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Bike commuter tips from the Jawnt team, plus a look at the bikes we ride: e-bikes, bikeshare, vintage finds, and a cross-country adventure.
The Jawnt squad runs the gamut when it comes to biking: we’re a bunch of daily riders, bikeshare enthusiasts, weekend warriors, leisurely beach cruisers, and everything in between.
While we don’t all ride the same way, we’ve all picked up some useful tips from our time in the saddle. Below, members of our team share what they love most about their two-wheeled ride—and some pro tips for fellow bike commuters.
What do you love about your two-wheeled ride?
One day New York buses might be fast (and free!), but for now often the quickest way to travel crosstown in Brooklyn is by bike. The thing I like most about my bike is that there are brake levers on the cross bars and on the drop handles. Look, drop handles look cool and all, but there’s no practical reason to use them in a city. Most of the time I’m riding upright, safely, with easy access to that 2nd pair of brake levers!
Fun story?
I used to be pretty skittish about urban biking, but I started riding a lot during COVID. Traffic was so light that I was often able to bike right down the middle of Manhattan avenues. By the time traffic returned, I had gained enough confidence that dealing with cars was no longer an issue. I got this bike from one of those guys that sells bikes out of the back of their van. Since then, the bike has taken me on many adventures including the Five Boro Bike Tour, the PS 110 Bike Bus, and various protests.
What do you love about your two-wheeled ride?
I love riding a New York City CitiBike on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway bike path. I can ride my bike from my apartment and take the path next to the East River all the way to the office.
Tips for the Citibiker:
What do you love about your two-wheeled ride?
I love the freedom it affords me. I love that I can leave my place in San Francisco, and be across the Golden Gate Bridge at the top of Hawk Hill in under 40 minutes.
Fun story?
My bike is a happy story by extension of a sad story. I bought my first bike off Craigslist with my COVID stimulus check, as I was working for myself at the time and not flush with disposable income. I loved being able to get out of the city without a car, being able to socialize, being able to take on big hills—all of it. Someone working on my apartment left the side door to our garage open one night, and my bike was stolen. I didn’t have the funds to replace it, and hadn’t added it to my renter’s insurance policy, so I was going to be sans bike for some time.
A close friend and roommate at the time texted a group of close friends and family about pooling funds to replace my bike, and surprised me with enough money for a new bike. Two of those friends (one being my Grandma, one being a really close friend who passed away too young just after I got the bike) are no longer with us, and I think about them every time I get on the bike. It’s perfect for morning laps over the Golden Gate Bridge and through the Marin Headlands.
What do you love about your two-wheeled ride?
I love that it’s an electric bike, but it feels very sleek with the drop frame. I don’t know why it’s not a more popular design. It also didn’t feel crazy expensive for an e-bike ($2250). They changed the design to be bulkier in 2021, so when my bike was stolen last spring (😭) I hunted down an identical one from 2020 to replace it. Because it’s pedal-assist, my renters insurance fully covered it. This newer model is on sale for $1800.
Electric or acoustic?
Electric pedal assist is a nice balance for me. When I hear people say that e-bikes are “cheating”, I always want to ask them “who told you that, a car?!”
Biking around Oakland on electric BayWheels was fun, but I was already such an avid cyclist, the weather is so mild, and the city is so flat, that it didn’t really change my behavior. I rode to the same places as often, but a little faster, and I guess I showed up less sweaty. But then I moved to Somerville, with hot summers and real hills, and buying an e-bike became a game changer. I’ll bike from Somerville to Roslindale (10+ miles each way) for dinner without hesitation, so it’s helped me resist the urge to abandon friends too many train connections away. Boston is also such a terrible city to drive, nobody is ever going over 20 mph anyway, so I feel more comfortable knowing that I’m as fast as anything else on the road. Biking is the best way to get around Boston, and only getting better with all the new trails and protected bike lanes coming up each year.
Tips for year-round biking?
When I first started biking back in college, I’d stop around October because I got too cold. Now I realize it’s not the cold, but the wind, and that’s easier to prepare for. A cheap pair of leather gloves goes a long way, and then in the dead of winter, I’ll use a visor to block the wind out of my eyes. It helps too that the cities plow the bike lanes, and I see people biking cargo bikes full of kids in the dead of winter, so that helps normalize biking later into winter. I didn’t think I’d ever identify as a year-round cyclist, but here we are!
What do you love about your two-wheeled (Indego) ride?
I love that my two-wheeled ride can never get stolen. I love that I can ditch my two-wheel ride wherever and whenever I want. I love that my two-wheel ride is electric when I need some extra juice and acoustic when I’m ready to do a light workout. And I love that my two-wheeled ride is subsidized by my employer :)
Fun story?
Since I first started biking in NYC in 2012, I’ve been perpetually concerned about my bike getting stolen (see above). Because of that, I’ve never wanted to spend $$$ on them and instead have opted to only buy bikes at garage sales. Somehow (🤞🤞) I’ve managed to get by without getting any of my bikes stolen. But now, I’m a habitual garage-sale-bike-buyer.
My most recent find was a c. mid-1990’s Bianchi Eros. For $65, I’ve been thrilled with it. I get lots of compliments from other riders on the frame and the Campagnolo brakes. It’s super light and great for jetting around Philadelphia.
I hate to say it, but I’ve become rather attached to this one. Hoping to keep it for years to come!
The Bicycles of Jawnt will undoubtedly grow in number as we add more folks to our team, so look out for a Part 2 sometime in the future. And next time you see one of us hopping on an Indego in Philly or zipping up and down the hills of San Francisco, be sure to say hi!
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