Any 25+ Mile Commuters Out There?

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Comments

  • Levi_501 wrote:
    Worth having a look at Condor. The Acciaio works for me, with similar criteria to yours apart from disc brakes. The Fratello perhaps even closer since it can take a rack if needed.

    Thanks. as you all know it is great having a lovely light bike, but by the time you add rucksack, lunch, files, laptop and of course a ironed shirt!


    25 miles with a rucksack? Murder! I don't even understand how people can go more than 10 miles with a rucksack.

    For commutes over 10 miles, paradise is a Carradice!
    1938 Hobbs Tandem
    1956 Carlton Flyer Path/Track
    1960 Mercian Superlight Track
    1974 Pete Luxton Path/Track*
    1980 Harry Hall
    1986 Dawes Galaxy
    1988 Jack Taylor Tourer
    1988 Pearson
    1989 Condor
    1993 Dawes Hybrid
    2016 Ridley Helium SL
    *Currently on this
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Rhodrich wrote:
    Levi_501 wrote:
    Worth having a look at Condor. The Acciaio works for me, with similar criteria to yours apart from disc brakes. The Fratello perhaps even closer since it can take a rack if needed.

    Thanks. as you all know it is great having a lovely light bike, but by the time you add rucksack, lunch, files, laptop and of course a ironed shirt!


    25 miles with a rucksack? Murder! I don't even understand how people can go more than 10 miles with a rucksack.

    For commutes over 10 miles, paradise is a Carradice!

    Except that it hangs below the saddle, covering my seat post mounted District 3. I love using one on my SS in the summer, but in winter I use a rucksack as I've never found an adequate solution. My Saddle Role and Junior Carradice bags don't even have light loops, but even then I'd only trust something I could attach there as a back-up.

    Maybe I do need a Cotic Escapade; the ultra compact geo means I'd need about 300mm of seat post exposed which would allow me to mount the light very, very low.......
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    I use a rack and rack bag in the winter - easier to carry the clothes required (eg today I didn't bother with a jacket, but couldn't do that in November ...)
    Modified the rack to take the back lights (plural, never just the one).

    Not sure I could mentally do the 25miles each way. I try to up it to 13 or 15 on the way home and have done 25/35 and once 50 on the way home only - but I've got the choice - I can make it just over 9 each way if I wanted.
  • DKay
    DKay Posts: 1,652
    I live in Darlington and teach in a school on the outskirts of Durham. I often do my commute, which adds up being 45 miles in total, with 2600ft. of climbing. With a rucksack.

    It's good training and saves me cash. I only do it a couple of times a week and when the weather is decent though.
  • I do 16 each way and alter my route during the winter months to use street-lit roads where possible, but this ups it to 17. I'm fortunate that I have access to a locker and drying room at work, so cycle 4 days and on the friday take the train, so I can re-plenish the clothes for the week.
    It's mostly a mental thing for me, but once I'm actually on the bike its great. Even rain is ok as long as you have guards, decent tyres and waterproofs. Night riding can be fun with the correct gear, good lights (and backups) and as much reflective stuff as you can find seems to help.

    Don't know how others do it with a heavy backpack/pannier etc though, that's hard work.
  • cruff
    cruff Posts: 1,518
    Asprilla wrote:
    If I had to bring my laptop home everyday I'd quit.

    When I WFH I use OWA (or gmail depending on client), dropbox, sharepoint, googledocs, etc from my home laptop. Even with heavily security conscious clients I can VPN onto their network and access what I need (including the jabber / bluejeans VC apps which is a godsend).

    My bag contains: underwear, shirt, glasses, phone, wallet.

    Except on many networks (ours included) NAC will stop your laptop from connecting.
    On my network too!

    What do you use for NAC? I use Checkpoint - it's a f**ker to maintain and configure, and the client is horrendously unreliable, but its mandated on me by our head office (yanks). My favourite ever bit of NAC kit was the Mirage boxes I deployed on a job a few years back (since bought out and ruined by Trustwave)
    Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
    Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Some of the posts in this thread are grim reading!
  • vermin
    vermin Posts: 1,739
    dodgy wrote:
    Some of the posts in this thread are grim reading!

    Yeah. Shut up about laptops and networks and shoot already.
  • vermin wrote:
    dodgy wrote:
    Some of the posts in this thread are grim reading!

    Yeah. Shut up about laptops and networks and shoot already.

    Absolutely I agree!


    (Cisco)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • cruff
    cruff Posts: 1,518
    vermin wrote:
    dodgy wrote:
    Some of the posts in this thread are grim reading!

    Yeah. Shut up about laptops and networks and shoot already.
    Hey. My work is less boring than my commute.
    Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
    Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    zebulebu wrote:
    Hey. My work is less boring than my commute.

    Think you're on the wrong forum...
  • cruff
    cruff Posts: 1,518
    zebulebu wrote:
    Hey. My work is less boring than my commute.

    Think you're on the wrong forum...
    Have you ever seen IT forums? I'm DEFINITELY not on the wrong forum...
    Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
    Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
  • I've commuted Mon-Thu this week. Drove today as had to take new bike to LBS to get the fork cut.

    Today was rubbish. I drove. Hated it. Stressful, boring, monotonous. Roll on 5 again next week.

    One thing worth noting. If you're doing this for exercise (as well as other reasons) a 1-1/2 commute is 2-3 hours of exercise. If you can get home at a decent hour that means total relaxation, no gym, no training, just chilling.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • daddy0
    daddy0 Posts: 686
    One thing worth noting. If you're doing this for exercise (as well as other reasons) a 1-1/2 commute is 2-3 hours of exercise. If you can get home at a decent hour that means total relaxation, no gym, no training, just chilling.

    This.

    It means for me that weekend club rides are now a very rare luxury, but that also means that I get to spend the whole weekend with my boys (and the EPO).
  • DKay
    DKay Posts: 1,652
    One thing worth noting. If you're doing this for exercise (as well as other reasons) a 1-1/2 commute is 2-3 hours of exercise. If you can get home at a decent hour that means total relaxation, no gym, no training, just chilling.

    This is just one of the reasons why I commute. During term time, I'm usually working on evenings so don't have time for exercise otherwise.