Paul Taylor

How Long have you been commuting?

Paul Taylor commutes to work on his bikeIn 1976, I was a thirty-six year old family man living in suburban Chicago, and got a new job. This new job meant that I would take a commuter train into the loop, a nice change from my former 1-hour auto commute. The new job allowed us to sell our second car, leaving my wife to drive me a mile to the bus, which would ferry me to the suburban train station. One day, I don’t remember why, I decided to ride my ‘10-speed racing bike’ to the bus stop. Bypassing my trip to the bus was excellent: I had a fine route, and my wife could sleep in with our three kids. That was my baby step, from which I progressed.

Why do you commute?

I ride for several reasons, and it’s hard to rank them in importance. But I think I can say ‘time efficiency’ and exercise are most important to me. I actually spend less time biking to work, than I would driving and then going for a 20 minute walk or run in the evening. And a bonus is that I get 90 minutes of exercise, not 20.

How far do you commute?

I have been retired for 2 years, but have a part-time job. I ride 6.0 miles to that job, four days per week. Before I retired, I rode 8.4 miles to work.

Do you commute all year?

I don’t ride when the temperature is below 15 degrees or when the streets are slippery. I admire those that do, but I don’t want steel studded bike tires, and my mittens, already too cumbersome for my brake levers, are not adequate for lower temperatures after 45 minutes. I’ll not graduate to the next level, but I admire those who do.

What type of bike do you ride?

Currently I’m riding a two year old Trek T80 Navigator. This is a European bike, special ordered by Outpost Sports, not normally available in North America. It is a ‘hybrid’ by U.S. definition. In addition to the standard European stuff (wheel-lock, light generator, tail light, fenders with mud flaps, kickstand, chain guard, and rear rack), I have added a Night-Rider dual-beam headlight and a second Planet Bike tail light. This is my 6th commuter bike over the past thirty-two years, each replacing an earlier model that got stolen or wrecked.

Do you have any tips for commuting?

  1. Follow the rules of he road. You’re going to meet the same motorist day after day. Earn their respect, not just for you, but for all bikers.
  2. Find a good route. Get a map and think outside the box. You bike route will probably be quite different from you car route. Check it out in your car if need be, then ride it on a weekend, so you’ll feel confident on your first ride next Monday morning. If you haven’t got a safe route, move.
  3. Start as a fair weather commuter. As you gain experience, upgrade your equipment so you can be an all-weather commuter.
  4. Listen to the weather report, but if the chance of rain is 50% or less, it probably won’t rain.
  5. In normal weather, ride comfortably to work. When you get there, head for the restroom where you can splash some clear water on your face and eyes to freshen up.
  6. When it’s hot, ride slowly to work. When you get there, head for a restroom stall with a packet of moist deodorant hand and face wipes.

What gear does a person need to commute?

I’ve got a lot of gear, most of which failed my test for being an improvement over what I had previously. Here’s the order in which I would suggest buying stuff.

  1. A bike – any bike. Now you can bike commute!
  2. A backpack, if you don’t already have one. You won’t be using it for long unless you’re porting a laptop in a laptop backpack.
  3. High visibility clothing. Now you’re less of a surprise to motorists.
  4. Helmet. The best way of preventing injuries if you’re hit by a car or take a bad fall.
  5. Rear rack and some kind of case/bag to replace that sweaty backpack. Now, riding is even more fun.
  6. Fenders. Now you can ride after a heavy dew or recent rain.
  7. Rain poncho or breathable rain jacket with a hood. Campmor has a nice poncho. Now you can ride in the rain.
  8. Quality headlight and taillight. Now you can ride at night.
  9. An assortment of layered clothing: gloves, skull cap, balaclava, ear band, vest. Now you can ride in cold weather.
  10. Kickstand, chain guard, second taillight and headlight. Now you can forget about finding a plate-glass window to lean your bike against, a leg strap, and you have doubled your nighttime visibility.