How far do YOU commute?
 

I am planning on commuting by bike and wondered what the typical distances covered by regular bike commuters were. I'm not sure if I would be too exhausted when I get to my destination, and also if it would be too much by the time the week ended. I bike in a very urban area, with cars posing possibly the highest threat than in any other environment, which adds to my exhaustion.

What is the total number of commute miles you travel each day by bike? (I.e., add both ways.)

Besides voting on the polls, could you also say in what environment you commute in? Specifically, urban sprawl, lightly urban, suburban, or rural (add other descriptors/categories if you wish).

Thanks.

While I'm sure you will get plenty feedback in your poll, the results really won't matter in the end. Every one of us has different types of bikes, fitness levels, motivation to ride, time constraints.... what works for one may not work for another- or you.

You won't know if you can 'handle' it until you attempt it.

My trip will be at least 24 miles each day, M-F, from May to August. (I plan on continuing beyond August but it will be 2 days each week.) The commute-to will be from 5 am to about 6:30 am, which is rush hour. Do any of you bike 25 miles a day, 5 days a week, in heavily urban areas with fast cars? If so, do you have much energy afterwards? Thanks again.

It's about 13.5 (6.5 there, 7 back) miles per day for me. I would start by doing two or three days a week, with rest days, then work up to commuting everyday. Eventually, you'll adapt.

14 miles RT.
Frankfurt, Germany ... roughly 2.5M ppl in the metro area.

Note: This is a sticky at the top of the page with total miles and days ridden for several people. My quick math shows that most people in the US are between 12 and 30 miles RT.

Sure. I think plenty of people here do. It'll be hard at first, if you aren't used to the mileage. You'll be tired and will eat a lot. But, I think you'll surprise yourself how fast you get conditioned to it. When those twice-a-week days come, you may even miss it!

did the poll before reading your post, lol

23 combined distance both ways

^^^It seems many respondents (so far) may have missed this. OP, see the other recent poll here on commute miles. And yeah, nomad is right, ya gotta just give it a whirl and see.

Typical road conditions.

http://goo.gl/maps/Sxl7A

Cross intersection then turn right onto MUP.

http://goo.gl/maps/P96yk

Hairiest part of the ride, and it ain't that bad.

http://goo.gl/maps/fkNcQ

My route would be shorter if I took this street, but I like bike lanes. On rest days, I take a bus (its still dark when I go in), and I see several ninjas on this route :twitchy:

http://goo.gl/maps/DA3LT

Not real familiar with Baldwin Park, but know it is in an older part of Metro LA where the streets are narrower, like the last image I showed. Not un-doable, but be well lit, and plan your route carefully. It may be better to add a mile or two to have a safer route.

I never thought of trying to figure out the avg miles by the sticky on the top.

I'm 10 miles each way from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan. One would think that this is an urban nightmare, but you'd be wrong. I'm on separated bike lanes almost the entire way. The few sections where I'm with cars isn't all that bad either. I'm not a big Bloomberg fan, but I think he did a decent job with the bike lanes even if I don't like the design on some of them.

Am I tired after the ride in? Not at all. It's actually invigorating. I always look forward to the ride home.

My Commute is 11-12 miles RT depending on the route I take. I commute year round. I also use my bike for groceries,library, and joy rides so my weekly mileage is much higher. My commute goes from sparse traffic, to a semi truck gauntlet, to city traffic. You could always try your commute on a non-working day and see how you do. As for being exhausted,tired, or sore if you don't bike much it is bound to happen, but I love it!

My commute is 45 miles round trip M-F. 35 miles of that is on a relatively flat MUP and the rest is through urban city streets.

Took a while to work up to this distance and make it daily. Now it's just routine.

I always multiple/divide parameters by one another, it makes it easy to see patterns and exploit everyday life :D

20 miles/day, 5 days/week.

Wow, quite a bit of riding.

Thank you all for your responses and voting. (I'll be riding.)

I do 23 miles round trip year round. I always try to go every day that I don't have to work out of town. My commute is mostly all rural until I get to the city where I will ride in mostly light urban sprawl for the last few miles. You will enjoy it once you get used to the very urban traffic your talking about. You should feel invigorated when you arrive. If you can leave in the morning before the traffic rush, that would help. And later in the day when you leave just take your time as there will be more traffic, and just enjoy the ride home. As others mentioned try going a couple days then rest one day etc. You can build up to it this way.

mmm...voted 16-20 but round trip is actually 40 - fair weather commuter though...

crap I didn't read the post before I voted and I only voted based on 1-way.
Subtract 1 from 11-15, and add it to 21-25.

My minimum is 12 miles round trip. My maximum has been 36 miles. You know, the longer sightseeing tour on the way home during the light months.

6.4 miles rt. With the warmer days I have been adding a couple miles to the route home. On days I feel really good, I push it a little harder. That seems to help with conditioning.

30 miles round trip. Highly urban, being that Shanghai is over 20 million people. Been riding pretty much every day this year.

I have biked to work in many towns. Like Tampa FL, Dallas TX, Kanasa City, Columbus OH. The ranges have been from 6 miles to 70 miles. With a commute of 35 miles each way you'll really need to build up to that commute. But 6 to 10 miles each way is not a problem for most people. Right now I have just changed jobs and now only have a 6 mile commute. I'm really liking the commute now but fell like I'm cheating LOL.

33 miles round trip from Gessner at I-10 in west houston to UH Central Campus and back.

Agree, my commute bike is very heavy so when i switch for a lighter one or simply leave my monster chain at home it's like flying