How can I give up driving to become a bike commuter?

• Help me get in shape & learn what I need to know so I can start biking the seven miles to work (and seven miles back)! Right now, I'm getting cardio exercise at the gym for 30 or 35 minutes five days a week -- mostly on elliptical machines, but sometimes on recumbent bikes. I walk a lot on weekends. It will take me about a month to save up the cash to get my bike in the condition it needs to be in where I can start riding it to work. I'm looking for things I can do now to get in biking shape, and after I get my bike to prepare for a full fledged commute. My goal is to be bike commuting 14 miles round trip five days a week by the end of the summer. What should I be doing in the next month to get in shape before I am able to start riding? What should I do once I have a good bike to gradually build up to full commuting? I'd also love advice on practical stuff I should know before becoming a bike commuter. (Example: a friend tells me that a comfortable seat and padded bike pants should be a high priority.) Some background: my office is extremely alternative-transportation friendly, with safe bike storage, a locker I can use, and a shower. For a while in high school I was biking 10 miles a day to stay in shape, but that was more than 12 years ago. Since then, I haven't ridden much. Until about six weeks ago, I hadn't even worked out regularly for close to a year. I don't know much about bikes, but I live near a non-profit community cycling center in Portland.

• Answer:

  I agree with many things said here, but I think there's also some advice that's just plain wrong. First, contrary to funambulist's advice, you should not, under any circumstances, at any volume, wear headphones of any kind while riding (unless it's indoors on the trainer). I can't speak specifically to Oregon law, but it's almost certainly illegal, and it's incredibly dangerous. The sounds that warn you of impeding danger are usually subtle -- the whoosh of car tires coming up behind you -- and even at low volume, you might miss them. Second, for many people, especially those not accustomed to using one, riding with a mirror can be more dangerous than riding without one. If you plan to use one, learn to use it somewhere safe. If you're staring at your mirror when someone opens their car door in front of you, it's not going to do you any good. Adding to what bwilms said, you should definitely have tire levers, spare tube, and a mini-pump -- or better, a CO2 inflator -- and you should make sure you know how to use them before you ride. Once you learn how, fixing a flat will be a two minute operation; without these tools, however, a flat could mean a long, unpleasant walk. Consider getting a cyclocross bike or touring bike, as opposed to a racing bike or a hybrid. Cross bikes and touring bikes are meant to take the abuse of extra weight, rough conditions, etc., but ultralight racers are not. Hybrids, meanwhile, are not especially speedy or comfortable for longer rides, and if you decide you like cycling and want to start doing long weekend rides or something, you'll be glad to have a bike with drop bars. Whatever you get, have it fit and set up by an experienced shop. Having an ill fitting bike is just asking for a repetitive stress injury, and having an improperly built bike is asking for an accident. Also, since commuting happens regardless of the weather, you might consider investing in a rainshell and fenders, neither of which is very expensive and both of which will make riding in the rain considerably more pleasant. This commute doesn't sound so long that you'll need to do much to build up to it. Just jump in, but realize that the first couple of weeks might not be that much fun: you'll be adjusting to the bike and to working out more. Even if you wear all the right clothes, have your bike set up properly, and have a good saddle, your ass will hurt. That's just the way it is, stick it out and you'll be happy you did.