Originally Posted by
Mithrandir
I see your point, but at the same time it's not that the 30-60 mile rides leave me tired. They do, but that's not really the concern, it's the transit time that's the killer. I just biked 25 miles to my parents for 4th of July fireworks, then 25 back after; it was a nice ride, but I pretty much had to take 4 hours out of my day to do it. At best, down the line I can see doing it in 3 hours, maybe a little less, but it'll never be in the realm of "convenient".
You're right, commuting that far by bike will always be a bit of a time sink. As I said, you'll probably need access to a car and you'll only be able to make these time-consuming rides when there's a bit of extra time in your schedule. You might also look into combining bicycling with public transit. In my area, for example, most buses and trains are capable of transporting a bicycle. So you can ride public transit in one direction, then bicycle back home.
Additionally, the 10 mile ride to the grocery store is troublesome. Not in terms of distance, but perishability of foods. I can't really buy any milk, for example, or anything that needs to remain frozen. There's just too much distance to travel and too much weight to add in order to carry ice packs. I think in terms of every day living convenience I have to move closer to civilization again. But you're spot on about the "excuses to stop going on training rides". I know myself. I'm lazy and that's the reason I'm a clyde in the first place, and I know it will happen at least once, which is once too many times; and if I get weak it might happen far more often. Difficult decisions.
Milk won't go bad if it remains unrefrigerated for an hour. Neither will many frozen foods. Often, an insulated lunchbox will be enough to keep stuff viable for a ride home. If that doesn't work, you'll have the perfect justification for buying an
Xtracycle and setting up a cargo bike that's capable of hauling a cooler and ice packs. Or you can look into grocery delivery services. In my area Safeway will deliver frozen foods and gives a 1-hour delivery window. Or keep your car, but plan to reduce the amount of driving by stocking up on frozen food once a month. Lots of options
if you're willing to put in the effort to make them work...