Route Overview:

2 miles by bike to BART (light rail) station, Oakland, CA
20 miles on BART to Fremont, CA
13.8 miles by bike from BART station to my workplace in Milpitas, CA
Almost completely flat

Round trip distance on bike: ~31 miles

Equipment:

2004 Trek 2300 road bike
Full road kit, spandex, shoes, etc.
Cheesy backpack

Performance:

Total time, each direction: Approximately 120 minutes, with about 75 minutes of pedaling
Average speed: 15.6 mph in the morning, 14.8 mph in the evening (headwind), including stops and slowdowns due to traffic.

Conclusions:

1) I felt like I looked funny while in the BART stations. This was mostly supported by the looks given me by others, which ranged from absent-minded curiosity to accusing disdain. The clickety-clack of my road shoes on the tile floors probably attracted the most attention.

2) I need a real messenger bag. The cheesy backpack I wore couldn't really hold all the crap I attempted to shove into it, and its zippers continually tried to spontaneously open.

3) I should always bring my head and tail lights, even when I'm not expecting to need them. I didn't get home until about 8:15 pm, long after sunset. I scared myself half to death on the BART ride home, just contemplating riding in a few miles of traffic in the dark with no lights. Luckily, all the roads are lighted and have bike lanes, and, overall, it wasn't a big deal.

4) There really is no way to completely eliminate helmet-hair at work without taking a full-blown shower.

5) The total trip always takes longer than you expected it to take.

6) It's almost impossible to get any work done after lugging your bike into your cubicle. Everyone has questions, and everyone wants to talk about bikes for an hour. Luckily, I don't mind.

- Warren

Props on the commute but couldn't you just ride the whole way? J/K

About the hair, you might want to try a getting a shorter hair cut. I just throw some water and gel in my hair and that does the trick.

I'm sure I'll attempt the entire trip by bike at some point, but it won't be anytime soon. My longest rides so far have been about 40 miles, and I'm slowly working increase my mileage (working up to the 585-mile AIDS/LifeCycle ride next year). 70 miles a day, even broken up into two 35-milers, is too much for me at the moment.

- Warren

Wow, four hours of total commuting time! Gotta love that California living! But honestly, the sheer beauty of your state makes up for the inconveniences. My husband and I took a one-week 25th anniversary trip in 2001 in a Mustang convertible, from San Jose to the Hearst Castle, then all the way up the coast to the end of the Avenue of the Giants, then back to San Jose via Napa Valley. Absolutely gorgeous!

Sounds like you've put together a great route. I agree about keeping the lights with you. I have a rack and a trunk bag and I keep all my stuff in there -- lights, extra batteries, repair/tool kit, pump, first aid kit, rain clothes, etc. I've always been an over-packer but on the one day I decide to travel light, that's when I don't have something that I need.

By the way, I have shoulder-length hair that is plastered to my head by the time I get to work and no shower. I just wipe it down with a wet washcloth and I now have a compact hair dryer at work, though I haven't used it yet. But it dries as if I just washed it.

Have fun on your commute and thanks for the report!

My daily commute takes about an hour and a half, total. On the bike, it takes about four hours, total. The difference is that I put over two hours on the bike, which I try to do three times a week anyway. The only real "loss" of time is thus the time spent waiting for the BART train, or going a little out of my way to get to the stations. Granted, the ride through Fremont is neither beautiful nor ideal for training, but it's saddle time all the same. I (and my girlfriend) generally get frustrated by driving an hour home just to get on the bike and exercise for two more. Why not combine them?

- Warren

Did I misunderstand this part? I've just never had to commute that long and really feel for those who do (unless you get to ride your bike!)

My commute by car is only 20 minutes each way but by bike, it's 90 minutes. By car, I can take a four-lane, high-speed highway, ten miles, straight shot, very few lights or traffic. By bike, I have to take 17 miles of hilly, rural roads and I'm not very fast on those hills (11.5 mile average ) But like you, I think it's worth it, though I'm only doing it one way at first. If I can get my time down to about 75 minutes, I'll try commuting both ways.

I've done the bike-train-bike thing here in the NYC area, in full spandex. Who cares what they all say? I think my commute was closer to 90 minutes each way, but then I had a 2 mile bike ride to 30-40 minute train ride to 7-8 miles bike ride, much less than you.

120 minutes seems like a looooong commute!

Yeah, the additional 7-8 miles adds another 30 minutes to mine. It's a long commute, but it incorporates my workout, so I'm not complaining. The alternative is to first drive an hour, and then get on the bike for two hours.

- Warren

You might want to take some cheesy sandals so you don't wear out your clips going clickety clack on the tiles. Put the cycling shoes in a plastic grocery bag when not using them, so you don't get oil and road crud on furniture and other people.