Commuting on a bike is surprisingly fun, and once you get in shape, not as time-consuming as you might think. It adds about 40 minutes total to my commute, which is about the amount of time I spent on the treadmill per day last winter, so the net is about zero difference in time used per day, but I get 75 minutes of workout instead of 40. When I first started, I was pretty much dogged out when I got home, but these days I get home pretty sweaty but not really even breathing hard, and can turn around and work on projects all evening.
Current stats (YTD as of Sept 12, 2004): Odometer: 1380 miles Cost of equipment: $650 Direct benefits: $245
Here's a photo of my commuting machine as it currently stands.
Storage: I have two panniers and a trunk bag, but the trunk bag obstructs the seatpost flasher and doesn't hold enough for a commuter with lunch and clothing, so I took it off permanently when I got the panniers. It seemed OK at the time and panniers were expensive. The panniers are Nashbar ATBs, there are two but you can use either or both, they're quite roomy, and when on sale go for $24.95. They're kinda-sorta waterproof, and seem very durable. 3 seconds on and off bungies and clips. WAAY more convenient than dragging stuff out of the trunk pack when I get there.
Lighting: For winter cycling, I'm going to be running in the
dark at least one
direction, so some high-powered front lights are necessary. Commercial
solutions start at around $100 and go up to about $500 for HID arc lamps.
The cheap ones are just off-the-shelf stuff so I decided to have a go at
DIY'ing one. You can see the battery pack strapped to the top of the rack,
above.
Here's a breakdown of parts. Total cost was about $26 including two
spare lamps.
In addition to the halogen, I have a Cateye flashing/constant 3-LED headlight. This makes a workable backup in case the halogen goes out, and is also a great "be seen" light especially in flashing mode.
Still to be done: I've just soldered the wires to the back of the lamp. I need to find an MR16 socket to put in there, so that I can carry a spare bulb and be able to attach it on the road. Unfortunately, I can't find a good source of the sockets from somewhere that doesn't have a $20 minimum order or something. It's starting to look like the best way to get a socket is to buy a lighting fixture at Lowes for $12, clip the socket out and throw the rest away.
Also on the back you see a 1.5 x 4" amber reflector, which I mounted to the rack using a piece of angle aluminum. The "legal" reflectors that come on bikes are NOT good enough for nighttime riding; you want a big honkin' reflector AND lights on the back.
More winter fun: When it gets to be proper winter, I'll need a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires, which you can see here.