How do you start cycling to work?

There is something quietly glamorous about arriving at work by bike: slightly windswept, faintly smug, having seen the river on the way in. The less glamorous part is the planning, and almost all of it can be done once, on a Saturday, so the weekdays are easy.

Test the route on a weekend

Your first ride to work should not be on a Monday at 8.15 with a meeting at nine. Ride it on a quiet weekend morning instead.

• Look for the calm route, not the fastest. A cycle path, a back street or a route along a park is often only a few minutes longer and much more pleasant.
• Use a cycling route planner or a map app's bike setting, then check it in real life. Apps do not know about the terrifying roundabout.
• Note the tricky bits: a junction to walk across, a hill, a shortcut through a square.
• Time it at a relaxed pace and add a cushion, so you are not racing on day one.
• Find out where to park the bike at the other end: a rack, a bike room, a corner of the office someone will grumble about.

Start small

You do not need to cycle every day. One or two days a week is a lovely start, and leaves room for the days when it pours, you have a dinner, or you simply want the bus and a book. If the whole distance feels like too much, ride part of it and take a train or tram for the rest, where bikes are allowed.

What to carry

Keep it light. A small backpack or, much nicer in summer, a pannier or basket so your back stays cool.

• A good lock. Ask locals or colleagues what works in your city.
• Lights, front and back, even if you plan to be home before dark. Plans change.
• A mini pump and a spare tube or puncture kit, plus the know-how to use them, or at least the number of a bike shop near the office.
• A bottle of water for warmer days.

Clothes and arriving presentable

This is the part that stops most people, and it is very solvable.

• Ride gently. Commuting is not a race. A relaxed pace is the best anti-sweat strategy there is.
• Ride in light, comfortable clothes and change at work, or ride in your work clothes on short, flat routes and simply take it easy.
• Keep a stash at the office: a shirt, deodorant, a small towel, a comb, a pair of shoes.
• Use the facilities if your workplace has showers. If not, a sink and a flannel go a long way.
• Mind the trousers. A clip or a roll-up keeps them out of the chain.

Rain

It will rain. The trick is to decide in advance how much rain you are willing to ride in, so each wet morning is not a fresh negotiation.

• A light waterproof jacket that packs into a pocket.
• Mudguards, which do more than you would believe for keeping you presentable.
• Spare socks in a drawer at work. This is the single most civilising item on the list.
• A rule: for example, light rain yes, a downpour means the bus. Rules save willpower.