My commute to work is 6 miles which usually takes about 22 minutes ride time. Going to work I just like to get there. Going home, however, I usually take the "scenic" route of 10 to 36 miles depending on time of year, obligations, mood, etc. My standard commute home is 14 miles.

As others have pretty much indicated, it is the time, not the distance that seems to be the big limiting factor. On nice long summer days I often find myself extending my commute... just because I have the daylight. An extra 20-30 minutes doesn't matter if it is comfortable.

Back in my college days I had lots of early morning time and I would ride way way out of my way to get a good bike ride in before I hit class, then after class I would go to work (about a mile away) and then after work I would go home, (about 5 miles away), but the total mileage for the day would be about 45 miles, due to the long trip in.

Having an asymmetrical ride like that was actually fun, as I could really put in the miles when I felt like it.

I would say that it is a personal choice/decision. For me I regularly commute 13.5 to 14-miles out to the local VA facility. And at least that far to one of the LBS' that I do business with. I have friend who lives in St. Pete but works somewhere in the Downtown Tampa area. He commutes to and from work on a daily basis.

As with several others here, I'm not 100% sure, but I think that he is lucky enough in that he can store at least a weeks worth of clothing at his office/workplace. As I have seen him coming home from work pulling his trailer behind his bike.

Just recently, within the last couple of months I "commuted" 37.25 miles (one way) to the Tarpon Sprints Performing Arts Center to watch my girlfriend play the piano for her mothers production of Amahal and the Night Visitors. Doing it in just under 3-hours.

Also as we've read in other threads kind of sort of on this topic. There are members here who are:

a) lucky enough to be able to store a weeks worth (or more) of clothes where they work
b) lucky enough to have shower facilities where they work
c) lucky enough to have a gym nearby that they can rent a locker and use the shower facilities before work

So it depends on one's comfort level and the amenities that they have available either at work or nearby as to how far one is willing to commute to and from work.

It would also depend on whether or not the distance interferes with whether or not the distance/time interferes with one's responsibilities away from work as well as whether or not it interferes with one's relationships, or home life.

I guess that in closing the bottom line as to how far is or isn't too far to commute is up to the individual doing the commute.

That is a good point. If one is able to keep a supply of clean clothes at work AND work provides shower facilities. One needs to remember to factor in cleanup time at work.

I agree that time is more important than distance. Other responsibilities require me to be home in a timely manner. I go six miles in 40 minutes and that is just about right. Ten miles might be my personal limit.

Uh, on the days that you feel like riding further going into work, why don't you just leave home earlier so that you're not late?

can only drop the daughter off at day care after 8.

My commute is about 13 miles each way and takes 75 mins due to lots of lights and a big hill. It's long enough to get a decent workout, but it's also long enough to be a pain in the ass, particularly when it's cold. So most weeks this winter I've been splitting my commuting days between my bike and motorcycle, so at least I'm rarely ever in the car. My commute this summer was 50 miles round trip, so I could only do it two or three times a week, but I still enjoyed it due to the warm weather. I doubt I'd ride that far at all during winter. But I just ordered a Bianchi Volpe to replace my junk Jamis Coda Sport, so maybe that will bring me some winter commuting bliss.

Okay, that makes sense. Oh, and about not only yours but others comment about public transportation for all intent and purposes taking as long if not longer then by bike. I agree, if I were to take the bus out to the local VA facility, depending which bus(es) that I catch/routes I ride it would take me anywhere from an hour and a half to two or more hours. Whereas if I ride my bike it takes me an hour maybe a little more. And part of that delay is that (again depending on which bus(es)/routes I take) is not only having to transfer buses but having to spend time waiting around at the transfer points waiting for the second bus.

And sadly if anything happens to cause the bus that one is riding to be delayed in getting to the next transfer point one could easily end up missing their bus and having to wait even longer between buses. And sadly, all it takes is for someone who doesn't know how to properly load/unload their bike(s) or one or more wheelchairs/mobility devices that the driver has to secure and release to throw a "monkey wrench" into the works.

So unless I absolutely have to take the bus I prefer to ride my bike out to the local VA facility.

mine is too long as it is! takes me 40 minutes. if I could get it down to 20-30 that would be perfect (for me).

Couldn't have put it more succinctly.

A commute for me is just over an hour each way.

@Scheherazade, unfortuantely, for me it's being in proximity to affordable housing within a reasonable distance from my employer. I detest sitting in a car for a long period of time, but in this case I also want to make sure that I am making the most beneficial use of my time and energy should I decide to commute. My employer is situated in a very affluent area, so it limits where I am able to call home.

My commutes range from 8 miles to 23 miles in each direction. Any farther than that and I start up the motorcycle.

I see. I haven't bought a home yet, but renting has always gotten me a decent place in the ballpark of my commitments.

i've got the opposite problem. i live in the heart of downtown chicago, literally in the center of it all, with close proximity to everything i could ever want or need EXCEPT for my job, which is 15 miles north in suburban evanston.

Longer than 45 minutes and I don't want to commute by bicycle.

It's about time. Not just riding time, door-to-door time, and not adversly affecting needs and responsibilities. Include wake up, dress, breakfast, riding, clean-up, unti at-work-ready-to-go. Absolute distance and riding time are just the most obvious part. I've adjusted my routine to save a few minutes here and there (pack clothes and prep meals the night before, where I change in the morning & afternoon), and it does add up (also avoids mental lapses before the coffee kicks in!)

Time is what prevents me from commuting by bike. I work 12.5 hour shifts. If I took the bike it in is just over an extra hour commute each way. So 15 hours. Work in the time for eating, shower and in bed, another 1 hour, plus wind-down time before falling asleep. In the mornings I need a solid 40 minutes to wake up, eat something, dress and get moving. So adding this all together is about 17 hours, leaving 7 hours for sleep.

That sounds like it can be done, but since I am married, my wife would like to spend more than a few minutes with me, so that is the problem.

I am thinking about sucking it up and commuting once every two weeks on my last work day (to see how it goes). That way waking up a little early is not a big deal and I am not in a huge rush to get home since I can stay up later.

If I land a job that is closer than 1-hour away and I work a typical 8-hour day, I'd be all for it.

like pretty much everyone has said, it comes down more to time required than distance traveled. I started commuting almost 2 years ago in southern maine going 18 miles each way. About 50 minutes in the morning, hour and 5 in the afternoon. That was just to meet a ride, as we work all over the place. In the warmer months if I wake up earlier, I'll just start pedalling. 40, 42, and 53 one way commutes this summer. I did get a ride back afterwards though. I work in construction so appearance is not as crucial as business setting. but Ive done everything to make the commute easier and faster. Added aero bars, wear spandex and store a couple days worth of clothes in the job trailer so I can take off the rack and panniers.

I don't know why people are emphasizing time over distance. Here's my take:

It's too far if you don't have time.
It's too far if you are not in shape for the distance.
It's too far if you can't keep warm that long.

This sounds like the perfect situation for being car-free.

I have a32 mile commute each way
about 1 3/4 hours
But driving it takes me an hour. then get home and head out for three hours on the bike...
instead the 3 hours roundtrip allows me to forget any other riding that day

As most have mentioned, time seems to be the limiting factor, not mileage. My commute is about 22 miles one way, (of which 8 is by bike, and 14 is subway), and takes anywhere from 1:15 - 1:30 depending on my connection to the subway. 1:30 is about the upper end of how long I'm willing to commute however. Lots of factors go into people's decision to commute by bike - how flat or hilly the route, traffic conditions, temperature, even age. Even on days when the weather is crappy, or you wish you could sleep in just a little bit longer, I still feel better when I bike to work instead of just taking the bus and subway.

My commtue is about 16 miles each way. When it's 70 degrees and sunny, it's not too far. When it's the 4th day in a row of 38 degree rain, all farking day without a break, and it's dark when I ride in *and* when I ride home... it can be a chore to drag the bike out the front door.

I used to do a "park & ride" approach where I had a safe place to park my car anywhere from 6 to 9 miles away from work and rode there and back to the car (i had a bike rack to carry the bike). this allowed me to avoid certain bad traffic areas and still get in some riding time.

Here's why I beleive time is a bigger factor than distance. It has nothing to do with being in shape or being able to keep cool/warm. For many cycling is slower than by car and sometimes slower than public transit. But not everyone has the time to spend 2-3 hours a day commuting. I have no problem physically doing that lenght of a commute but it would drastically cut into my family time. That's why one hour is my limit. Any longer and I'd consider moving closer to work.

Because for many time is more important than distance.

I used to have a ten mile commute that would take me 45 minutes. It was primarily along the Cherry Creek trail. I could travel almost the entire distance without reaching a stoplight.

Now my commute is seven miles and it still take me 45 minutes. It is entirely along city streets. I have traffic, lights and stop signs to content with. I get slowed down.