Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 60 total)
  • 60 mile daily commute…by bike
  • DT78
    Free Member

    Doable by bike? Pretty fit at the mo, quite happy to do a century at the weekend and go for a quick 50 miler after work. So expecting 2hrs each way at a steady 15mph.

    Not sure about 5 days in a row. Or in the depths of winter…

    Parking is a bit of an issue…season ticket 195pm not sure if you can pay daily any where close.

    Flattish route, has some pretty awful headwinds (Southampton to bournemouth)

    Anyone commute similar distances?

    njee20
    Free Member

    That’ll be the death of you daily, but very doable 2-3 times a week. Adding 5 hours to your day though, by the time you’ve changed, showered etc.

    lunge
    Full Member

    Agree with Njee20, that will be very hard work 5 days per week. Is there a train option? I do a similar commute but get the train 2 days per week to make it more bearable but also to drop fresh clothes off at work.

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    60 miles is pushing it a day, and 15mph what you riding a unicycle?

    hows the facilities? i can ride, store my bike securely indoors, shower in a changing room and wash/dry kit no issues, can you?

    why not park and ride? get up, dress in riding gear, park 10-15 miles away for free and ride in? gear in car, then you have the option of taking multiple days worth of clothes so you can commute without a backpack, plus you have the option of the full 30 miles home if its good weather, or get in the car halfway, as there is nothing worse than looking out the window near the end of the shift when its pissing down, knowing you have 90-120 minutes on the bike

    njee20
    Free Member

    there is nothing worse than looking out the window near the end of the shift when its pissing down, knowing you have 90-120 minutes on the bike

    Agreed!

    To that end I find myself on a train home with my bike right now. Never done it before, but I broke a cleat riding in and couldn’t get it off with a multi tool, there was a bastard headwind, it was raining and I ended up staying late.

    I’m a big exponent of the drive half ride half thing, it’s annoying right now though as I’ve got to get a train to somewhere nowhere near my house to retrieve my car!

    DT78
    Free Member

    I can average low 20s on the quick bike….was thinking 15 whilst carrying kit and heavier bike every day was realistic.

    Really not clued up on parking, but know it is a problem so restrictions and grumpy residents. Maybe a brompton in the boot could be an idea….how quick are those?

    Not seen facilities, but I’m told by the agent they are good.

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    I’ve done it a few times. It was quite tiring, more so than an evening or weekend ride because its mostly in rush hour traffic and on top of a full day of work. I averaged around 16mph with all the stopping (Staines to Basingstoke). I had a big detour to avoid the dual carriageway sections of the A30. I didn’t have any facilities either, so had to use a cheapo bike and get changed in the disabled toilets.

    The drive/cycle option would probably be a lot better as you’ll get some biking in and avoid the parking charges.

    I later moved to the countryside and averaged about 20mph on a nice quiet backroad commute, sometimes 21.5 mph (yes, i set up strava segment..)

    druff
    Free Member

    My commute is ~65km in each direction (Tring->London). I have done the there and back but as suggested above, it is a mental struggle to climb back on the bike at the end of a day knowing that you’ve got another 2, 2.25 hours on the bike ahead of you. I travel in and out of London and that does nothing to add to the allure either.

    I did 5 days a week for a couple of weeks last year, but I found that I couldn’t enjoy my riding at the weekend. At the moment I’ll do 3 days in, with maybe 1 back. I’m fortunate enough to be able to start late and so I can get the off peak train which reduces cost of travel significantly. On the days that I ride in and get the train home I just wait for the off peak to start.

    5 days a week can be done, of course. It’s not for me though. The thing that killed it for me was leaving the house at 05:30 every morning and not returning until gone 8. Give it a go for a while though and see what happens.

    The thing that really helped me was sorting logistics out so that I wasn’t carrying kit in each direction on every day. On a Monday morning I’d take everything in for the week, and then ride with just my lunch for the rest of the week (stuffed in Jersey pockets). On a Friday I’d then give it the pack horse treatment home again.

    chip
    Free Member

    Adding 5 hours to your day

    Only if the days he does not cycle he travels by teleportation.
    If it is an hours drive each way then cycling adds 3 not 5 surely.

    Vortexracing
    Full Member

    I do a 45 mile round trip and TBH 3 times a week is hardwork.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Train one way, bike it back.

    That’s the way I’d do it, not that I would mind.

    Good route through the New Forest through Milton, Christchurch, Boscombe etc. etc. 😀

    discbrakediva
    Free Member

    I’ve got a 45 mile round trip, usually so it a couple of times a week to get miles in but did 4 days last week then full day out in North Wales on Saturday on the mountain bike. Still physically battered today. Back on the bike tmrw!

    scaled
    Free Member

    If you’ve not even started contract negotiations yet, then you just need to throw the working from home 1-2 days a week in the mix 😀

    ibnchris
    Full Member

    I posted a similar question for half the distance (which for me felt punchy) at the beginning of last week. Just finished day 2 of the second week and have to say I’m loving it. In fact just shaved another 4 mins off my best time this eve – been amazed at how quickly it’s affected my fitness. Not even tired now. Because I have to get train as well at the other end my door to door is two hours but it doesn’t bother me because I see the ride part as a bonus and not part of the commute.

    If you’re fit enough I’d say do it!

    oldgit
    Free Member

    I have to disagree. Most doable, I commuted from just north of Hemel to Staples Corner every day for years. That’s about 30 plus each day. Worst you get is snow and thick fog, I only had pathetic Wonder lights. No problems ever.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Have commuted Windsor to Stevenage sporadically. I have ridden there and back too (An 84 mile day). Time rather than fatigue will be the biggest issue. It is doable, but as mentioned, it will be five hours of travelling per day.

    You will not be maintaining 20 mph on Fridays.

    mistergrizzly
    Free Member

    Only one problem with it as far as I can see….

    This country’s bloody weather!!!

    🙁

    hammy7272
    Free Member

    I do 54 miles round trip two, sometimes three a week. Possible.

    bigrich
    Full Member

    I used to do a 75 mile one once a week, and to see if I could, did a 5 day challenge. it’s ok if you don’t have to do anything at work.

    getting out of bed on thursday was a long, drawn out affair.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    The main question is do you not like being at home? 4-5 hrs on top of a working day every day?
    Leave at 6am home by 7/8pm? even if I could do the riding 5 days in a row the time out the house would be the killer.

    andrewh
    Free Member

    Used to do St. Andrews to Kirkcaldy, similar distance. Great in the summer, not so great in the winter. My advice is do it 3-4 times a week but don’t stick rigidly to a routine, such as drive every wednesday, much better to drive every wet day.
    Decent road bike will make it much more pleasurable, but need somewhere safe to keep it, that distance on the cheapo commuter bike wouldn’t be good

    zbonty
    Full Member

    I found there’s a difference between daily grind commuter miles and riding for fun at the weekends.
    The more you commute, the less you ride for fun. When I stepped up commuter miles a couple of years ago to 25-30 miles I was wrecked
    Doing a decent shift on the bike at either end of the day with work in the middle is tough.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Its not a chore. My ride in took about 1.5 hours each way, a bit more in poor weather. But in the car it. Could take an hour, so only a little longer by bike. And because I love road riding so much it was never a problem. Id ride the Hemel 10 on the way back on Tuesdays.
    All pre kids.

    Buzzlightyear
    Free Member

    I do 44 mile round trip, consistently 3 times a week but when work doesnt get in the way i do 4.

    In the summer I could do an extra 8 miles each way, not so sure I would want to in the pissing rain in the winter.

    Decent kit is a must, clothing, bike etc

    Disagree about the commuter miles being a chore, puts me in a really good mood before work and I sit there looking forward to riding home (except for rain…)

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I did 84 mile round trip (Cardiff – Bristol) for a short period, 2-4 days per week. I didn’t mind the riding itself but it was a rather pleasant ride through the countryside without many hills or towns. The biggest issue for me was the getting up early and getting home late. I didn’t mind the rain issue on the way home because riding for transport seems to give me a sense of purpose that recreational riding doesn’t have. Getting out of bed and onto the bike on a wet morning was far harder, when I knew I could stay in bed another 90 mins and drive. It was only spring/summer when I did this though.

    I left shoes, lock, trousers at work and I even splashed out on a super light rucksack to cut the weight down. Worth it.

    badnewz
    Free Member

    I used to do Hertford to Royston three times a week there and back but that was only 20 miles each way…and on a road bike.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Actually, I am WFH for a while now, and it being summer I am tempted to go to the Bristol office for a few days/week. I’d have to bring my work laptop though 🙁

    T1000
    Free Member

    howabout doing it as half weekly rides

    ride in mon, tue, weds

    buy a weekly ticket

    train in thurs, fri, mon, tues, weds

    ride in thurs and friday

    halve your travel costs enable you to carry in loads of clothes for the riding Days

    + you can add in a few extra one ways if you feel up to it using a lighter bike as you’ll have enough Changes of clothes

    crapknees
    Free Member

    Just about to start a new job that’s about 35 miles away. Hoping that flexible hours will allow me to ride there, and take the train home when the weather’s carp. Just looking at luggage options!

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    I do 20 miles each way with a reasonable amount of climbing. I do it 5 days a week occasionally but not every week, so between 3-5 on average. I also ride at the weekend. I head down to the coast on the return journey so pretty much always have a strong headwind home.

    Doing a 60 mile round trip 3 times a week would be perfectly doable though by 5 days on the trot would be a killer.

    60 miles is pushing it a day, and 15mph what you riding a unicycle?

    It is if you’re going to hammer it all the time. 15mph average is lower than I would expect on a road bike though. Think my average last year for just under 6000 miles commuting was 16.5mph, that’s including winter where speed does drop a fair bit.

    Leave what you can at work, the less you have to carry the better. In summer everything I need goes in my back pockets and I do a clothes changeover the days I drive. In winter I use a waterproof rucksack as I’m happy being a bit warmer, have another light at a higher level and need a bigger range of kit with me.

    But yes its perfectly doable.

    munrobiker
    Free Member

    I do 30 miles a day at the moment, I feel I could do 50 miles before getting fed up with it. I do drive when I want to, don’t do more than 3 rides a week and never a full ride in and back on Thursdays which is night ride day.

    My old job was a 70 mile round trip and after a full day’s work I could very rarely be bothered with a 2 hour ride home after getting up at 6am to get there in time. And it saved me no money because I had to eat quite a bit more to manage. I ended up driving halfway with a towbar bike rack and that was much more pleasant.

    eskay
    Full Member

    I used to do it but only once week, it makes a very long day.

    I eventually found a safe parking space in a small village en route about 15miles from work, a far more enjoyable experience.

    You need to be careful of not turning it into a chore.

    bigbmx
    Free Member

    Did 30 miles each way 5 days a week for a year. It’s fine if you have no commitments ( children, pets etc).
    You will not have anytime to do anything. I was up at 5am, leave the house at 6am back at 7.30pm. Make dinner, wash up, make sandwiches for the next day and bed by 10pm.
    Get up at least an hour before you have to leave, check bike over for punctures etc before anything else like making breakfast, also gives you a good indication of what clothes are needed.
    Get home, check the bike before you put it away, clean, lube, inflate tyres.
    Get your clothes, luggage, bottles etc ready the night before.
    If you do this you shouldn’t be in a mad rush every morning forgetting things.
    Your bike will wear out quickly if you don’t keep on top of it.
    You will spend lots of money on food and lose weight.

    But you should be fit and fast after!

    Mudguards are awesome

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Get up at least an hour before you have to leave, check bike over for punctures etc before anything else like making breakfast, also gives you a good indication of what clothes are needed.
    Get home, check the bike before you put it away, clean, lube, inflate tyres.
    Get your clothes, luggage, bottles etc ready the night before.

    I agree with points 1 and 3 but not all of point 2, you clean the bike every day?

    There’s no need to go over the top with the amount of food you eat.

    I have a friend who does 35 miles each way a couple of times a week all year round – same route as me but opposite way round so he always gets a tailwind home. He takes it easy though and also has the option of the train half way through if he’s struggling.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    I have to disagree. Most doable, I commuted from just north of Hemel to Staples Corner every day for years. That’s about 30 plus each day.

    30 miles plus each day is a bit different from 60!

    I can average low 20s on the quick bike

    On a solo ride? If that’s the case you shouldn’t be riding to work you should be doing it for a living.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    I try to do ‘the long commute’ once a week, but it does depend on teh weather. It’s 38 and a bit miles each way.

    No way I could do it everyday (even if I tell myself I want to) as it just takes too long. Getting up before 5 to aim for a 7:30am arrival at work just isn’t good! Never get a good overall average speed as have to negotiate the east end of London all teh way to Holborn, so it’s just slow progress sometimes.

    barrykellett
    Free Member

    Only you can decide.
    Just do it.

    I know a guy who regularly does just over 40 miles each way, on his rest days he drives part of the way and only does between 22 and 30 each way. What a waster.

    benp1
    Full Member

    Wow, average speeds here are ridiculous!

    My best commute average speed is 16.5mph! A different bike etc might help but I’m still the limiting factor. A more relaxed 15-15.5mph is more standard for me!!

    Hmmm, maybe I need to be doing some training

    DT78
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the comments, I should be able to work from home at least once a week so that would break things up a little. Train isn’t an option. I don’t want to take a role which means I now don’t cycle at all, but likewise I don’t want to be knackered and have no time for anything but work and commuting!

    Eventually aim will be to move home closer so it isn’t such a journey.

    finbar
    Free Member

    I can average low 20s on the quick bike

    On a solo ride? If that’s the case you shouldn’t be riding to work you should be doing it for a living.

    Hardly. Assuming the OP is talking about a 30 mile ride, that might optimistically equate to, say, a 58 minute 25m TT. Which is actually fairly impressive, but it’s not exactly going to have OPQS banging on the door for him to replace Tony Martin.

    Incidentally, I rode 25 miles into London this morning. It took me 2h05m. Traffic lights and traffic are a ****.

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