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vonhelmet.
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November 11, 2019 at 12:10 pm #30263
cycle.london
What’s the longest feasible commute? My current run in to work is 10.2 miles door to door. I do that between three and five times a week, giving me between 61 and 102 miles a week. We’re moving outside the M25 in a couple of weeks, and although I’ve not done the run yet, Google Maps says 22 miles door to door, or 44 miles per day. Five days a week, that would of course be 220 miles a week, which I guess some of you probably do. For context: 52 years old, big bloke but moobs and a slight paunch are part of my world. Legs are strong enough, and lungs can cope with the current commute without any problems. Would it be a case of building up to it, or maybe do half of the journey by train? Are there any of you who do that many miles?
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I love the advice being
I love the advice being dispensed here, you’re top lads (and ladies). I just realised on the way into work this morning, that my original question raises another one. When you move to a new location, how do you plan your route, on roads that you’ve never driven, let alone cycled? In the past, I’ve tried google maps, ride with GPS, Strava, Garmin BaseCamp, God knows what else. Too often, I’ll end up cycling along the M20…. or I would, if I’d followed the route.
FYI: I’m doing Gravesend to Bank Junction.
Edgeley
Fishpastesarnie wrote:I was doing a commute of this distance last year. Most of it was flattish apart from some hills near to the work end (Brighton). I was doing about 2 days a week and found that I was permanently hungry and some days was a little tired. I am late forties and in the 90-100kg category.The worst thing was that some days you would cycle to work into a headwind and by the end of the day the wind had shifted and you had a headwind home too.
All in all I loved it (despite some real Jeremy Hunt’s in their cars/vans) at least 50% of this was off road on cycle paths of varying quality.
I used to do a similar commute,sometimes adding an extra bit on the way home for fun. Hills carrying a back pack are good exercise. Too true about the wind changig direction during the day……….The other horrible thing was if clothes and shoes were still wet when it was time to put them on again in the evening. Positively vile.
It was great to get exercise in as part of the daily routine.
OldRidgeback
I used to do 13 miles/day
I used to do 13 miles/day which included some of Edinburgh’s longest and steepest hills. That was hard work.
For a long time I rode 10 miles in the morning and 10 miles in the evening across London each day. That was ok, particularly in the summer evenings with a gentle pedal across Hyde park.
My current workplace is 17 miles away but unfortunately, there’s no good cycling route of that length. The quickest route goes via the A2, which is not the best for cycling (though I do see some guys trundling along the hard shoulder from time to time – not my idea of fun). I’d have to take a big detour, about 20 miles according got the tacho on my motorbike, and that includes two long, steep climbs in the morning.
Judge dreadful
I used to do 15 miles each
I used to do 15 miles each way, 4 times a week, and that was about as far as I would want to commute regularly, more due to the 15 miles back, after a day at w**k was a work up I could do without. I did a ‘super commute’ twice, because there was a railway strike, and that was 75 miles each way. To be fair, it was only on 2 occasions, and it was hell.
Boatsie
Do it often.
Do it often.I’m no teacher, I haven’t ridden two weeks buti haven’t excuse.
I prefer days I ride. Warms well being. Last summer I was near those miles. Although a 7km ride direct, when work days were near or less than 12 hours detour home via a climb and descent would increase mileage with 30-60 km detours.
When younger I often commuted 100km daily but weather might be different. Middle of day gets hot, blows tyres and burns skin. When a postman I’d ride 20-30km to work prior train schedules and catch a couple of trains home during midday.
Best luck man. Bicycle commuting is what I enjoy too.Roadrider75
I’d say it’s doable but maybe
I’d say it’s doable but maybe start off with 2 or 3 days per week and work upwards if that’s an option. How different will the roads be in terms of traffic and lumpiness.
Shades
I’ve got a 17 mile (each way)
I’ve got a 17 mile (each way) commute; pretty much flat and mainly bike path. I’ve mixed it up over the years; train in/bike home, all cycle and half drive/half cycle (van makes that easy). I drive in Fri as the traffic is quieter. I guess for me it’s time (incl showering at work and work day) and how tired I get when I may want to ride at the weekend. Winter always seems like really hard work and longer; winter bike, dark, more kit on, windy etc and the risk of icy paths, so my half drive/half cycle option works well. I normally ride pretty hard and it’s the one time I’d really like a super-light bike; some people I know just stick to a steadier pace that they can maintain day in day out and accept the time penalty. Got an idea to ‘borrow’ (if a bike shop agreed to it) a decent e bike for a week and see what the times are like (all cycle); use the e bike for winter, headwind and ‘too tired’ days, and road bike for days when I want to get some fitness riding in. I’m mid 50s and 85kg; everyone’s different as I know people who can maintain a blistering pace every day, just not me!
crazy-legs
I’ve done 25 miles each way
I’ve done 25 miles each way on an occasional basis in the past (it was 1 or 2 days a week when I’d be working at an alternative site to usual, there wasn’t much of a pattern to it). Fortunately it was a really lovely commute on mostly quiet roads with several options inc canal towpaths and woodland trails.
It depends a lot on the route (busy main roads, quiet lanes, hilly, flat etc), what bike you’re on (e-bike??), how much stuff you have to carry and (most importantly I’d hazard) the facilities available at the workplace to shower, change, hang kit up, store the bike safely etc.
My current job, I have a very easy straightforward commute but the hassle of locking the bike up (fairly secure but offsite from my workplace) and going up and down flights of steps means that although the ride itself is only 45 mins, I have to add a further 20 mins for locking up, walking, showering, changing, hanging kit up etc.
Ride the route on a weekend, see roughly how long it would take each way (it might be more uphill one way so takes longer and that needs factoring in too). See what options you might have for using off-road (towpath, cyclepath?) and where you’re restricted to main roads. Having a choice of route makes a big difference. In summer / dry weather I’ve got the option of towpath most of the way and that’s lovely (slower but nicer) but in winter, wet weather etc it’s a horrible ride cos it gets really muddy.
Maybe investigate the possibility of driving half way and riding the rest or driving in/riding home/riding in/driving home or maybe there’s a train option (check out weekday / rush hour restrictions on trains in and out of London). Having a train option is great if you ever need to bring a laptop back or you’ve ridden in and the weather is unexpectedly shit or you had a mechanical. And on the same subject, are there train stations en route that can be used in an emergency?
Kit goes without saying; you need good reliable clothing, lights and components. The bike is going to get loads of wear and tear so full mudguards, bombproof tyres and cheap kit like Tiagra whcih won’t cost you loads when it wears out and won’t make you cry when it’s covered in a winter’s worth of road grime is well worth it. Same with clothing – it’s worth considering the trade-off between a cheap jacket that does one or two seasons and can be binned or something that you hope to last years but which costs a fortune. A couple of smaller lights are better than one big one, you need some back-up.
Hope all that is useful.
cougie wrote:Forget what google maps says – go ride the route of a weekend and see what it’s like.I do think going straight to 5 days would be too much – so you could aim to phase the rides in.
I’d want a proper winter bike. Full guards, bombproof tyres and 2 sets of lights front and rear.
Have fun. It’s probably not that much longer than driving.
I’ve got 2 x Cateye 800 on the front. On flashing mode, they typically last a fortnight, when I do the current ten mile ride. On the back, I have a Cycliq Fly6 and a Cateye, the model of which I can no longer find on their site.
A set of removable mudguards are all I have, ‘cos let’s face it, the shape of a steel, ‘diamond’ frame bike is one of the most beautiful things in existsnece, so why would I soil it with permanent mudguards? 🙂
Tyres are Schwalbe Durano Plus front and rear, and I carry two tubes with me.
Kendalred wrote:I’m 23 miles in, then perhaps 25 miles back (depending on specific route). South Cumbria coast to the heart of the Lakes, so not flat by any stretch. I usually manage it three times a week (bottled it this am, howling winds and lashing rain!).49 y/o (50 next April).
For me it’s as much to do with my mood/wellbeing than fitness. I hate driving to work, especially this time of year, there’s no public transport between home and the office (imagine that Londoners!) so even if I do get a bit knackered, at least I feel better mentally.
Do it!
London’s transport network is one of the reasons I cycle at the moment. The network might be dense, but Southeastern must be one of the worst, greediest crowd of useless bastards on the planet. If 59 seconds is the threshold after which their trains can be classed ‘late’, then 100% of my trains into London and back home, are late. Every. Single. One.
Arranged to meet the missus at Cannon Street station last night. She got there, and the concourse was packed to the gunwhales. What a surprise – delays.
Still, we just headed off to Nando’s for a scoff. All good.
Kendalred
I’m 23 miles in, then perhaps
I’m 23 miles in, then perhaps 25 miles back (depending on specific route). South Cumbria coast to the heart of the Lakes, so not flat by any stretch. I usually manage it three times a week (bottled it this am, howling winds and lashing rain!).
49 y/o (50 next April).
For me it’s as much to do with my mood/wellbeing than fitness. I hate driving to work, especially this time of year, there’s no public transport between home and the office (imagine that Londoners!) so even if I do get a bit knackered, at least I feel better mentally.
Do it!
HLaB
A face book friend of mine
A face book friend of mine commutes 27 miles (54 miles round) over the Campsies.
Ive still not done the full commute at my current place, about 42 miles one way (too many things have got in the way) preffering timewise to drive 26miles park up and cycle the last 16 miles. My commute (unlike the Campsies) is completely flat though. I did the drive/cycle thing on my previous commute too.
On an older commute I did the train morning (no showers) and cycle back thing.
I’d give the commute a go and look into alternatives and see how you can brake it up (drive/train/cycle) so that on winter days it still an enjoyable alternative. Good luck 🙂
Hey folks.Â
Hey folks.
Brilliant advice here, many thanks.
No new bike happening any time soon. It’s not a new job, per se. I was staring down the barrel of redundancy, until I got wind of, and applied for, a sideways shift within the same company. Got the job, but the big thing is that unlike my previous role within this company (see my forum posts from a while back), they won’t let me work from home habitually. I shouldn’t complain, as being in the office is very beneficial for my mental issues.
So that, and the move to the new house, mean that I’m going to be spending a lot on travel on the train.
But I’m encouraged by the responses here.
I’m going to wait until we’re in the new place, and then cycle through to the office on a weekend. I think at first, the single speed will be staying at home! 🙂
HoarseMann
New job = new bike?Â
New job = new bike?
cougie
Forget what google maps says
Forget what google maps says – go ride the route of a weekend and see what it’s like.
I do think going straight to 5 days would be too much – so you could aim to phase the rides in.
I’d want a proper winter bike. Full guards, bombproof tyres and 2 sets of lights front and rear.
Have fun. It’s probably not that much longer than driving.
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