How far do you commute?

SimonPieman

With the rising cost of fuel and the need to get my fitness back, looking to commute to work but it is 23miles one way!
How far do you all commute??

esd

Thats quite a way

Is it possible to use car for say 15 miles or so, park up and then use bike...or what ever % think would be reasonable?

My normal commute is only 25-30 mins. I am quite happy doing 2 hrs plus at weekends but doing 46 miles a day is quite an ask to start from

iPete

17 miles each way, going upto 18-19 in a few months. I could happily do 23 if it was open road. It takes an hour 15 mins due to all the London stopping and starting, could do 23 in that time. Wouldn't want to do 5 days a week mind.

mr_poll

I commute 20K - however the some days have the kids so with drop off's at the ex's I drive part way leave the car and cycle the rest of the way in.
Why not drive part way and cycle the rest until your fitness and speed return, every month drive less and less.

lastant

Not far enough, since moving it's only a c.11-mile round trip. Still, going to get to the end of January with the current route and then look to extend it as I move into February.

It's Clapham Junction through to Leicester Square (well, Cambridge Circus) and I'm currently heading up Battersea Bridge Road before turning right and following it in.

Sure I can make it a 10-mile each way by heading out towards Wandsworth or something before bringing it round to work...

SimonPieman

My other issue is the types of roads, I am in south Lincolnshire part of my journey would be on the B1073 and A47, not good roads, too many HGV's.
If I were 10 miles away I would definately do it, without question. Driving half could be an option, would just have to find somewhere safe to leave the car!! :?

badly_dubbed

mines is possibly the worst!!!


a mind boggling 1.5miles.

i usually leave an hour early and go for a wee spin then head in though

SimonPieman

badly_dubbed wrote:

mines is possibly the worst!!!


a mind boggling 1.5miles.

i usually leave an hour early and go for a wee spin then head in though

Easy does it

badly_dubbed

i think if i tried i could get to my work in under 2mins lol

dhope

6 miles each way. 23 each way would be very good work, driving to a quiet road halfway then cycling the other half would be a fine way to work up to it

godders1

3 miles each way but up a gert big 'ill on the way in (Lansdown Road for anyone who knows Bath). Relocating at the end of the year so will become 13-14 miles each way (but pretty flat at least).

nich

11.5 miles each way.

hooorahhh!

meanredspider

15+ each way depending upon the route. Very hilly & windy though but almost no traffic.

essex-commuter

17 miles each way, during the summer I use the 'prettier' route which is just over 18.

My fitness isn't the problem it's just time constraints. It takes me just under an hour to get to work by bike, 30 minutes by car. I'd like to do more but cannot spare more than an hour each way really...I'm up at 5.30am as it is, and I bike 4 or 5 days a week. At least by commuting I no longer train in the weekday evenings on the bike, I just run.

jeremyrundle

14000 A DAY


(yards)

Kieran_Burns

it depends on the route I take, but generally I do the 12.2 mile more interesting one. It's that or a 10.5 mile route that actually encounters.... traffic

So either 21 or 24+ mile 'round trip, generally only do it 3 days a week (sometimes 4)

The problem with 23miles each way is the huge chunk of the day it would take up just completing it.

When it's all said and done (for me) I 'lose' something like 20 minutes due to the commute on the bike each way.

WesternWay

12 each way through London pretty much every day of the year.

The problem with your very long commute is basically just that it would take a long time to do. If you can afford the time then it will be grand

welkman

10 miles each way of unlit rural backroads for me. Love it, even in the rain.... :P

jobless

I used to do 31 each way on a fixed gear 2 or 3 times a week. I changed jobs and now do 23 miles each way 2 or 3 times a week, so its possible. I wouldn't do it all week though as the food bill alone will negate any saving.

Oh and I get up and leave the house by 6:15 at the desk all showered with a coffee and breakfast before 8. Leave at around 5 ish and home all showered by 6:45 - so as WW says allow the time and include the "faffing about getting changed and showered and stuff at eash end".

I also have a Brompton and ride to the station and 6 miles at the other end each way, this used to be 10 in my old job so distance on one of them is not really a problem.

one thing i would advise though - get good kit, it can make the difference to getting on the bike in the p155ing rain and not. And allow for large maintenance bills too.

just try it, the worst that will happen is that you blow up and crawl home in massive glycogen deficit, shaking and calling for your mum. so take an energy bar with you....

Kieran_Burns

jobless wrote:

just try it, the worst that will happen is that you blow up and crawl home in massive glycogen deficit, shaking and calling for your mum. so take an energy bar with you....

So when did this happen and did she come and pick you up?

Lancslad

17 miles (ish) each way. Building myself upto 4/5 days a week. I could do a longer commute but I already get up at 4am.........If you go for it you really need to get yourself some decent gear and a bike with drop bars, I spend most of my commute on the hoods but in a headwind drops are the only way to go.

sketchley

14 each way in London traffic. Almost killed me and a took 2 hours :shock: when I first started, althought that was slightly longer route using park and river paths. Now down to 60 - 65 mins using the direct route.

If your think of doing 23 miles each way I would suggest a train early in the morning (before the restrictions come in) then a short cycle to work. Then ride the whole way home in the evening. That's how I started once or twice a week. Now 2 years later in and out everyday (except holiday so far this year), hopefully once the weather improves I'll add a few more miles on the way home.

Pep

9miles each way at the moment.
16miles each way soon, very hilly, some off-road, rural.

16miles hilly each way very doable for me. I'll probably give up running (my favourite, I know I'm not supposed to post this in a cycling forum), and swimming.

cjcp

About 14.5 miles each way. Judging by how I've felt when I've extended this, particularly in the winter, 23 miles each way is some going. I think Rich158 on here does about 21 miles each way and when he started off. he had a break on Wednesdays. Give that a go - try three days and build up from there.

iPete

Kieran_Burns wrote:

jobless wrote:

just try it, the worst that will happen is that you blow up and crawl home in massive glycogen deficit, shaking and calling for your mum. so take an energy bar with you....

So when did this happen and did she come and pick you up?

shhhhh it happens :oops:

rjsterry

Wot cjcp said. Also, you'll need to eat well (quality + quantity) to keep it up.

Sailorchick

My commute is 3.5 miles. I do have a few extended routes home that I use when I feel like a longer ride and can get out of work before rush hour.

My OH has a 23 mile commute but he uses the train for some of the route. I think he actually cycles about 11 miles each way.

meanredspider

An alternative is to alternate car and bike rides - at least until you find your legs.
Mon - drive to work (with bike) - ride home
Tue - ride to work - drive home
Wed - drive in - ride back
Thurs - ride in - drive back (with bike or leave bike at work)
Fri - Drive (or do this on Wed to give your legs a rest mid-week)

It's what I thought of doing when I first started (though never did it). Now I just ride as often as I can.

CiB

Mine's 21 miles each way. Once you're into it it's just the ride to work, no big deal, but the first few times I did it I did have some trepidation about it TBH. After a while you just do it.

Doing it 5 days a week is a big ask though. Try 2-3 days a week initially at least, don't carry any stuff that you can take in in the car [clothes etc mainly], and allow enough time for the journey and the wash & scrub-up when you get there. FWIW I have about half an hour to get my breath back then get cleaned & changed.

buy_my_cookies

mines 14.8 miles each way, on dead flat country roads (only hill/bumb i have is a small bridge over a river) I started doing it monday - wednesday- friday. but now do it as often as i can but as others have said the time it takes is a constraint takes me anywhere from 45 mins to over an hour depending on wind (get some bad wind on my route) , add on top of that the time it takes to shower and change from biking gear to work stuff etc. In car car it rearly takes over 20 mins.

can you shower at work because you are going to need it! I think the best thing to do is just try it one day and see how you get on, only you will know what you are capable of doing.

gaz545

Depending on the routes i take it can be between 15 and 20miles each way.