CliffordK

What kind of wheels are you rolling on now? Do you have secure bike parking at both ends of the commute? How much do you need to carry?

For example, a USB thumbdrive is a lot easier to transport than a laptop.

Budget to get going?

What I'd do is get a good road bike. Skinny tires, CF frame? Sub 20 lbs?

Try your commute a couple of days a week. Could you ride one way, and take a bus, or carpool back the other way?

Ride to work, day 1.
Carpool back.
Carpool to work day 2.
Ride back.

Start easy, see how it goes, then work up to several days a week.

Of course, consider family and other aspects of your life.

I'm not "commuting" regularly, but do errands and etc, usually about 15 to 20 miles each way. Often a little faster in the mornings and slower in the evenings. It is pretty easy to work up to it.

Good Luck

Alligator

I read this thread with great interest. I've asked several time about my 22 mile commute (one way). I've done it, but it left me so tired the first day, I didn't have the energy to try again. However, I did get a new bike recently, and I'm about to try it again. Wish me luck!

fastturtle

Well, I do wish you luck !

I work 23 miles from home and I only do the full commute by bike once in a while, meaning max once a week. Mostly I commute by train + brompton and it takes me 50-55 minutes one way, including 25 minutes during which I can read or rest. When I do it by bike, it is more like 1h30 to 1h40 plus 5 min to change clothes or 10 min to shower. So overall, I find it just takes too much time and is not compatible with having a life beside work and commute. It is also tiresome. I mean, riding 45 miles a day during holidays is easy, but doing the same in addition to a full working day, although my work is purely intellectual, is a lot.

Oldwarhorse

sure. even half of the distance or less is a nice ride. Just pick a good place to park and unload. Some biking is better than no biking.

Insidious C. 

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HardyWeinberg

I am pretty sure there are other people on this forum commuting between Davis and Sacramento. I hear you often have a good tailwind in one direction! Could you also ride somewhere to a bus, put the bike on the bus for X distance, and then get off and ride the rest?

tFUnK

When I used to live in Davis and work in Sac, I had a coworker who did the one-way commute once a week. He'd ride in and bus back. Riding back meant a lot of headwind.

My current commute is about 7 miles each way but we are contemplating moving to a place that's about 20 miles away from where I work. Possible barriers to biking the new commute are stop lights/intersections on the route and whether I can ride my road bike instead of commuter bike with rack/panniers and 40c tires). We're supposed to move into a new building next year and I am not sure if the new office setup will offer such luxuries as showers or a private office to change in and store my bike, etc.

caloso

Pretty sure that all Yolobuses have bike racks. Yolobus - Bikes on Buses

ThermionicScott 

No policy either way that I know of. Sometimes it's fun to see updates on a bike project or commute, or to an old news item. The only thing that really gets annoying is when people don't realize it's an old thread, and respond directly to (argue with) posters who are no longer around.

chas58

Yep, it is a matter of time.

25 miles takes me about 1.5 hours (I'm a strong cyclist on a fast road bike).
Doing it every day is exhausting.
If I slow down and ride at about 85% of my normal biking speed, I'm a lot more refreshed for the ride home and for the next day.
Fueling your body is critical when riding this much. You need a good mix of protien and carbs
(ucan is amazing for sustained energy https://www.generationucan.com/)

Because I like to tinker, I tried mechanical doping. Increases my cruising speed from 18mph to 25mph, and reduces my cycle time from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. I just use a small 350 watt motor (which roughly matches the 250-300 watts from my legs). Makes the commute kind of fun! :-)

rmfnla

Too far for me but good for you for even considering it!

Or maybe a combination of your bike and the train?

I love Amtrak's Capitol Corridor...

Steve B.

When I was 40 and racing I could do a 57 miles RT about twice a week. That and the dual 50+ milers on weekends, plus some easy rides really added up the mileage as well as tired me out to no end. I used to take my racing Klein in on occasion and could avg. 18 but I had to hammer. Can't and won't do this now at 61.

I got smart and realized the faster I went meant I was running lights and taking risks that I didn't need to take. As well I was tired after a long work day and if not REALLY paying attention, would run the risk of close calls.

One smart discovery for me was to vary the route. The more you commute the easier it is to get complacent and start not paying attention. That led to close calls as I zoned out. If I changed the route a bit I would have to pay attention.

fietsbob

as we are talking California Central valley in the 100F+ Summer heat between Davis & Sacramento .

can you find a place to stay in The State capitol so you only have to do that commute a couple times a week

then the potential for burn out from adding 3 hours on top of your every work day will be reduced..

Isnt there an Airconditioned Bus you can take?



Formerly of Middletown, Napa, and San Francisco..


./.

fat biker

I think the real question is how much time is too much?

I did a 19 mile AM 9 mile PM. 90 minutes in the morning.
I did a 23 mile AM, 2 hours

As always YMMV

fat biker

DaleW

You might be able to do a hybrid trip of your local buses have bike racks: bike half way or one way and bus the other.

Alligator

I'm really disappointed with my 22 mile (one way) commute. There are lots of busses in Minneapolis, but absolutely NONE which go the way I need to go. I've considered driving half way, then biking the rest, but I'd really rather make the whole commute by bike. At best, I'll have to stagger my commuting days.