How far is too far?

amaferanga

I'm considering applying for a new job - only trouble is it's in Leeds and I live in Sheffield. In the short term at least I can't move away from Sheffield. I have a car, but will never drive to work. Longest commute I have done was hilly 22 mile round trip, which really didn't tire me out at all once I got used to it.

The full commute is about 35 miles each way or 2 hours. Another option I'm considering would be getting a monthly rail ticket from Leeds to Wakefield (£75), making the commute by bike a more manageable 26 miles each way. My first choice would probably be to cycle one way and train the other, but that'd cost about £184 a month which I can't really afford at the moment.

It wouldn't be a hilly commute and in principle I don't think it would be unrealistic to do the full distance 4 or even 5 days a week. Trouble is I've set my sights on racing this year and I'm trying to follow a structured training plan. I know I could use the commute for training doing threshold intervals, etc. but I think I'd probably just do myself in by trying to do anything other than just cycle the distance every day at a comfortable pace.

Does anyone currently doing a long commute or anyone who's done one in the past have any words of wisdom?

Paulie W

Did more or less the same distance daily (5, sometimes 6 days a week) for a bit more than 6 months a few years back. My route had a few serious hills along the way (it was in West Wales) so took me a bit longer than the 4 hours you envisage! I did use it for race training as it happens, although I didnt do too much threshold stuff!

Honestly, it was too much on a daily basis. Bad weather - particularly heavy winds; constant early mornings - I had to give myself time to eat before hand and time to shower and change at the other end so, alarm to desk was well over 3 hours for me; and being pretty tired every work night - I stopped going out on work nights altogether because I didnt have the energy - wear you down.

In the end I got a new job but if I hadnt I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept it up anyway!

I should say that I was well into my 30s when I did this - a younger body might cope better!

andrewc3142

What's OK for some is not for others and depends on work hours, family, bike, kit, etc.

For me:

<10 miles each way: No problem every day, all year round

10-20 miles: Needs commitment, esp in winter

>20 miles: Needs a lot of commitment to do all year

My commute is 28 miles each way. Summer is fine, but in winter tend to go for cycle in/train back and train both ways when the weather is really bad.

Maybe if I was 25 rather than 50 it would be different ...

Suck it and see, but personally I would think very carefully about making this the only commuting option.

cjcp

350 miles a week? Ye Gods! I'd manage that 3 days a week max. Mine is only a 33 mile round trip atm, and I look forward to a rest on Saturday.

If you wanted to race, I'd say you'd be buggered by the weekend.

tri-sexual

whats the job?

prj45

For me, a single trip five days a week:

< 10 miles = too short

11 - 15 miles, just right

16+ a bit much.

I sometimes take a circuitous route home (up to 24 miles sometimes in the summer), but tend to stick to my normal 12 mile route.

Headhuunter

I couldn't do that sort of distance 5 days per week unless the job I was commuting to wasn't very challenging and meant I could have a nap at some point in the day or something... I couln't conceive doing that sort of commute to my current job

Rapid Rider

I had to move out to the inlaws when our water went off during the freeze. It meant my commute went from 7 miles each way to 16each way. I cant do much mountain biking at the minute as we have newborn twins but I found it great for my fitness. It is just about my limit for commutes as getting up early enough to have time for it before work was hard!

wgwarburton

amaferanga wrote:

The full commute is about 35 miles each way or 2 hours.

Apart from the energy considerations, that's a big chunk out of your day. Many people find that commuting for significantly more than an hour or so each way isn't really sustainable.

Another option I'm considering would be getting a monthly rail ticket from Leeds to Wakefield (£75), making the commute by bike a more manageable 26 miles each way. My first choice would probably be to cycle one way and train the other, but that'd cost about £184 a month which I can't really afford at the moment.

Are there other options, here? Your first gets you 26 miles riding & 9 on the train- it'd be better if you could turn that round and pick up the train about 10 miles from home, I'd have thought. What are the rail options from Barnsley, say, or even Doncaster? If you can get a season ticket from mid-way it might be cost-effective.

I've been mixed-mode commuting for several years now- it's about 5 miles to the nearest station, then depending on where I'm working it's been anything form a short walk to nearly 10 miles (not every day) at the other end. When the far end is close to the station I can cool down, freshen up & get changed on the train, ready to start work.

Cheers,
W.

vorsprung

I did have a job a couple of years ago on the edge of Exmoor

It was 35 miles away, with a fair amount of climbing. That's Devon hills not the south-east of england ersatz hill substitute. I just found the route on bikely, it was 711 metres of climbing, so not too bad.

Anyway, I found that regardless of the time of year the problem was the time it took. As your route is probably a little flatter it might be quicker I guess
My quickest time ever was a little over 2 hours with a raging tail wind
Usually I'd leave the house at 6:10am and get there at 8:45am so that's more like 2 1/2 hours. Leave at 5, home at 7:45pm. Knock off 15 minutes if I was on a geared bike in the summer.

It was also somewhat tiring but if I did it regularly a couple of times a week, less so. I ate a lot! You are training for racing but I was doing PBP that year so it matched my goals fine. I was happy to drive in the other 3 days of the week. Well, I'd rather be cycling but it wasn't too bad.

So my conclusion would be: yes it is possible but less than optimal. You might well feel the need to get the train rather more than you'd like.

I am working another place now and happily doing a 15 mile each way commute every day.

Mossrider

I'm doing 28 (very hilly) miles each way and i keep it down to once, or maybe twice a week. As Vorsprung says beyond that you will find that you end up with no other life whatsoever during the week....and be pretty tired by the weekend. I gather that you are riding Leeds / Sheffield? I think you may find thats a bit hillier than you give credit for.

PBo

being in sheffield too, i also look to leeds for jobs.

i've never considered more than a commute length cycle to catch the train on the way - say barnsley.

but to be honest with childcare, weather, randomness etc. id probably still end up with a sheff - leeds season ticket to give me the flexibility.

if you did commute all the way, not sure which way you'd go - but the hills would also be a factor.....

how about commute in one way, train back, then reverse next day? done that way, with a return ticket in between might work out cheaper.....

amaferanga

PBo wrote:

being in sheffield too, i also look to leeds for jobs.

i've never considered more than a commute length cycle to catch the train on the way - say barnsley.

but to be honest with childcare, weather, randomness etc. id probably still end up with a sheff - leeds season ticket to give me the flexibility.

if you did commute all the way, not sure which way you'd go - but the hills would also be a factor.....

how about commute in one way, train back, then reverse next day? done that way, with a return ticket in between might work out cheaper.....

That's the £180 /month option unfortunately.

The £80 /month option is either Sheffield - Wakefield by bike then train into Leeds or train to Barnsley then bike to Leeds (both a little over 20 miles by bike).

I work for the NHS and I'd say my job is moderately demanding in that I do need to concentrate, but I do sit on my @rse most of the day.

The more I think about it the more I realise 5 days /week full commute would be too much. I'd hardly see my girlfriend and I'd be knackered come the weekend.

More thinking to do.

Monkeypump

amaferanga wrote:

I have a car, but will never drive to work.

Why not?

Perhaps drive part way with the bike in the car, then the rest of the way on two wheels. Car/bike split can be adjusted depending on how many miles you want to get in on the bike.

Possibly cheaper, and definitely more flexible, than the train.

pastryboy

It probably wouldn't be that hard physically once you're used to it but mentally it's going to kill you knowing every single morning you've got to face that amount of time on the bike before and after work. I think anything over about 75 minutes and you're pushing it.

Bartekorcz

Hi, i have got question about the time.
I am planing to commuting 25 miles each way from Welwyn Garden City to Morgate (London), how long it should take me each way?
I have hybrid bike Giand CRS3, but with thinner 28mm tyres

chuckcork

cjcp wrote:

350 miles a week? Ye Gods! I'd manage that 3 days a week max. Mine is only a 33 mile round trip atm, and I look forward to a rest on Saturday.

If you wanted to race, I'd say you'd be buggered by the weekend.

I'll ditto that and raise you by two miles a day

prj45

Bartekorcz wrote:

Hi, i have got question about the time.
I am planing to commuting 25 miles each way from Welwyn Garden City to Morgate (London), how long it should take me each way?
I have hybrid bike Giand CRS3, but with thinner 28mm tyres

You can cover the last 12 miles in town in about an hour, i.e. 12mph (if you obey lights).

I figure you could get 20mph out of town.

Bartekorcz

Sound good. I was hoping to do it in 90 min.
If it take me more than 1hour45min is not worth it

CiB

20mph average is pushing it a bit. Each to their own but 18mph avg is good going on the open road for any sort of distance. In the summer I reckon on knocking off my 21 miles in about 1h 5m - 1h 10m, about 1h with a good following wind. Good luck if you can do it, but it's a big effort to keep up as the daily norm - normally a decent pace without pushing hard takes me into the 1h 10m - 15m zone. This is on undulating roads, not steep hills.

FWIW I've been adding miles on this week in a peurile attempt at climbing the stats board and whatever the distance the avg is around 15mph, give or take bit so using that as a guide you're looking at 2h + per journey. Realistically 4 hours per day on the day bike + recovery & changing times, on top of a working day, is a big commitment. Doing it every day is excessive. Try it 2 - 3 times per week and see how you go. Sunds a bit much to me tho.

Wooliferkins

As above you will need to be "nails" to keep this up and work. It does offer you loads of options though. Car/ride; train ride options with in the good weather a belief raising full round trip once in a while.
I found long commutes (21 each way) self motivating initially but after 6 months I needed a better end for the means and hadn't planned it. The miles are sustainable but added to work it eats away at you.. I stopped riding for fun as by Friday I was blxd, this removed the social element from my riding and I had to revert to just club riding.
You are looking at 5 hours a day in the saddle plus 8 at work that gives you 11 left 8 of which you will need to sleep. So in 3-4 hours you have to cook, wash and relate to the world and do life's admin. If you are not single you soon mayl be

wgwarburton

CiB wrote:

20mph average is pushing it a bit. Each to their own but 18mph avg is good going on the open road for any sort of distance. ...

+1

The effort required goes up exponentially (third power?), so once you're over 12mph, at which point most of your effort is going to overcoming wind resistance, every mph starts to matter much more than the last.

... whatever the distance the avg is around 15mph, give or take bit so using that as a guide you're looking at 2h + per journey. Realistically 4 hours per day on the day bike + recovery & changing times, on top of a working day, is a big commitment. Doing it every day is excessive. Try it 2 - 3 times per week and see how you go. Sunds a bit much to me tho.

Again +1. 15mph is about what I typically see. I can do better than that over shorter trips, or if I cheat and only count the fast bits of the better runs... but I also do worse if it's windy etc.

Trying to maintain an 16-18mph average into a headwind over any distance is really going to take it out of you.... needing to do it to start work on time or catch a train is no fun at all.

I wouldn't commit to this. At the moment I'm sometimes extending my 9.5 mile round trip out to nearer 30, but I wouldn't want to have to do that every day.

Cheers,
W.