Does anyone else use these? I don’t know anyone that does but I find them invaluable for making the ride more comfortable and safe, as I can hear other sounds such as approaching cars much better. They attach to the helmet straps and disrupt the wind flow past your ears. The traditional ones stick out more and are more effective than the narrower streamlined ones. They look very goofy I’ll admit, and I even had a group of cops I was asking for directions make fun of me for wearing them.

Hello bike commuters!

I'm looking to get a light weight folding bike to make my commute/storage a little easier. I live in a town house with a stoop and lighter would be more convenient on the stairs and folding would take up less space. That's about all that there is to it as to why.

My commute is about 8 miles, 16 round trip on paved trail and road. Some unavoidable patches of pavement are pretty rough so I'm not as keen on thin tires if possible to avoid. And a couple hills make me want to avoid single speed bike. And I've got a work bag with the basics I'd like to keep off my back, laptop, clothes, lunch, etc.

I've have looked at Brompton of course but would like to keep the budget a little lower if possible.

Does anyone have any experience between Zizzo, Dahon, or Origami?

All seem to have models around or under 30 lbs. And it looks like a few Origami bikes have disk breaks.

Any input on experience with these brands would be very helpful, thanks!

Not sure of any rules about posting deals (apologies if I'm breaking any) BUT I've been eyeing the Velo Orange Polyvalent step through frame for a while and it just went on sale. A really beautiful looking and I imagine comfortable bike (won't know myself until it arrives).

https://velo-orange.com/products/polyvalent-mk5-1

Title says it all.

I’ve been bike commuting for many years. A rear view mirror has been one of the best upgrades I’ve ever gotten with respect to safety.

Avoid having to repeatedly look over your shoulder.

Stay more alert when asshats are charging up on you from behind.

That’s all.

Image taken from Google maps. This is the type of road I sometimes cycle on, speed limit is usually 50 kph, in this case it's 30 kph but only for a small section of the road. Cops basically never go on these roads to check whether drivers are respecting road rules or not which means that quite often people go over the speed limit.

The roads I am referring to are two-way roads with little to no shoulder and, on top of that, trucks like the one in the image above may travel on both lanes at the same time (leaving me little to no space if I ride near the edge of the road).

I get really nervous on these roads because the drivers are quite often in a hurry and impatient. I am scared that they will run me over and kill me to get at their destination faster. I take the full lane in many cases but if I see that they don't slow down as much I go to the other lane to escape (I know it's dangerous but I don't want to die squished by a truck). Plus, I am a slow rider (I can reach 20 kph max) because I am not fit so that makes me even more anxious.

Any tips so I don't die on roads like this one? (If I don't have an alternative route to take)

Hi, I’ve been thinking about cycling to work (30mins cycle according to google). Does anyone have any bike recommendations? What kind of bike should I consider? I really like the aesthetic of single speed bikes but probably not the best for my purpose… My budget is £400, absolute max is £500. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I just purchased my first proper touring bike and I really wanna make sure it’s safe when I park it outside the office. I would park it where I usually do with the old bike. At a light post next to a busy road and walk way. Being an expensive one this time, I would like to know from the commuting community which locks you use? I have been looking at the Abus GRANIT citychain 1060 in combination with the Abus bordo granit xplus 6500 KA and a hidden AirTag in the bike itself. Is this too much? What would you suggest?

They look great too

I ride mostly on paved roads, but since it rains so much where I live, dirt and grime accumulates at the shoulder of the road. I need something with a bit of puncture protection!

I prioritise speed, then puncture protection and then wet grip. Ideally I want the fastest 35 mm tires that won't give me headache with frequent punctures. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Just had a little spill and tore some cheap REI rain pants, so, time for a new pair. I'm making a little more money now so I could spend like ~$150. What are people liking?

The REI pants worked well but the legs were a little short for riding so usually they'd ride up on my right leg and I'd get my socks a little wet.

Anything you guys love? Or should I just get another cheap pair of REI pants and some higher rise rain boots? lol

Thanks!

Laundry day, took the GF’s CX bike as it has a sturdier rack and rear tires. No pictured the back pack I’m wearing with the towels and bedding👍

As stated in the title, I've been commuting to work for the past 10 years. I've moved over time and changed jobs and my commute has ranged from as short as 4 miles one way, to currently 12.

I will start by stating that every city/area is different when it comes to cycling infrastructure. I must say my area is very good. Lots of safe, dedicated bike lanes/routes. In my 10 years I've only had one incident with a car and very rarely feel unsafe. Cycling is huge in my area and cars seems very aware and drive with that in mind.

That being said, often times cyclists drive me nuts. They run stop signs, run red lights, become pedestrians when it's convenient, and ride against traffic if it helps them keep their momentum. I often find myself more afraid of other, faster, cyclists as they tend to make dangerous moves to get past me. I often find they tend to feel ownership over the road rather than being another vehicle that obeys the rules. I've been on a road with a large, dedicated, protected bike lane, and yet a group ride will come through where they take up the bike lane and one of the lanes for cars.

Again, cycling infrastructure and bike safety vary greatly from place to place, but in my experience other cyslists bother me way more than vehicles. You can't change from road cyclist to pedestrian when you want and then expect everyone to yield to you. Either ride the road (the good, the bad, the ugly) and follow the rules or don't.

That's my drunken rant. To be fair, I don't know what it's like cycling in a place with poor infrastructure, I'm spoiled with that. But in my area, cyclists are the biggest issue, not cars.

This seems to be the one missing link in my jacket closet. My most common ride starts with a couple of long+fast downhills before I've managed to work up any heat, so I'm looking for good wind protection in front, with breathability once I start working.

I've found I really like a hood - usually over my helmet which sets up good face protection when fully zipped, or when its colder it goes under my helmet.

I thought I solved it with a Patagonia Nano Air Hybrid Hoody - it handles the temp perfectly, but the hood sucks and there is no front (or rear) pocket. I also tried an Arcteryx Atom Hoody which was very close to perfect, except a little too warm and not breathable enough.

It doesn't necessarily have to be cycling specific - in fact I think I might prefer it to not be (so it can double as a lower intensity jacket for slightly above freezing), as long as it has a front pocket. Bright colours is a bonus, too.

I’m not even talking about the pressure/ magnetic plates that detect when a car is waiting, but rarely a cyclist.

I commute along a dedicated bike lane that runs parallel to an existing road. On this route, there is a busy intersection with stoplights for both cars and cyclists. To indicate that I’m waiting as a cyclist, I press a button. However, the stoplight cycle will disregard my button press and perpetually skip over me until a car is also waiting next to me at the light. How the fuck is this legal? It’s not just this light, and it’s not limited to cyclists. Most of the crosswalks in my town will skip over pedestrians until multiple buttons are pressed, or if a car is also waiting to travel parallel to pedestrians. It’s so shitty. This system forces you to either run red lights or jaywalk. Sorry for the rant, I’m just tired.

I have never been pulled over myself and never seen a cyclist pulled over, but I've seen reckless riding whizz right by police. So I'm curious if anyone has. I guess it's easier to follow traffic laws on bike and reckless riding is only likely to hurt the rider.

Cycle commuting has lead to some pretty fun interactions with people.

So I’m not always the best rule of the road follower when I’m on my bike. Probably ruining the already tarnished image of “cyclists” (yea, I put that in quotes because I don’t necessarily consider myself a cyclist; but more of a guy who likes riding bikes)

Anyway, I was on my way home, passing through a part of town where laws are loosely followed. I came to a red light and thought I can do a squeeze while cross traffic had a green arrow and filter in. (Yea, I know, I’m just telling you what I was doing) The other side had a red right arrow, so I thought it was cool.

Dude in a truck has a similar idea, but decides to pull out just as I’m directly in front of him. Once I stopped shitting myself, I realized I was well beyond a safe distance down the road. I was fully expecting to be beeped at, yelled at, etc.

So I’m like, you know what, I’m gonna duck off and let this dude pass. So I wave him around, and he gave a beep. But it was a friendly beep.

Unfortunately, like 10 seconds after letting him swoop by, he’s stuck behind some jackass turning left and jamming up the whole works.

So I swoop by, get another beep. So ok, maybe that wasn’t a friendly beep.

Truck catches up eventually, like 3 blocks away and passes me. I catch him at the next light, third beep. So against my best judgement, I give him a nod and see what’s up.

He says something like “sorry, I was just trying to get a little bit ahead of this traffic” and I was like “I thought you’d be pissed, I was in the wrong” and he laughed and said “me too!”

Anyway, he appreciated the let him pass gesture and we both got a laugh when I told him “thank you for not hitting me”

I sometimes forget there are actual people in those cars.

Hi everyone!! I would love your opinions on acquiring the The Patagonia Disperser RollTop 40L - link: https://www.patagonia.com/product/disperser-roll-top-water-resistant-pack-40-liters/48575.html?dwvar_48575_color=PGBE - for everyday bike commuting to & from work. I currently have an ILE Apex Daypack but it is WAY too small for my needs.

For context, I spend 12hrs+ at a hospital each day, & carry everything from a 15in laptop, to a water bottle, coffee mug, lunchbox + extra snacks, personal items (everything that would go in a purse), study materials (large binder), & at times clothing changes if I'm either going to the gym or trying to adjust to the range of temps we experience throughout the day here in San Francisco.

pros & cons? Personally dislike that it doesn't have water bottle holders on the side. The lack of laptop compartment I can live with.

For context, I'm a pretty small person, 5'2 125lbs. I don't mind looking ridiculous with it on as long as it serves its purpose. I'm also a rock climber so if my commuting habits change, I will find plenty of other uses for it.

Thoughts? :)