chipcom 

Incorrect. Not only didn't my family mind my 50-mile RT commute when I still had it...my wife enjoyed riding or driving up to ride home with me. I think she misses it too, compared to my current 10mi RT route. She's always wanting to take the long way home now.

It's not a one-size-fits-all thing...it depends on your individual circumstances at a point in time. For example, if I was spending three hours a day at the gym, but now spend three hours a day on my bike instead, it's a net wash, right?

That said, I don't know what kind of a nut would spend 3 hours a day at the gym.

Rob_E

I'm one of the fortunate ones who lose little time biking vs. driving. Indeed, when I factor in the walk from the parking deck to my office vs. parking my bike right by the door, biking wins, and, as a result, I have very seldom driven to work. I do go multi-modal most mornings as that shaves a few minutes off the morning commute and gets me to work less sweaty. If you have a similar option, it might be worth looking in to.

Also, as has been alluded to, don't look at it as 2 extra hours each way, but, I'm guessing, around 1.5 hours each way because you have to figure that even without biking there's an unavoidable commute time. Also bicycle choice and riding style could factor in to your choices if time is a factor. Your estimate of 2 hours for 20 miles sounds about right to me, but if I actually had a 20 mile commute, I would be a lot more concerned about speed than I am now. I'd be looking at something a lot lighter and zippier than my 30+ pound touring bike for my commute. I feel like with practice and the right bike, you could get that time down to something more manageable, especially if you could figure other transportation options for part of the way.

Or, if it would be secure and wouldn't inconvenience you too much, your car could spend some nights at work, and you could do every other commute by bike. Drive to work, bike home, bike back in the morning, drive home the next day.

hyhuu

My commute is about 30 miles each way and I have 2 small kids (2&6), but I only commute every other day. I work out the schedule and get up earlier.

FunkyStickman

For me personally, I did 20-25 miles RT which took about 1:45 and I usually did it 3 times a week. I have 4 kids, aged 6-14. My wife was uncomfortable with adding more than an hour to my daily routine, but strangely enough, she was okay with me losing 40 pounds... go figure.

dcrowell

When I had a longer commute (16 - 20 miles one way depending on route), I did it three days a week. I was living alone much of that time, but had housework, yard work, pets to take care of, and I like to sleep... so I didn't do it five days a week.

Now that I have a 3.5 mile one-way commute, I ride to work everyday. I'm living the car-free lifestyle and will be selling my truck very soon (and buying a Big Dummy).

treebound 

It sort of depends upon what your goals and motivations are, and what your family situation is like. My current temp job is about 40 miles from home so I'm not cycling it. If I manage to get hired on direct here then I'll be looking at driving to a Park-n-Ride lot and cycling the last 15-20 miles in to work a few times a week.

I'll offer a suggestion that I've seen before, take some Saturday or Sunday that you don't have any big plans for and use that day to test out the bike route to work. You will test the route, check the time, see how you feel when you get there, and probably be home by noon. If that works then maybe start by riding in to work just one day a week like a Friday or a Monday. And if you can find an option where the family has plans after work towards where your work is then maybe cycle in to work that day and have the family pick you up at work with your bike.

Lots of options and ways to work cycling into your weekly routine, you just have to find something that works for you.

Leebo

My commute is 18 miles one way. 50-60 minutes by car, 20 minutes longer by bike. Most weeks I make 2-6 trips by bike, work and weather sometimes get in the way. Works for me. I like peace of mind exercise and fresh air. She likes scupted calves and 15 less lbs around my middle. YRMY. One HS kid at home.

jeffpoulin

My commute is 21.7 miles each way and I have two young kids (5 and 7 years old). I get up at 5am, leave around 5:30, and arrive at work around 7am. I leave work around 4:15pm and I'm back home around 6pm (the way home has more climbing).

My commute is hilly (3000 ft of elevation gain for the round trip), and it only takes me about 1.5 hours each way. If your commute is relatively flat, 1:15 each way should be doable. Then again, not everyone wants to spend 2-3 hours/day on a bike. If that's too much, perhaps multi-modal commuting is for you.

DataJunkie

It mattered not to my family when I commuted. Riding 28 miles each way was only slightly longer than sitting in traffic.
The only negative I can think of was that it extended my marriage that should have fallen apart 5 years before.

jeffpoulin

^^^ Ouch!

mikepwagner

Family men who voluntarily spend an estimated 3 extra hours a day at the gym instead of helping raise/support the family probably will be family free in short order.

My wife would say, it's not a net wash for your kids - they could still use 3 more hours with their dad, and if they are asleep, she could use three more hours helping with the household chores.

I am not convinced she's wrong - not that what I think about it really matters. :-)

chipcom 

Let's do the math. If you live 25 miles from your work, it probably takes at least 30 minutes to drive there, considering traffic and speed limits (25 minutes would mean a 60mph average speed). So there's 1 hour round trip. Now if you spend an hour working out at the gym...plus let's say 30 minutes of travel and shower time, we've got 2.5 hours dedicated to commuting and workout. So if we eliminate the work out and drive commute and replace them with a 3 hour bike commute, we've only lost a half hour of our "disposable" time.

For some that is an acceptable loss...for others, not so much.

jeffpoulin

When we bought our house, my wife knew it would be a long commute for me. Traffic is terrible here, so whether driving or cycling, it's about the same time either way. I like to ride my bike to work, and my wife likes the house. Win-win.

tjspiel

Even if there are that folks with young kids who do it, that doesn't mean it'll wash with your spouse or that it's a good idea. My kids were basically in bed (hopefully) by 8:00 at night when they were younger. My 7 year old still goes to bed at 8:30 on weeknights.

Leaving by 6:00 and getting home at 8:00 means I wouldn't see them during the week. For me that's a non-starter and would not go over well with my wife (to put it mildly).

Multi-modal or perhaps giving up "Poker night" and doing it once or twice a week might be options.

mikepwagner

3 hour bike commute - 1 hours car commute = 2 hours to spend with wife kids.

24 hours a day = work time + commute time + family time + sleep time

By algebraic manipulation:

family time = 24 - ( work time + commute time + sleep time )

Assume sleep time = 8 hours, and work time = 8 hours

family time = 8 hours - commute time

Assuming 1 hour commute, commute time = 12.5% of family time.

Assuming 3 hour commute, commute time = 37.5% of family time.

Spending almost half of available family time as commute time = single again.

That's the way my wife does the math, and she's a Phi Betta Kappa.

ReinderDijkhuis

My bike commute is only 10-20 minutes longer (one way) than the train commute it replaces, and about EUR 4 a day cheaper. The stepkids, in their teens, are out of the house by the time I leave, traveling by train on their own, and may or may not be home before I come back. Their need for family time, at their age, is limited. The wife is more bike-obsessed than I am. And I've not been to the gym or to running training in over a year, without my time at running events suffering much.

So yes, worth my time, and not at all harmful to family life.

wolfchild

What about family men who have a job that requires them to travel and be away from their family for days or weeks at a time ? Men/women who don't even come home every day because they are away on some business trip or some mission. Are they not raising/supporting a family ? The days of "nuclear family", 1950's style family where daddy would come home at 5:00 PM everyday single day are over. Spending 2-3 hours a day riding a bicycle to work to support a family is not that bad. There are a lot of drivers who spend 2-3 hours a day driving to/from work everyday.

IP Freely

I routinely work past 10pm so everyone is usually asleep when I get home regardless of my mode of transportation. Works out nicely for those long 1am rides home.

CCrew

22mi takes me an hour and fifteen. Compared to DC traffic many times I can be at my car before an equivalent car drive and rival metro/bus commute times. That said, I've been doing it year round for 4 years, and if you're just starting out those 44 miles a day will be difficult. How to work it depends on the transportation options available to you, but in one day via bike, home and in again the next day via public transportation, then ride home... I'm sure you can see where I'm going here.

It's doable, but certainly requires some commitment.

I'll agree with the others that the 9-5 day is history anyway. My commute is bi-modal: 54mi by car and 26 by bike. 2 hours if I drive to the office on a good day vs 2:15 bi-modal. Gotta love DC

sudoshift

Excellent thread! I've been meaning to start something similar to this because I've been wondering the same thing myself. I have a wife and kid (9 months as of right now). 22-miles is quite a stretch one way. Depends on the terrain as well. Is it flat? Hilly? Combination? My commute is 15-miles one way. It takes about 65 min (no traffic) to get to work, since its going downhill for the first 3 miles, then it changes to uphill then flattens out at sea level. On the return trip it takes anywhere from 1 hour 20 min to 1 hour 45 minutes. This is entirely due to lack of fitness and gear inches my freewheel offers for top speed. Will change this soon or get a new full-size bike.

I found something that works. I have a 20" folding bike that I can stick in the trunk of a Corolla pretty easily. I "hybrid" commute. Before the last hilly section of the way home (last 4 miles). I have the wifey pick me up at the bottom at the small shopping center. My work is very physical and there are some days that I get really tired. So I have to budget energy for the family and the next day. Sure as you cycle more and more, fitness level increases. Which is what I am trying to get out of this. I'm not trying to save the planet or anything. I figure this is a start in keeping up with the spawn in the future when he runs around.

Initially I thought that long distance commuter MUST be single guys with lots of time on their hands. Or at least that they can afford a large chunk to cycling. No family responsibilities are handy when you just come home and crash, or nobody needs to wait for you. But there are all types of commuters.

2wheel brings up a great point! You could view the time difference as the time you would be spending exercising anyways, or should. Making it part of your lifestyle is just an easier way to get fit. Plus time should decrease with fitness level rising.

In the beginning it seems like you're investing more time than you should, because the "return" is not as quick. There is also the possibility of getting run over by some idiot which worries my wife at least. Chances of survival are probably greater in a car wreck.


Yes! Agree 100% Everyone is snoring when we get up in the morning, so that part of the commute does not "exist" to other than your timeline.

Really interesting to see everyone's take on this!

b_young

I work 12.5 hr shifts. So, everyone knows when I am working they are not going to see me much. It doesn't matter if I commute or not. My wife prefers that I do, because it is a faster workout than going to the gym after work. I only have about 45 min commute each way.

nashcommguy

[QUOTE=stdlrf11;13331402]My commute is 21 miles one way...QUOTE]

+1 Asleep by 10PM and up @ 5:30AM. Mondays the panniers are loaded w/a weeks worth of clothes and food. Rest of the week I ride fg w/a seatpost rack and trunkbag. Haul daily containers and workclothes home. Takes up roughly 2.5-3 hrs per day depending on traffic, effort, conditions, etc. It's the time that belongs to me. One has to eat, hydrate and rest for it, but the results when one gets a physical are well worth it. Plus, it's fun!

woodway

The OP did not describe the topography of his commute. A 22 mile flat commute is going to be much more manageable than a 22 mile hilly commute. Over time, speed will increase to the point that the commute will not be taking two hours to complete...

I have a 18 mile each way hilly commute and I can get to work in right around an hour and back home in about an hour and ten minutes. It took a couple of years of dedicated commuting to work up to those times. I started by riding a couple days/week and kept working up to riding every day.

Mithrandir

I do my 19 mile commute in 1:15 on decent days, and 1:10 is my best time. That being said, it's now at a point where I'm leaving at dawn and getting home at dusk. In 2 or 3 weeks it'll be fully dark on at least one end of the commute. I'll probably have to stop after the DST switch at the end of the month.

If you're really committed you can get a good light or two and just ride in the dark. My office is closing after thanksgiving though, so my commuting days are over after that, so I personally don't have a good reason to buy an expensive light.

jeffpoulin

I think your argument is too simplistic. As many people have said, driving doesn't always save time. Schedules differ, and wives and kids are not always waiting for you to get home. Besides, "family time" isn't always happy or productive. I need time to myself anyway to process the day's events and think about how I want to respond. I do this while bike commuting and arrive home (usually) in a good mood and ready to hear about everyone else's day. Driving in rush-hour traffic, OTOH, is stressful and it's not easy to shake this off when I pull into the driveway each night. In my case, my wife and kids prefer "relaxed bike commuting dad" to "stressed out rush-hour driving dad". In any case, everyone has different situations, and what works for some, may not work for others.