Photo courtesy of Trailnet on Flickr.

Biking to work can be hard in our part of the world — at least for the majority of the year, when cyclists have to contend with freezing wind, snow, rain and other ugly weather. But summer is a different story. If you’ve ever thought about biking to work, Active.com has some tips for beginners to make the experience more enjoyable.

They recommend starting with both an achievable distance and an achievable frequency. If the bank is several miles from home, see about getting a ride one way, with your bike in the trunk. And don’t commit to riding each day, because that might be more than you’re ready to do — you’ll get discouraged and quit early.

Wear clothing that makes you visible, but don’t feel like you need a bunch of fancy gear. You can bike in normal clothes, and if the ride is short enough, you can even ride in work clothes. (For reasons of comfort, you might consider investing in a pair of cycling shorts, however.)

Remember to make time for cleaning up before work, if necessary. Again, if your commute is short, you may not need to do that. But do think about your workday, and bring unwieldy bags, clothes or supplies ahead of time, when you’re driving.

Pick a safe route — Google Maps has a pretty good mapping function for bike routes now — and, above all else, watch out for car doors. It’s frighteningly common for cyclists to get “doored” when unknowing drivers abruptly swing their car door open into the path of the bike rider. Give parked cars as wide a berth as is safe, and most of all, keep your eyes out: Don’t ever assume a parked car is empty. It’s the driver (or passenger) who’s been sitting in the car for five minutes who is most likely to just swing open their door, never checking the mirror to see that you’re approaching.

More tips at the link above. If you do ride to work, let us know at shorelines@northshorebank.com. Happy cycling!