So, I have been bike commuting to work for the past three years, and I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the stuff I’ve figured out and maybe encourage more people to do the same. Once I have a few posts, I’ll probably put together a page with all the bike commuting info together, but for now, this will have to do.

Bike commuting in Utah might seem like something you can’t do year round. That is simply not true. I’ve been riding 3-5 days a week for the last three years and it really hasn’t been that bad. Most days it is extremely relaxing and a great workout. Sure, there have been some cold, wet days, but I have also driven to work on the days when the snow is more that a few inches deep. Really, there aren’t many days in the year when the snow isn’t plowed or the rain isn’t sporadic. Most of the time I can just make sure it’s not going to snow/rain during my half hour commute by checking the weather site. I can check what is going to be happening each hour of the day, and if I check it in the morning, it is usually pretty accurate. Anyway, as long as the downpour happens outside of my commute, everything is good.

That is where the bike cover comes in. On days when I think it will rain or snow, I slip this cover on the trike.

The cover is made out of a lightweight, water repelling rip-stop nylon, and when it’s rolled up, it is about the size of a large burrito. It weighs next-to-nothing too, so it stays in my panniers most of the winter. I just kind of roughly measured the trike and came up with the simplest possible pattern and sewed it together. There is a shock cord from an old tent pole sewn in to the bottom of the cover with a cord lock to tighten it up around the trike. So far the cover hasn’t blown off, and it gets pretty windy some days. If it’s really blowing hard I will slip the edge of the cover under a wheel to weigh it down a little. It has even snowed 4-5 inches on top of the cover and it hasn’t collapsed. It is really nice to be able to shake off the rain or snow and ride home on a dry seat.

Anyway, there you go. Speaking of riding in the snow, that is one of the best reasons to ride a recumbent trike. I rode a mountain bike for two years, and snow days were always pretty sketchy. I took a few spills and even broke a finger and my pinky toe once. The three wheels on the ground make a super stable ride on the ice. I have to try pretty hard to get it to fishtail for a little fun. Icebike.org has a lot more info about riding your bike in the snow and cold.

Why else do I ride the trike? First of all, it’s like riding a lawn chair, but you are low enough to the ground that the wind resistance is similar to riding an aero-tuck on a road bike. The comfy seat makes it so I am never saddle sore. On a mountain bike, I am usually so sore by Thursday, that it would take a lot to get on the bike and ride. Now I will ride the trike all five work days and still go for a joyride on the weekend. I also like that my chin is up and I can see what is coming a lot easier than when I am hunched over on my mountain bike. I actually feel safer on the trike because I am always looking ahead. Even if I am slightly less visible to other cars, (because of the height of the trike) I never take my eyes off of what’s coming. I even get a lot more space when cars pass me, I would guess because the trike seems wider than a regular bike and because of the novelty of it all.

Well, there you have it. Hop on a bike, get to work, and lose some weight while your at it.