too far a commute :(

Pep

My wife and I benn searching since August and now found the house we want to buy. Everything with this house is perfect. Just is slightly too far from work, 17miles of hilly country lanes, from Thatcham West Berks to Chilton South Oxfordshire.

Not sure what to do.

Any comment welcome.

The house and street, area, schools, shops, are great.

CarlosDSanchez

Do it every other day, or if possible knock some miles off by train. Drive halfway in the car with the bike in the boot and cycle the rest of the way. There are plenty of options

meanredspider

That's not too far but it will take a bit of practice. You'd do well to have a hillier/windier ride than me & I'm covering something in excess of 15.25 miles each way depending upon the route I take (see below). Get yourself a nice road bike and you'll be flying.

mattsaw

17 miles is fine, I'd kill to commute on country lanes rather than the traffic light infestation known as south London.

To start with you might want to alternate between bike and car/public transport, but once you get used to the distacnce you'll be fine - and far fitter

fearby

I do 21 miles each way and it is fine. You will be begging for more after a few weeks.

langster

If you have two cars in your househild you can alternate e.g. Drive to work with your bike in your car and cycle home, next day cycle to work and drive home ect. Just try remember to drive home on a friday

tri-sexual

buy the house, sounds perfect, the 17 mile commute in the countryside sounds like bliss and is the icing on the cake

dilemna

As long as the country lanes are not rat runs for motons in a hurry ..............

Spring and summer would be good for riding 5 days or however many days a week you work. 17 miles one way is a piece of cake, it's barely one hour's riding. You'll soon be looking for detours to lengthen the ride.

Berk Bonebonce

17 miles each way is too far for regular commuting unless you have at least a moderately high level of fitness and a good bike.

mattsaw

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

17 miles each way is too far for regular commuting unless you have at least a moderately high level of fitness and a good bike.

Doing that daily you'll get a great level of fitness as well as the excuse to get a good bike

Pep

Thanks folks, you're all great.
I think you're right. A combination of getting used to, and flexible options, is the only way to go.

I do have a very high level of fitness AND TWO very good bikes.

Cheers,

craker

Which end of Thatcham will you be? I used to cycle North out of Scratch 'em through Cold Ash to the Ridgeway. Lovely riding especially once you've crossed the M4 (could be a ratrun at rush hour Hermitage way). Looks like there's a few different routes though.

I do a 15 mile each way commute in Summer on hilly ground, this time of year I drive 5 miles of it though but it does mean I keep cycling 5 days a week. It's something to build up to, don't expect to enjoy 170 miles a week commuting from day one.

Nik Cube

I had a 30+ commute each way I found it best to drive part way and the ride the rest in pretty soon I wanted to ride the whole way when I could and didn't need my car during the day.

I am now clocking up 120 miles a week on my current commute - I even gone as far as to sell our second car as it's no longer needed

jeremyrundle

a year ago I would have laughed at these people saying "thats not too far", but, whilst I will NEVER go that far, (past it now) when I started a mile was beyond me, but now I am happy doing five or six each way, believe me you WILL do it, as they say, I did.

But what you should ask yourself is, will you do it in the dark when it is freezing or pouring and you have had a bad day, or have a cold......

If you don't HAVE to do it fine, if you HAVE to then you have a problem, it is better out of choice.

griffter18

I'll swap you commutes any day.
Mine is 80miles each way Mon to Fri, and I need the car during the day for the job.
Commuting by bike is a no go for me :0(

meanredspider

Pep wrote:

I do have a very high level of fitness AND TWO very good bikes.

,

Then it'll be a breeze. I have moderate fitness and a reasonably good pair of bikes and I manage fine. Invest in good lights & good bright clothes

HebdenBiker

My commute is a hilly 15 miles, and I'm a fat wheezer.

I don't do it every day though...

cjcp

Sounds ideal. You'll get used to it. Mine's a 30-mile RT, and more if extended for training purposes. And if everything is fine, especially the schools, that's more important.

bails87

I've got a 15 mile commute. I'd been doing a fair bit of mtbing, averaging about 30-40 miles per week before I got the road bike on Cycle2Work. I don't think I could do it every day (yet), but twice a week would be easy. It just depends on needing the car for work.

If you've got a decent bike and you're used to long rides then I'm sure you could do it, even starting at 'just' 3 days a week.

salsajake

Pep wrote:

Thanks folks, you're all great.
I think you're right. A combination of getting used to, and flexible options, is the only way to go.

I do have a very high level of fitness AND TWO very good bikes.

Cheers,

the mileage should be fine, any idea what the total height gain for the day will be? If it is 2500' plus then that will be tough day in day out, less than 2000' and you will be fine.

Pep

salsajake wrote:

Pep wrote:

the mileage should be fine, any idea what the total height gain for the day will be? If it is 2500' plus then that will be tough day in day out, less than 2000' and you will be fine.

Climbing 200m each way, that makes it 1200' per day. Very steep throught the South Downs south-to-north.

salsajake

Pep wrote:

salsajake wrote:

Pep wrote:

the mileage should be fine, any idea what the total height gain for the day will be? If it is 2500' plus then that will be tough day in day out, less than 2000' and you will be fine.

Climbing 200m each way, that makes it 1200' per day. Very steep throught the South Downs south-to-north.

Blimey, one of my hills is 150m on its own! (2700' total each day) You will be fine, you will get used to the short sharp shocks. If they were longer drags, you might find it harder to recover. I have found it much easier to do a day in day out commute if I have a protein shake after each ride, stops that aching sore sensation the next day (tastes great too!).

Start at 3 days a week, monday wednesday friday, do it about 6 weeks and you will feel a different person. First 6 weeks for me was very tough and I felt like quitting, but now I can do it 5 days a week if I must, though that hurts if I am honest! Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri is the best way it works for me now.

globetrotter

It has been years since I came on this forum, but did so today for the very same reason. We were looking at a house this weekend but one of my issues is that it would add another 6 miles each way on my cycle commute and I wondered if that would be too far. My current commute is 8 miles each way. Having seen the responses to the original question I think I'm sold and perhaps soon that house will be too :-)

salsajake

globetrotter wrote:

It has been years since I came on this forum, but did so today for the very same reason. We were looking at a house this weekend but one of my issues is that it would add another 6 miles each way on my cycle commute and I wondered if that would be too far. My current commute is 8 miles each way. Having seen the responses to the original question I think I'm sold and perhaps soon that house will be too :-)

If the 6 miles is pleasant, then see it as another plus point, not a negative! 6 miles can be thrashed out in 20 mins, hardly worth worrying about unless time pressures are such that it becomes a genuine issue

Pep

globetrotter wrote:

It has been years since I came on this forum, but did so today for the very same reason. We were looking at a house this weekend but one of my issues is that it would add another 6 miles each way on my cycle commute and I wondered if that would be too far. My current commute is 8 miles each way. Having seen the responses to the original question I think I'm sold and perhaps soon that house will be too :-)

I hope is not the same house I'm looking at !

I'm not much concerned about 17miles each way. I'm more concerned that if I ride 17miles each way, from the current 8, I'll probably end up giving up swimming and cycling.
Well, life can be good but never perfect after all....

Lycra Man

I have a 15.18 mile hilly rural commute from Waddesdon to Leighton Buzzard. I drive in on a Monday, bike in the back of the car. I cycle home Monday night, and back in Tuesday morning. That way I have the car at work if I need to make business visits.

I ride round the year. The only tricky part is predicting the likelihood of overnight ice or snow. I don't do snow - then I take the car.

If I can manage 15 miles at age 60, I'm sure you can manage 17.

Oh, and when it's nice and sunny, I go home the long way.

Buy the house!!!!

Lycra Man

Pep

Lycra Man wrote:

I have a 15.18 mile hilly rural commute from Waddesdon to Leighton Buzzard. I drive in on a Monday, bike in the back of the car. I cycle home Monday night, and back in Tuesday morning. That way I have the car at work if I need to make business visits.

I ride round the year. The only tricky part is predicting the likelihood of overnight ice or snow. I don't do snow - then I take the car.

If I can manage 15 miles at age 60, I'm sure you can manage 17.

Oh, and when it's nice and sunny, I go home the long way.

Buy the house!!!!

Lycra Man

You are great.
Yes, I can manage 17miles at 38
I'll buy the house.

Valy

DOOO EEEET!!!

Sounds good - especially in the summer!

mrushton

Go on the route on a weekend and look for suitable places to leave the car, lay-bys,villages etc. Remember if you use the car to keep eg a towel and some gloves and a cloth in case you have a wet ride back to the car. You'll be surprised how soon you'll gt used to the distance. You may want to ride in/out all the way eg on a Friday. Also remember that you may be v.hungry after arriving at work so maybe leave some food there?

rolf_f

salsajake wrote:

Pep wrote:

Thanks folks, you're all great.
I think you're right. A combination of getting used to, and flexible options, is the only way to go.

I do have a very high level of fitness AND TWO very good bikes.

Cheers,

the mileage should be fine, any idea what the total height gain for the day will be? If it is 2500' plus then that will be tough day in day out, less than 2000' and you will be fine.

Something to be said for those numbers. Somewhere between the two is the threshold which last year I breached and proceeded to slowly destroy myself over the last 5 months of the year :oops:

meanredspider

Rolf F wrote:

salsajake wrote:

Pep wrote:

Thanks folks, you're all great.
I think you're right. A combination of getting used to, and flexible options, is the only way to go.

I do have a very high level of fitness AND TWO very good bikes.

Cheers,

the mileage should be fine, any idea what the total height gain for the day will be? If it is 2500' plus then that will be tough day in day out, less than 2000' and you will be fine.

Something to be said for those numbers. Somewhere between the two is the threshold which last year I breached and proceeded to slowly destroy myself over the last 5 months of the year :oops:

I'd agree with that too. My height gain is something around 2100 a day and it is tiring but doable