Trying out bicycle commuting for the first time

Fitness and health issues

If you're not in good health, tell your doctor about your intent to start cycling. The doctor and you together can decide if you need a physical exam or special training.

If you are not accustomed to riding routes as physically demanding as the ones you expect to commute, you might want to first do exercise rides. Start with short rides you can handle, and gradually make the rides more difficult.

If you want to pursue a (hopefully) medically sound and expertly designed training regimen, see the cycling books at a local bookstore.

If you start cycling long distances and you are not accustomed to that, you may experience soreness. If the soreness does not diminish after a few rides, here are some things you can try:

Change your bike's seat or stem positions. If you are not sure about how to do this, ask a bike shop if you can pay for instruction and advice. If the seat chafes your skin, you might need to instead buy a different kind of seat.
Use arm and leg warmers if the temperature is below maybe 20°C (68°F).
Use a different type of bike, especially a recumbent. For recumbent bicycles, it's best to find a bicycle shop that specializes in them and has several models in stock that you can try.
Stop and take breaks during each ride.
Periodically lift up from the saddle and pedal in an almost standing position.
For seat chafing, you can switch to cycling shorts with a padded synthetic liner. You can get lubricating creams to apply to the affected skin area.
Avoid biking until the problem goes away.

For further guidance, here's a page about pain caused by cycling.

Other preparations

If you learned to ride a bike as a child, you probably only learned the most basic techniques. But, with a little more knowledge, you may improve in important ways.

If you want cycling or mountain-biking instruction for yourself or your kids, ask a nearby bike shop if they know about a good class. Or look for a course recommended by a national bicycling organization, such as:

If you want to ride with another cyclist, for help in learning to commute or for companionship, check for a local bike buddy program.

If you want to just try out bike commuting, it might be easier to first bike on an official casual dress day (assuming your workplace has such a thing).

If you are not accustomed to riding in car traffic, first practice in light traffic, then try the busier streets.

See my page about route planning for more information to prepare for your first trip.