Commuting - How far is too far?

My wife and I are shopping for a house. We both have the same employer but she works a 10 hour shift, I work 8. Respectively she starts at 8pm, I start at 10pm so we get out at the same time.

Right now my commute is 14 miles under moderate (some hills, but nothing major) each way. I ride into work and then when we get out I throw the bike on the rack and we drive home together. On the days our schedules don't coincide, I will go round trip. The 28 mile round trip takes a bit of effort but I get it done.

For a year I did this commute on a mountain bike, A few weeks ago I got a road bike and it's so much easier that I don't really break a sweat on the way to work now and I make better time.

So, as we've shopped for the house I consider my bike commute (which I am set on continuing). We put an offer on a house already and it looked like it was going to go through, but it was bank owned and red tape got in the way. That house was about 17 miles from work.

The general range I'm looking at is about 17-20 miles each way, and we really like a house we looked at which is 20 miles from work. But it's also close to mass transit, the proposed light rail system, and closer to shopping. It's also in a better neighborhood than some other places closer to work. This commute is made easier by a 1.5 mile stretch of pure downhill where I get going to speeds above 30 mph.

Anyone think 20 miles each way is too far? about 90% of the time I'm only going one way and I do have a car to use in the mean time in case it gets to be too much. I just want feedback.

Closer to work the home prices are higher and it's fairly isolated. I figure in case one of us loses our job being near mass transit and a more prevlant business area could come in handy for finding a new job. But I want some other bike commuters input as to whether or not this is too much.

If you find that 20 miles is too far for you, why not just ride some of that mass transit for a few miles, get off and ride the bicycle the rest of the way.

Not sure if the mass transit in your area has provisions for bicycles, but in Denver, every bus has racks on the front, and on the light rail, you carry the bicycle with you on board at the end of a car.

This is what I do as the 14 miles to work is just a bit too far for me right now. I ride 7 miles to campus, and catch a bus the next 7 miles.

Personally, I'd consider 20 miles one way too long to commute by car. However, lots of people do it. If you are already riding a 28 mile round trip, you should have a good baseline to estimate commute time. Whether it is too far to commute by either car or bike is entirely up to you. If you have kids, no commute is too short. If the new house has overall better connectivity -- shopping, school, museums, theaters, restaurants, the longer commute could be worth it. Your call - either choice seems reasonable to me.

Paul

My wife and I are shopping for a house. We both have the same employer but she works a 10 hour shift, I work 8. Respectively she starts at 8pm, I start at 10pm so we get out at the same time.

Right now my commute is 14 miles under moderate (some hills, but nothing major) each way. I ride into work and then when we get out I throw the bike on the rack and we drive home together. On the days our schedules don't coincide, I will go round trip. The 28 mile round trip takes a bit of effort but I get it done.

For a year I did this commute on a mountain bike, A few weeks ago I got a road bike and it's so much easier that I don't really break a sweat on the way to work now and I make better time.

So, as we've shopped for the house I consider my bike commute (which I am set on continuing). We put an offer on a house already and it looked like it was going to go through, but it was bank owned and red tape got in the way. That house was about 17 miles from work.

The general range I'm looking at is about 17-20 miles each way, and we really like a house we looked at which is 20 miles from work. But it's also close to mass transit, the proposed light rail system, and closer to shopping. It's also in a better neighborhood than some other places closer to work. This commute is made easier by a 1.5 mile stretch of pure downhill where I get going to speeds above 30 mph.

Anyone think 20 miles each way is too far? about 90% of the time I'm only going one way and I do have a car to use in the mean time in case it gets to be too much. I just want feedback.

Closer to work the home prices are higher and it's fairly isolated. I figure in case one of us loses our job being near mass transit and a more prevlant business area could come in handy for finding a new job. But I want some other bike commuters input as to whether or not this is too much.

The answer will be different for everyone.

Effort aside, to me it would come down to how much time I'd want to spend getting back and forth to work.

Do you have kids now, or will you have them in the future? If so a lengthy commute is going to be more difficult to justify.

A neighborhood close to mass transit and shopping is the kind of neighborhood I like. If you can walk to shopping, you might find others walking. When pedestrians pass each other, you can have a real sense of community. I really dislike these new housing developments where the only way in and out are by car.

You're already doing 14 miles each way, so you should have a fair idea of what it will be like to do 20 miles. Will mass transit from home to work be an option if cycling 5 days a week becomes burdensome? What about car or something else like a motorcycle?

My daily used to be 40 mi rt w/moderate hills and one 'killer' @ 18% for 0.5 mi. A 500ft elevation drop on the way in and a 500ft climb on the way home. Be prepared to spend 3 hrs per day or less depending on your conditioning level. A rack, bags, Topeak Road Morph w/guage, Schwalbe Marathon Plus 25mm tires if you've got the clearance, Spenco cycling gloves( http:www.bikeisland.com )for 20.00 or 30.00 depending on which model. The gloves are for the nerve that runs through the palms causing numbness. Really good winter gear is paramount...don't scrimp there for sure.

In having been doing 28mi rt occasionally you know what you need in terms of gear, but 6 more miles is more difficult than one would think. I jumped from 20 mi rt urban to 40 rt rural and it took awhile for my body to adjust. Had to up my food consumption quite a bit. Water, too. Was surprised at how much water I began to consume.

After joining Maymyride.com I was able to shave 2.5 miles each direction by using backroads, etc. to a more reasonable 17.5. Still have to do that killer hill, but my commute is now 1:05-1:15 in and 1:15-1:25 home depending on wind, weather conditions.

I'm fortunate in that I've got an indoor place to lock my bike up and a locker room/shower facility. I ride in change clothes completely into my work clothes and the same process in reverse for the ride home. I bring a weeks worth in on Monday and each night take the workday's outfit home. It seems like alot to keep track of, but I've been doing it over 20 years now so I'm used to the drill.

Good luck and be safe no matter what you decide.

I do 18 each way and would certainly consider 20. I also climb 1400 feet on the way in and 1100 feet on the way home.

Then again, I have no life. I get up, ride to work, work, ride home, eat, eat, eat, sleep. That's pretty much my life during the week.:fred:

Don't forget your coffee. Never forget your coffee. Coffee is good for you.

...Spenco cycling gloves( http:www.bikeisland.com )for 20.00 or 30.00 depending on which model. The gloves are for the nerve that runs through the palms causing numbness.
Not to hijack the thread, but Spenco...those were the gloves I rode with back in the 80s, and I absolutely loved them!

Will have to order some and see if they are as good as I remember.

I chose my home purchase based on my bike commute and am thrilled with the distance- just a hair over 10 miles each way for a 20 mile RT daily. 20 miles one way would be a bit much in the winter for me. As it is, my commute in the dead of winter with snow and wind can take 1 hour and can feel like a polar expedition/ordeal. a 20 mile commute in those conditions is going onto 2 hours of slogging- something I'm just not into before and/or after a long day of working.

If you have alternatives for when the weather is bad or you're just too tired for the round trip then you might consider it. But it would be a real commitment for me to be as consistent and dedicated of a year round cyclist if I had a commute too much longer than 10 miles each way.

I've done long commutes for the summer months (3 months or so). The longest commute being a 35 mile each way commute for a 70 mile RT, which I did 3-5 days a week. Or another summer of 25 miles each way for 50 mile RT. Those were fine for a summer of getting into really good shape to race etc but a home purchase is for the long term.

If you live in a warm climate with year round comfortable temperatures and relatively dry conditions it may not be as much of an issue- in that case I'd definitely consider doing the 20 miles in and/or 40 miles RT, especially if the route were relatively uninterrupted by traffic lights etc. and I could do the 20 miles in about 1 hour.

I suggest a commute of 60 minute or less due to our blood sugar drop after 45 minutes. My new commute at 50 minutes is ideal. I used to do 17 miles each way and now it is only 13. I love 13 and the difference is VERY noticeable, especially on the trip home, and doubly especially on hot summer days.

If you have a routine where you can ride just one way then 20 will work out just fine and then on certain occasions with good weather you can try a few round trips.

It is a unique situation to be shopping for a domicile with bike commuting in mind, though isn't it?

I've been shopping for an apartment for when I move out and I'm looking for something between my current home with my wife and kids and work - this way I don't have to change my route; the commute will be even shorter - meaning I can ride even more; and I'll be close to my kids.

If you're attracted to the idea of a multimodal commute (part bike, part transit) but the trains/buses won't take bikes, consider a folding bike.

we really like a house we looked at which is 20 miles from work. But it's also close to mass transit

My current commute is:

Going to work: 3.5 miles to bus stop, 30 minute nap on bus, 1.0 mile to office
Going home: 25 miles home

It's quite enjoyable.

From this same house I've also done a 18 mile each way commute, which was also fun. Last summer I did the mass transit out and 30 miles back. That got a little tiring. I guess 25 miles is my limit.

(Why so many offices? I work for a start up... office space took a while to nail down...)

It's all about what you can do yourself. That would be long for me, but there's plenty of people that do it. I even know a guy that has a 32 mile one-way commute. Like you, he gets a ride back home, but they have done the full 64 before.

I would do a combination of public transportation and biking, if i were you.

Considering that you mostly do a one way trip, don't worry. Even though you are on your bike, commuting time is still commuting time. Make it go more than an hour and it is easier to talk yourself into taking the car. The beauty of cycle commuting is that if you just add 30 minutes to your 30 minute car drive, you get a whole hour of exercise for the price of an additional 30 minutes. For me, finding time to exercise/ride is difficult, so cycle commuting is the answer.

I live 5 miles away, and can do it in 20 or 25 minutes. I can take the long way in, and make the ride last as long as I want, several hours if I wanted to. Most often, I ride my 45 minute route. I find that 45 minutes isn't too hard to work into a schedule, nor is it too taxing to ride. I can even go all out and not bonk before I get home if I want to. If I had to ride an hour I would.

FWIW I think the deal breaker for most people is time not distance. I have a freind who bikes 22 miles in an hour and change. And generally I hear that around an hour seems to be a significant cut off point for most commuters.

Edit: I should note that I bike my 15 mile commute in an hour and I know others who do around 10 miles in an hour. So what people can do in an hour varies a great deal but not the max time.

i'm unfortunately stuck in an new development area that is only accessible by bike or car
my commute 1 way to work is 25mi (one way), the nice thing is most of the way is downhill
but coming back home is a killer.
just 2 days ago i finally finalized mapping the full way (west route to use) to go back home with the least hills.

so needless to say, i ordered a BionX to help me on the way home after a long day's work.

i'm debating if should upgrade my V brakes to Disk brakes before the next winter arrives.

currently depending on the mood is either ride what i can on the bike, then if there's opening on the Bus / Subway to ride it., else continue riding the rest of the way on bike.

in the morning the mass transit usually doesn't let you bring in your bike, so it's a pain in the arse, that's why i don't even factor in as a daily routine as it depends from driver to driver of the bus / subway system.

I agree with Barry on the hour thing, Mine is 18.5 miles each way take a little over an hour. My biggest thing is the climbing it about 3000 feet (depending on what website you use) round trip, I don't kow if I could do it more than the 2 days a week I'm doing now.

A weekend century is one thing, but riding 20 miles, working on big trucks for 8 hours then riding another 20 is a whole new ballgame. My old commute way 8 miles w/200 feet climbing.

Still house shopping but it looks like my ride will be around 18 miles each way.

I'm actually having fun when I tell the realtors trying to sell me a house with a 2 car garage and I tell them I don't need it because I'm going to bike everywhere. And then when they find out my round trip would be pushing 40 miles a day they never know how to react.

I would be a sports fan for cyclists who want to circle the globe.. .
.Too far. Maybe the Moon. I am not into mountain biking.

Some employers will split your Public Transit costs with you. Mine sets it up as a tax credit for me. I used to split the commute between the car and bike, now it's the bike only, or Bus/Bike.

As far as the question "how far is too far?" It's all about choice. This is the first week that I have dedicated to the full ride without taking a bus part of the way. 48 miles a day has been a tough challenge, but for me it's not "too" far [until it's 100 degrees]. If you can haul gear into the office on a weekend day (clothes, extra food, fresh towel), it's worth it. IMHO

I live 5 miles away, and can do it in 20 or 25 minutes. I can take the long way in, and make the ride last as long as I want, several hours if I wanted to. Most often, I ride my 45 minute route. I find that 45 minutes isn't too hard to work into a schedule, nor is it too taxing to ride. I can even go all out and not bonk before I get home if I want to. If I had to ride an hour I would.

This is a great model... get there or back quickly on bad weather/too tired/in a rush commutes, or make it as long as you want...

It's my personal opinion that spending more than an hour of your day getting to work is ridiculous. You should either:
* Buy/rent closer to work
* Move to a city and take a job where you can buy/rent closer to work

So, 15 miles is the maximum distance.

I think I could do 50-60 every day (with a few days off here and there) but then all of my cycling would be going to and from work. I wouldn't like that. Plus, when my schedule is tight I couldn't cut down on that 3-4 hours of travel time very well.

Signed,
Person who lives in the midwest where living more than 10 miles from work means that you have a home next to a farm.

I did 19 miles each way in a suburb of Los Angeles..., but I decided after realizing I was spending 3 hours a day on "not-for-fun" and "not-for-exercise" rides..., I cut it to 3 days a week and left the rest for club rides and fun scenic rides...

Oh..., did I mention that the 3 hours on bike is still shorter than sitting on the freeway in traffic?

My wife and I are shopping for a house. We both have the same employer but she works a 10 hour shift, I work 8. Respectively she starts at 8pm, I start at 10pm so we get out at the same time.

Right now my commute is 14 miles under moderate (some hills, but nothing major) each way. I ride into work and then when we get out I throw the bike on the rack and we drive home together. On the days our schedules don't coincide, I will go round trip. The 28 mile round trip takes a bit of effort but I get it done.

For a year I did this commute on a mountain bike, A few weeks ago I got a road bike and it's so much easier that I don't really break a sweat on the way to work now and I make better time.

So, as we've shopped for the house I consider my bike commute (which I am set on continuing). We put an offer on a house already and it looked like it was going to go through, but it was bank owned and red tape got in the way. That house was about 17 miles from work.

The general range I'm looking at is about 17-20 miles each way, and we really like a house we looked at which is 20 miles from work. But it's also close to mass transit, the proposed light rail system, and closer to shopping. It's also in a better neighborhood than some other places closer to work. This commute is made easier by a 1.5 mile stretch of pure downhill where I get going to speeds above 30 mph.

Anyone think 20 miles each way is too far? about 90% of the time I'm only going one way and I do have a car to use in the mean time in case it gets to be too much. I just want feedback.

Closer to work the home prices are higher and it's fairly isolated. I figure in case one of us loses our job being near mass transit and a more prevlant business area could come in handy for finding a new job. But I want some other bike commuters input as to whether or not this is too much.

I'm a dedicated every-day commuter, but 20 miles one way would be too much for me, especially in inclement weather. (10 miles, on the other hand, would okay.)

many people go to the gym for an hour a day, so a ride that would take you an hour to an hour and a half sounds like a good work out, especially if you can put the bike on the rack for the trip home. But, as others have said, we can't really tell you how to balance your life.

Maybe what you should do is think about what you'd have to cut out of your life to make the commute work. If you'd cut out time watching TV, the commute is worth it. If you'd cut out time with your kids, the longer commute might not be worth it.

many people go to the gym for an hour a day, so a ride that would take you an hour to an hour and a half sounds like a good work out, especially if you can put the bike on the rack for the trip home. But, as others have said, we can't really tell you how to balance your life.

Maybe what you should do is think about what you'd have to cut out of your life to make the commute work. If you'd cut out time watching TV, the commute is worth it. If you'd cut out time with your kids, the longer commute might not be worth it.

This is how I'm justifying taking the extra time to cycle to work. It works for me, but I'm lucky that I have an excellent route. The roads are open, and traffic is light, so I can go as easily or hard as I choose. If I were riding in city traffic, I wouldn't have as big a choice. I'm getting a lot of exercise, and it doesn't matter that I don't get to ride much on weekends.

I find my 17 mile ride a bit too much so only ride a couple of times a week if the weather is fine (67 yrs old). A route without interruptions due to intersections makes a long ride more tolerable. The time spent commuting doesnt matter, if it is part of your planned recreation time.

I'm having a blast lately. It's 10 miles each way. I do it once or twice a week, gradually increasing that. I hope it gets easy enough that I do it four or five days a week. I think I'm getting there. I am definitely stronger after only a few months.