Good for you. I have been commuting by bike this whole spring and summer. I have lost nearly 50lbs, and saved hundreds on fuel. My commute is as short as 5 mi, but when my weight plateaued a month or so back, I started taking a longer scenic route when I have time, so I am averaging 125mi/week including errands at lunchtime and after work, and grocery shopping on the weekends.
As for the danger, statistically I will live longer bicycling every day than I would have had I remained obese. (Two weeks ago I dropped below the 30bmi number most often cited as the “official” definition of obesity)
If you see bicyclists that look like commuters, chat with them about possible routes. It is likely NOT as bad as you think. If not explore on your own for alternative routes for your bicycle commute. Don’t think like a car driver when selecting the route. People in my city that do not bike are terrified to try because they only see from a car drivers point of view. The only bikes they notice are riders on busy streets that have made poor route choices. It is actually not too bad. There are a lot of bike paths they don’t ever see, and these have some tunnels and bridges that allow safe crossing of freeways and busy streets. The roads with bike lanes are between the main arteries used by most of drivers. Even when the bike paths parallel the roads, drivers are focused on car traffic and never notice all those bikes.
You can cut through residential neighborhoods and school zones at top speed without speeding, and without endangering pedestrians. Stop signs don’t cost much time, because you wouldn’t have been driving at 35mph for that time you stopped, and bikes stop and accelerate back to top speed in just a few seconds. You can cut through school yards and portage over medians. You can wait on the median and cross that busy street in two stages, where a car would have to wait 10 minutes for a long enough gap. You can often get through anyway when streets are closed for construction, or residential blocked to prevent shortcutting by car traffic. Stand on the pedals and you don’t even need to slow down for speed bumps.
Stuff to watch out for: Eye all parked cars with suspicion and give any car with a driver in a wide birth…just assume they will open the door without checking the mirror. This is the biggest reason I will sometimes “hog the road” and annoy the car behind me.
Watch the wheels of cars at side streets and driveways that you think see you and are waiting for you to pass. You will see the wheels start to turn before you can tell the car is moving forward (I hate spinner hubcaps!) Look for cars in parking lots moving toward the driveways…don’t give them the opportunity to hit you.
99.9% of the time, a driver that hits a bike or motorcycle “just didn’t see it” (an admission of guilt, not an excuse!) If a driver is getting pissed at you, this means they see you, and if they see you they are far less likely to kill you. Seriously, can you blame them for being mad at having to see the world locked in a cage. Really though, think about where you ride to be most visible, and where you are safest from what stupid stunt a driver might pull, and if it delays the car behind you for a few seconds, screw them. Review your local laws. In my city the traffic code says I should stay at_least 3 feet from parked cars, and I am NOT required to keep far to the right if there is not sufficient room to safely pass me, and that is defined as passing with 3’ of clearance between me and the car. On many residential streets there is not room to safely pass me if there are cars parked on both sides, and you can be sure I will be right in the middle to discourage it…and I will move over in 1/4 block where there are no parked cars on one side.
If you commute on a bike, you will sometimes have to ride in the rain. Fenders are your friend. The plastic ones are durable, cheap, and easy to install on most bikes. I have found no garment that keeps me dry…if it keeps the rain out, it keeps the sweat in, and I end up not just wet, but wet and stinking, goretex included. Wool will keep you warm if not dry, and with fenders you end up wet and clean instead.
If you have an office job, you need a way to clean up when you get to work, or enough time to make the commute at well under 10mph…unless you are freak that can ride fast and not sweat. Even if you ride slow, if you wear a backpack, you will pool sweat under the pack. Messenger bags work better than backpacks, and panniers work better still. Ortlieb makes good, simple panniers that are waterproof and attach nicely to a rack.
