COMMUTING BY BICYCLE
STORIES BY OUR CUSTOMERS

Joel Sothern, Laguna Niguel, California

I've started commuting to work 2-3 times per week. 16 miles each way, almost 1,800 feet of climbing total per day,
so it makes for a great workout. My commuting tips: use roads with bike lanes if you can, even if you have to
take a longer route - the extra safety is worth the extra distance, and you get an even better workout!
Also, don't scrimp on reflective gear and lights when you have to ride after dark - your life is worth a lot more than
a few bucks for good lights, and it's not worth risking your life to save carrying a few extra ounces!
Finally, use reflective tape on both sides of your fork, crank arms and seat stays to make sure you're visible
from the sides. You may not like the idea of sticking something on your beautiful paint job, but it'll look a lot
worse if some car runs into it after dark! If possible, could you match the grab bag shorts and jersey?
That would be great! I also prefer non-bib shorts (I ride a century almost every Saturday, and making "rest stops"
in bibs can be quite a challenge). Re the arm warmers, I bought blue ones and black ones with the
DeFeet "D" logo from you before - if you have black ones with different colored accents that would be great.
Thanks very much - time to go to bed (have to get up early to ride to work!). I love daylight savings time -
riding home before dark is so much more enjoyable...
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James Egitto Ocala, Florida

I commute every day on my cyclocross bike, and have for the past year and a half.
It's a 6 1/2 mile trip to work, almost all of which is on a 4-lane highway with heavy traffic.
There's a decent shoulder and sidewalks the whole way.
Yesterday morning my daughter drove her brother to chess club, following most of my route.
So it was "Race Your Daughter to Work Day." They passed me about half a mile out, then hit the traffic.
 I passed them and it took them another 3 miles to pass me again.
A mile later, I spotted them and almost caught up before they turned off my route.
This is typical for rush hour around here; the cars don't average much better than my 16 mph.
Now I spend my weekends with the family, instead of the 50-60 mile rides I used to take.
But I'm racking up the miles faster now; 3500 miles last year.
With the gas savings alone, I get a fat budget for my bike gear.
I'm delighted to bring some of my business to you guys instead of Exxon.

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