The ultimate beginner's guide to bike commuting

Bike commuting can make your life better in so many ways, but it can be difficult to get started, especially if you live in a city that doesn't make it easy by providing safe, separated bike infrastructure. So, after many years of bike commuting, here is my advice to help you get started. 0:00 Introduction 0:32 Part 1: Choosing the right bike 0:55 Reliability over speed 1:16 Seeking efficiency 1:38 Ditching the front derailleur 2:33 Prioritizing comfort 2:51 My bike 4:01 E-bikes are great options 4:32 Part 2: How to ride a bike for commuting 4:48 How to pedal 5:44 How to shift gears 8:03 Finding safe routes 9:16 Dealing with sweat 10:03 Taking the lane 11:09 Making a left turn 11:39 Part 3: Carrying your stuff 11:50 Panniers are best 12:43 Packing your bag 16:46 Part 4: The right attitude 17:12 Learning as you go 17:41 Persevere, but don't be a masochist 18:22 Find a community 19:25 Finding the joy #cycling #bike #commuting A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation. Priority Bikes: I happily rode the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters before they signed on as a sponsor: https://bit.ly/3tzXTee Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags and panniers, and the best convertible backpack-pannier that I’ve ever used: https://twowheelgear.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=shifter&utm_campaign=tombabin Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/ I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉) • If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER • If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter • Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof • Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: https://redshiftsports.com/collections/arclight-pedals?aff=40 • Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/48gsHQ2 • Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu • Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift • Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/48giWS6 Follow me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombabin Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombabin Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tombabin (@[email protected]) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tom_babin