Anyone regularly commute 20miles+?

iclestu

My previous commute had been 13 miles each way.

Looking at a new job that would be 20 'flat-ish' (well flat for yorkshire!) miles each way.

Still feasible to commute by bike? Anyone do this distance commute regularly?

mudcow007

iclestu wrote:

My previous commute had been 13 miles each way.

Looking at a new job that would be 20 'flat-ish' (well flat for yorkshire!) miles each way.

Still feasible to commute by bike? Anyone do this distance commute regularly?

ah you will be reet, its only an extra 20 - 30 mins isnt it?

daniel_b

I've been doing 19 miles each way pretty regularly, most I have managed so far is 3 times in one week, ie mon/wed/fri, my commute before that was 2 miles, so it was a big step up!

asprilla

Last year I was doing 21.5 miles each way.

I was knackered on Saturday and I didn't do a single weekend ride during that period.

rubertoe

Ok with that question in mind - what for the average 30 something bloke would be seen as a reasonable, Doable daily commute distance?

CiB

I do. Used to be once a week or less, then grew to 4 maybe 5 days per week now dropped back to only 2 due to OH's insistence on working, so twice a week now, and any number during school hols or odd times when she does the seeing them off to school bit all week. Been doing it for 5½ years now so well into it.

Easy? Physically yes. 20 (20.8 to here) with a few gentle and one longer steeper climb is a doddle once you're used to it; I still do detours and extended commutes up to about 30 miles both ways (in and home), without difficulty - it extends the day and the enjoyable ride. The hardest bit is getting up early enough to do it due to liking to be in the office by around 8:30 to have time to cool down & get scrubbed up & polished in time for the working day; it's stretched a bit from early days when leaving home by 7 was the norm, the first few miles were filled with trepidation about this colossal distance ahead etc; now I leave at about 7:20 knowing that it'll take 1:05 to 1:15 to do it so have to be up by 7 (compared to about 8 on car days), and recovery is now the time it takes to get in and walk upstairs and stick the miles on the Stats thing. It's become a 15 minute turnaround from sweaty cyclist to bloke in the office now.

I never carry clothes etc, just a pocketful of whatever there is to eat that day (couple of sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt etc) and do the clothes swap when in the car. Having an office to myself helps; I keep the bike up here too.

20 miles? Easy, but after 3 consecutive days the urge to have a day off starts to grow, esp at 6:40 on a wet windy morning like we're having now.

Koncordski

20 Miles each way for me (age 31 seeing as that came up earlier). 4 days a week, the rest day is usually split one afternoon & one morning. Leave as much at work as possible, i leave the house at 07:20 which gives me plenty of time to shower and get to my desk for 9am.

I mentally break my route down into sections and that helps. Home to RP - RP Kingston Gate to URR - LRR - Putney Bridge etc etc....

Makes the miles disappear a lot faster. Doing it in 1hr 10mins each way now. Go for it!

fearby

MTFU

bobtbuilder

My commute used to be 28 miles each way, Tuesday - Friday.

Like Asprilla, it really impacted my weekend riding and overall cycling became a bit of a chore for that whole period.

warreng

I'm doing 18 miles each way 4 times a week. I'm 42, weigh 12.5 stone and wouldn't consider myself that fit.

I've been doing it 3 months and loving it. I had a couple of evening work dos last week which meant having to get the train and I hated it - all the coughing, spluttering and annoying tosspots - it's given me the motivation to carry on.

I was more of a mountain biker originally and still getting about the Surrey Hills on a Sunday morning


Going to bed at 9 every night like.........

daxplusplus

Reckon 3 times a week (MWF) is perfect for longer commutes.

It means you get perfectly timed rest days and you can take a change of clothes on those off days. This all makes the rides that much more fun - you can push it in the knowledge that you've got a least one rest day before the next ride and you don't have to worry about carrying loads of extra stuff.

There are practical issues: I'm very lucky that I have a shower at work and somewhere I can leave my bike and kit. I'm assuming you do too.

The only real issue re: distance is time - how much time have you got at either end of your work day? Becuase from that you can work out how far you can ride. It will also depend on the road conditions you'll face; traffic, lights and hills are the main ones I can think of.

TBH fitness and the ability to actually cycle the distance is quite low on the list of issues .. becuase you can control that by starting on one day of week and building up.

I do anything between 25 and 32 miles each way and a whole lot of climbing. I'd love to cycle in 3 days a week every week but life has a way of getting in the way - summer hols, work requiring extra hours (and making me knackered), rock climbing in the evening of the rest days twice a week (which makes me knackered too), evening events, the list goes on but I reckon I'll do 4-5000 miles a year commuting.

CiB

Agree with that Dax++ - any three days, ideally non-consecutive - is doable. Even four days MT & TF is ok; it's the daily grind of up early, an hour or so on the bike then the working day that makes it difficult, until the first mile or so is under the wheels and you wonder why you ever thought of driving instead. Going home is less of an issue but all depends on individual circumstances. Mine is a v rural commute too except for one bit through the edge of town if I go that way, but it is a big plus having the best part of 20 miles on empty country roads with minimal traffic for the most part. Doing the same journey through town with lights, GWs & nose to tail traffic would be a different matter.

Long_Time_Lurker

My mates father...
He does a 30 mile commute (60 mile round trip) everyday; rain, wind and snow.
He's 64. :shock:
Puts me and my mates to shame when he decides he wants to join us for the occasional ride.

iPete

21 each way, 5 days a week if possible. Flatish route but in and out of London so there is lots of laborious stop/start/traffic to deal with. I'd love to save 20 minutes each way and have a clear run without stopping.

It has become much easier since getting a fixie, regulates my speed so I tend not to burn myself out anymore.

Fortunately it takes the same time to get the train and no wife/kids to rush home for.

spen666

20 miles a day is easily do-able from a physical perspective.

It depends more on other factors as to whether it is reasonable:

1. Your view of cycling. I regard it as a pleasure, so long commutes are not a chore.
2. Your commitments outside of work. - If you are wanting to maximise your time at home or with your kids etc, then the extra time cycling may not be justifiable

dee4life2005

My direct commute route is ~21 miles, but I do change the route quite a bit to keep things fresh and that can lead to anything up to 32 miles. While it's perfectly feasible to cycle this distance everyday, you would probably be knackered at the weekend so weekend rides would be out or a lot shorter. I do two or three days a week (either WF, or MWF) depending on what I've ridden at the weekend.

Having a couple of "rest" days during the week gives me a chance to take in change of clothes etc. that I need for the week so that I only have to carry my lunch in with me - nothing worse than cycling with a full backpack everyday.

Agree with the above though ... sometimes it's just too easy to hit the snooze button, or reset the alarm and go back to sleep. Once I've done the first mile I'm always glad I'm on the bike, regardless of the weather. I do find it's a bit of extra motivation having checked my bike the night before and got all my cycling gear set out.

ToeKnee

Having moved offices my full commute is 25 miles each way. I just can't spare the time every day and sometimes drive part of the way :oops: reducing the commute to 17 miles each way. Family commitments currently limits me to 4 days a week (Tue-Fri) but I have been track cycling on Mondays and Saturdays over the spring/summer. If I am only free to cycle commute for 3 days then I throw in more full distance rides. I have not been brave enough (yet) to hit any club runs and do spinning or orienteering on Sundays. I'm 50, 94kg and eat too much.

CarlosDSanchez

22 miles each way, 5 days a week, all year, all weathers. I even get in the Sunday club run most weekends when family commitments don't stop me. The only thing I'd say is that you need to build up to it. I started out doing 8 miles each way, extending it to 15 or so by getting off the train earlier. Then got a new job which meant the commute went up to 12 miles each way, full commute on Fridays (22 each way) then started doing full commute every other day then just started doing it every day. Joined the cycling club earlier this year so now my annual milage has really rocketed. Good excuse to buy new kit :-)

Could go further I reckon, probably up to about 30 miles each way, but then time really becomes and issue, would have to leave the house before 6am and wouldn't get home until 6.30pm or so.

rickyrider

spen666 wrote:

2. Your commitments outside of work. - If you are wanting to maximise your time at home or with your kids etc, then the extra time cycling may not be justifiable

As someone who commutes long distances when I can, this is probably the limiting factor for most people rather than physical ability.

daxplusplus

This ..

CarlosDSanchez wrote:

22 miles each way, 5 days a week, all year, all weathers. I even get in the Sunday club run most weekends .. The only thing I'd say is that you need to build up to it.

and this ..

CarlosDSanchez wrote:

Joined the cycling club earlier this year.

.. is awesome news

Thanks for sharing.

I had been wondering how far I could push the cycling and have wanted to do Sunday runs for months now but never felt up for it due to the cycling during the week. This has given me real hope that it's not an unreasonable expectation - just got to give it time.

ToeKnee

rickyrider wrote:

spen666 wrote:

2. Your commitments outside of work. - If you are wanting to maximise your time at home or with your kids etc, then the extra time cycling may not be justifiable

As someone who commutes long distances when I can, this is probably the limiting factor for most people rather than physical ability.

+1 ... Also, 25 miles on open roads will be significantly quicker (and less fatiguing) than through a city (traffic lights, crossings, congenstion, BSOs and walking missiles).

prawny

Used to, 5 days a week. I was toast by the end of the week and didn't have any energy for riding for fun. The winter was soul destroying and painful. It probably cost me more in food than a train pass costs.

I loved it.

If I was single I'd do it again, but the wife wants to know what time I'm going to be back to get dinner on and that. I tried a handsfree kit for my phone but it was annoying and to make it home for a reasonable time I had to flog myself the whole way which wasn't fun. I ended up with a horrific bout of tonsilitis took a couple of months off, discovered weekend riding and haven't gone back to it. I've lost 2 stone by not commuting too.

iclestu

Thanks for your input guys...

Need to get the job first but think ill prob give it a whirl if i do...

davis

prawny wrote:

If I was single I'd do it again, but the wife wants to know what time I'm going to be back to get dinner on and that. I tried a handsfree kit for my phone but it was annoying and to make it home for a reasonable time I had to flog myself the whole way which wasn't fun. I ended up with a horrific bout of tonsilitis took a couple of months off, discovered weekend riding and haven't gone back to it. I've lost 2 stone by not commuting too.

To answer the highlighted bit, I've found Google Latitude to be solid gold.

To answer the rest: Splitter.

coopster_the_1st

iclestu wrote:

My previous commute had been 13 miles each way.

Looking at a new job that would be 20 'flat-ish' (well flat for yorkshire!) miles each way.

Still feasible to commute by bike? Anyone do this distance commute regularly?

I would commute more regularly if the commute was under 15 miles each way. Currently do 21 each way and as others have said it is just too easy to hit the snooze button or find an excuse and take the car.

The main problem is getting enough sleep. A bad nights sleep and it is an easy excuse :roll:

pastryboy

I did 14 miles each way five days a week for about five months.

As others have said, it's not the physical side of it that's the problem it's the sheer amount of time it takes. The mornings get really hard during winter.

My journey time was up to about 65 minutes in the depths of winter - I don't think I could have managed any more than that.

itboffin

That's an impossible distance no human could possibly do it or something

cookdn

I'm doing a 22 mile commute alternate directions each day. Has been a sporadic over the past couple of weeks, the change in weather pushed me to invest in mud guards for the CX. Only finished fitting them tonight but that means the bike can go to work on the car tomorrow and the car can then be left at work .

Hopefully next week I'll be able to cycle four days out of five.

asprilla

prawny wrote:

I've lost 2 stone by not commuting too.

I've knocked 7 miles each way off mine, so it's down to 28.5 miles.

I spend about half as much on lunch / snacks and have actually started losing weight again.

rjsterry

Coopster the 1st wrote:

iclestu wrote:

My previous commute had been 13 miles each way.

Looking at a new job that would be 20 'flat-ish' (well flat for yorkshire!) miles each way.

Still feasible to commute by bike? Anyone do this distance commute regularly?

I would commute more regularly if the commute was under 15 miles each way. Currently do 21 each way and as others have said it is just too easy to hit the snooze button or find an excuse and take the car.

The main problem is getting enough sleep. A bad nights sleep and it is an easy excuse :roll:

Well, if you don't drive and PT is prohibitively expensive for more than the odd day, then you just have to get on with it, but yes, that distance + restricted sleep will take its toll.

The Rookie

I ride with a chap who commutes 27 miles each way, 5 days a week, mountain bikes a single speed 29er 2 evenings a week (20-28 miles) and goes out most weekends on either his MTB or road bike, he averages about 1100 miles a month.

He's mid 30's, nice guy but a fruitcake.