I want to begin riding bikes more for exercise and ultimately to commute to work.
Unfortunately I’m overweight and very out of shape. Work is about 20 miles away, along busy highways with big shoulders but moderate traffic. About 55 mph is the speed limit.
I’m trepidatious about obviously getting hit, but also I don’t think I’d be able to go the whole way right off the bat. I’ll train some first.
I’m thinking some kind of ebike like a Specialized Tero 3.0 but don’t know. The shoulders can be pretty tricky/ gravelly so I was shying away from road bikes with thinner tires. I was leaning ebike because I think they’re cool/fun, help me better keep up speed, and will ultimately help keep me motivated.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I’d suggest playing around with different route profiles for your commute on https://bikerouter.de/ (based on Brouter), like “Safest” or “Minimal Traffic”, I’ve had success with finding calmer routes using this tool. Can make your commute much more relaxing too!
Lots of supportive great advice here. My only two adds here are:
- there is actually a guidebook for biking safely. Very much similar to a driver manual. The SoCal Bike Associative used to have it posted years ago but look that up and give it a read.
- find a local recreational biking group on your region and ride with them. There should be one that’s beginner friendly. If you can’t find one immediately look for a bike build community. We have a few in my city. One called Bike Kitchen. They teach you how to repair your bike and introduce you to other new riders and experts who love teaching.
I’d say go to a bike shop and try out some e-bikes. Find one that fits and that you enjoy riding, and start taking it for fun rides! I’d highly suggest a rack and some panniers (saddle bags) for carrying stuff - it makes it way easier to run errands and stuff via bike.
20 miles is a big bike commute, and riding on the edge of the highway isn’t super fun. But as others have said, maybe there are alternate routes. A 25 mile route through paths/side streets would be way more enjoyable than a highway shoulder.
Good luck on your biking endeavour! It’s a great addition to life.
I think e-bikes are great especially if it gets you out riding. That’s what really matters. What will get you to ride and look forward to it? You still get exercise from ebikes as well as you can just turn down or even off the assist while riding.
A very common mistake is to commute what you’d drive. In many cases you’d do better on paths and neighborhood streets. For example, maybe part of an unavoidable highway segment has a frontage road. Hop off onto the frontage for that segment, even if it’s technically 60 seconds slower.
Google Maps is a decent start, though imperfect in detail (routing through a busy park on footpaths, or not routing through a park that has a good dirt path). Use street view and OpenStreetMaps to explore ways that auto routing won’t pick.
+1 to the suggestions on starting with shorter trips. They’ll work out any kinks in your setup and give you time to become confident on your bike.
A very common mistake is to commute what you’d drive.
This right here.
When I was living in western NY and bike commuting, I took the Towpath along the Erie Canal instead of following the roads to work. It ended up being about the same distance, but was significantly less stressful to not worry about getting clobbered by a driver not paying attention.
Can you shower at work? May as well bring leftover fish to microwave while you’re at it.
20 miles one way is going to be a rough commute to start. I agree with other comments about riding for fun to get the setup right for you and build endurance
I don’t know if this is feasible for you but maybe get a bike rack and drive part way, park somewhere public and ride the rest of the way in?
Other people are going to have better suggestions, but I think electric tricycles are underrated just don’t bomb corners as fast as you can.
https://electricbikereport.com/best-electric-tricycles/
https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radtrike-electric-tricycle
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dWkYxV8wdpk&pp=ygUJI9mB2LLZhNmI
Bicycle people will often frown at the idea of a classic tricycle and especially as electric vehicles I think it isn’t fair to the design, it isn’t a high performance vehicle meant to fit through tiny gaps or bomb hills. As an everyday practical vehicle on the other hand… I think it makes a ton of sense.
+1 for the etrike, (I have a emmo tropic C myself) I find cars respect me way more in it and I can pull way more awkward loads not having to worry about balance. I found an electric anything ends up giving me way more exercise than a regular bike, since I’ll attempt trips I otherwise wouldn’t because of steep hills or heavy loads.
Be careful the first time you go on tilted ground with it though. My instinct as a biker was to keep the bike perfectly upright, which obviously isn’t how trikes work. I turned into the slope and ran into a wall. XD
I would think the rear wheel drive trikes also inherently retain traction and handling well with a moderate load placed in the cargo box between the rear wheels, they might perform better in some respects I imagine.
If the roads are truly highways, you will want to check the laws where you are to confirm if it is legal to ride your bike on those roads. Typically, bikes are not allowed on highways. Regardless, you may want to see if there is an alternate route available. Riding on high speed roads with moderate to heavy traffic is not something I like to do if there is a different option available.
As someone else suggested, a gravel bike may be a good option. Personally I would avoid an e-bike. Nothing wrong with them, but if the goal is to get exercise, then why get a bike that is designed to minimize the amount of work you have to do? It will be tougher in the beginning while you get used to it, but once you do, you’ll be fine.
By far, the single most valuable resource available to new riders is a good local bike store. Find one and talk to them about what you’re trying to do. They’ll be able to make recommendations that are right for you. They’ll also be familiar with the roads in your area and be able to offer good advice about potential routes.
So, the reality is, getting out on any bike e or no is better than not riding a bike. There are proven health benefits for ebikes too, it’s not as much as non ebike, but it’s also non negligible.
IMO yes, start with a non ebike, but for a 20 mile commute, get an ebike. You’re already going to need to find another route, so it isn’t going to be a straight 20 miles, and if you’re doing it every day, the days you’re late you’re gonna drive, whereas with an Ebike, you’re more likely to do it every day. So set yourself up for success and get a cheap gravel bike and then a commuter centric ebike. Now to be clear, not the ebikes you don’t have to pedal. Get a tern hsd or something.
I am an avid cyclist, and I love having an ebike in the stable so that on days I’m late, I can still stay on a bike vs driving. Just stay away from the “ebikes” that you don’t pedal. Look for ones with the motor inbetween the pedals. I also kind of think saying to stay away from an ebike because you’re trying to get in shape is backwards. An ebike is an easier stepping stone towards being more active assuming you get the right kind.
Consistency is typically better for getting in shape than how hard you do it. So if you bike 1 or 2 times a week because you’re biking on the weekends, vs 5 (10 since 2x a day) commuting to work, the commuting on an ebike is probably going to actually net you more than the weekend warrior exercise.
Edit: one more thing. Route route route. It’s been said above, but finding the most bike friendly route to get somewhere is absolutely key. That means not biking on 55mph roads.
This may be obvious, but buy a helmet. It’s likely you’re not getting paid for your good looks but for what you know/can do, a helmet will protect that best.
As for the biking itself, weekend trips, chores, shopping, etc will get you started.
As for getting to work, are there alternate paths? You likely drive the highway route because it’s faster, but there may be a less traveled route that isn’t much worse but not fast.
Get a gravel bike (fatter tires). Start by riding on weekends, either doing chores like shopping, or just short rides of a few miles. Be sure to go to a bike shop and get them to help you adjust seat height, stem/handles height, and other “bike fit” things to make the ride comfortable. Get lights for the front and back.
