Bicycle Commuting

Anyone here regularly commuting to-and-from work on a bicycle?

Yep, it's part of my regular exercise plan. ~2 miles each way, fair weather only. Interest by my coworkers has picked up since gas started going up, but nothing past the talking stage yet.

I did in California, but not here in NC.
My commute is mostly on a 4 lane road that averages 45-60 mph traffic, and a population that considers bicyclists mostly an annoyance.

if i go to work yes, to school i take the train. Bicyle is pretty much the only fast way of traveling locally. I don't have my drivenslicenses yet ( hopefull soon, got my exame in less than 2 months), so there really isnt a alternative. Good for the body too and save's fuel. Combine being dutch with the world second highest fuel prices i'm not the only one. Speed bumbs are also annoying as hell, in a car that is.

Well, I’m interested in how other ETS forumites manage gear, bikes used, etc. Hopefully less inflammatory topic than guns or knives…

I started biking about 8 weeks ago for reasons that I honestly cannot exactly recall, other than I was disgruntled at my busy life not leaving me time to exercise. It’s 3.6 miles one way with a maximum single elevation change of about 200 feet, I think. Slightly faster biking than driving going to work (the big downhill leg is in the last third) and slightly slower than driving going home (I don’t pedal uphill nearly as fast as downhill). Anyway, I’m addicted to the rides now, although I’m not convinced it is making any significant difference in my fitness because the rides are too short.

I’m using a fairly high-end hard tail ATB (because it’s the only bike I own); I did replace the knobby tires with some comparatively smooth Michelin ATB tires and keep them at max inflation pressure. Since it's an ATB bike, it is a bit short on wheelbase for really hanging huge rear panniers on it (heel strike potential), but: Since I started the commuting it has gained weight – tools, the big Jandd rear rack (I had to machine up a nifty clamp to attached the horizontal stays to the seat post tube (? the tube the seat stem fits into), a trunk for the rack, etc etc. Had a big heartache over pannier prices and got cordura nylon “baskets” instead (Jandd, IIRC), although as it turns out I rarely use them for commuting. Front rack options are limited / complicated because of the front suspension so if anyone has any ideas – I hold back my downhill speed to high-20s mph right now as the rear weight bias gives me potential instability at higher speeds. The good news/bad news is that I less frequently take work home now…

Used my Camelbak Rim Runner at first, but it’s really set up as my Ready Pack – too much volume taken up by things I would not need as EDC in this urban environment and I don’t want to re-configure it constantly (I know – buy another one...). I park the bike inside in one of my offices, so leaving items on the bike is not an issue.

I’m more interested in reading how ETSers are bike commuting than reading how the bike fanatics do it on some biking forum. Details, anyone? Fall and winter are coming soon - August rains are not the same as November rains... I think I can handle Jan-Feb fine, but late fall and early spring...

TIA,

Tom

Being considered an annoyance might not be so bad. Here they consider bicyclists a target worthy of veering up onto the sidewalk to tag. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Not "regularly" but I bring a bike to the ferry to NYC and ride in NYC. It's a bit of a hassle to park a bike, but I manage.

I had a bycicle, somewhere back in the 80's.

A broken drain cover jumped in front of it and I [color:"blue"][color:"red"] " [/color] Superman[/color]ed[color:"red"] " [/color] over the handlebars.

Bycicles are EVIL <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I’m a dedicated bike commuter. From late spring to early winter, I ride to work almost every day, with a round trip of about 25 km (15 miles). I use a nice touring bike (Trek 520), with front and rear racks. So far this year I have covered about 2300 km, and expect to do about 4000 km (2500 miles) before it gets too icy for me.

You learn quite a bit about dressing appropriately from the conditions you need to contend with. In the early season and late season, I may start out in freezing conditions in the morning (on the way home too at the very end – late November or early December), while in mid season, it gets steamy on the ride home. I deal with rain at all temperatures, and only wimp out when it’s a driving rain in the morning below about 5 C (about 40 F). Staying hydrated is only an issue for the hottest rides home. The season ends when it’s too icy, and not because it’s too cold.

Most days I have small panniers on the front rack only, containing my bike repair kit, lunch, weather gear, FAK (AMK Ultralight.5) and EDC. The EDC stays in a small compressible waist-pack inside a pannier.

The bike repair kit consists of
mini-pump
patches
plastic tire irons
bike multi-tool with all necessary Allan keys, spoke wrench and chain tool.

I also carry a replacement tube, after an incident with an irreparable puncture a few months ago.

The EDC consists of
Ritter PSK
Leatherman Charge Ti with bits,
Spyderco Delica
Petzl Zippka
Space pen
Windmill lighter
Chouinard Expedition Sewing kit, wrapped with masons line
Spork
Estwing mini prybar
Tylenol
Wire ties, assorted
550 Parachute cord
Spare reading glasses
Space blanket
Bandana
Irwin "Heavy Duty Job Site" work gloves
Swisscard in my wallet

Add it all up and it doesn’t weigh much, except for the Charge.

I tend to drop 15 pounds through the cycling season, and gain back about 10 in the off-season. I’m on a long-term trend to getting my weight back to where I want it to be. I’ll give you my age (50), but not my weight.

Hello Tom . . . I use my MTB all year round.

Some personal & general facts:

- I used to walk the same distance to work (40 minutes) and I used to get back home exhausted/beat, also didn't lose any weight. But now using the bike, the same distance takes me only 15 minutes, I get home not too tired . . . and I've LOST weight too! So cycling burns calories - I'm average weight at 73 Kg.

- After a full year, now I cycle a minimum of 20 minutes each day at a steady rate of 60 rev per minutes (maintaining a moderate exertion level, ie about up to 75% of my max heart rate).

- Fitness definition - In general, people need a MINIMUM of 20-30 minutes of 'moderate' exercise about 3 times a week.

I'm sure most of you know the facts . . . If not then I urge you to read the guide from the USA National Institute on Aging (pdf version also available)
http://www.niapublications.org/exercisebook/exercisebook.asp

Yes. I do all my commuting exclusively by mountain bike. I have a pair of Trek full suspension mountain bikes with extra tires and rims for different weather conditions. No matter what the conditions outside are I ride everyday. Windchill 75 below zero still riding. 107 with high humidity still riding. Hard rain or hail still riding.

Dan,

Thanks for the info. Bear with me - I'm not a bike gearhead, so this is all pretty new to me. My daily commute is only 7.2 miles round trip with one major climb to get up the bluff unless I take an alternate route home, which bumps it up to about 10 miles round trip with 2 killer hills.

I'm riding a Giant XTC, sized for mountain biking rather than road use, since that's what I bought it for in 2001. Until I started commuting, I used it for short recreational rides on and off pavement and occasional all-day rides off pavement / off road.

For commuting, I put Michelin XC Hard Terrain tires on it which so far have worked quite well for me. Added a Jandd Expedition rear rack and a trunk on it - I was going to put the new Blackburn rack on it, but I needed the extra length on the Jandd to move things far enough back to clear my heels. I have a pair of Jandd grocery bag panniers (and they work rather well for that!), but as it turns out, I rarely need them for commuting.

Already had a Blackburn seat pack for the normal collection of tools, patches, spare tube, etc. I've added a CO2 inflator (used twice to re-inflate after patching punctures - neither of which happened on a commute ride), 5 12g CO2 cylinders, chain lube, etc etc. One thing I don't have (yet) is a chain tool - on my list. I also have 2 pr nitrile gloves in there and use them if I have to do any repairs on the trail.

Ummm - an LED headlight that has mostly "be seen" value - I can over run it easily on pavement - an LED tail light, and a basic computer. I intend to replace the headlight with a better model, add a pump and maybe a front rack of my own design. I have a front fenders but took it off - poor QC; I will make my own instead or maybe just stick a pair of Freddy Fenders on it.

I didn't note "clothes" on your list - I carry my work clothes in the trunk, along with my EDC

Whoops - I need to get going - I'll add to this later.

Tom

I’ve tried very slick and very lightweight tires over the years, but when I went through a stretch of repeated flat tires I switched to some relatively beefy puncture-resistant tires that I’m happy with.

My racks are both Blackburn, the front ones being Low-Riders that work with brazed connection points. I’ve never had heel-contact problems with panniers on this bike, but it is a touring bike after all. I have a set of large panniers that I hardly ever use, the small front panniers that I use most of the time, and a pair of medium sized seam-welded waterproof panniers that work front or back, and that are used when the weather looks bad.

Carrying clothes to change in to at work is an almost-every-day thing, although in cooler weather I have a pair of Patagonia Talus pants that are presentable at work but are stretchy and low-profile (cuff doesn’t catch in the chain) enough that I can wear them on the bike and in the office some days.

Cycling clothing is mostly synthetic, with very thin multiple wicking layers that are adjusted to suit the weather, usually shedding a layer or two for the ride home. Wet weather gear includes a cycling raincoat (with a hood that’s compatible with a helmet), rain-covers for my shoes, and various wet-weather leg coverings. The legs are where I tend to sacrifice most when deciding how wet I am willing to become. I have no front fender, but have a “rat-tail” fender that’s just a thin sheet of plastic that’s mounted to the rear rack with wire ties.

I always wear cycling gloves, to reduce chafing and for shock-absorption (gel-filled inserts). I also wear cycling shoes, since I ride enough to justify the specialized fit and sole (They last about 5 years).

When daylight saving time ends in the fall, I ride home in the dark. The rear LED lights all seem to work well, making me feel much safer. I used various headlamps, from LED to C and D cell incandescent, before switching to a lead-acid dual-headlamp system. This thing weighs quite a bit, but puts out 30 watts with both lights on. I’ve had oncoming cars wait at intersections for me because they thought I was a motorcycle.

Roger that on the gel-padded gloves – I can go numb from the elbows down pretty quickly without them. I like the body position the geometry puts me in but may raise the handle bar stem a bit for commuting – that's a non-trivial decision, as it’s a threadless headset, so I haven’t rushed out to buy parts and have them cut for me.

Helmet, of course, plus I wear my eyeglasses for some limited eye protection – riding thru a cloud of gnats at speed is too “interesting” an experience for me after the first time. Besides, I'd lose the glasses otherwise - normally don't wear them unless my arms are too short. I put an ATB - compatable mirror on the left handle bar end and really like that (just like driving, I still turn my head and look TOO - but the mirror is useful)

My EDC stuff is literally my EDC – I’ll probably drown if I ever fall into a moderately deep puddle. But I have been tardy with a FAK and some other items I think are prudent in a metro commuting area – I hate to duplicate things that already are in other gear sets – at least one of which accompanies me on long rides vs daily commutes. <sigh> I guess I need to get over that and just do it.

I absolutely don’t want slicks or narrower tires, regardless of rolling resistance – I’m sticking to normal width ATB tires (presently 26 x 2.0). I can still ride all but one of the regional ATB trails with these tires and some of my chosen commuting route is on embarrassingly bad side streets and alleys – the road bike folks I've talked to cannot ride on ½ my route because of conditions, but I am very much out of traffic of any consequence on those portions. So far I’m quite happy with the tires I have on it for commuting. Winter conditions remain to be seen… is there a Blizzak style bike tire available? Glare ice and heavy road frost are some things I wonder about.

I put studded BMX pedals on my bike when I bought it – I still have not made the leap of attitude to try clipless pedals and shoes (I’m chicken). My ride’s too short already, so increasing efficiency isn’t really a goal. I just wear a tattered pair of running shoes so far, or lightweight hiking boots for long rides – but I am considering a switch to bike shoes.

Have been grumbling about even the sale prices on biking-specific clothing (and dropping hints to wife, along with urls). One of my ordinary rain jackets has kept the wind off my torso when riding wet – I found out that what works at 4 mph walking is not nearly so good at 20 mph riding. I’ll solve that as the weather cools down more significantly in October. I want to avoid specialized clothing as much as possible.

I haven’t seriously considered an SLA powered headlight (water bottle battery?), but I’m already riding in the dark some of the time, so maybe I should look at those options.

As I wrote, this is all new to me – commuting is a bit different than recreational riding. I’m already toying with the idea of a regular commuter bike (town bike) instead of continuing to tweak my nice (used to be lightweight) mountain bike. OTOH, I normally drive a 4wd pickup, so this is kinda sorta the human-powered equivalent...

Since my b-day is the end of this month, I've been dropping very specific hints about a maintenance stand - weekly cleaning and maintenance is a PITN without one and I got hooked on using a stand for that out at camp. (We're about the same age, but I got to 50 ahead of you.)

I’ll be back to pick your brain from time to time. Thanks for the info.

(not) ETR...

Tom

And they make you spel reel baad two! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I wish!!! As many of you know from other threads this summer, I was supposed to be changing jobs this august. That change would have made bike commuting ideal and I was really looking forward to it. Now the whole deal has been postponed until next august though. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> On the plus side I dont have to worry about concealing my EDC blade for another year though.. heh.

I would but it is 35+ miles one way to work! Besides that it is over 100 everyday! Unfortunately, I have 2 gas guzzling 4WD vehicles. I guess I am boosting someone's profits:( Cheers!

>> I do all my commuting exclusively by mountain bike <<

Keith,

Since your Treks are full suspension, I assume that you use a backpack or messenger bag (?) Any specifics one gear you care to share?

Tom

Arde,

Hmm - so far 2 of the 3 regular commuters are using mountain bikes (3 of 4 if we include me). From what I read / observe, that is unusual for commuters but I guess doesn't surprise me too much about folks on this forum. Your commute must be relatively short, like mine. I'm pretty sure I'm not in the supposed target range of 75 - 90 rpm - I tend to hammer the pedals too hard (stay in too tall a gear). I'm working on getting my spin rate up - this is a real (useful) learning experience for me so far.

I honestly never noticed all the folks who bike commute at work until I started up - the rack in the courtyard is full plus a few more bikes leaning up / inverted (lucky me that I have inside space to store). The two big bike nuts here do not bike commute (I have no idea why one doesn't) and AFAIK only one bike commuter rides more or less year-around (he skips rain if possible).

Ride safe.

Tom

I live about a 15-minute walk from where I work. I am contemplating riding my bike to/from work everyday.

Since the ride itself would take 3 minutes or less, I am wondering if it's worth it. Clothing is a possible issue. It's probably not worth the hassle... a full change of clothes, go through the undressing/grooming/putting everything back on... two times a day. it just doesn't
seem worth it.

I'm considering not changing clothes and simply riding the bike with my normal pants/shirts (kinda casual, no suits, no ties).

Any thoughts

Bee just do it!

Anything is better than nothing and you'll be proud too :-)

In Autumn/Winter golves, hat/hood, scarf are essential plus sun-glasses for eye protection including against wind/rain too, of course one outer layer water proof is needed too . . . Ah . . . back/front lights so that you stay legal and are seen by cars & people . . . I don't wear a helmet but you may choose to do so for safety . . . Just common sense really.

Enjoy it.

Tom how're things.

Too much pressure on the knees, in the LONG term, may damage the knees . . . Round about 60-70 revs per minute feels right.

I chose a Specialized MTB Hardrock (bottom of the range) just because I wanted one for years and so eventually I bought one. Although, sensibly, for the commute a 'travel' type bike would be more suitable in terms of speed and efficiency . . . However, I love it and have benefited from the exercise for the past year, come rain or shine :-)

You are right about other commuters on the road . . . I 've noticed a lot since I started my commute too . . . from all ages (up to 60 yrs I guess) and all year round . . . I get up at 05.00 and start work at 06:30 . . . In the Spring/Summer it's easy . . . but in Winter it's challenging :-)

I'll write more.

Take care.

I own a mountain bike in addition to the touring bike. I tend to use the MTB for commuting only in the spring, when roads here are gritty and can have a winter's worth of garbage collected near the curb. The MTB (a Mongoose Rockadile, w aluminum frame and front suspension) also has a gel seat, which is nice in the early season when I'm getting broken in.

As soon as conditions improve though, the geometry of the road bike makes for a much nicer ride.

In an Ideal world, I would own three or more bikes, to account for differences in terrain, surface, and objective.

If you have to ride in low light/no light conditions, back and front lights are a must.
You may see cars, but they may not see you or not in time to avoid running all over you .....

I see too many bike riders without light....
And have backups : a red Photon 3 in blinking mode, hanging from a safety pin, on your back is much better than no light at all.
A hand held (or tied to the handlebar with a bit of Velcro) Nuwa? Q3 or a Inova T2, or a head lamp, anyone is usefull when your main front light decide to die on you (replacement bulbs are nice, but I don't trust the light of my bike ... always burning out when I need it ... it doesn't like thehigher voltage when going down a slope a bit too fast...)

In addition, when it's dark, I wear a luminescent jacket (salvaged from an airport maintenance crew ...!!).
So, if I'm run over by a car, I can sue the driver for intention to commit a crime !! He won't be able to say he didn't see me ..... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Bee,
As far as clothing goes, I don't think you need anything special for a commute that short. Something to bind your trouser legs at the ankle to keep them clean (it is getting hard to find a decent bike with a chainguard in North America) and winter gloves for cycling maybe. I used to commute in gloves that were quite warm when walking, but virtually worthless on the bike. I found a pair of lobster style (split mitten) gloves designed for cyclists for $20 on sale and never regretted spending that money.

I eventually got one of those neoprene face masks too, but my commute was at least 15 or 20 minutes each way and I tended to ride all over the place before I got home. The mask really helps if you have sinus pain though.

Just make sure you wear layers in the winter.

What everybody else said about lights and helmets too! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Bee,

If it is a 15 minute walk for you... why bike? When I had that short of a "commute", I walked and I would commend that to you. IMHO it would be a real hassle to bike that short of a distance and it would be an insignificant workout. OTOH, if you want to take a different route home for the purpose of exercising, biking to work could be just the thing for you.

Regards,

Tom
(Neophyte Bike Commuter)

Arde,

I'm well, thanks. Good point about knees. As it is, I really look forward to the two daily rides - one clears my mind for the (work) day ahead and is a fairly easy paced ride by intent - I don't want to arrive too sweaty - although that was impossible to avoid for most of this summer. Some mornings I'm tempted to just keep riding... anyway, the evening commute is at a much higher exertion level (plus it's UPhill) and that blows off what little residual stress there might be from the day or is simply a chance to get those good old endorphins released. It already feels like something is missing in my day if I must drive instead of bike, and I've only been doing this for a couple of months.

Gadget freakiness - apparently the dogs were a rolling playful furball of teeth and fun last night and knocked my bike over. Someone picked the bike back up but failed to notice that the computer was awol and the mount broken... about a block into my ride this morning I glance down and OMG!!! WHERE IS THE COMPUTER!!! It's how I pace myself - mostly paying attention to the above or below average speed indicators. Son #1 is mounting a replacement bracket as I write this... he's the one that convinced me to put a computer on the bike when I bought it 4 years ago, but other than the oddometer function, I never used it until I started commuting - it was wierd how much it bugged me that it was not there today.

Ride safe!

Tom

Yeah, the one really hardcore commuter I know uses both a road bike and an ATB, but now that he does 90% of his commute ride on the bike path along the river, he mostly rides the road bike until winter (path is not plowed in the winter, but the biknuts ride it anyway). He has the same elevation gain as me going home, but his is right at the end and right in-your-face - a straight shot up - which would be a bit off-putting to me. I'm pretty new to all this...

Besides the bike commuters that I never really noticed before (this is where I work, mind you!), I have become aware of a bunch of really hardcore um, "enthusiasts" at work. They hammer out more miles on a Saturday ride than I do in a week - and at a serious pace, from eyewitness accounts. Only one of that bunch also commutes on a bike. I guess the others are doing "recreational" riding. I think their top gearing is 20% higher than mine PLUS the wheels and tires are taller - my legs would be a blur trying to keep up on the flats. OTOH, none of those bikes would survive a week on my commute route - I'm not tempted to get another bike, nope.

Would be nice to have disc brakes, tho <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> I can retrofit my bike with discs... the hydraulic ones on my sons' bikes are really nice... nah - I'll just ride what I have.

Regards,

Tom

Alain,

You know, I've been thinking exactly the same thing about redundant lighting. The multimode LED taillights are so cheap that the most economical approach would be to toss one of those in, but it would do poor double duty in my pocket. My lefthand pocket has a red Photon II and my righthand pocket has an ARC AAA-P. Might make sense for me to upgrade the red Photon. As for the white light - I was thinking about getting a Tikka to toss in the toolbag anyway - hands free light for repairs. But for now I'll toss in a converted minimag (TerraLux) and nighteyez headstrap because I already have those laying around doing nothing.

I'm more concerned about getting hit from the side, especially after dark, than I am from fore or aft. Not a big issue this time of year, but it will be soon. I'm feeling creative...

My lights are mostly for the purpose of being visible and legal; a serious headlight will force me to a large rechargeable battery and I don't think I need to do that for my commute. Guess I'll find out.

Say, your lighting system is driven by a dynamo - I understand that there are now regulated dynamos available. If that's true, you could put one of those on and stop blowing bulbs with overspeed. That happened to me years ago a couple of times and I remember how annoying that was - I quit using dynamo lights in part because of that.

There are also some very sophisticated hub dynamos available now, including at least one that uses some internal storage to continue to provide light while stopped. AFAIK you have a larger selection of bike gadgets like that in Europe than we do in North America, so I apologize if I'm writing something you know more about than I!

Regards,

Tom

Tjin,

For many reasons, your country is much more bike-friendly than North America, of course! Good luck with your drivers test.

Speed bumps - oh, yeah, I remember those in odd places around here - not very noticable when I'm driving "Moby Ford" (White F-250 Superduty). In my wife's car, OTOH...

Our gasoline prices are still comparitively low, but for those of us in North America who can afford the luxury of biking instead of driving, it's not an insignificant savings. For a lot of reasons (and only slightly because of commuting costs), I'm one of those folks over here who would like to arrest and then reverse the insane urban sprawl that has been going on since post WWII.

But that's another topic, and a pretty darned complicated one at that... perhaps over a beer if we should meet someday. Again, I wish you good luck with your driver's test.

Regards,

Tom

Bicycle was my only mean of transport when younger.

I still have the bike I received at 13 or 14.... But it needs a bit of repair ....
So I bought a new two years ago.
But I use it rarely, mostly during week-ends, to run some errands and to do some light shopping around. It's quite dangerous to ride a bike in Paris....

I'm no longer a specialist in bikes (and have never been anyway...), so I'm no longer aware of all the gadgetry available nowadays...

I would like to replace the front dynamo driven light by one running on AA batteries. Just to make it legal. I don't ride a lot at night.
And my Inova T2 is bright enough (but the way I strap it on the handlebar is not ideal)


As for "lateral protection", there are glow_in_the_dark things you put over a few spokes on each wheel.
And a reflective jacket is a good thing too.... I guess you can find such a safety vest in any car supplies' shop. I even saw some in a supermarket, in the automobile section.

When I lived in France for a short time, I had the impression that cyclists on the road were respected much more than they are in North America.

At the same time, pedestrians were respected much less.

Well, if you're right, then I guess a US bicycle rider's live in not worth a lot ! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A very good friend of mine, who is a cyclo-tourist (?) since her teens (even before she was ten, as her whole familly spent all their vacations on the roads of Europe, bicycling ....) is presently recovering from a bad accident : she has been run over by a car, while bicycling on a straight road ...

I have heard more than one person ranting about someone on a bicycle holding up traffic and making them late to work/lunch/meeting/whatever. People in cars think the bicycles should stay on the sidewalk and people walking on the sidewalk think bicycles should be in the street with the cars. Its unfortunate but no one seems to want bikes anywhere. The people that can afford the $200K and up houses close to the office don't have to drive a very long distance since they are close to the office so high gas prices doesn't affect them much. People like us who have to live in the old parts of the city and drive 20 miles each way to get to work are affected most since its too far to take a bike (and prohibited on the most direct route which is the highway) so were stuck with bicycle commuting not being an option.

Guess it all depends on where and when you are biking.
I used my bike to and from work for half a year(not during the winter) distance around 17 km one way. Quite heavy terrain, had to carry the bike over some big logs and rocks on the forest path. Since this was in sweden I never had to use it when it was dark. My employer supplies me with work clothes and there is a shower at work.
My equipment(which worked out great and i think i used all of it):
Bike: Swedish military surplus bike from the 60s.
(No gears, lockable toolbox and superior quality)
½ litre of water
Poncho (to keep dry when it rains)
Patch kit, spare valves
Cell phone (when i eventually got a puncture i could call work and tell them i was going to be late)
Towel

Only thing i thought about that I didnt include(because of its weight) was a spare chain..

When it comes to the bike itself I think quality is priority number one, if you want something fancy and quality it's expensive. (Never found a mountainbike with the same quality as my old one for less than 10 000 SEK
(approx 1500$).)

Good luck!

/Petter

Just bring a few spare links, and the tool to press a broken link out and replace it. I've bent a couple links mountain biking. Usually I can muddle through and change it when I'm done, but once it started jamming and I had to replace it on the trail. It only really takes about 5 minutes.

Another thing I bring is spare brake pads. On a very long downhill once, my brakes started to fade, and when I got to the bottom I stopped and looked and the rubber brake shoes were melted all over the rims. I guess that's why some guys like disk brakes!

Things you need : -

A Helmet, been knocked over twice, it forced me into. I would like to point out that I was on the pavement at the time and the two drivers were ignoring the lane they wanted to turn into i.e. looking only one way as they pulled out. This was within about 10 meters of each other, it was the one nightmare of that journey to work. The road is not wide enough so if you add a bike into the mix, you end up on the pavement anyway.

Glasses, try riding without them.

Gloves, might want two pairs one with fingers and one without.

Lights and a vest, see above, that was in broad daylight. They do not pay attention so make sure they can see you, for the lawyers if nothing else..

In the Uk we can get something called slime. You can put it in your tyres and it makes them harder to puncher. I use their strips which go inside a wheel and their pre-filled tubes. Also I have spare complete wheels at home and carry a spare tube with me. It is so much easier to just swap out the tube.

A front or rear carrier, rucs get old real quick. Let the bike do the carrying.

Scout your route out. Cars cannot go though parks etc, you will find lots of short cuts.