BikeWalkNC

North Carolina’s advocate for safe cycling and walking

Search Results for: rear lights

The Case for Requiring Rear Lighting at Night

The bicycle law study committee created by the enactment of HB232 had its first meeting August 7, when it identified priority safety issues to examine. One change to state traffic law that BikeWalk NC has recommended is that night lighting requirements for bicyclists be upgraded to require a rear lamp.

Cycling in darkness is important for commuting and other forms of utility cycling. Visibility is a concern, however. About 1/4 of car/bike collisions in North Carolina happen at night, including about one half of all bicyclist fatalities. Black and Hispanic bicyclists represent over half of night car-bike collisions in our state. Most bicyclists involved in crashes in darkness are not using lights.

Existing North Carolina law for night bicycling requires a headlamp in front and either a reflector or lamp in the rear, as follows:

20-129.(e) Lamps on Bicycles. – Every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp on the front thereof, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least 300 feet in front of such bicycle, and shall also be equipped with a reflex mirror or lamp on the rear, exhibiting a red light visible under like conditions from a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of such bicycle, when used at night.

All US states require a white headlamp when bicycling at night. Currently five states require a red rear lamp: Alaska, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. Three of these, Alaska, Florida, and Ohio, require a rear reflector in addition to a rear lamp. The other US states allow an option between a rear lamp or rear reflector.

StateRear Lamp Visibility DistanceReflector Also Required
Alaska500 feetYes
Florida600 feetYes
New Jersey500 feetNo
New York300 feetNo
Ohio500 feetYes

Most European countries require a white front lamp, a red rear lamp, AND a red rear reflector. Sweden specifies 300 meter (984 feet) visibility for front and rear lamps. Most LED bike lamps are visible at 1000 feet.

Night Crash Types

nightcollisionschart
Types and frequency of car-bike crashes at night in North Carolina

A headlamp is essential to avoiding many common types of car-bike collisions, which involve other drivers pulling out or turning left in front of the bicyclist at junctions. These drivers’ headlamps won’t illuminate the bicycle and its reflectors until it’s too late. Only the projected beam of the bicyclist’s own headlamp will make the bicyclist visible to drivers on intersecting paths.

driveoutleftcross
Visibility at junctions

Car-overtaking-bicycle collisions comprise 25% of night bicycling crashes, versus 11% of daytime crashes.  Most overtaking crashes occur on roads posted 40mph or higher. This means that drivers must be able to detect and recognize the reflector at a long distance away in order to have time to take appropriate actions such as braking or changing lanes to pass safely. Unfortunately, the stock reflectors sold with new bicycles (mandated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, aka CPSC) are small and very dim when viewed under headlamps at long distances.

Distance Matters

How far away should a bicyclist be visible from behind? The AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets provides a useful concept of Decision Sight Distance, defined as follows: “the distance needed for a driver to detect an unexpected or otherwise difficult-to-perceive information sources or condition in a roadway environment that may be visually cluttered, recognize the condition or its potential threat, select an appropriate speed and path, and initiate and complete the maneuver safety and efficiently.”  A road posted with a 40 or 45 mph speed limit will typically have a design speed of 45 to 50 miles per hour. According to the AASHTO guide, the decision sight distances recommended for stopping or changing speeds or direction range from 800 to 1030 feet on urban and suburban roads, and from 395 to 750 feet on rural roads. This is far longer than the visibility distance of 200 feet currently required under state law. Note that the emergency stopping distance for a car driver traveling 45 mph is nearly 200 feet when including reaction time. This leaves no room for distraction or recognition lag.

decisionsightdistance
2004 AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, page 115

An Experiment

So how far away is a typical bike reflector really visible, and how much better is a rear lamp? BikeWalk NC decided to put this to a test by setting up two LED bike lamps, a highway marker reflector, and a CPSC bike reflector on a white board and viewing it under car headlamps at different distances. Photos were taken from inside the vehicle, behind the windshield using a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens and set for a fixed speed that approximated human perception. At 50 feet, the CPSC bike reflector appeared roughly as bright as a bargain-priced LED bike lamp. At increasing distance, however, the bike reflector grew much dimmer than both of the LED lamps, as shown below.

lighttestcomparison
Rear visibility equipment test at various ranges. (a) Planet Bike Superflash in steady mode. (b) Bargain LED bike light. (c) Amber automotive/marker reflector. (d) CPSC bike reflector.

During the experiment, the bike reflector would virtually disappear even at short ranges with changes in headlamp orientation that resulted from minor changes in roadway grade (the street was not perfectly flat) or by turning the vehicle slightly. The height and position of the test devices were manually adjusted to compensate as much as possible, but the sensitivity to headlamp orientation was quite alarming.

The LED lamps were then switched to blinking mode, and video was recorded at 300 feet:

Lights versus Reflectors under Car Headlamps at 300 Feet

As shown, LED lamps are far more visible and conspicuous than reflectors at long distances. An LED lamp stands out better among other nearby vehicle lights (clutter) than does reflected power at long range. And given the video experiment, it’s no wonder why many cyclists think blinking LED lamps further increase distances for recognition as a bicyclist.

Optional: A Physics Lesson

At 500 feet, observed LED power can be 100x greater than observed reflector power.  This is because reflected light coming off a bike reflector declines in power with distance by a different exponent than light coming from an LED lamp. If the range between the bicyclist and driver is R, then the LED light power reaching the driver declines proportional to 1/R^2. But for a reflector, the light power declines proportional to 1/R^4.

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physicsreflector

Reflectors have other weaknesses. Car headlights may not be on or working, and curves and hill crests affect beam orientation. As shown below, a bicyclist’s reflectors may not be illuminated until the last moment.

reflectorcurve

Disadvantages of Lights

Lights have their own issues as well. They require power, their batteries go dead, they are more expensive, and they can get stolen off of a parked bike. Bike lamps can also fail by breaking or popping open when hitting a pothole, or by shorting out in wet conditions. Unfortunately, failures are especially common with the least expensive, discount lamps that use brittle plastic for the housing or mount. Should a failure happen while you are riding, you may not even notice it, since the lamp is behind you. It’s important to use a rear reflector as an emergency backup just in case.

Bright LED tail lamps are available new for under $10. Unfortunately, some of these bargain lamps are of poor durability, and can snap off at the mounting bracket after one or two bumps. Others are cheap to buy but expensive to maintain because they use coin cell batteries. AAA batteries are more economical than coin cells over the life of the lamp, but rechargeable systems can be the best deal in the long run.

Bicycle headlamps are typically much brighter than tail lamps, because bike headlamps are normally used to illuminate the roadway itself, while tail lamps are just for visibility to others. The difference in power requirements means that tail lamps are usually less expensive than headlamps.

Enforcement and Education Concerns

BikeWalk NC does not take the idea of new bicycling regulations lightly. The cost and convenience of maintaining a rear lamp must be weighed against the safety benefits. Given the relative affordability of LED tail lamps and the high percentage of serious crashes involving unlighted cyclists hit from behind at night, it is the BikeWalk NC Board of Directors’ position that changing state law to require a rear lamp when bicycling at night will improve awareness of effective visibility equipment, increase bicyclist safety and save lives at a reasonable equipment cost.

Bikewalk NC recommends that such a legal change be accompanied by a comprehensive education campaign on night visibility for bicyclists using a variety of media. Enforcement actions should be focused on empowering bicyclists to get home safely through the use of lighting giveaways or by providing assistance at finding alternative transportation home. Funding needs to be secured to persist lighting giveaway programs, especially in low income areas. Sensitivity to minority perceptions of police activity will be vitally important in the execution of a safety campaign. Historically, police enforcement of bicycle lighting laws in North Carolina has most often been performed as a pretext to stop, question, and potentially search people, usually minorities. Pretextual stops of bicyclists riding at night without lights or without city registration have inflamed racial tensions in Tampa and other cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Washington DC. A change in the state’s bicycle lighting law must serve to protect minority bicyclists, not provide another way to victimize them.

BikeWalk NC Recommended Statute Change

20-129.(e) Lamps on Bicycles. – Every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp on the front thereof, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least 1000 feet in front of such bicycle, and shall also be equipped with a reflex mirror and lamp on the rear, exhibiting a red light visible under like conditions from a distance of at least 1000 feet to the rear of such bicycle, when used at night.

See Also

Requirements on Lighting and Reflectors of Bicycles, ANEC, 2012.
Bicycle Reflector Project, CPSC, 1996.
About Bicycle Reflectors, John Allen, 2001, 2014. http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/reflectors/
Why Reflectors Don’t Work, John Schubert, http://www.sheldonbrown.com/reflectors.html

Traffic Bicycling: 1. First Come, First Served

1. First Come, First Served

Faster drivers must yield to slower and stopped traffic ahead. All vehicle operators must travel no faster than is safe and will allow them to stop within their sight distance. This legal principle is known as assured clear distance ahead. As a bicyclist, you have a right to use the roadway, and other drivers are legally required to respect your right of way, but you must act visibly and predictably to allow them to do so.

Each driver who is already on the road is entitled to the space their vehicle occupies, plus reasonable clearance behind and to each side, and reasonable stopping distance in front of them. Drivers must yield to other drivers already on the road in front of them, which requires them to limit their speed and be prepared to slow or stop for other traffic ahead.

§ 20-141. Speed restrictions. (a) No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway or in a public vehicular area at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing. … (m) The fact that the speed of a vehicle is lower than the foregoing limits shall not relieve the operator of a vehicle from the duty to decrease speed as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle or other conveyance on or entering the highway, and to avoid injury to any person or property.

§ 20-140. Reckless driving. (b) Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway or any public vehicular area without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property shall be guilty of reckless driving.

Most drivers have no difficulty limiting their speed and seeing and slowing in time to avoid hitting vehicles traveling slowly ahead on the roadway. Impaired driving, reckless driving, distracted driving and bicycling at night without an adequate rear light or reflector are the primary contributing factors in car-bike collisions where motorists fail to slow in time to avoid rear-ending slower bicyclists. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to improve the reliability with which drivers see and yield to you. Always use front and rear lights when cycling at night, and be sure to take advantage of the conspicuous lane positioning techniques described later in this guide.

trafficlightsatnight

Group Bicycling: Cooperative Principles

Cooperative Principles

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Traffic Laws
  • Bicyclists follow the normal rules of the road for drivers in order to deter collisions with cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
  • Bicyclists have the legal right to use public roadways as well as a legal responsibility to negotiate traffic safely and predictably. § 20-4.01(49)
  • Bicyclists must obey red lights and stop signs. § 20-158
  • When traveling slowly, use the right hand thru lane except when approaching turns. § 20-146(b)
  • Ride entirely within a single marked travel lane. Do not ride on a lane line; allow drivers to use the adjacent lane to pass. § 20-146(d)(1)
  • Look and yield to adjacent traffic before moving laterally. § 20-146(d)(1)
  • Do not pass stopped traffic queues on the right; get in line with other traffic (wait the middle of the lane) at intersections. § 20-150.1
  • Respect the traffic laws for operating around school buses and emergency vehicles. § 20-217 § 20-157
  • When stopping to rest, talk or regroup, move completely off of the roadway. § 20-161

For additional information on laws, see Important NC Traffic Laws Applicable to Bicyclists

Proximity Considerations
  • Riding in close proximity to other cyclists requires additional care.
  • The benefits of proximity include greater efficiency (lower wind resistance, less wasted effort), greater speed, and higher traffic throughput.
  • Close formations require cooperation and trust. Don’t follow another cyclist at close distance without their consent.
  • Physical contact with another rider or their bicycle should never be done without the other rider’s verbal request. This includes contact with a rider to assist in maintaining a consistent speed. Such contact could be unwanted or misconstrued and could also startle a rider and cause loss of control.
Predictability
  • Visibility is important. Approach other road users from where they are looking for traffic, and use front and rear lights at night.
  • Changes in speed and position should be gradual and not unexpected when in a group.
  • The most visible and predictable group formation is a double paceline (see Group Formations).
Communication
  • Verbalization – Announce your movements when slowing, stopping, overtaking, and changing formation.
  • Signaling – Use hand signals before moving left, right, stopping/slowing, and point out surface hazards and conditions that require moving laterally.
  • Call out unexpected or potentially unseen hazards such as potholes, animals, and cars overtaking under unsafe conditions. Don’t call “car back” for every vehicle that overtakes; save warnings for situations that are unsafe or unexpected, such as when other cyclists are encroaching on the left lane, or there is a conflict with oncoming traffic.
  • Surface hazards are hard for following bicyclists to see in a group, so take special care to call and/or point them out and lead followers into a safe path around them.
  • If you call out, use a direction (ex: “Hole Left” or Hole center”) so following cyclists can avoid the hazard.
  • Tell people right away if you experience a mechanical or health problem – this reduces the danger of a collision should you need to slow down or move suddenly, and they can help you with your issue.
  • Don’t use headphones, earbuds, or cell phones while cycling. You need to be able to hear other cyclists and to be focused on your surroundings.

BikeWalk NC Feedback on NCDOT’s H232 Study Report

BikeWalk NC submitted the following feedback to NCDOT on December 29, 2015 in response to NCDOT’s draft report on the H232 study. The feedback document was accompanied by a cover letter that can be read here.

BikeWalk NC Feedback on NCDOT’s H232 Study Report

12/29/2015

Abstract

BikeWalk NC is greatly concerned by multiple NCDOT recommendations in the H 232 Bicycle Safety Laws Study Report that contradict unanimous votes by the Study Committee and will make bicycling in North Carolina more dangerous and more difficult. We oppose NCDOT’s recommendations that

(1) bicyclists be required to operate in the right half of a marked lane, that

(2) municipalities be allowed to require permits for informal bicycling groups passing through their jurisdictions, and that

(3) restrictions be placed on bicyclists riding side-by-side within a single marked travel lane.

We are also concerned that the recommended night cycling requirements are insufficient. BikeWalk NC supports other recommendations in the report, particularly the provision for passing bicyclists in a no-passing zone when conditions make it safe to do so and the requirements for safer passing.

Operating Position in Roadway

BikeWalk NC is gravely concerned by NCDOT’s issue #7 recommendation that a bicyclist operate in the right half of a marked lane, because this conflicts with effective defensive bicycling techniques employed by knowledgeable bicyclists to improve their safety:

Where a cyclist is riding independently or single abreast, the cyclist shall ride in the right half of the right most travel lane with exceptions described in § 20-146 or except when the cyclist is travelling within 15 miles per hour of the posted speed limit.

The H232 Study Committee voted unanimously in recommendation against changing existing state law applicable to bicyclist operating position on the roadway. NCDOT’s recommendation to restrict this positioning to the right half of the lane conflicts with best practices for safe cycling as taught by all of the major adult bicycling education programs throughout North America and Britain, and conflicts with engineering guidance on placement of Shared Lane Markings (aka sharrows) and Bicycles May Use Full Lane markings as discussed in Chapter 14 of the 2013 ITE Traffic Control Devices Handbook. Conditions where a bicyclist’s safety is enhanced by operating in the center or left hand side of a marked travel lane include

  • To deter same-lane passing when the travel lane is too narrow for a bicyclist and a motor vehicle to operate side-by-side safely in the same lane
  • To improve conspicuity, sight lines and maneuvering space when approaching a location where another driver may pull out into the roadway from a side street, driveway or parking space
  • To improve visibility to oncoming drivers preparing to turn left across the path of the bicyclist
  • To stay a safe distance outside of the door zone of on-street parallel parking

NCDOT’s recommended legal restriction on a bicyclist’s ability to choose their preferred operating position within a marked travel lane will discourage safe bicycling practices and promote conflicts between knowledgeable bicyclists and police. Cycling safety experts have strong scientific theories and compelling evidence to support their claim that a centered or leftward lane position can reduce crash rates at intersections and on narrow-laned roads. NCDOT has offered no operational justification or evidence in favor of restricting bicyclists to the right half of a marked lane. BikeWalk NC recommends against changing the existing law and instead encourages NCDOT to promote public education of effective defensive bicycling practices.

Riding Two or More Abreast

BikeWalk NC objects to NCDOT’s issue #2 recommendation that new legal restrictions be placed on how bicyclists may operate side by side within a single marked lane.

NCDOT recommends that the legislature consider adopting language similar to the following: Bicyclists shall not operate more than two abreast in a single marked travel lane on public roadways except when overtaking another bicyclist.

The H232 Study Committee voted unanimously to recommend that no new regulation of riding abreast within a single lane be enacted, and that an educational program be developed and deployed by NCDOT to promote best practices for group cycling. The Committee believed that existing state laws, such as the requirement for any driver to operate within a single marked lane and for slower traffic to operate within the right hand marked lane, are sufficient to regulate group formation.  NCDOT’s recommended law has no operational justification, and will increase friction between police and bicycling groups, who occasionally appear more than two abreast when rotating or when stopping and restarting at intersections.

Informal Group Rides

BikeWalk NC objects to NCDOT’s issue #8 recommendation that municipalities be enabled to require permitting for informal group rides that pass through their jurisdictions:

The General Assembly may consider enabling legislation for local governments to register informal group rides. Any such legislation should apply to groups of more than 30 cyclists riding for recreational purposes, in a continuous formation, and causing significant delay to traffic flow or preventing safe passing. A group ride that routinely creates queues of vehicles waiting to pass on higher speed roadways should adhere to existing bicycle racing laws, acquiring the necessary permits issued by local or state agencies.

No proposal for municipal regulation of group rides was ever presented or discussed at the H232 Study Committee meetings. The committee recommended that NCDOT examine the state level special event permit process to address complaints about excessive road closure times, public communication and other issues that were raised about special events during the Committee meetings. The Committee recommended that educational programs be developed and deployed to address public concerns with informal group rides.

Enabling local regulation of through traffic would pose serious problems for intra-state travel. Travelers would be required to research the local laws of every municipality through which they would travel, instead of relying on the uniformity of state-wide regulations. NCGS § 20-169, Powers of local authorities, places strict limitations on how local authorities may regulate traffic in order to ensure uniformity of statewide traffic laws for normal vehicle operation and to facilitate practical travel through multiple jurisdictions.  Informal group bicycle rides are very popular due to the increased safety, comfort and support they provide to participants. These rides routinely pass through multiple jurisdictions on a single trip. If municipalities were allowed to require local permits for informal bicycling groups, those groups would need to research the ordinances of multiple jurisdictions and obtain multiple permits in order to meet their travel objectives. Such an onerous burden would severely impact and deter bicycling – an effect with conflicts with the state’s adopted Complete Streets Policy.

Before undertaking any drastic change to the road environment or traffic laws, the responsible course of action is to study actual traffic conditions and the potential effects of proposed changes. In its report, NCDOT admits that it has no data to quantify motoring delays related to informal groups and is simply responding to motorist complaints about bicycle traffic:

It is unknown the extent to which group rides without special event permits have prevented safe passing or caused unreasonable traffic delay. […] While the number of crashes and injuries associated with group rides appear to be rare; this issue appears to be the one that creates the most angst among motorists and cyclists. Establishing clearer expectations and informing both motorists and cyclists should help ease the angst.

NCDOT provides no justification for treating congestion delays from high volumes of bicycle traffic differently from that caused by high volumes of motor traffic, and provides no description of how the proposed restrictions on informal group rides would be enforced. What is an unreasonable delay? Would police be required to count bicyclists? If the number exceeds a threshold, who is to blame? Would all of the cyclists in the group be ticketed? The law enforcement officers on the Study Committee testified that group ride size regulations would be difficult and unpopular to enforce.

Participants in informal group rides point out that motorists are usually able to pass them after just a few seconds of waiting for a safe opportunity, and rarely does the delay last more than a minute. BikeWalk NC suggests that the burdensome regulatory approach recommended by NCDOT is highly disproportionate to the minor convenience impacts of group bicycling.

Visibility and Lighting Requirements

BikeWalk NC is concerned that the Study Report recommendations for night visibility do not increase the minimum visibility distance from the rear of the bicycle compared to the existing law. Given the high speed of traffic on many roads that utilitarian bicyclists need to use to reach their destinations, BikeWalk NC recommends that bicyclists operating at night be required to use rear lights visible from 1,000 feet away, equivalent to the standard required of bicyclists in Sweden, and which is easily met by most commercially available bicycle LED tail-lamps.   Using the 200-foot standard in the law is inadequate considering stopping distances and given that most inexpensive ($10 to $20) lights are typically visible for a quarter mile (over 1,000 feet).

Other Provisions

BikeWalk NC supports the other Study Report recommendations, most of which are aligned with the Committee recommendations.

  • How faster-moving vehicles may safely overtake bicycles: The report recommendation to allow drivers to pass bicyclists in no-passing zones when safe, under clearly limited conditions, brings state law into alignment with existing safe passing behavior employed by prudent drivers on narrow rural roads. Most motorists move across a solid centerline to pass bicyclists at safe distance after waiting until sight distances are adequate and no conflicting traffic is present. Motorists recognize that the sight distance required to pass a bicyclist safely is usually far shorter than that required for passing a motor vehicle traveling near the maximum posted speed limit, and that a solid centerline is an unreasonable restriction against passing a bicyclist when it can be done safely.
  • Whether bicyclists should be required to carry a form of identification: BikeWalk NC encourages bicyclists to carry identification as a best practice but strongly supports the report recommendation against requiring ID as this would pose a burden for some cyclists who do not possess official IDs.
  • Options for hand signals for turning: BikeWalk NC supports the recommendation to allow use of the right hand to signal right turns.
  • 2-foot or other passing distance requirements: BikeWalk NC supports the recommendation to increase the minimum distance for passing a bicyclist; the existing two foot distance is inadequate when passing a bicyclist who must maintain balance and is not protected by a safety cage.
  • Use of headphones or texting while cycling: BikeWalk NC agrees with the report recommendation.
  • Aggressive driving, harassment, and distracted driving laws: BikeWalk NC agrees with the report recommendation.
  • Vulnerable road user protection: BikeWalk NC supports the report recommendation to extend the legal protection of motorcyclists to bicyclists.
  • Formal group event permitting and regulations: BikeWalk NC agrees with the report recommendation to study and improve how special event road closures are implemented.

Bicycle Commuting

Commuting by bike offers several advantages over other modes.  If you enjoy cycling, it’s simply more enjoyable than being stuck in a car. Cycling is good for your health, good for the environment, and affordable. Cycling can save time over car commuting if car parking is inconvenient, and it’s more flexible than bus transit. Many car owners commute by bike in order to overlap their exercise time with their commute time, arriving at work invigorated and ready to start their day.

Bike commuting does require some logistical planning. How will you handle variations in weather?  How will you dress?  Will you want to wash up?  Will you ride in darkness? How will you carry your stuff?  Where will you keep your bike?  What route will you take?  The answers to these questions will depend on your commute, your work environment, and your personal preferences.

Rain

If you bike commute in North Carolina, you’ll eventually find yourself riding in the rain.  What comes down from the clouds will get you wet, but what your tires spray up from the road will cover you and your bike with grime.  Fenders can make wet roads and paths much more pleasant, protecting your clothes and your drivetrain.

Clothing

As Ranulph Feinnes said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Unfortunately, your ideal work attire isn’t always preferable for cycling in the weather.  Casual dress codes and modern clothing designed for outdoor activity make it easier to find practical compromises, especially if your commute is short. But for longer commutes, or if you plan to get a vigorous workout, you may prefer to change clothes between your commute and work.

A cold rain can make cycling very uncomfortable without a rain jacket, helmet cover, shoe covers, and possibly rain paints. Under warmer conditions, however, perspiration can be trapped inside rainwear and cause you to become wet and uncomfortable anyway. If changing clothes is an option, you may choose to simply embrace a warm summer rain, letting your clothes get soaked. Quick-drying synthetic active wear and wicking cycling clothing will usually dry out after a few hours on a hanger.  Cycling-specific sandals dry quickly and can be worn with bare feet or with insulated waterproof socks.

On cold days, dress in layers that you can easily take off during your ride as you or the weather warm up.  Try to adjust your clothing before you find yourself sweating.  On hot days, choose something that breathes and will dry quickly.

Hygiene

Perspiration is a common concern when cycling during warm months. If your workplace doesn’t have shower facilities, showering at home before your commute can eliminate most of the odor that might otherwise accompany perspiration, because it removes the bacteria that would cause the odor. A washcloth or alcohol wipes can remove the accumulated salt and make you comfortable.

Darkness

It’s important to use good front and rear lights if you’ll be cycling at night. It’s the law, and also makes night cycling a lot safer.  There are many of affordable bike lights available that work well for commuting.  If you’ll be commuting at night regularly, choose a headlamp with a rechargeable battery unless you want to upgrade to a dynamo-powered system for unlimited range. See the companion article on cycling at night for more information.

Carrying Your Stuff

There are two schools of thought on transporting your clothing, lunch, and other stuff: (1) carry it on the bike, or (2) carry it on your body.  Carrying it on your body in a backpack or messenger bag is convenient if you’ll be parking your bike away from your office; you won’t have to unload your cargo from your bike when you arrive. Carrying your gear on the bike in a pannier bag, trunk bag, or carradice bag may be more comfortable, especially in hot weather, and may make you feel more stable if the load is heavy.  Bike bags are available in a wide variety of sizes and waterproofing features. If you choose a messenger bag, make sure it’s designed for cycling, complete with a third strap for stability, and not just as a fashion accessory.

Parking

Some employers allow bike commuters to park their bikes indoors, either in their offices, storage closets, or other designated rooms.  Fire codes prohibit leaving bicycles in stairwells, corridors, and exit areas. If you bring your bike inside, try to use freight entrances and freight elevators in order to avoid conflicts with pedestrians and possible damage to facilities.

If you must park outdoors, try to find a location with protection from the elements. Rain and sun can take a heavy toll on a bike over time.  If the building doesn’t have covered bike parking, it doesn’t hurt to request it.  If your bike will be exposed all day, you may want to consider using an older, “beater” bike for commuting, and not your brand new racing bike.

Parking your bike in the same public place day after day makes it possible for bike thieves to plan a theft attempt. If your bike is valuable at all, you’ll want to choose a good enough lock to act as a deterrent. U-locks and heavy chains are generally the most secure; in high crime areas, you may want to use more than one lock type at the same time to require more than one type of tool to overcome them. Be sure to include your wheels when you lock your bike, especially if they are quick release.

Route Planning

Choosing the best route for your bike commute will depend on your comfort with traffic, your schedule flexibility, and the type of cycling you enjoy.  A direct route on the same roads you might travel by car may be practical, but oftentimes there are back streets with lower speeds and traffic volumes that are nearly as convenient by bike but make you look forward to cycling more.  Sometimes a greenway shortcut or parking lot cut through can open up a route that avoids traffic hassles or gives you a pleasant change of scenery. Google Maps can be an excellent tool to discover a route alternative that you didn’t know existed.  If you’re not confident about your route, try test-riding it early on a Sunday morning to see how it goes when traffic is light.

How to get started

If you’re considering bike commuting, don’t feel that you have to jump in all-or-nothing.  You can start gradually by storing some clothes and other supplies at work ahead of time, and riding in on a day with ideal weather and no schedule conflicts.  Just try it and see if you like it.  If you keep commuting, you can gradually accumulate equipment for a wider variety of weather conditions and logistical challenges.