Tomorrow, take the bike: your first Ride2Work commute
National Ride2Work Day is on Wednesday 14 October. If you have been waiting for a reason to try commuting by bike, this is it.
Your first ride to work does not begin when you get on the bike. It begins the evening before, when you look at the usual morning routine and decide to do one trip differently.
You check the weather. You find your helmet and lights. You choose clothes that will be comfortable to ride in and work out whether you will change when you arrive. You put your keys, work pass and lunch somewhere you will not forget them.
Then comes the route.
The best cycling route may not be your driving route
A road that feels direct from behind a steering wheel may feel very different on a bike. Fortunately, Canberra’s path network means many commuters can avoid the busiest roads and travel through parks, alongside waterways and between neighbourhoods.
Your first route does not need to be the shortest one. A slightly longer journey using quieter streets or separated paths may be more comfortable and ultimately more enjoyable.
Pedal Power’s Find Your Ride tool includes more than 100 mapped Canberra routes. It can help you identify nearby community paths, useful connections and places where a route may require extra attention.
If possible, try the route before Ride2Work Day. A weekend test ride can show you how long the journey takes, where you need to turn and whether there is a more comfortable alternative. Remember that weekday traffic and path conditions may be different.
Morning feels different from the bike
On Wednesday morning, give yourself more time than you think you will need. The goal is not to set a personal best. It is to arrive safely and discover what the journey feels like.
The first few minutes may feel unfamiliar. You notice slopes that barely register in a car. You think more carefully about intersections and where paths reconnect. Then the journey begins to settle.
There is no windscreen between you and the morning. You notice the temperature, the trees, other riders and parts of your neighbourhood that usually pass in a blur. By the time you arrive, you have already moved your body, spent time outside and completed something before the working day has properly begun.
That is the appeal of riding to work. It turns time normally spent sitting in traffic into part of your day.
Keep the first ride simple
You do not need a special commuting bicycle, expensive clothing or an elaborate collection of equipment. You need a roadworthy bike, a properly fitted helmet, working brakes and lights, and a secure way to carry what you need.
A backpack is enough for a light load. A basket, rack or pannier can make the journey more comfortable if you plan to carry work clothes, a laptop or groceries regularly.
Check where you can leave your bike before setting out. A strong lock is essential if there is no secure cage or indoor storage. It is also worth checking whether your workplace has showers, lockers or somewhere private to change.
Do not let the absence of perfect facilities stop the first ride. Many people ride in comfortable everyday clothes, travel at an easy pace and freshen up when they arrive.
One journey is enough to begin
National Ride2Work Day is not a demand to abandon every other way of travelling. It is an invitation to try one journey.
Perhaps riding works only on certain days. Perhaps you can combine the bike with public transport, drive part of the way or ride when the weather suits. A practical habit does not need to be an all-or-nothing commitment.
The first ride gives you information no map can provide: how the route feels, how long it really takes and what would make the next trip easier.
Thousands of people will make that journey on Wednesday 14 October. Some will be experienced commuters. Others will be checking the route twice, wondering whether they packed everything and discovering for the first time that arriving by bike can be the best part of the working day.
