Commuting - Moving, new commute distances

Hi all,
The wife and I just singed the paper work on our new place. It is out of town a little ways. I will now have my choice of 2 routes to the office.

Route #1 (The most direct route) is 4.5 miles and UPHILL all the way into town. On this route the road has NO shoulders at all. Its a narrow 2 lane county road. Speed limit is 45MPH. I'll have elevation readings from my GPS sometime this week.

Route #2 (longer, more scenic) is 6 miles along the river until I get to the edge of town, then one moderate hill. Otherwise its quite flat. Did I say how scenic this ride is? :) Right along the Missouri River. The road on this route has nearly 1 foot shoulders. Well, its at least enough to have fog lines, but not much beyond them. Speed limit is also 45MPH on this route.

So, just out of curiosity, which route would you take and why? Oh, NO showers at the office. :(

The main safety factor seems to be the traffic on the two roads. I'd go out a couple mornings/evenings at your commute times and see just how heavy & fast the traffic is in both places. With comparable traffic, the painted-shoulder road would be preferable. If traffic on one or the other is significantly lighter, I'd use that road.

As for hill versus miles, it would depend on how sweaty you wanna get and how big the hill is. If sweatiness is not an issue, I'd ride the harder route, subject to the safety considerations above the hill route?). If sweatiness IS an issue, I'd ride the easier route (maybe the flat one?), subject to the safety issues above.

In either case, I'd get the brightest front and rear lights you can afford, stitch reflective tape to whatever bag you'll be using, and always wear bright clothing for the commute.

Route 2 for sure! If you ever need to get home quick, you can take Route 1... downhill all the way outta town! But, I prefer a longer route that is safer and more scenic. Also consider the amount of traffic, not just the speed.

Even 6 miles is barely enough to be worth changing into bike clothes.

The less-stressful route is the one to take. Bike commuting is all about arriving at your destination in better shape (emotionally, physically, mentally) than you were in when you left.

Too bad it's not 10 miles, though.

RichC

Too bad it's not 10 miles, though.



I can easily add a little bit more to the "easy" route for milage, but would on the city streets with lots of stop and go due to stop lights and signs.

Unless there was a safety issue, I would probably take the shorter route. Riding more slowly on the shorter (but steeper) route should solve the sweat problem.

However, I might also alternate, taking one route in and one route back. Maybe each works best in one direction.

Try them both! Use the one that you like best. That's what I would do.

Paul

Route two in and route one home.

I'd recommend you try both also, variety is great when commuting & 4-6 miles will add up. I do about 4 miles each way & can vary the route some if I want to add distance. My main route is exactly 4.0 miles & has marked bike lanes about 1/2 rural 2 lane country road then 2 miles on a 4 lane arterial with (sometimes) heavy traffic. With an hour for lunch, it is possible to do 2 roundtrips daily but when Winter weather is bad, I drive. Don

I vote for Gus's sugestion start out with those and as you get more into it you can add to it and maybe even find alternitives. I have several different ways to get home and 3 to get to work depending on time and how I feel. As far as the sweat situation don't sweat it (I just had to say it :D) have a towel at work arrive a few minutes early and cool down then wipe your self with a cool damp towel, that will help with the sweat and odor. Of course I keep an extra pit stick and brush at work to groom myself also.

Try them both! Use the one that you like best. That's what I would do.

This is also what I would do. Although after trying them both, there's a fair possibility I'd end up taking Gus' suggestion on board and riding both of them for the variety.

Get up each morning and see how you feel, mix it up, the variety will keep it interesting. After a few weeeks on the commute you will see what's best.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I appriciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. I agree that the best bet will be using all the routes at my disposal, after I confirm traffic levels. There may be a third option. I have not researched it yet, but would be quite a bit longer. May be a great ride home to add some decent miles. At this point I am not even sure the road is paved all the way. :rolleyes: I'll let ya'll know.
Thanks again!

"i'm not sure it's paved all the way"

if you've got the right bike for the job, that might not be a problem. ;)

just don't do what i did... coming down a shallow hill at maybe 20 mph on a road bike with light, low-rolling-resistance tires and putting a hole through the rear tire (now unusable) on one of the small rocks.

"i'm not sure it's paved all the way"

if you've got the right bike for the job, that might not be a problem. ;)

just don't do what i did... coming down a shallow hill at maybe 20 mph on a road bike with light, low-rolling-resistance tires and putting a hole through the rear tire (now unusable) on one of the small rocks.

:roflmao: Oh my!

That would be my luck. Right now I am using a MTB for commuting. Come spring I was thinking of using my roadie. That would be the only concern with pavement. It has an older pair of slicks on it.

I am really looking forward to the longer rides!

Even 6 miles is barely enough to be worth changing into bike clothes.

The less-stressful route is the one to take. Bike commuting is all about arriving at your destination in better shape (emotionally, physically, mentally) than you were in when you left.

Too bad it's not 10 miles, though.

RichC
You forgot spiritually.

I vote for route two, and it isn't that long to worry about a shower, is it? Of course my real suggestion is for you to find a route that goes the opposite direction for a couple miles, and allowes you to take a different route all together. riding with traffic at 45 is nerveracking. I did a century along a highway with cars and trucks zooming past at 55-60 mph. NEVER AGAIN.

I also find that those 45 mph routes the folks in the steel coffins don't respect you much "get that toy on the sidewalk were it belongs." comes to mind. The only draw back with the river is the river wind effect, that's a b***h here along the Mississippi.

You forgot spiritually.

I vote for route two, and it isn't that long to worry about a shower, is it? Of course my real suggestion is for you to find a route that goes the opposite direction for a couple miles, and allowes you to take a different route all together. riding with traffic at 45 is nerveracking. I did a century along a highway with cars and trucks zooming past at 55-60 mph. NEVER AGAIN.

I also find that those 45 mph routes the folks in the steel coffins don't respect you much "get that toy on the sidewalk were it belongs." comes to mind. The only draw back with the river is the river wind effect, that's a b***h here along the Mississippi.

Hi naisme!

Both routes are mostly rural with no sidewalks. I just received my new Ascent Hi VIZ yellow jersey which I purchased primarily for commuting purposes. Dang this thing is bright! :D I have also ordered a reflective vest for low/no light situations.

As for the shower, perhaps your right. However, I am network engineer and at times have to work in close quarters with the office staff. I think that was covered. I'll be keeping a towl, deoterant, and after shave in the office. No problem.

I will be commuting from the new place. :) I am really looking foward to it! Other than safety issues (ICEY ROADS :mad: ) I will be on the bike. :D

Even 6 miles is barely enough to be worth changing into bike clothes.

The less-stressful route is the one to take. Bike commuting is all about arriving at your destination in better shape (emotionally, physically, mentally) than you were in when you left.

Too bad it's not 10 miles, though.

RichC

Here in Little Siberia, aka Minneapolis, 10 miles at 10 below, with a manufactured 30 mile/ hour wind straight in ones face can be dangerous. Or it can be enjoyable, if one is very particular about the layers that are worn, and builds up to it to ensure that there aren't any kinks in their system. It was a easy comute when I only road 4.5 miles. Now that I've moved to 7 miles from work, I'm gearing up with the best mountaineering face mask, gloves, and foot coverings. Oh, and that area around the inner thigh is crucial to protect!

Here in Little Siberia, aka Minneapolis, 10 miles at 10 below, with a manufactured 30 mile/ hour wind straight in ones face can be dangerous. Or it can be enjoyable, if one is very particular about the layers that are worn, and builds up to it to ensure that there aren't any kinks in their system. It was a easy comute when I only road 4.5 miles. Now that I've moved to 7 miles from work, I'm gearing up with the best mountaineering face mask, gloves, and foot coverings. Oh, and that area around the inner thigh is crucial to protect!

You have a point. I am fully equipped for very cold weather. I have ridden down to 5F without much trouble. I enjoy being out in the snow and cold.

The only reason I would not ride on the ICE is due to safety issues on these roads.

Route 2, if it has a shoulder, don't worry about the speed limit. It's not 70mph, I've ridden on roads at 45mph, it's not too bad as long as you have a shoulder. A couple/few miles more is worth it if it's a more enjoyable commute.