Key things to know… The gear you need to carry will depend on what you are doing.  Commute riders, riding to work or school, will often have the need to carry a bit of gear such as work clothing, books, personal items laptops and lunch.  If you are commuting to do an errand like the shopping it will be more about carrying gear home with you.

Best way to prepare for this is to understand what gear you need to carry. The amount of gear will determine the amount of storage capacity you require. If you don’t need to carry a lot you may be able to carry it on yourself with a backpack. If you have quite a bit to carry, or carrying it on your body may lead to discomfort, then it is best to put the load on the bike. You can put load on your bike by attaching bags or baskets at the front or the rear. Choosing what to attach will be determined by a number of considerations. Such as whether it needs to open or closed, does it need to be waterproof? Do you want to be able to remove it and take it with you?

Enjoy our selected stories: Gear List for Commute & Urban Riding, How to carry gear urban and commute riders.

For more information see a full range of stories at:  Carrying Gear – Stories & Support

Key things to know… if you set yourself up with clothing options to ride in a range of conditions you open up the ability to choose to commute more often. You can be comfortable riding in a wider range of weather conditions.

Best way to solve this issue is have gear to support you to ride in a variety of conditions.  The different seasons provide different demands and challenges.  from cold, to wet and heat considerations. Have gear that will keep you comfortable whatever the weather is doing. To be a committed commuter you will have to protect yourself from rain or at the least being caught out in wet conditions.  If you ride an E-Bike and are using your assistance understand that it may be harder to stay warm in cooler weather, so base and mid layers need to provide you with that warmth.  Please read the stories above to learn more…

Enjoy our selected stories: Tips for Riding in Different Seasons, Bike at a Comfortable Temperature – Use Layers, Bike Jackets what are your options?

For more information see a full range of stories at: Clothing for Biking – Stories & Support, Bike Jackets – Stories & Support

Key things to know… with more time on a bike comes the possibility of more problems at your contact points – bruising, aches & pains. Doing multi days you need to protect your body from these increased ride times.  Do you now need endurance level products?

Best way to solve this problem is too add some protection & padding. For bike seat comfort, use padding, have a great seat, and be really aware of your body position.  Don’t forget about your comfort at your handlebars, have good grips and have bike gloves with padding. Building up to greater time & distances is really important… so be aware of how your body is feeling. This makes rest days just as critical as ride days in the beginning.  We recommend reading both the stories in the link boxes above…

Enjoy our selected stories: Ride for longer, Guide: Bike Seat Comfort

For more information see a full range of stories at: Comfort on your bike seat – stories & support

Key things to know…  let us cover off a few additional things that may be important to keep you and your gear safe when you commute. If you are riding in poor light, at night, near or around traffic make sure you are visible and you can see. To work well with other bike path users – use a bell. Have confidence that you can leave your bike and gear and it will be safe.

Best way to prepare for this is to consider where and when you will be riding and what safety risks you may be exposed to. Traffic, poor light, are you sharing the space with other users, pedestrians, bikers, scooters etc? Have locks for your bike and gear that match the risk. Risk can be assessed by evaluating monetary value, value to you as well as the risk of the environment you are in.

Enjoy our selected stories: Town Riding – Am I safe to ride. Bike Path Riding – Am I safe to ride, Types of Bike Locks

For more information see a full range of stories at:  Bike Locks Stories & Support