enigmaT120

My commute is too freaking long, a hundred miles round trip. Unlike B.Carfree I have never ridden the whole way, but catch the CARTS bus for most of the trip. It's still more than I want to do every day due to the amount of time it eats up. But I live on 32 acres of forest in the Oregon coast range and I'm not moving. I'm retireing as soon as I can afford it.

Roody

It's too bad you can't rent out your rural house and live closer to work. That long commute must get tiring!

Dahon.Steve

There is one benefit of being a bus commuter and that's having access to a monthly bus pass! This month I'm going to start a thread on my experience both good and bad. I'm studying transfer points on a bus map so it maybe possible to travel 30-70 miles for free on the weekend.

B. Carfree

That wouldn't surprise me. When I lived in Davis, CA, my commute to Sacramento by bike took anywhere from 45 minutes (tailwind) to 70 minutes. By car it was a thirty-five minute unpleasant experience. By bus it took 90-110 minutes, depending on how much I chose to walk at the Sacramento end (more walking was faster).

I think it could be done faster as a multi-modal bike-train-bike or bus-bike trip now, but those weren't options twenty years ago when I was doing that commute. It's nice to see that some things really have gotten better.

bragi

In your position I probably wouldn't move, either. Your commute must take up at least a couple of hours each way, though, which has got to wear on your nerves. Have you considered running a small agribusiness based at your residence?

tim24k

I have a 45 minute commute one way, 55 to 60 in high windy bad weather. My all times best was 28 minutes back when I was in my fourties. It's ten miles and fifteen stop lights. I think back nine years ago it was only Seven lights to go throw on this same rout.

Roody

The traffic engineers keep putting in more traffic signals so the intersections can handle more cars. What we really need is more bikes!

Also, congratulations for keeping up with a long commute for so many years. People here on the carfree bikeforum often say that this is impossible for the average fit person, but I'm thinking maybe you prove that it is possible. Keep it up!

plustax

What? All the crazy randorunners that I read about are all pushing 50 or 60 easily.


You old guys are always the ones that fly.

kookaburra1701

In the small Oregon coast town where I used to live, there was a nonagenarian (at least, he had a WWII vet baseball cap he always wore) who zipped around town with his walker lashed to his rear rack. I was never able to catch him.

enigmaT120

That's about how I visualize fietsbob, though I don't recall where he mentioned a walker!

enigmaT120

Yeah, but we again failed to legalize it here in Oregon... Nah though, small timber sales and firewood, stuff like that. I'm working on it.

The bus is laid back, I watch tv shows on my tablet or read books.

gerv 

Geez I'm pretty near 80 and ...yeah... I keep my walker lashed on the back of my fixie.

What's the big deal?

OneGoodLeg

My longest commute was 17.5 miles each way, into and out of a valley, with lots of hills along the way. I only did that for a few months, but with the hills, it took about 1-1/2 hours, each way, on a fixed gear bike. My current commute is 13.1 miles each way. I love my commute, it's a mixture of diffferent topography that keeps me engaged. It takes me around 50-65 minutes, depending on the traffic and headwind conditions.

I wouldn't do more than 50 miles, round trip.

eofelis 

It takes me about 25-30 min to ride a flat 4.5 miles to work. I ride kinda slow. There are a few stop lights along the way.
I have a longer route I take on the way home sometimes. It takes me up a 1/2 mile long hill and winds through some subdivisions. Adds a mile or so and takes me 45 min total.

009jim

I have about an 8 mile commute and it takes me about 45 minutes. I ride quite carefully (slowly) in a couple of congested areas and there are hills too. It's extremely enjoyable though.

wphamilton

It's 9.2 miles, coincidentally the fastest I've done it just over 26 minutes, usually just over half an hour. I don't think I could put up with much longer than 45 minutes on a bike on a daily basis, but I haven't actually tried it so who knows.

FenderTL5

My typical multi-modal commute is 40 minutes to an hour, depending on many factors (traffic, stops etc).

nashvillwill

I'm about 45 miles from work. 7 miles on the bike and the rest by train. It's 1:30 each way. To me, that's about my max. As I've gotten used to it, it's not so bad, but waking up at 4 am is certainly taking a toll on me. I'm certain I will never commute longer than that, and if I had to drive it everyday, I probably would have ended it all by now. Ideally, I would like to be much closer to work. If I could cut it down to about 30 minutes of riding time, with no train, I think I would be pretty happy.

I feel like 3 hours a day commuting is wasting my life. When I have kids, that won't fly.

Artkansas 

My current commute is 6'.

Commodus

15 kms, or 40-45 minutes. The longest commute I think I would tolerate is 20 kms.

DX-MAN

Right now, I'm 2 miles from work; when the temps get a bit more agreeable, I'll open up my 'alternate routes', which are anything from 3 to 9 miles one-way. All depends on my mood, and I KNOW, with the idiocy I'm dealing with already this year, that I'll NEED a little stress relief!

A few years ago, my commute was a solid 9 miles one way, daily; did it as quickly as 32 minutes, and as slow as 55, depending on weather (the 55 was in January, 5deg F/-35F windchill and sleet). If I do the 9-mile loop I have laid out now, it's a little under 40 minutes.

BTW, I ride a Kona Coiler, about 36-37lbs. I have a tendency to get silly on a whim sometimes, can't ride the lightweight stuff....

krobinson103

I make sure I ride a bike or a stationary bike for at least 3 hours every day. 1 1/2 hours is commuting 30km a day and the remainder is my 1 1/2 hours of stationary cycling before I sleep. I find it most relaxing. Simply put I really enjoy riding. Indoors or outdoors. MUCH better than sitting and watching tv etc.

Ekdog

Do you work your upper body at all?

krobinson103

Nope. Riding keeps me fit enough.

Roody

I like canoeing and rowing because I can keep moving while upper body gets some exercise.