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 (@tombabin@threads.net) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tom_babin