Name: Shawn Bliss
Location: Providence, Utah, USA
Started bike commuting: off and on for the last 15 or 16 years
Commute distance (one way): 5 miles, depending on after-work errands

Describe your commute: Mainly small-town streets, with the occasional gravel path thrown in for variety. I also ride my commuter bike on longer 20+ mile rides on the weekends, on county roads around our rural valley.

Describe your bike and accessories: A mostly-stock ’09 Giant TranSend DX. Aluminum frame. 700x35C. Standard entry-level 3×8 drivetrain. Fenders and rack included in purchase price. Found for super cheap price at local bike shop, on previous-year clearance.

I’ve slapped on a Crane brass bell, a waterproof Basil pannier, an old Transit seat bag for tubes ‘n’ tools, and a wireless computer. I swapped out the platform pedals for some old mountain bike pedals with plastic toe-clips that can accommodate my pontoon-like 12EEEE shoes. Headlight and rear light are cheap but effective LED units. For longer rides, I strap my MP3 player and some small but robust speakers to the handlebar, so I can listen to Slayer and Willie Nelson while I pedal past quaint and picturesque dairy farms.

What bit of advice would you like to share with new bike commuters?: It’s gonna suck sometimes, but if you keep doing it, nothing will satisfy your soul like commuting under your own power. Ride your commuter rig for out-of-town recreational rides and various urban bike adventures. Learn to fix a flat, because YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW THIS WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. Tweak and customize your bike as much as you can, and get to know it well enough to give it a secret name that no else knows but you. Befriend the mechanics at your local bike shop by bringing them chocolate chip cookies on random occasions, and they will take good care of you forever.