Ride Your Bike to Work Week

Pennsylvania is proudly participating in Ride Your Bike to Work Week – May 11 – 15

This is a post by Andreas Kambanis who runs a blog, London Cyclist, about cycling and London. 

I started commuting into work by bike in the same way I do many things in life. With little or no plan! The way I look at it is if there is anything I need to learn I’ll soon figure it out along the way. Here are 5 of the lessons I soon picked up.

1. Route

When I first started bike commuting I had just moved to London for a new job. It was my first day in that job so I found my route on Google Maps and looked at it once. This was a major error.

After a good start I forgot the route and took a wrong turn. Then another wrong turn. And another. I somehow ended up on Oxford Circus. One of the busiest, most horrible roads for cyclists in London.

After a quick call to my new boss who I had yet to meet I confirmed I would be late for my first day at work.

Lesson learned: Plan the route ahead and do a test run.

2. There are some things you shouldn't economize on

I noticed something on all the other bikes parked at office that my bike was lacking. They all had massive U-locks. I looked at my weak bike lock and realized a thief could probably chew through it with their teeth. A couple of days later I made sure I got myself to the nearest bike shop and purchased a proper bike lock.

Lesson learned: Spend as much as you can on a good bike lock. It is worth it for all the effort and money you will save by preventing theft.

3. A little maintenance goes a long way

I made all the maintenance mistakes you can possibly make. I over lubricated my chain, I didn't keep my bike clean and I didn't replace my break pads until they wore through my wheel rims. I caused a lot of damage to that poor bike. After a while I replaced it with a new one and pledged to learn bike maintenance.

Lesson learned: Learn the basics to bike maintenance as it will give you a much smoother, more enjoyable bike ride and will make your bike last longer.

4. Local bike shop

It is worth building up a relationship with a local bike shop so they can help you out at a time of need. I have since got to know my local bike shop owner so whenever I head in there to buy something new I can ask some advice on any maintenance problems I’m having.