Commuting - 32 mile commute, one way, hilly

Anybody commute this far?

I've ridden this, and partway back, on a weekend. I want to do it during the week soon.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ct/new-milford/538397144

Nice country from what I remember...
But round trip, that's gonna add at least 4 hours to your day.

whew! good luck. or move closer :)

I've got a 30 mile hilly commute - Agua Dulce, CA to Burbank, CA. There's definitely more climbing on the way home, but both to and from it's pretty hilly. I ride one way, then throw the bike on the car for the return trip. (one advantage to working at the same company as your spouce.) I also have the option of taking the train part way. Our metro link allows bicycles and it's pretty popular with riders. But when it comes to riding both ways in the same day - whether or not I involve the train - I don't have that kind of time.

DanO

I've biked 34 miles to a friend's house after work and then back to work the next morning a few times. Total climbing was around 2500 feet each way. I do not think I could ride that 5 days a week in my current shape. If I was going to be doing that commute more than twice a week, I would definitely be riding a very lightweight road bike and not carrying anything but water and food for the ride with me. In the dead of winter with sustained 30mph winds, I'd be spending all day looking at real estate closer to work as I'd be too tired to think from the 3 hour battle.

Yes, my commute is either 36 or 40 miles one way depending on wich way I go. I can only do it once a week. I work nights, so I ride to work in the afternoon, then when I get off at 4:30 or so I go get breakfast and wait for the sun to begin to come up before I ride home. I find that the trip home is a good way to start my weekend.

Mine is 28 each way and it has taken me several years and several bikes to get to were I can commute 4-5 days a week each way. That and my commute is nowhere near that hilly. It is not flat but not too bad.
My starting fitness level was basically 15 years of disuse and 40 lbs overweight.
It is doable but you will have to work at it unless your fitness level is already up there. Think baby steps.
Once you get to the point that riding it everyday is no big thing you will be one heck of a machine.
I say go for it but start with shorter routes and work your way up. Climbing can get fun when you get used to it. That is unless you try a mountain route of 17 miles with 5600 feet of climbing on very little sleep. ugh

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Commute-to-Work-w-Mike

32 miles each way. More uphill on the way home. Roughly 2-3k climbing each way.

But I work from home most of the time so I only go into the office maybe 1-2 times a week.

-D

Wow. If you can do that your my hero.

Well, I rode in today. Took about 2:52 to go 32 miles, averaging 11.2 mph. Took it easy. Not exhausted. Should be fine for the ride home. We'll see how sore I am tomorrow. :)

Don't go by how sore you are, take a day or two off between attempting that again. Give your legs proper recovery time while you build those muscles up more.

My commute is 18 to 19 miles one way. That's a little easier to stomach than 32. Still it's nearly 3 hours out of my day for the round trip.

43 miles, 2800' of climbing one way. It can be done (just not everyday - for me).

Once there was a man who lived 35 miles from his work. He wanted to commute by bicycle. He loaded his bike into his car and drove to within five miles of his work. Then he parked the car and rode the bike the rest of the way. When he was well able to handle five miles each way, he began parking the car a few more miles away from his work. He continued to increase his mileage in this way until he was finally able to ride the entire commute both ways. That might be an option.

I wouldn't do it. I don't have the time to spend 4 hours a day riding. That turns an 8 hour workday into a 12 hour workday. No thanks.

4 hrs of fun with 8 hrs of boredom. I love it.

4 hrs of fun with 8 hrs of boredom. I love it.

Yeah, so much fun when you *have* to do it everyday:

Friend: "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow after work? Want to come down to *fun place* with *cool people*?"
32-mile commuter: "Sorry, I can't come, I don't get home from work until 8:00PM every day, because it takes me three hours to ride my bike home. Then I have to go to sleep as soon as I get home so that I can get up at 4:00AM so that I can ride for three hours and still get to work on time. It's OK though, I like riding my bike so much that I'd rather ride it every single work day for almost six hours instead of ever being able to do anything in the evening."

I much prefer my 5 mile commute. It takes a 20-minute time commitment. After that, I can go ride my bike for hours if I like, or I can go have dinner with a friend, or watch a movie with my girlfriend, or sit around the house and do nothing. Making hours of riding an obligation that I have to do *every day* would make it lose it's appeal really fast, and then it wouldn't be fun anymore.

Didn't we already have this argument? :)

If it gets to the point of "great another day :(", find something else to do. Hence the reason I ride the train occasionally.

Well, the main thing is, I want to lose about 30 pounds of fat this summer. I could lose about 12 and hit the top of the "normal" bodyfat range, but I want to be lean. If it takes riding 6 hours a day a couple times a week, so be it.

Well, the main thing is, I want to lose about 30 pounds of fat this summer. I could lose about 12 and hit the top of the "normal" bodyfat range, but I want to be lean. If it takes riding 6 hours a day a couple times a week, so be it.

Well then, I think you've found a formula for success. :D

It also turns a 12 hour day into a 16 hour day.:)

Took about the same time to get home last night even though the elevation profile was a little different. Take a look at the route I posted, and click "show elevation". That hill from mile 25 down to 20 was interesting. :) Not terribly sore today. Wouldn't do it two days in a row, but then I never planned to.

I've ridden on 202 a little south of there, and that's a tough route. I do about 1000-1200 ft of climbing on my 12 miler from Newtown to Shelton. I couldn't imagine doing a route like that every day.

Mines about 20 miles one way, and not terribly difficult to do 4-5 days a week.

Here's the key: don't go fast. If you take it easy, and listen when your body tell you to take a day off, you'll be able to do it no problem before you know it. Save your fast rides for the weekend (that's what I do, and it flat works), during the week your just buffing your cardio system.

Try it 2 days a week at first, maybe for two weeks. Then 3 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri), again, not going fast, concentrating on cadence and pedal stroke. Try and feel when your bumping the lactic acid threshold, and back off a bit from that point. I'd do 3 days for a month before doing more, but if you take it easy, and don't rush it, you'll be a different rider 2 months from now.

I'm faster than the bus to work (bus takes about 1:30, I take about 1:15), and will also frequently leave 2-3 hours earlier just to get a really good ride in mid week (30-50, depending on my mood and the bike). Certainly can't beat starting the day off like that though. Although, now my main problem is my hands are very pale compared to my arms (cycling gloves). So I guess I gotta go to the pool tomorrow with a long sleeve shirt, and tan my hands. ...?

64 hilly miles of commuting is hardcore. You'll lose that 30 lbs for sure! Or maybe transfer it all to leg muscle away from your waist :)