HydrogenCyanide

I am looking to start commuting to work. I am mostly country roads. Is 26km each way too far to realistically commute 2 or 3 days per week? I am going to purchase a new bike for this as I have been exclusively mountain biking up to this point and that not going to work on a daily basis.

Looking for opinions. I am 35 years old in above average shape.

B. Carfree

A thirty-five year old person without serious health issues should have no problem with a 26 km commute, even on a mountain bike (especially if you change the tires to something road-friendly). That's less than an hour at a leisurely pace, and health guidelines call for an hour per day of at least moderate exercise.

If you haven't been riding much, you may feel some discomfort, but since you're only looking to ride two or three days per week you should be able to get fit without any real issues. Good call to start incorporating some commute riding. Your body will thank you, eventually.

baron von trail 

I do 26 miles each way, three days a week, weather permitting. In summer, I up it to 4 or 5, energy levels permitting. I'm 52...probably fatter than I ought to be.

Hope that helps/

jade408

26km in and hour is pretty speedy, especially in mixed traffic. What is the route like? Traffic lights? Separated bike lanes? I'd budget 90 minutes each way unless you have dedicated right of way and flat terrain the whole way.

Also, do you plan to shower or change at work? Or wear your work outfit?

FBinNY 

It's not the ride distance, which should be manageable.

Then real reason people give up bike commuting is more related to attention span and boredom, or just mental tiredness of doing it day in day out.

2-3 or 3ven 3-4 days shouldn't be difficult, try to find ways that it doesn't become a chore and have you wanting to give up.

I commute 5 days a week, and it can become a grind (though much shorter than you ride). But I make it interesting by varying the route among 3 going to work, and making a ride of when it's nice out coming home. When I'm considering giving up, I remind myself that I have to get the bike there for the start of my nice evening ride.

keeping it simple, if you enjoy the ride, the distance doesn't matter, and if you don't enjoy the ride any ride is too long.

HydrogenCyanide

Great information. I do have access to showers at work.......office job so I will definitely need to shower and change.

My roads are rural back roads with an 80km/hr (50mph) speed limit. There is bike path for about the first 10km's and then I will try to stick to the secondary roads that have less traffic then the main one. I will definitely give this a go when I get my new bike.

I might start out driving truck to work with bike in the back. Bike home from work that evening and then bike back the next morning and leave truck at work. Might be away to ease into it as opposed to having to the 26km twice in one day.

El Cid

Don't overthink it. If you're 35 and in good shape, just get on the bike and go.

baron von trail 

I definitely suggest change of clothes. Ride in cycling clothes which can dry during the day. Bring a supply of work clothes and wear them throughout the say. Also, try to eat smart...and get adequate sleep.

Darth Lefty 

When I hear about these long commutes, what would give me pause is not the amount of work or dedication, but the amount of prime time spent. I get about three hours with my baby son each work day, my minimal commute takes an hour out of that.

FBinNY 

Yes, it's not a question of fitness or the ability to do the commute, but the impact on one's life. Everyone has to figure out how to best organize their lives so they make sense. Often it's about apples vs. oranges tradeoffs.

jimc101

Got to agree with this, I do a 22km commute 3-4 times a week, and look for between 52 & 55 minutes, this is a mix of urban roads, with 6 sets of traffic lights, rural roads, segregated bike lanes & all weather off road trails through woodland.

For 26km would probably be looking at between 65-75 minutes terrain/traffic dependant, would also think for the OP's stated condition, it's perfectly doable.

Drew Eckhardt 

Heck no. 220km/week was a bit light for me so I increased my mileage.

gregf83 

That's just about the perfect distance. My commute is 33km each way and takes me between 2:00 and 2:20 per day. I drove about 30 times last year for various reasons but average about 5 out of 6 days during the year. I vary my effort a fair amount and know that if I'm tired at the end of the week I can just relax and take it easy on the way home.

In general I find that I feel quite different once I start riding and the blood starts pumping, so even if I'm tired and not quite awake in the morning I start feeling good after 20 to 30 min on the bike.

At 35 you shouldn't have any physical issues riding that far but as others have mentioned life sometimes gets in the way. I didn't ride much when I was 35 as I was starting a company, coaching sports and had half a dozen other excuses or priorities. My kids are grown now so it's not a problem being on the bike for 10-15 hrs/wk.

Bikerdave222

Eat something before you ride. You don't want to get out on the road and have your energy crash on you. It happened to me once.

jade408

Wow, you guys have some quiet streets. It takes 20 minutes best case to get to the next city 4 miles away. Traffic lights, stop signs, congestion and you have 20-25 minutes. It takes 15 to get to the quieter MUP and would add time. Biking 20km to a few towns over would take 90 here.

CliffordK

Ok, so 26 km = about 16 miles. Not bad.

I definately would get a nice light road-ish bike. It doesn't have to be super expensive, but something designed to crank out a few miles.

Redhatter

Is it 26km of flat terrain or 26km of up and down?

I have a 10km each-way commute which has two hills in between, and it takes me an hour. Not bad, and I could go faster if I put some effort in… (have done it in about 40min).

If it were 26km of constant hills, then I'd be seriously consider it, however you mentioned you've got the option of driving one way and cycling the other. That could be a good compromise at least while you get used to the route. One of my colleagues does exactly this.

26km of mostly flat would be just fine. Not sure about your fitness but I can do reasonably well on flat terrain, it's hills that get me.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/T...a64081!1m0!3e1

That run, takes me about 3 hours, the first hour of which is getting into inner Brisbane.

A 2 hour run might cut into your personal time: assuming 8 hours work day that's a 12 hour day with commuting; leaving you with 4 hours of personal time. In my case I'd probably be doing nothing important, so it's of little loss, I might as well be getting exercise doing it. Only you'll be able to decide whether the extra time is worthwhile or not.

My advice would be to try it, ease in gently, see how you go. Use the bike you have now, it may not be optimal but it'll do provided it is road worthy. If things work out, then look at what you actually want out of a commuter bike and buy accordingly.

mhifoe

I have done a similar distance 3 days a week for the last 8 years.

My commute normally takes about 1:10 without trying too hard.
If I hammer in the summer I can do it in an hour.
On a dark, snowy and windy day in February it can take 1:40.

It has done wonders for my fitness, especially as I have a desk job. It doesn't affect family life too much as I start early and arrive home at a similar time to when I was driving. I don't cycle at the weekends except for family outings.

Are you planning to do this year round?

Sixty Fiver

My longest commute was 50km (one way) and on good days that was less than a 2 hour ride on open highway... a 26 km commute is definitely doable and I'd plan on an average speed of 20kmh if there is any stop and go which means you should plan for 80 minutes of travel each way on good days where the weather is favourable (light or no wind, clear skies).

If the weather is less than favourable this can add to your travel time... knowing what the expected wind speeds are and the wind patterns can help a lot.

MichaelW

A 2x16mile commute is long so you need a setup which is efficient, comfortable and reliable.
A racebike may lack fittings for rack and fenders. Look for something similar with eyelets and tyre clearance for eg 28mm tyres+ fenders, and suitable gearing, possibly compact double
Triathlon style aerobars can make a difference esp in headwinds.
If you have wet conditions, consider disk brakes.
For luggage you can go with rack and single pannier, or a large saddlebag.
You will need some serious lighting and be well dressed for your local conditions.

Expect to eat more, sleep more.

HardyWeinberg

I have a coworker who does that, 20 mile ride so her bike and car alternate nights at work.

mgw4jc

This is a good way to get started. Some commuters do this on a regular basis anyway. It also allows you to transport items such as food supplies to and from work.

I leave shoes and a couple of pairs of pants at my office so I don't have to carry so much every day. My commute is around 20km, but sometimes I'll add in 2 or 3 more because I have a little extra time.

You'll find lots of good advice in this thread and throughout this forum. Good luck!

tarwheel 

That is very close to my commute distance, and I ride 3-4 days/week year round. I'm 61, so it should be very doable at your age. Getting a road, cross or touring bike with decent tires would help your cause. Riding that far on a mountain bike could be a chore. Don't try to ride hard every day or you'll burn yourself out. Take some rest days when your body tells you to. Eat and drink well.

12strings

That's the equivalent of my round trip (26km = 16 miles...I do 8 miles each way) , and I would echo several sentiments here:

1. Unless you are really going to push it, don't count on doing it an hour. 75-90 minutes is more realistic.

2. That distance should not be a problem if your bike is comfortable and fits you. The Time would be the biggest issue. Do you want to give up 3 hours a day to cycling? If you really love it, you might! The effort of riding should not be a big issue at that distance...especially if you make one way more leisurely than the other.

3. For my ride (13km in 35 minutes)), I can do the whole thing without even sipping my water bottle....but for 60-90 minutes, you're going to want make sure to have a bottle, and probably some kind of food fuel (energy bar or gel or a banana, etc...) to eat at about the 45-60 minute mark.

4. After riding 26km, no matter the temperature, no matter what you wear, you'll likely be sweaty. Change of clothes is a must...get out of them, hang them up to dry while you work...then put the dirty dry clothes back on, ride home, take them off, shower and wash those clothes. (that's what I do anyway...no need to use 2 sets of cycling clothes a day).

baron von trail 

Definitely do not need two sets of cycling clothes per day. If proper cycling clothes are used, they will dry nicely throughout the day and can easily be reused in the afternoon.


PS: if you shower in the morning before leaving, the 16-20 mile distance is perfect for not getting stinky. I ride a little over 20 in the AM and use alcohol wipes to touch upon all the important areas before putting on the work clothes. I also have a deodorant stick here that I use. Showering at night is also not critical in cooler months. But, once spring and summer arrive, a shower the minute you get home is a must.

PPS: I have several sets of cycling clothes at home so that I do not wash one pair everyday. I have enough that I can wash them all only once a week.