Bike Forums - How far is too far for a commute?

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- - How far is too far for a commute? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/795980-how-far-too-far-commute.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan (Post 13801351)

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.

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcivic00 (Post 13795736)

Ok, so I have been seeing a few different commutes, and this may have been covered already, but what is everyone's limit? How far is too far to commute one way? I'm interested, only because I work in a business casual office setting, and would especilly like to hear from similar commuters in this particular situation.

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scroca (Post 13811286)

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.

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scroca (Post 13811286)

I don't know why people are emphasizing time over distance.

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.