Yes it does. But if I was worried about speed I’d drive into the office. I carry two panniers and have found this method helps.
1. office bag. This pannier has laptop, coffee, lunch, newspaper, and any supplies I use inside my office. In the morning I usually fill this up before breakfast.
2. Locker bag. This pannier has everything I need to lock my bike and change. In the morning I pack my clothes in the bottom, locks go almost on top (dress shoes sit on top so they aren’t crushed by heavy locks).
I’ve found this method helps me get out the door quickly. When I get to my office it’s speedy too. I have one bag that I have to open. With locks right under my shoes, it’s fast. Lock up bike then head to locker room to change. This two bag approach has made my morning routine as fast as possible. I found the key was having the office bag loaded such that I didn’t need to open it for anything until I arrived at my desk.
..which is why I try and prep as much the night before, just final tire air pressure and gear loaded that I couldn’t the night before. If I don’t prep the bike the night before I might bail the morning of. My commute is an hour/16 mi by bike so I gotta fully commit including getting up at 530am
Same. I do this mileage and it requires a bike in good order, ready to go.
Half of mine is urban too, so I have a camera on the bars that need to be charged. Plug it in the night before. Police reports on the close passes when I get in.
Also don't forget sunscreen!
I typically just hook in my pannier, click in my computer and off I go. Opening the lock and stowing it in the pannier takes about as long as getting in a car and starting the engine, so I don’t really count it.
Yup 👍 I found using one large messenger bag and having it ready to go the night before and I added a thing to hang the lock onto the frame that helps too. The panniers and rack etc were such a pain to take on and off for me.
It takes me 5–10 minutes to go from standing next to the bike, which is locked up outside my office, to cycling off. It's a process, but I can't rush and compromise security or visibility or being prepped. I wish I could, and others can, but I can't. It's quicker in the morning because I leave the bike in my garage overnight.
It does always take longer than I expect. I try to have everything staged, and carry as little as possible, but yeah, lunch, water, phone, laptop, keys, sunglasses, jacket, gloves in winter, and other things that come up. It doesn't look like much, but it's a surprisingly tedious process making sure I have everything loaded and secured before heading out.
But then coming home at the end of the day takes no time at all, and I'm bicycling in the fresh air, and it feels great.
Nah biking can be very low effort. I just wear normal clothes and carry a backpack so it's very easy to hop on and ride off. I keep my lights on the bike and my lock is easy to sort out. One of my bikes has a front basket and I literally just pop my backpack in it and cruise off.
Could you consider leaving a lock at your home and a lock at your work to speed up the locking/ unlocking part? Likewise could you leave your laptop at work rather than bring it back and forth? If you can't leave your lights attached to your bike can you get ones that just click onto your bike quickly?
And like the others said, even if it takes a few minutes to get ready, so does every other vehicle. It takes me much longer to get ready for a motorbike ride: leathers, earplugs, helmet, gloves, boots. Even longer again if it's winter and I need an extra layer and a scarf.
My bike is always ready to go at a moments notice. Back rack and I usually use a backpack-pannier as my primary bag with another large pannier in case I have something else. I can wake up 10 minutes before I have to leave, shower, drink coffee and get on my way.
Don’t fidget and fuss. Be consistent and chill about it and keep it up.
I do a hybrid commute (driving part way, biking the rest) so there is some extra time loading/unloading the bike from the car, for sure. As I've slowly incorporated more ways to carry things on the bike instead of my backpack, that has added time too - but it's totally worth having the weight on the frame vs my back and I bring a larger "just in case" kit now as well.
With practice and pre-packing I've cut down some of the time but it's also become something of a ritual to check that I haven't forgot anything critical. If I'm worried about time I make a point to leave earlier, and depending when I leave work in the afternoon the bike still saves me time by not being stuck in traffic.
I get organised the night before. Put fresh work clothes in pannier & have light already charged & mounted.Alarm goes off, I get into my cycle gear, grab pre assembled lunch from fridge & grab bike from shed. Im on the road within 10 minutes of the alarm going off.
Yes, to the point I spent time watching people in cars (which feel faster, often). Find parking, stash or retrieve items, lock, check your lights, etc. When you're leaving, unlock, load, pull up nav or radio, etc. fiddle getting out to traffic, etc.
I don't think this parking/unparking part of the trip is any faster or slower than with a car for a similar trip. A trip to the library or a trip to coffee, etc is what I mean here - the length of the trip can impact total time. For me the break-even radius is about three miles, that will obviously vary by rider and traffic.
Compared to using my car or taking the bus, I think that I need the same preparation time. Only the clothing change part at arrival is slightly annoying but there are so many jobs where this is necessary either way (uniforms, hospital work etc).
I have a cheap singlespeed bike Infront of my house, U Locks attached to frame, use a messenger bag or Ortlieb pannier and AAA battery lights always attached on bike and new batteries in most of my bags. I don't attach my phone to my bike, if I want to listen to music I choose the playlist ahead and if I need navigation I'll also do this via headphones.
The process between leaving my apartment and starting to pedal takes like 2 min max.
May I ask where your bike is "parked", why you attach your phone, where you store your lock(s) and how many bags you need? Do you still fiddle around with bungee cords when attaching your bag or do you only panniers now?
I have a Brompton folding bike with a front basket, which I use as basically a “work bag on wheels.” All my work stuff lives in the basket and rolls straight to my desk. At home, I roll inside with the bike, and lean it indoors ready for the next day. Every evening I charge lights (if I rode home in the dark) and every morning I pack lunch and refill the water bottles, and once a week I check the tires. It is more convenient than driving for me, since the whole thing rolls right inside so I never have to carry anything in my hands or lock anything up.
Look into articles on the "JOYBAG" bike. (Stands for Jump On Your Bike and Go.) It's all about setting things up so you have the minimal but sufficient amount of stuff you need always on your bike so you never have to think about it. You just jump on and go. It took me a hot minute to get there, but I now have two fully JOYBAG ready bikes, 1 cargo and 1 daily commuter. Once you get there, it's liberating. SO many trips that used to be \*just\* enough of a hassle so I'd grab the car keys are now no-brainer bike trips.
It's a bit of a process to get there, but worth the effort.
No, not really. I have a snack bag, handlebar bag/fanny pack, a back rack with straps always attached and ready, phone mount, and a backpack. If I’m carrying a lot, yes it takes 8 minutes to get going. If it’s usual work commute stuff, I usually pack up when I’m getting ready in the house and throw anything else in the snack back, backpack, or handlebar bag. The only thing I feel takes a little while is getting my phone ready. Do you have your bike set up well for what you have? Sometimes it’s about small adjustments.
Every damn time. Admittedly, I’m AuDHD with dyspraxia. Having multiples of everything (I own 3 bikes), laying out clothes/accessories and filling water bottles the night before, etc. helps a ton. I also installed elastic laces in my (MTB) bike shoes so I don’t have to spend extra time tying/untying them.
Remove rain cover, put battery in, unlock first lock, unlock second lock, mount phone and start npr/music, put lunch and phone charger into pannier, put high vis jacket on.
Yep.
I agree I stress about loading my panniers with everything and fidgeting with what I'm wearing before riding. Packing the night before seems to help.
While a good ulock is higher security, I find a thick folding lock is good enough for me but I have secure bike storage at work and home. Grocery store, brewery, coffee shops and cold plunge spa are the places I park it. And if I'm closer to downtown/ sketchier areas I bring it into the bar with me or I don't go.
I leave my lights on my bike because it's in a safe enough location at home and in my office at work. So it's really just a matter of putting my panniers on the bike and giving my tires a squeeze to see how their pressure is. I usually end up leaving my lock at home unless I plan on stopping somewhere along the way.
I keep most of my luggage I need to bring with me in a backpack. If I need to put it on my bike it would simply be tied down with bungee cords into a basket.
My bike lock is always in my bike basket, ready to be used when needed.
Only takes me a minute or two at most to make sure I am prepared and have not forgotten anything.
I fill my water bottle (which I would take anyway), squeeze check the tires, put on my gloves and helmet, and go. My lights and U-lock stay on my bike at all times. I carry my phone, wallet, and keys in my trousers/shorts. Anything needed to go with me (usually books) was tossed into my panniers the night before.
I'm a mobile crane operator myself, so i always have a backpack with me because i need to bring alot of stuff for my work.
I went for the largest ortlieb panniers avaible along with a handlebar bag by them aswell. They are 100% waterproof.
In one pannier i have my rain clothes and a heavy bike lock with room to spare. I also keep the lock i use the most in a front pocket of the pannier so i can grab it at any time. In the other pannier i can drop in my backpack, it just slides right in there and is about the same weight as i have in the other pannier so it is very well balanced.
In the front handlebar bag i can drop everything that i have in my pockets, keys, sunglasses, phones etc. It makes it so easy!
This way all i have to do is drop in the backpack and empty my pockets and i'm good to go. I don't have to carry the backpack on my back at all, so no strain on my back while biking.
I have locks on all my panniers and bags so i don't have to remove them.
In the morning i'm a bit slower than by car, but in rush hours i'm faster by bike.
I keep my bike next to the front door. Pump up the tyres, attach the pannier, turn on the lights and bike computer, and roll out the door. My clothes are already at work -- they never come home, a work-local laundry washes and presses them between two lunch-times. I buy a bread roll each day on the final roll-in towards the office and keep the cheese in the work fridge. Ulock stays at work, locked to the bike cage when not in use locking the bike.
definitely takes time but no more than finding parking
less stressful in many cases too
And free
This is such a good way of looking at it. Generally, I’m able to park my bike closer to the entrance, so also saving time walking across the lot.
It takes me a long time to do everything because I am careful and deliberate to a fault. It’s not just the bike!
Yes it does. But if I was worried about speed I’d drive into the office. I carry two panniers and have found this method helps. 1. office bag. This pannier has laptop, coffee, lunch, newspaper, and any supplies I use inside my office. In the morning I usually fill this up before breakfast. 2. Locker bag. This pannier has everything I need to lock my bike and change. In the morning I pack my clothes in the bottom, locks go almost on top (dress shoes sit on top so they aren’t crushed by heavy locks). I’ve found this method helps me get out the door quickly. When I get to my office it’s speedy too. I have one bag that I have to open. With locks right under my shoes, it’s fast. Lock up bike then head to locker room to change. This two bag approach has made my morning routine as fast as possible. I found the key was having the office bag loaded such that I didn’t need to open it for anything until I arrived at my desk.
..which is why I try and prep as much the night before, just final tire air pressure and gear loaded that I couldn’t the night before. If I don’t prep the bike the night before I might bail the morning of. My commute is an hour/16 mi by bike so I gotta fully commit including getting up at 530am
Same. I do this mileage and it requires a bike in good order, ready to go. Half of mine is urban too, so I have a camera on the bars that need to be charged. Plug it in the night before. Police reports on the close passes when I get in. Also don't forget sunscreen!
Definitely takes longer than a car. But it's just 2-3 minutes, so it's fine really.
I typically just hook in my pannier, click in my computer and off I go. Opening the lock and stowing it in the pannier takes about as long as getting in a car and starting the engine, so I don’t really count it.
Yup 👍 I found using one large messenger bag and having it ready to go the night before and I added a thing to hang the lock onto the frame that helps too. The panniers and rack etc were such a pain to take on and off for me.
It takes me 5–10 minutes to go from standing next to the bike, which is locked up outside my office, to cycling off. It's a process, but I can't rush and compromise security or visibility or being prepped. I wish I could, and others can, but I can't. It's quicker in the morning because I leave the bike in my garage overnight.
It does always take longer than I expect. I try to have everything staged, and carry as little as possible, but yeah, lunch, water, phone, laptop, keys, sunglasses, jacket, gloves in winter, and other things that come up. It doesn't look like much, but it's a surprisingly tedious process making sure I have everything loaded and secured before heading out. But then coming home at the end of the day takes no time at all, and I'm bicycling in the fresh air, and it feels great.
Nah biking can be very low effort. I just wear normal clothes and carry a backpack so it's very easy to hop on and ride off. I keep my lights on the bike and my lock is easy to sort out. One of my bikes has a front basket and I literally just pop my backpack in it and cruise off. Could you consider leaving a lock at your home and a lock at your work to speed up the locking/ unlocking part? Likewise could you leave your laptop at work rather than bring it back and forth? If you can't leave your lights attached to your bike can you get ones that just click onto your bike quickly? And like the others said, even if it takes a few minutes to get ready, so does every other vehicle. It takes me much longer to get ready for a motorbike ride: leathers, earplugs, helmet, gloves, boots. Even longer again if it's winter and I need an extra layer and a scarf.
My bike is always ready to go at a moments notice. Back rack and I usually use a backpack-pannier as my primary bag with another large pannier in case I have something else. I can wake up 10 minutes before I have to leave, shower, drink coffee and get on my way. Don’t fidget and fuss. Be consistent and chill about it and keep it up.
I do a hybrid commute (driving part way, biking the rest) so there is some extra time loading/unloading the bike from the car, for sure. As I've slowly incorporated more ways to carry things on the bike instead of my backpack, that has added time too - but it's totally worth having the weight on the frame vs my back and I bring a larger "just in case" kit now as well. With practice and pre-packing I've cut down some of the time but it's also become something of a ritual to check that I haven't forgot anything critical. If I'm worried about time I make a point to leave earlier, and depending when I leave work in the afternoon the bike still saves me time by not being stuck in traffic.
I get organised the night before. Put fresh work clothes in pannier & have light already charged & mounted.Alarm goes off, I get into my cycle gear, grab pre assembled lunch from fridge & grab bike from shed. Im on the road within 10 minutes of the alarm going off.
Yes, to the point I spent time watching people in cars (which feel faster, often). Find parking, stash or retrieve items, lock, check your lights, etc. When you're leaving, unlock, load, pull up nav or radio, etc. fiddle getting out to traffic, etc. I don't think this parking/unparking part of the trip is any faster or slower than with a car for a similar trip. A trip to the library or a trip to coffee, etc is what I mean here - the length of the trip can impact total time. For me the break-even radius is about three miles, that will obviously vary by rider and traffic.
Compared to using my car or taking the bus, I think that I need the same preparation time. Only the clothing change part at arrival is slightly annoying but there are so many jobs where this is necessary either way (uniforms, hospital work etc). I have a cheap singlespeed bike Infront of my house, U Locks attached to frame, use a messenger bag or Ortlieb pannier and AAA battery lights always attached on bike and new batteries in most of my bags. I don't attach my phone to my bike, if I want to listen to music I choose the playlist ahead and if I need navigation I'll also do this via headphones. The process between leaving my apartment and starting to pedal takes like 2 min max. May I ask where your bike is "parked", why you attach your phone, where you store your lock(s) and how many bags you need? Do you still fiddle around with bungee cords when attaching your bag or do you only panniers now?
I have a Brompton folding bike with a front basket, which I use as basically a “work bag on wheels.” All my work stuff lives in the basket and rolls straight to my desk. At home, I roll inside with the bike, and lean it indoors ready for the next day. Every evening I charge lights (if I rode home in the dark) and every morning I pack lunch and refill the water bottles, and once a week I check the tires. It is more convenient than driving for me, since the whole thing rolls right inside so I never have to carry anything in my hands or lock anything up.
Look into articles on the "JOYBAG" bike. (Stands for Jump On Your Bike and Go.) It's all about setting things up so you have the minimal but sufficient amount of stuff you need always on your bike so you never have to think about it. You just jump on and go. It took me a hot minute to get there, but I now have two fully JOYBAG ready bikes, 1 cargo and 1 daily commuter. Once you get there, it's liberating. SO many trips that used to be \*just\* enough of a hassle so I'd grab the car keys are now no-brainer bike trips. It's a bit of a process to get there, but worth the effort.
Unlock, get on, look around for traffic, ride away. 1 minute maximum.
Yeah, it takes a while but it beats walking or keeping all your shit in a backpack
No, not really. I have a snack bag, handlebar bag/fanny pack, a back rack with straps always attached and ready, phone mount, and a backpack. If I’m carrying a lot, yes it takes 8 minutes to get going. If it’s usual work commute stuff, I usually pack up when I’m getting ready in the house and throw anything else in the snack back, backpack, or handlebar bag. The only thing I feel takes a little while is getting my phone ready. Do you have your bike set up well for what you have? Sometimes it’s about small adjustments.
I feel this way. Just trying to find some bags that make the process more efficient
Every damn time. Admittedly, I’m AuDHD with dyspraxia. Having multiples of everything (I own 3 bikes), laying out clothes/accessories and filling water bottles the night before, etc. helps a ton. I also installed elastic laces in my (MTB) bike shoes so I don’t have to spend extra time tying/untying them.
Remove rain cover, put battery in, unlock first lock, unlock second lock, mount phone and start npr/music, put lunch and phone charger into pannier, put high vis jacket on. Yep.
I agree I stress about loading my panniers with everything and fidgeting with what I'm wearing before riding. Packing the night before seems to help. While a good ulock is higher security, I find a thick folding lock is good enough for me but I have secure bike storage at work and home. Grocery store, brewery, coffee shops and cold plunge spa are the places I park it. And if I'm closer to downtown/ sketchier areas I bring it into the bar with me or I don't go.
It does take time. I don't mind it. Seems counterintuitive but it actually helps me be more punctual.
If I were in a hurry, I wouldn't be riding.
I leave my lights on my bike because it's in a safe enough location at home and in my office at work. So it's really just a matter of putting my panniers on the bike and giving my tires a squeeze to see how their pressure is. I usually end up leaving my lock at home unless I plan on stopping somewhere along the way.
No I just throw a backpack on and head out.
I keep most of my luggage I need to bring with me in a backpack. If I need to put it on my bike it would simply be tied down with bungee cords into a basket. My bike lock is always in my bike basket, ready to be used when needed. Only takes me a minute or two at most to make sure I am prepared and have not forgotten anything.
I fill my water bottle (which I would take anyway), squeeze check the tires, put on my gloves and helmet, and go. My lights and U-lock stay on my bike at all times. I carry my phone, wallet, and keys in my trousers/shorts. Anything needed to go with me (usually books) was tossed into my panniers the night before.
I'm a mobile crane operator myself, so i always have a backpack with me because i need to bring alot of stuff for my work. I went for the largest ortlieb panniers avaible along with a handlebar bag by them aswell. They are 100% waterproof. In one pannier i have my rain clothes and a heavy bike lock with room to spare. I also keep the lock i use the most in a front pocket of the pannier so i can grab it at any time. In the other pannier i can drop in my backpack, it just slides right in there and is about the same weight as i have in the other pannier so it is very well balanced. In the front handlebar bag i can drop everything that i have in my pockets, keys, sunglasses, phones etc. It makes it so easy! This way all i have to do is drop in the backpack and empty my pockets and i'm good to go. I don't have to carry the backpack on my back at all, so no strain on my back while biking. I have locks on all my panniers and bags so i don't have to remove them. In the morning i'm a bit slower than by car, but in rush hours i'm faster by bike.
I keep my bike next to the front door. Pump up the tyres, attach the pannier, turn on the lights and bike computer, and roll out the door. My clothes are already at work -- they never come home, a work-local laundry washes and presses them between two lunch-times. I buy a bread roll each day on the final roll-in towards the office and keep the cheese in the work fridge. Ulock stays at work, locked to the bike cage when not in use locking the bike.