I had a 17 mile commute for 18 months. My boss was understanding if I had to wait for a break in the weather or just take a weather day off. I may have missed 2 days and been late 3 times in 18 months biking five to six days a week.

I never got any overuse injuries. That was the most surprising thing. I often covered the 17 miles in less than an hour - 10 miles of flat MUP and 7 mile of urban mayhem. I don't know how to bike slow. But still, did just fine even tho I would prefer 8 - 10 miles each way as ideal.

Try it and see. If nothing else, just bike the beautiful days.

I have a 17 mile commute with 2 lane and 4 lanes and some with bike lanes. When I lived in S. FL I had a 22 mile commute. I have always had a backpack that weighs at least 20 pounds (computer, change of clothes, shoes, etc). It will keep you in shape. The most important thing is to be seen by other vehicles. I purchased a Dinotte taillight and rarely get a car that doesn't give me a lot of room. Dinotte has the brightest taillight on the market. The downside is that they are mucho dinero. But my feeling is that you can't put a price on safety...

Also, it is important to have the right clothes and shoes. Waterproof materials like gore-tex should be a big part of your cycling clothing. It might take you a while to figure out what you will need to have during certain temperatures. Yesterday, in the morning I had tights and a face mask as it was 27 degrees F. In the afternoon, I had on shorts and no gloves as it was 53.

Your length of ride will depend on lights, traffic, etc. Should take about an hour and 20 minutes.

Go for it and enjoy the ride!

Ride safe,

Jeff

Yes.
About an hour.
Yes.

I agree giving yourself about 2 hours. I have a similar commute of 19.1 miles each way with hills and stop lights. It takes me around 1.5 hours, but i always try to give myself 2 hours in case something happens (flats, chain breaks, or something else). I also have plenty of time to change clothes before my classes start. I ride the commute every Monday and Friday except last week because i was sick with a stomach virus :(.

my commute is ~18mi one way. heavy traffic. a couple climbs both ways. worst roads in toronto. im in ok shape and it takes me an hour. i have a couple different bikes but i generally ride 700x23c/25c tires. i dont ride in inclimate weather[3 season commuter] - even rain gets me in the car, tho if i've ridden to work and it rains on my way home i dont mind[not the other way around]. i carry a toolkit and a spare tube and inflator. i drink a waterbottle of water/gatorade 70/30 mix and eat raisins[forreals best source of carbs ever] and/or a clif bar[i like the peanut butter one and the oatmeal raisin]. when i get to work i eat a banana and refill my waterbottle and sip water until its done. commuting is the best thing i've ever done for myself, even tho i almost die once a week doing it.

I take the train in going to work and use my bike for the last seven miles of the commute. On the commute home, I ride my bike until I'm too tired, then jump on the train at one of it's stops. I usually end up riding the 45 miles home.

The train as a S.A.G. wagon! Beautiful. I wish I had that luxury. I would bike a lot more miles for sure knowing that when I am cooked there would be a ride waiting just up the road.

I commute 16 miles each way. I ride my mountain bike since I'm wearing casual work clothes (jeans, shirt, windbreaker). It takes me about an hour and 15 minutes. To be honest, it's a little too long for me and it gets to be a bit of a drag. About 8 miles would be perfect. I also get hot and sweaty after about mile 4 so I have to take off the windbreaker, etc.

If I ride my road bike, I can make it in about an hour but I would have to wear my road shoes, etc.

I usually don't carry a backpack or anything so that's nice.

It's sometimes a pain coming back home in the dark even though I have bright lights. It'll be much better in the next few weeks as the weather gets warmer.

Don't mean to discourage you but I'm just speaking for my own personal experience, that's all.

RVD.

I do 13 miles now and used to 17 miles. I only did a couple full 5 day weeks on that 17 mile route.

regardless I think it used to take me about an hour and ten minutes ... something like that. some days the ride home took a lot longer and included some rests and so 1.5 hrs or 2 hrs weren't out of the question.

I think one Sunday morning I did the ride in 60 minutes, but that meant running red lights. I stop for lights now so I'm less concerned about my commuting time but I keep an eye on it. right now I do 13 miles in 55 minutes. however fould weather, slower studded touring tires, and mega hills on the way home sometimes means the ride can take 2 hours in a raging snowstorm or 1.5 hours due to taking my MTB with softer studded snows.

My ride is only 13mi. roundtrip. You may be able to use a variation of Leebo's ride.

Drive the car to work with the bike in the morning. Ride the bike home, leave the car overnight. Ride in the next morning and then drive the car home. Only 17 mi. a day until you get used to the distance.

Do it. I've just started a similar commute; it typically takes me 1:15 to 1:30, with the biggest factors affecting that being wind and traffic. I personally have struggled to do it on consecutive days; by the time I get home the second night, I'm whooped. A fiend of mine that rides with me part of the way (and has been doing it for some time) said it took a while before he could do it on consecutive days easily. (I typically ride 40 miles before lunch on Saturday after doing maybe 30 on a Friday, but for some reason doing the 17 mile trip 4 times in two days really tires me out.)

When my commute was 7 miles, I carried everything with me in panniers- lunch, change of clothes, etc. I've been doing that on the longer commute and I think that might be part of the reason it get so tired out. It's not so much the weight as it is that the balance of the bike feels "awkward" for lack of a better word. I feel like I'm fighting it during parts of the ride (mostly during the climbs).

Just start doing it though.