I want to know the ride times for potential commute?

baccaman21

Hi - I'm normally on the other side in the MTB forum but wanted a quick answer to a Roady question.

I've been riding for years, but generally offroad on MTB's - I'm mulling over the idea getting myself a road bike at some point in the future. I'm reasonably fit, easily mustering up a 30mile off road ride in between 2-3hours, possibly less if I pushed myself.

The question is, how long does it generally take to do a 20 mile ride on reasonably flat terrain with the odd hill, on road, on a road/racing bike...?

I use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously)

I'm thinking about doing this as a commute - is a 20 mile commute a stupid idea?

Appreciate some advice on the matter.

Regards

jsmithfym

18mph about 1h 10m

alfablue

I'm probably not as fit as you but I commute 20 miles on the flat about 3 days per week. I generally take 1hr20mins - I'm quite happy with that - the biggest issue is reorganising myself to make sure I leave the house on time.

I should add, 80% is on a traffic free cycle path (Bristol/Bath railway path) which makes things very easy, I would find it a bit more challenging commuting that far on the road (i.e. dealing with traffic is not so relaxing), but still wouldn't rule it out.

Cunobelin

Time is not generally an issue on commutes, it is the other factors such a traffic lights, other vehicles etc.

One of my commutes is 7 minutes longer on the way home as I use a slip road at one junction on the way in, but 4 sets of lights on the way home!

The advice always give for these tpes of question is the same;

1. Look at the route on a good street map and plan
2. Look at escape routes should you have problems (trains, busses bike shops etc.
3. Ride the route on a Sunday so you know the practicalities
4. On the first few days allow extra time while you adjust

baccaman21

good advice - thanks fellas...

I was thinking about an hour or so... I'm still umming and arring about the road bike though as I'd be more inclined to go off road if a route presented itself... (I'm thinking coming home here)...

'm looking at a Brighton to Horsham and Back route... which is straight over the Downs...

Panter

Well. I'm over 17st and only been riding 6 months.

I commute 2 days a week as part of my "fitness campaign" which is 19miles each way, 600ft over the North downs.
Takes me between 1hr 15mins and 1hr 40 on a 15 Year old hybrid. My target is to get that down to an hour to make it practical. so, for a fit bloke like yourself, should be a doddle 8)

cheers

Chris

wors

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

wors

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

wors

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

andrewc3142

20 miles is a decent commute. Mine's 30.

The average will depend on traffic, lights, etc. However fit you are, you'll struggle to do it in an hour unless it's all open roads. I'd allow 1hr 30min and you should be fine.

For that distance a road bike is best IMO.

Rich Hcp

I agree, you'll find yourself wanting a road bike in the end.


My commute is 7-8 miles and I do it seven minutes quicker on the road bike than an MTB

Mog Uk

wors wrote:

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

Fairly achievable on a road bike, I do that same commute everyday in around 35mins, 10.8 miles and that's on a slick shod Rockhopper....

zeroshoddy

My commute is 19.5, half traffic and towns and half country. Way back slight up hill. Getting it in in under an hour means me going balls out - in to 165 - 170 bpms for most of 2nd half. Just to compensate for time lost in traffic and lights etc.

Bets not to get too hung up on time for commute - you've done / doing a dasy work and you have a bag on your back and you have to contend with nutters in cars rushing to and from work. ,

Just give yourself a nice leisurely 1hr 15mins or so, enjoy it as base miles, a lob in the odd interval on way home if you fancy.

baccaman21

Mog Uk wrote:

wors wrote:

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

Fairly achievable on a road bike, I do that same commute everyday in around 35mins, 10.8 miles and that's on a slick shod Rockhopper....

Thanks for Comfirming that Mog... I thought for a second my memory was playing tricks with me... 10.8miles - When I used to do it that link road round the back of hurdsfield wasn't there (comes out at Tescos) - Dunno if that's shorter... but hey... 30 mins is what I can remember and as my first experience of riding bikes a distance I was shocked how fast it was... plus, I always used to make an effort of clocking a car queued up in the Grove at the RIsing Sun, and I'd make an effort to clock it when I got to Macc... invariably i'd pass it queuing up around Tytherington.

Which just goes to show how the bike vs car vs time is comparable in high traffic.

I originally did that route on an old skool MTB - when it got nicked I got me the Pergeout Road bike and it certainly knocked the time down by about 10 minutes... so maybe... yeah... but if I got a Road bike it'd limit my options for doing the downs on the way home?

I dunno... I'll have to see... all pie in the sky anyway as it's down to a potential job in Horsham.

Mog Uk

baccaman21 wrote:

I always used to make an effort of clocking a car queued up in the Grove at the RIsing Sun, and I'd make an effort to clock it when I got to Macc... invariably i'd pass it queuing up around Tytherington.

Which just goes to show how the bike vs car vs time is comparable in high traffic.

Haha, I do exactly the same thing when leaving the office. I can pretty much leave at the same time and beat a car to the Fiveways in Hazel Grove, incredibly satisfying......

velocitizen

Good luck with the job, treat yourself to a Tri-cross and go on and off road, 20 miles a day, I'd say you deserve one.

ForumNewbie

baccaman21 wrote:

Mog Uk wrote:

wors wrote:

i use to do Stockport - Macclesfield in about 30 minutes on an old Peugeot Racing bike back in the late 80's and I remember that being about 12 miles mostly uphill. (Coming home was quicker obviously

24 mph uphill? you sure.

Fairly achievable on a road bike, I do that same commute everyday in around 35mins, 10.8 miles and that's on a slick shod Rockhopper....

Thanks for Comfirming that Mog... I thought for a second my memory was playing tricks with me... 10.8miles - When I used to do it that link road round the back of hurdsfield wasn't there (comes out at Tescos) - Dunno if that's shorter... but hey... 30 mins is what I can remember and as my first experience of riding bikes a distance I was shocked how fast it was... plus, I always used to make an effort of clocking a car queued up in the Grove at the RIsing Sun, and I'd make an effort to clock it when I got to Macc... invariably i'd pass it queuing up around Tytherington.

Which just goes to show how the bike vs car vs time is comparable in high traffic.

I originally did that route on an old skool MTB - when it got nicked I got me the Pergeout Road bike and it certainly knocked the time down by about 10 minutes... so maybe... yeah... but if I got a Road bike it'd limit my options for doing the downs on the way home?

I dunno... I'll have to see... all pie in the sky anyway as it's down to a potential job in Horsham.

I just cannot believe an uphill communicate of 12 miles can be done in 30 minutes.

At 24mph that would be the equivalent of doing a 10 mile Time Trial in 25 mins - which from what I've read would be a very good time on a flat, traffic-free route with the rider going flat-out all the way. I therefore find it hard to believe that anyone can do a 12 mile mostly uphill communte (with added hazards of traffic and lights etc.) in 30 minutes.

Even without traffic and lights, I would have thought if the route is mostly uphill, someone would have to be at nearly pro-standard to do it in that time?

Eat My Dust

I'd agree, in a lot of places you would be struggling to do 12 miles in half an hour in a car, never mind a bike. Why is it people love to get carried away on their commute times? Personally it takes me 25 mins to do my 13 miles commute!!

baccaman21

MEH! I don't take kindly to being called a liar!?

But I suppose it all depends on one's definition of uphill? I mean it's not exactly alpine hills we're talking here... but it's definitely higher in Macc than in Stockport... and there's definitely more freewheeling coming back... at the time it seemed like a lot of climbing, but by my definition these days I'd say climbing Jacob's Ladder is a tad different in relation and retrospect.

The Facts -
It was just over 11 miles from Offerton (in Stockport) to the Town Centre in Macclefield.

- Offerton lies at approx 91m
- Macclesfield lies at approx 150m
- Which isn't a great increase in altitude over the distance admittedly but it's still uphill... and this is the foothills of the pennines/peak district don't forget.
- Once you leave Stockport it's mostly open country road (3 or 4 sets of traffic Lights between the towns [if my memory serves me right] which were mostly Green)

- In 1989 I was 18, (I hadn't started smoking at that point, and was into about 2 years training in Shotokan Karate, 3 times a week) - You can safely say I was quite fit.

- When I began doing the commute journey it took me 40 minute on a crappy ELLESSE 'mtb' (that got stolen)

- It was Replaced by a Lightweight PEUGEOT Racing bike where I reduced the going there time down to around 30 minutes and return time often less. FACT!

- Plus it was the first time I'd discovered muscles on my shin bones...

Now, if you're telling me that I should have quite my job at that point and become a professional athlete then I'm a bit gutted... I'd have quite liked that.

All I can say is this.

I didn't get carried away as this is the times I did it in...

I remember measuring it quite distinctly and being rather surprised at doing in 'around' half an hour as every now and then I took advantage of a lift in to work (the same route by car) and it often took around the same time. (Google maps reckons 25 minutes)

Mock me if you like but I know what I managed to achieve... and I stand by it.

Plus MOG UK knows the route and confirms it's possible...

SO NER!
:P

ForumNewbie

I was certainly not mocking you. It just seems an incredible time even for a young fit 18 year old. Even with a slight uphill gradient most of the way, I would have thought that would slow you down considerably.

baccaman21

velocitizen wrote:

Good luck with the job, treat yourself to a Tri-cross and go on and off road, 20 miles a day, I'd say you deserve one.

Regardless of whether or not it's possible to cycle 11/12 miles in 30 minutes... that TRICROSSbike has peeked my interest... thanks for pointing it out