{"id":422,"date":"2012-05-17T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-17T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/2012\/05\/17\/tips-for-newbie-women-bike-commuters\/"},"modified":"2014-02-10T15:43:27","modified_gmt":"2014-02-10T23:43:27","slug":"tips-for-newbie-women-bike-commuters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2012\/05\/17\/tips-for-newbie-women-bike-commuters\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Newbie Women Bike Commuters"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This guest blog post was written by Wendy Wheeler of Seattle.\u00a0 She is a new bike commuter and a captain of a Bike to Work team for federal agency employees.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
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As a new commuter-cyclist, I want to share some tips that can make your ride more enjoyable, and thus more likely.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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Wendy Wheeler bikes with style.<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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If you\u2019re like me, you have a list of \u201cshoulds\u201d as long as your arm. The trick for me was to take the idea of commuting by bike and make it as fun as possible. Now, it\u2019s something that I really enjoy and I look forward to doing, rather than something that I\u2019m trying to squeeze into my day.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Make it easier: Metro is your friend.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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The bike racks on the Metro buses are really easy to use, once you\u2019ve done it once. Try it first on a weekend for less pressure, just load it on at one stop and take it off a couple of stops later. With the bus, you have an infinite number of ways you can slice your commute. Any part that you don\u2019t want to ride on a particular day, you don\u2019t have to.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Keep it easier: Have a back-up plan for rain.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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My back up plan is four-fold \u2013 I could leave my bike locked in my office\u2019s parking garage, I could stop at any point and use Metro, my top layers are water-resistant, and almost all of my clothes are machine washable anyway. So I can choose how wet I\u2019m willing to be. When I\u2019m warm, it doesn\u2019t bother me. Most days in Seattle this time of year, it\u2019s not actually raining all day, just showers that may not coincide with the ride anyway.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Make it fun: Dress it up.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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I am a big fan of visibility. I have a front light and a back light on the bike and smaller ones on helmet and my backpack. I also think having a bright-colored top layer is a good idea. But I don\u2019t feel the need to look like I\u2019m preparing to bike the tour de France. Spandex is not my friend these days. <\/span>J<\/span> So I turn the \u201cwhat to wear\u201d formula on its head and go for something nicer than my normal dark work pants. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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If I\u2019m striving to be visible, why not wear a bright top and cute skirt? Skirts are among the most comfortable riding wear there is \u2013 they move with you, they tend to be lightweight, they\u2019re already up out of the chain area, and they don\u2019t bunch and compress in the middle. You can get tons of inexpensive skirts to try for shape\/size\/flow at your neighborhood Goodwill or Value Village \u2013 get something with a pattern and then even if you get drizzled-on on the way to work it will still look great. The one in my photo was originally too long, so I chopped the ruffle and some length off the bottom, reattached it, and now it\u2019s ready to go. For spring\/fall, I wear the skirt with tights. When it\u2019s warm (here\u2019s hoping!), I\u2019ll wear a pair of snug yoga shorts, or boy short style underpinnings underneath, and it\u2019ll comfortable and modest enough for unexpected cross-winds.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Likewise, on shoes, try using that pair of work shoes that are good for walking. My faves are a pair of Naots \u2013 cork insoles, adjustable strap, low heel and a bow. They have enough support to be comfortable on the pedals, but are office perfect the minute I step off the bike.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Keep it fun, don\u2019t worry much about your hair.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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I have the gift of slightly curly hair. So my office mates know that it will never look tidy anyway. This gives me freedom with how it looks post- helmet. There are websites with tips on hair and cycling, check them out if you\u2019re going for a specific look. My tip would be to try both the wet and dry options (as long as it\u2019s not freezing out). You may find that starting with slightly damp hair actually gives you a more controlled look after your ride (less frizz\/fuzz).<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Above all, enjoy your ride.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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I think you\u2019ll find that you feel better after the fresh air and workout. Enjoy that you\u2019ve made this time to treat yourself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Bicycle Alliance’s Go By Bike<\/b><\/a> brochure also offers some good tips for getting started with biking for errands and commuting.<\/i> <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This guest blog post was written by Wendy Wheeler of Seattle.\u00a0 She is a new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[47,19,20,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bike-to-work","category-commuting","category-encouragement","category-guest-blogger"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTips for Newbie Women Bike Commuters - Washington Bikes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2012\/05\/17\/tips-for-newbie-women-bike-commuters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tips for Newbie Women Bike Commuters - 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