Tips on Biking to Work

I recently moved to Portland. Naturally, like my fellow twenty-somethings, this means I bike to work. This has required some fine-tuning to my work preparation, as I like to look creative, but not unkempt.

Travel Apparel & Equipment

My assumption is that you, like me, sweat enough during exertion that you don’t want to ride in your work clothes. In the summer it’s easy enough to bike in a t-shirt and shorts, but inclement weather calls for a more advanced approach.

A simple athletic jacket and workout pants will be adequate on most days, but you’ll need to carry waterproof kit if you live in wintry or rainy climes, like the Pacific Northwest. I have a waterproof raincoat and rain pants, which I wear over not much more than a tank top when it’s raining. Raingear is a great insulator. You won’t need to layer; your body heat will be enough.

I carry the essentials—change of clothes, lunch, laptop— in a dry bag with shoulder straps. I used a messenger bag (so cute!) for a few weeks, but my right shoulder has never recovered. switched to a backpack. I recommend the SealLine Boundary Pack, which is inexpensive, alarmingly waterproof and available in very safe traffic cone-like colors. I use a 35L size, which has more than enough adequate space for all my stuff. Mine looks like this.
You’ll need a helmet (properly fitted), LED lights on front & back, a flat repair kit or spare tube, a pump and a lock. It also helps to know how to use the flat repair kit. REI or your local bike shop can help with all of this.

The Fine Details: Grooming

In my traffic cone pack, I also carry cleanser and a basic makeup kit. When I arrive at work, I head straight for the ladies room and wash my face with cold water, to clean out road dirt & sweat and stop the sweating. I relax, change my clothes, apply makeup quickly and go to work.

Tips & Tricks

• If you’re sweaty, pulling on skinny jeans is the worst thing in the world. Either ride in them, or give up.
• Organize your different groups of items (lunch, makeup kit, biking tools) into small pouches within your backpack. You end up going through your stuff 3 or 4 times a day, so it helps to be able to identify what you need quickly.
• Here is the easiest outfit: tunic or sweater dress, leggings and boots. You can bike to work in the leggings and boots and a t-shirt, and simply switch to the tunic/sweater dress when you get to work. Easy.
• Don't carry liquids in your pack unless they're sealed in plastic. It doesn't matter how great you think your thermos is. It will leak. On your phone, laptop or clothes.