiple sadness when you've just finished cleaning up and your body isn't done sweating yet.

[@StormLaker]

If I eat before I ride to work, I puke. So I stock up on oatmeal, juice, etc in the break room so I can have a quick breakfast at my desk. I even make waffles, and have a breakfast sandwich maker stashed if I can get there early enough. I've found a rack and trunk bag with panniers lowers your center of gravity and makes the ride more enjoyable.

[@stevendeckert6373]

Forgot belt? Done it. Forgot underwear? Done it. Forgot dress socks? Done it. Forgot undershirt? Done it. I've got a fleet of bikes like you and find myself commuting on pretty much all of them, though the steel road bike with fenders gets used most. I also hate racks/panniers.

[@robmckee5295]

I created and use a check list for each of my bike commutes.

[@aligferrari]

Clint, thanks for posting. I appreciate the real world reviews. I am extremely interested in the RLT Steel but curious about the RLT RDO. It would be awesome if you could do a comparitive review.

[@RobBastien]

Clint...you forgot to make your bed. How is this video supposed to be credible now?

[@ClintGibbs]

+RBastien that makes it more credible 😀

[@PlexusTen]

As a student I commute 5 km in to central London every morning on this bike: www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Bike/ProductDetail?Id=e6ed28d8-3810-4b21-bf88-a3e1420b41f3. Having flat handlebars, flat pedals, disc brakes and front suspension really give me control on the bustling, pothole-riddled roads - especially during the winter. Plus, I've only had 3 punctures over 3000 km because of the wide tyres. As for clothing, I've only ever worn normal day clothes (jeans, t-shirt...). I used to get really sweaty but over time this has stopped (even during the summer) and have never had complaints/funny looks about smell/appearance. I can see the appeal of lyrca for a longer commute though. I think that if you're fit, there is no need to go full roadie when commuting under 5 miles one way.

[@ClintGibbs]

That's my favorite style of bike for City commuting

[@6maxgrinder549]

great points about sunrise/sunset

[@bdbaker4493]

Love the music, I feel like I'm in the shire or playing stronghold 2

[@sanduskyohiobro]

cool...like you're videos...

[@Mantis858585]

Timbuk2 messenger bag is my preference.

[@danilocapellan1316]

Thanks 👍🏽

[@miamoben]

converting to tubeless has saved me from being late to work on many a day

[@miamoben]

Angry Vegan Cyclist Been using TruckerCo Cream. It's relatively cheap and works well for small punctures but tends to dry up quickly. I just swapped out the wheels on my cross bike and put Stan's in them as that's all my LBS had. I guess time will tell which one is superior

[@TheKillbz]

Please please please! If you are using blinking lights, use a solid light as well next to it. As a driver who commutes in darkness it is MUCH MUCH harder to calculate your distance from me from an intermittent light source. If you use one of those LED headlights with the POWER OF THE SUN!!, aim it at the road not at my eyes it wont help me see you any better, and will make me look away from your direction especially if it is blinking. If there is a service road fucking use it instead of the highway, if there is a shoulder, use it instead of the traffic lane. If the bicycle lane is not wide enough to ride 3 abreast then DO NOT spill out into traffic just to keep your convo going. In an 80km speed zone and you are only going 40km in the traffic lane you are a HAZARD! RIDE SAFE! .... rant over.. :)

[@gregnixon1296]

A car travelling 40 mph is covering about 60 feet per second, 75 feet per second for one going 50 mph. A bright light that gives a long time of visibility in darkness is essential.

[@void21021]

It’s illegal to ride in the shoulder in most states...bike lanes are also very unsafe if they are full of debris or cars parked in them. Everything else I agree with.

[@mohammedzakariaali1169]

great tips, thanx for sharing..

[@artofcyclingcyclingsavedmy4386]

500 miles a month to and from and only carry what's needed in backpack. The weather dictates my needs and always setup day ahead.

[@liuwenjie9105]

Nice hair style bro, very cute~:D

[@SUBARUDDIST]

The gel and blow dryer helping make style happen. I could take a hint.

[@flpirate45]

Great advice, thanks

[@madcapper6]

A bottle is a lot cheaper than something like a Camelbak too.

[@DigitalCowboy000]

Riding facing traffic is very dangerous. Your reaction time is way less than you realize. And if you're hit head-on. Your speed is added to that of the vehicle that hits you. So if you're going 20MPH, and the car is going 40MPH so at the point of impact it would be like crashing into a brick wall at 60MPH. Add to that that by traveling against the flow of traffic you cannot "see"/read the street signs. So traveling against the flow of traffic is extremely dangerous.

[@ClintGibbs]

It's not as dangerous as riding directly into a sunrise or sunset with traffic coming up behind you. On those few instances where I do ride facing traffic I am off the road long before a car gets near me.

[@shameyb4170]

Would love to see you add a rack to you bike. I see fender mount on seatstay not rack mount. This my experience cross bikes i the msjority do NOT support rack mountpoints. I would love get a cyclecross but would have to limit to few models with rack mounts or consider new expensive products such a tailfin carrier. I cant understood why some vendors remove rack mounts in more recent models i.e Cannondale Caadx 105 2017

[@crahsakame5591]

that's a very well informative video. Def. gonna take the tip with the sunshine direction expose more in mind now. thanks for that. in terms of safety, i would def ad a high-vis jacket just for that extra notice to other traffickers. have you ever used an electronical bike horn? or whats your opinion? what about recording your bike rides in terms of evidence to accidents/crashes coused by other nearby traffickers hitting you? (I've been hit 6 times coused by others - mostly cars!) I now wear an action camara on top of my helmet. (ppl look at me like I'm from another planet hah) another thing that's worthy of mentioning is tire liners.. I seriously haven't had one flat on my cx steel commuter bike for almost 1.5years now.. is definitely worth trying since it's very cheap. and finally how long is your daily bike commute? from start February I'm gonna do a 13+13 mile bike commute to work. my colleagues say that I'm nuts attempting to ride so many milage a day - 5 days a week. Its s bit darnting - but i think it's manageable. esp. since I'm buying the new giant tcx 2017 with 105 components, I saw on one of your newer videos (giant lineups.) Thanks for that btw. Regards from Denmark.

[@JAde-vg2ye]

Good information.

[@61tree_VR_Gliding]

Please make a video on how you keep your thick hair after age 40. I could use some tips lol.

[@jerick7657]

3Daddicted Genetics.

[@miraclelow5256]

Thank you so much

[@MattSieber]

Super Vid. Thanks

[@grim4954]

Good set up. I commute and work with my bike both my Jobs. I live in the city no hills no dirt roads not swamps. My bike of choice is a single speed ok ok its a fixgear no not a fixie yes there is a difference. I always wear shorts when the cold hits my leggings go on yes I call them leggings and my shorts over. For my upper body I wear all work out clothes first short sleeve second long sleeve third if needed wind braker over that a sweater or jacket. For my head or kneck I wear a gutter mask or full ninja mask and safety glasses for those bugs that love to play chicken. My backpack is a messenger backpack there waterproof and made for bike riding. For cleaning up I use sented body wipes to smell fresh I use body oil perfume one drop I'm fresh all day my cloths are fresh all month yeah it sticks to the clothing even when washed. I keep my hair short because I wear a helmet the triple Mohawk isn't a cool look. My bike lights are so I can be seen not to blind such as a light brighter then 40 lums same for the rear light. If I need to see I have a flash light attached to my bag strap. My tools not a big deal there all small and very compact and I only carry four tool's to no tool's other then ellen rench and small pump. I added some reflecting tape that is actually reflective. For snacks I always have home made trail mix always comes in handy.

[@zyghom]

man, tons of good tips. One question: how far is doable commuting? On daily basis I mean: 1h one way is too much? 1.5h? My distance is 20 miles and I am still thinking if this is doable on every day basis..

[@ClintGibbs]

That's definitely doable. At one point I lived where my commute was between 20 and 24 miles depending on which route I took. I would do it a couple days a week. Started with a backpack and ended up with a Trek 520 with panniers. Because there was a safe parking garage, there were times when I would take my bike in, ride home, then come back in the next morning and drive the car home that night.

[@zyghom]

@@ClintGibbs ha, thank you. I was thinking similar: 5x2 = 10 times per week 20 miles is 200 miles per week just on commuting - that would mean: I cannot go on bike during weekends: I would hate bikes ;-) During weekend you go on ride if you feel good and if the weather allows while commuting every day means: no choice ;-) Thanks for your info man ;-)

[@xXRandomPianoXx]

What do you take with you once you lock up your bike as far as accessories, either inside or outside? For example, do you take your head/tail lights with you? What if you have panniers, do you take them in with you? I hope bike thieves aren’t that active but I’ve read people have gotten their seats stolen, and such so I’m wondering about other accessories like the computer, lights, etc...

[@ClintGibbs]

Fortunately I can lock my bike up in a mechanical room. If I were to lock it up at my office outside I would leave everything on but it's very safe there. if I were in an area that was not so safe I would take every removable thing off the bike, including the seat post. I've had someone undo my seat post clamp and steel my saddle and seat post.

[@richym2020]

Hi Clint, I just came across your channel and I am looking at different gravel bikes made from metal with hydraulic brakes for commuting and tracks in the winter. Have you see on heard of Mason Cycles? They have two nice endurance/sporty bikes in steel and alu. and a new gravel bike (the Bokeh), one in alu. and one in titanium, which can be used with 700c and 27.5 wheels. They are not cheap but are beautifully thought out frames. Also, there are two new bikes to the market from Fairlight Cycles, the Strael and Faran, the former and sporty endurance bike and the latter a gravel bike, both made from steel. Both these companies are from the UK. I was wondering what you might think of them? Thanks.

[@ClintGibbs]

+richy morris I've actually never heard of those companies, but from the way you described them they sound like good quality bikes. If you go with steel try to go with Reynolds 853, as that is about the best quality you can get in steel. Titanium would be even better! It sounds like these are good quality frames and that will last you a very long time. And I would definitely go with hydraulic brakes.

[@richym2020]

masoncycles.cc road.cc/content/review/152814-mason-resolution-105-hydro www.bikerumor.com/2016/08/03/mason-cycles-debuts-new-650b-adventure-road-bokeh-aluminum-ti/ fairlightcycles.com Both these companies are from the UK and both are fairly new brands especially Fairlight cycles. Mason make one endurance bike from a Columbus mix and the alu. from a 7000 series. All their tubing is custom butted. Their gravel bike is also from 7000 and another from ti. Ti would be great, but at £2650 for frame and fork a little bit too pricey for me. Fairlight cycles make their bikes from 853 and 631, so like you said, both quality Reynolds steel. They are also cheaper than Mason bikes. I will test ride these bikes in a few weeks from now so look forward to see how they ride.

[@hardyje1915]

You're really good at editing. What do you do for a living? I just bought a Rockhopper 29er and find your channel very informative and entertaining.

[@ClintGibbs]

+Johnathan Hardy I work in the accounting department of a company called nccer. We are a Workforce Development organization. Editing skills have just come with practice in making KZbin videos.

[@Cade-rg9lz]

Hi can you tell me what is best a hybrid bike or a single gear treck bike?

[@kevingary7018]

:) In the Baltimore neighborhoods I cycle commuter in, most folks prefer listening to rap, rather than Celtic music.

[@df0rce]

Great video exactly what I was looking for. Would you wear rain trousers over your jeans?

[@ClintGibbs]

I always commute in bike shorts. But if I did commute in jeans I guess I would if it were raining. That would be really hot though so. You can only do that in cooler weather.

[@K1ngq4t]

Let's get riding to it :)

[@pdbike43]

Enjoyed the video, Clint. Thank you for making it. What brand/ model is the mirror on the end of your drop bars? Any pros or cons? Thanks

[@pdbike43]

Clint, I looked back at your bike mirror video and realized you specifically mentioned the third eye in this commuting video. Thanks

[@upollo]

That's a very cool Irish reel at the start, do you know the name of it?

[@Diggnuts]

If the bikes needs it's own apparel, then it is not a commuter bike. A commuter bike is a low maintenance, general purpose, functional piece of kit. It has mudflaps, full chain guard and and riding position that does not resemble a road bike. A commuter bike has no carbon unless it is carbon steel. A commuter bike should be strong enough to hold at least 2 people. You want thick rims and a proper frame that is set up correctly so you do not steer with the bar, but with your weight. This is not a commuter bike by a long shot.

[@ClintGibbs]

Lol. It all depends on the area you ride. In north central Florida our winters don't have a lot of rain. Summer is a different story. I use a waterproof backpack. Water on your body cools you off. If I was back in the northeast where it was wet and cold I would take advantage of the braze-ons on this steel gravel bike and add fenders.