Am i delusional?

dave2041

I am currently commuting to work via two trains and twenty minutes of walking each way. This takes an hour and £83 a month for a train card.

It is very appealing to me to start cycling to work however the journey is 16.4 miles each way (or 32.8 miles round trip)

Is this feasable? i'm a 23 male and live fairly sedentary at the moment.

Also how long do you think this would take each way?

Thanks for any and all replys

gbsahne001

doing this (and more) at the moment, takes about an hour dependent upon traffic lights but maintenance and cycling costs will be around £50 per month and that's if you do it yourself.

Food costs will be higher still but it will get you out of the sedentary lifestyle you mention and improve your fitness no end.

cougie

I'd say an hour would be pushing it for a beginner. Allow 90 mins and you'll have time left. Does depend on your route and I'd say food wouldnt really change that much - but you will be fitter.

Whats the route like ?

JamesFree

gbsahne wrote:

doing this (and more) at the moment, takes about an hour dependent upon traffic lights but maintenance and cycling costs will be around £50 per month and that's if you do it yourself.

How the hell do you manage that ?

I do similar mileage and don;t get anywhere near £50 a month, take account I probably get 1 Puncture every 3 months I can't repair and maybe change the chain and cassette once a year maybe even 18 months and use one bottle of lube in the year comes out at only about £5 a month for me !

Headhuunter

JamesFree wrote:

gbsahne wrote:

doing this (and more) at the moment, takes about an hour dependent upon traffic lights but maintenance and cycling costs will be around £50 per month and that's if you do it yourself.

How the hell do you manage that ?

I do similar mileage and don;t get anywhere near £50 a month, take account I probably get 1 Puncture every 3 months I can't repair and maybe change the chain and cassette once a year maybe even 18 months and use one bottle of lube in the year comes out at only about £5 a month for me !

Yeah I certainly don't spend £50 per month on my bike! As you say, the odd puncture, I repair my tubes so they cost about 20-30p to repair. My dad does repairs on my bikes but even then it's not that frequent - the odd wheel true (£10-15 at a bike shop). Otherwise it's just luxuries - new clothing and gizmos that I don't really need but feel like having a splurge...

gbsahne001

use 3 bikes, doing 1200 miles a month, so maybe a bit more than 32 miles per day. I wish it weren't true but the running total on my spreadsheet certainly seems to be pointing to £50 a month.

dave2041

My route is from bolton to ashton-under-lyne, i don't know the specifics yet as i've only ever gone via motorway/train.

Well, this is encouraging ^_^ i was considering this bike too:
http://www.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-ad ... 52e50.html

However i am 6' 3" and again unsure whether this is suitable as i don't know the frame size (20" is what i need correct?)

Headhuunter

gbsahne wrote:

use 3 bikes, doing 1200 miles a month, so maybe a bit more than 32 miles per day. I wish it weren't true but the running total on my spreadsheet certainly seems to be pointing to £50 a month.

OK, I suppose you do almost 3 times as many miles per month than I do....

Headhuunter

dave2041 wrote:

My route is from bolton to ashton-under-lyne, i don't know the specifics yet as i've only ever gone via motorway/train.

Well, this is encouraging ^_^ i was considering this bike too:
http://www.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-ad ... 52e50.html

However i am 6' 3" and again unsure whether this is suitable as i don't know the frame size (20" is what i need correct?)

I'm 6'3" and frame size depends on geometry to some extent. On a standard horizonatl framed bike like my Ribble, I have a 58cm frame, but on a sloping/racing/sportive geometry framed bike it's more like 61cm+... Also I have a relatively long torso so I need bikes with long top tubes or long stem....

gbsahne001

JamesFree wrote:

gbsahne wrote:

doing this (and more) at the moment, takes about an hour dependent upon traffic lights but maintenance and cycling costs will be around £50 per month and that's if you do it yourself.

How the hell do you manage that ?

I do similar mileage and don;t get anywhere near £50 a month, take account I probably get 1 Puncture every 3 months I can't repair and maybe change the chain and cassette once a year maybe even 18 months and use one bottle of lube in the year comes out at only about £5 a month for me !

I wish I could get 12,000 miles out of a chain and cassette but I'm lucky if I get 4000 out of one. Especially in the winter when the salt and rain chews all of the driveline and brakes to pieces.

king_jeffers

I would go for it, as cougie says just make sure you allow sufficient time. Pending environmental conditions you should be able to ace it. I'd also recommend getting an app for your phone that can track your times or even allow you to race against your best time (endomondo), this has helped me loads although I do get competitive with myself! Make sure you have loads of water and healthy snacks when you get into work and just before you go home.

You can always start by doing a dummy run on your day off and see how you get on. Although @ 23 you should have no problems

rolf_f

gbsahne wrote:

use 3 bikes, doing 1200 miles a month, so maybe a bit more than 32 miles per day. I wish it weren't true but the running total on my spreadsheet certainly seems to be pointing to £50 a month.

The 10,000 I did last year didn't come anywhere near that. In terms of consumables, overall probably 3 chains, £60 in tyres and a cassette maybe. Some other bits as well but I'd estimate moer like £10 a month.

MrChuck

Perfectly doable, but it's likely you'll find it pretty hard going to begin with. Maybe start of with just a couple of days a week and you'll soon get there though.

Barteos

£50 a month to maintain a commuter bike means only one thing - wrong tool for the job.

ooermissus

MrChuck wrote:

Perfectly doable, but it's likely you'll find it pretty hard going to begin with. Maybe start of with just a couple of days a week and you'll soon get there though.

+1. Definitely worth easing yourself in - otherwise you'll flog your guts out for a few weeks and then, chances are, you won't feel like it one morning and will suddenly find you've been back on the train for 6 months.

alidaf

I started commuting a couple of times a week not so long ago. I got my first ever bike 3 years ago at 40 years old, and my first road bike in May of this year. I had intended to commute for ages but found it difficult to overcome the mental block. Its a 16mile trip. I trained a lot over the summer so fitness wasn't a problem and the first time I tried it I got lost because I wasn't familiar with the route. This time of year things look a little different too and lights are a necessity for me to see where I am going, let alone be seen. The kit cost a lot altogether - lights, base layer, jacket, long pants, shoes, pedals - it all adds up but I see it as an investment in my health. Once I did it I was high for ages. I cycled in today and the weather is looking really bad for going home. Be prepared to brave the elements but expect a higher level of fitness and an awesome sense of achievement if you do it. Good luck and enjoy it. I joined just to post this so you'd better bloody well start now!

Headhuunter

ooermissus wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

Perfectly doable, but it's likely you'll find it pretty hard going to begin with. Maybe start of with just a couple of days a week and you'll soon get there though.

+1. Definitely worth easing yourself in - otherwise you'll flog your guts out for a few weeks and then, chances are, you won't feel like it one morning and will suddenly find you've been back on the train for 6 months.

The only other thing to mention is that this time of year isn't necessarily the best time to start commuting with winter on the way and darker mornings and evenings...

litwardle

King Jeffers wrote:

I would go for it, as cougie says just make sure you allow sufficient time. Pending environmental conditions you should be able to ace it. I'd also recommend getting an app for your phone that can track your times or even allow you to race against your best time (endomondo), this has helped me loads although I do get competitive with myself! Make sure you have loads of water and healthy snacks when you get into work and just before you go home.

You can always start by doing a dummy run on your day off and see how you get on. Although @ 23 you should have no problems

Just downloaded endomondo! Cool app!

Giraffoto

Easy when you get your fitness up. Don't start on Monday morning and expect to do it all week - start with a couple of days a week and work up. Your fitness will improve, your times will come down, and you won't turn up at work partially anaesthetized by your train journey

Extralight

Definitely manageable, but if you're not used to riding then maybe not 5 days a week to start with, as you may find yourself getting very tired initially.

Don't rush, eat before riding, and keep drinking water whilst riding, and you should be fine. If you ride within your limits (ie. not riding as hard as you can, but at a comfortable speed that doesn't have you panting and sweating) then the distance should be no problem. I do between 30 and 34 miles a day on my commute, but to start with I made sure I had 'rest' days using the car. Takes me an hour each way, but the forecast of 90 minutes already suggested is sensible if you're not used to riding alot.

Regarding costs, I agree that £50 seems a lot. Get good tyres, keep them firm, and lube the chain and monitor wear, and the bike shouldn't be too expensive to run. Accessories, on the other hand, are - especially if you're doing a winter commute. Helmet (you don't have to get one, of course), proper cycling clothes (essential for that sort of distance), locks, lights, bags or panniers - clothing alone for the winter will cost a few hundred £s, especially if you ride every day as you'll need at least 2 of everything. With clothing, buy the best you can afford - the expensive stuff is comfortable and lasts.

For me, it's no longer about saving money, but spending money on something I enjoy that makes me feel physically and mentally fantastic.

Extralight

Apologies for duplicating several other posters' comments - you got your words of wisdom in whilst I was typing!

Pross

£50 per month to maintain a bike?! You may as well just buy a whole new bike every year.

bails87

Pross wrote:

£50 per month to maintain a bike?! You may as well just buy a whole new bike every year.

What's wrong with doing both?

Once you look at the costs for pumps, bags, mudguards, tyres, lights, batteries, reflectives, helmet, shoes, gloves, jackets,baselayers, jerseys, shorts, computers, finding a comfy saddle, greases, lubes, brake pads, cables, tools, energy gels/drinks etc it's easy to spend £50 per month due to cycling. Just look at the annual spends people are talking about on Wiggle alone!

A new set front and rear lights: £50+
A pair of tubes and tyres: £50+
A saddle: £50+
Pair of DHB bib shorts: £50+
Jacket: £50+
Mudguards, multitool, puncture repair kit and pump: £50+
Helmet, glasses and winter gloves: £50+
A newbie will need to be buying at least some of the things above, that's where £50 per month comes from.

You could of course argue that you're saivng £70 per month on gym membership though.

Anyway, to the OP: Yes, 16 miles each way is do-able. It won't be easy at first though. I do 15 miles each way and don't do it every day. I could probably physically do it, but sometimes I need the car for work, sometimes I want fresh legs for MTBing and sometimes I just don't feel like it.

But I'm sure getting the train twice a week will be cheaper than getting it every day
So go for it, just make sure you're very, very visible. I don't know if you drive, but 'ninja' cyclists are a nightmare. Also, make sure you know how to fix a puncture before you set off, and I'd recommend reading Cyclecraft too, to help stay safe on the roads.

Headhuunter

bails87 wrote:

Pross wrote:

£50 per month to maintain a bike?! You may as well just buy a whole new bike every year.

What's wrong with doing both?

Once you look at the costs for pumps, bags, mudguards, tyres, lights, batteries, reflectives, helmet, shoes, gloves, jackets,baselayers, jerseys, shorts, computers, finding a comfy saddle, greases, lubes, brake pads, cables, tools, energy gels/drinks etc it's easy to spend £50 per month due to cycling. Just look at the annual spends people are talking about on Wiggle alone!

A new set front and rear lights: £50+
A pair of tubes and tyres: £50+
A saddle: £50+
Pair of DHB bib shorts: £50+
Jacket: £50+
Mudguards, multitool, puncture repair kit and pump: £50+
Helmet, glasses and winter gloves: £50+
A newbie will need to be buying at least some of the things above, that's where £50 per month comes from.

You could have course argue that you're saivng £70 per month on gym membership though.

Anyway, to the OP: Yes, 16 miles each way is do-able. It won't be easy at first though. I do 15 miles each way and don't do it every day. I could probably physically do it, but sometimes I need the car for work, sometimes I want fresh legs for MTBing and sometimes I just don't feel like it.

But I'm sure getting the train twice a week will be cheaper than getting it every day
So go for it, just make sure you're very, very visible. I don't know if you drive, but 'ninja' cyclists are a nightmare. Also, make sure you know how to fix a puncture before you set off, and I'd recommend reading Cyclecraft too, to help stay safe on the roads.

A lot of those things are 1 off costs, I have used the same pump and lights for a few years now. Also I generally buy things in sales, I never pay more than £25 for a pair of shorts or bibshorts, never pay more than a tenner on a tyre and never more than £2 for an inner tube and I repair those when they puncture... It's easy to get carried away spending but it's also easy to make savings and buy things when they're cheap rather than in 1 go when you need them......

clarkey cat

Yes 16 miles is a piece of cake. You'll be looking to find ways to extend it in no time at all.

Get a decent bike - for me, a road bike with relaxed geometry, clearance for slightly bigger tyres, mudguards and rack mounts is ideal for commuting. A light tourer, say - or audax bike.

essjaydee

Having recently started to commute 24 miles a day, I reckon 32 would be ok. You have youth on your side(I'm 46), so should be ok with it, but don't jump straight in 5 days a week as others have said, unless your already bike fit.

I bought a hybrid, and don't have any regrets, but am already thinking about a road bike for next year, so maybe should have gone that route from the off :!:

Good kit can be bought for reasonable prices, but don't forget to factor that into your original budget. No point spending loads on a bike and having to put up with getting wet and cold. It'll put you off real quick.

I am really enjoying my commute now, even in the snotty weather and feel loads better and fitter already

mtbboy101

Another way to start would be to ride in one day, get the train home. then train in and ride home the next day (this assumes you have somewhere safe to leave the bike overnight).

is a good way to build up fitness with out over tiring yourself.

As said before, £50 a month seems high, but might not be if you use your bike for leisure as well, so costs really shared.

Also winter will be a harder time to get started as the weather can be disruptive to getting a routing going and can be off putting.

but, it is a great way to get to work. I love the fact that I arrive feeling awake and ready for the day. My direct commute is 4 miles, but I take the long way in (16 miles) because it's a great route (mostly traffic free and through beautiful country side - and yes I know I'm lucky ).

go for it and enjoy

Initialised

Start off doing it only on fairer days to build up the stamina for the bad days (rain, wind, cold, hungover, ill).

This year strictly maintenance only costs:
Chain, Cassette, Jockey wheels, GT85, gear cable, shifters

Every now and then you'll need something bigger like new rings

gbsahne001

I was lumping everything in there as costs, but strictly maintenance then;

3 x chains + cassettes
4 x tyres
1 x rim tape
2 x tubes; mtb + 700c
1 x rear mech; replaces 15 year old unit
1 x bottom bracket
1 x headset; again replaces 15 yo unit
2 x v brakes
4 sets brake blocks
2 sets disc pads
1 set mudguards

repairs from crash

1 x frame
1 x forks
1 set cables inner + outers
1 x handlebar tape
2 x mini v's
batteries

clothing / misc

1 x bib short
1 x winter boots
1 x winter socks
2 x SS jersey
1 x L finger gloves
1 x pump

bobgfish

I ride approx 30km each way each day. If I'm lucky I sneak in a few extra Km's. I do roughly 1000Km a month

I have to agree with others that it will cost close or more than £50 a month. It's more than bike wear and bits and pieces. Think of the clothes and other stuff like lights etc that you would just not have brought if you weren't commuting. Then theres the odd crash here or there that costs too.

Seems like every month something is either close to being worn out or needs replacing.

I dont ride every day and buy single tickets when required. I'm lucky in that my monthly costs for train tickets works out he same as buying individual tickets for the month.

I think it costs the same amount cycling or not. What is good is knowing that I feel better when it ride.

dave2041

alidaf wrote:

I started commuting a couple of times a week not so long ago. I got my first ever bike 3 years ago at 40 years old, and my first road bike in May of this year. I had intended to commute for ages but found it difficult to overcome the mental block. Its a 16mile trip. I trained a lot over the summer so fitness wasn't a problem and the first time I tried it I got lost because I wasn't familiar with the route. This time of year things look a little different too and lights are a necessity for me to see where I am going, let alone be seen. The kit cost a lot altogether - lights, base layer, jacket, long pants, shoes, pedals - it all adds up but I see it as an investment in my health. Once I did it I was high for ages. I cycled in today and the weather is looking really bad for going home. Be prepared to brave the elements but expect a higher level of fitness and an awesome sense of achievement if you do it. Good luck and enjoy it. I joined just to post this so you'd better bloody well start now!

Oh i sure will thank you

Headhuunter wrote:

ooermissus wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

Perfectly doable, but it's likely you'll find it pretty hard going to begin with. Maybe start of with just a couple of days a week and you'll soon get there though.

+1. Definitely worth easing yourself in - otherwise you'll flog your guts out for a few weeks and then, chances are, you won't feel like it one morning and will suddenly find you've been back on the train for 6 months.

The only other thing to mention is that this time of year isn't necessarily the best time to start commuting with winter on the way and darker mornings and evenings...

This seems to be the general concensus, I think i'll wait till the acceptable weather comes around (end of feb/march) to take the plunge. By then i'll have time to research my route etc.

Thank you all for your advice and feedback, i cannot wait to get started !