Issues > May/June 2007 (#120) > Shifting Gears: 12 Tips on Moving From the Fast Lane to the Bike Lane

Shifting Gears: 12 Tips on Moving From the Fast Lane to the Bike Lane

Now that the winter snow and April showers have finally subsided, it's the perfect time to tune up the old two-wheeler and pedal your way to work. It just so happens that next Monday kicks off a national Bike-to-Work Week, and there's no better way to burn calories while cutting pounds of carbon emissions. How many? Cycling at the mellow rate of 5 miles per hour, you'll burn about 175 calories in an hour. Compare to that to your car, which releases about 23 pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide for every gallon of gas burned.

Yet, there are even more reasons to drop the keys and hop on the saddle. "On a personal level, you'll save money, get good exercise and experience your city in ways that are impossible at 30 miles per hour," says Dani Simons, deputy director for communications at of Transportation Alternatives, a New York City bike, pedestrian and mass transit advocacy group. "On a broader, societal level, it'll cut local air pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help unclog the streets of congestion and traffic."

So to get you safely to the office (and back home again), here are twelve tips everyone should consider before pushing the pedals.

Before you mount up:

1) Check your local air quality. Before heading out, visit the EPA's AIRNow air quality index at www.airnow.gov. If your city's air quality index exceeds 151, consider taking public transportation or driving, since air pollution at that level can affect all individuals. To reduce harm to developing lungs, children should avoid riding bikes to school when the AQI is above 100. Regardless of air quality, avoid routes heavily trafficked by big, diesel-powered trucks and busses, which spew particulate matter that not only triggers respiratory problems like asthma and lung disease but has also been found to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And while you're at it, check the weather to see if rain is in the forecast for your ride home.

2) Pump it up. To avoid untimely flats, make sure your tires are properly inflated to the recommended air pressure, which is typically located on the side of the tire and listed in pounds per inch, or ppi. All floor pumps have an air pressure gauge built in, but if you've only got a hand pump, use a separate handheld gauge.

3) Check the brakes. Always, always check your bike's brakes before every ride. Lift the front wheel off the ground, give it a spin and squeeze the brake lever; the wheel should halt instantly. Repeat for rear wheel (spinning the top of the tire backwards, so as not to engage the cranks and pedals and ding your shin!).

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