[Closed] Who does a 20mileish commute (by bike)? I'm considering it...

I used to. I found it pretty wearing doing it every day and that was when I was fit.

two or three times a week was better.

I do, but not all the time. I did it quite regularly and the time really starts to add up. But it's nice to do it a few times a week.

used to do 18 each way now it's 14 or 15 each way, 2 days a week is great and I end up going the long way home where I can, 3 days works too but 4 or 5 becomes a chore

Yep 25 miles here, love it! but I've got sympathetic boss and colleagues.
Started off doing drive in cycle home as you suggest for a few months to get the fitness up now happily doing 150 miles a week (3 days per week). Great way to get the fitness up but plays havoc with family commitments as it's essentially a 12 hr day!

I used to do 16 each way but couldn't be arsed to ride on the weekend after a full week so took the train Mondays and Fridays.

As I don't need a car in the evenings and I am single I work my commuting like this -

Monday drive to work then ride home
Tuesday ride both ways
Wednesday ride in then drive home
Thursday drive in then ride home
Friday ride in then drive home

Minimum distance is 20 miles but I did a couple of 65 mile rides home last month. I was riding anywhere between 125 and 200 miles a week. When I first started this job I was riding in excess of 250 miles a week, commuting both ways every day. But I was 13 years younger, fitter and more stupid!

So yes, it's perfectly possible but a lot depends on your life outside the bike.

20 miles here, but I get the train in the morning, which seems to work quite nicely. Also gives me the option of picking and choosing if the weather is crappy in an afternoon. Tend to end up riding home 3 or 4 days a week at the moment, though will probably increase with nicer weather.

Did 17 miles each way, on a 24hr shift pattern, every day for about 9 months including through some winter months. Stopped in January when work moved me further away (25ish and a rotten route) and missed it, just moved back to my original base so will be doing it again. when I do a set of 7 days in a row I wont be doing all 7 as I'll be too broken to do fun rides on my rest days!

If you have the ability then the alternating drive/ride method is ideal IMHO as you can cover your logistics (pre-transporting food/clothing) and avoid fatigue of riding daily (and avoid poor weather) and still get the benefit of exercise/financial savings, but that isn't an option where I am.

Try some of the morning ride-ins as a fasted ride (no brekkie, just a black coffee to start the metabolism), don't smash it in and have some food waiting (and with you in case you bonk), trains your body to burn fat stores apparently.

Used to and like some others I found it tiring so used to alternate going in on train with bike/cycling back or going both ways depending on how I'm feeling. It made a big difference time wise being on a nice bike and on roads rather than lanes and paths although it obviously depends on your route and what's available

you do get in great shape though 🙂

I did 25 miles each way all last year.I live pretty high up so am was a recovery spin and pm was pretty hard work.
I'd do it 4 or 5 times a week and ride another 1 or 2 days (to make 6 days riding).
But I'm single and had nothing else to do except get up at 6,ride,work,ride and get home at 8,eat and go to bed.
This year I've ridden about 100 miles in total! 🙂

Yep, 22 miles each way into client site in London. I try and do three days a week, I've done four a couple of times but it's really tiring for me to do it consistently on top of work and family life. It also stuffs up riding for fun at the weekends if you're shattered from commuting, so don't overdo it.

How long does your commute take in the car? For me I'm about 15-20mins longer than on public transport so the justification is easy in terms of time, although the effort has been wearing through the winter and I've had weeks when I didn't ride at all. I'm hoping that now we have lighter evenings (and mornings) and slightly improved weather I'll be more consistent and will see the benefits.

I do 20 miles each way 3 to 5 days a week all year round. 5 days this week, and even though I've been doing it for nearly 9 years my legs still get tired mid week, but are usually fine again for Thursday.

Doing Monday/Wednesday/Friday is ideal but I've got to take the opportunity when I can as work gets in the way at times as I need to be down south now and again or in an early meeting.

[i]It's got to take about an hour and a quarter[/i]

It takes me on average over the year 1h 15m ride time so there you go, but by the time lock my bike, go to locker, get stuff, shower put stuff away I'm usually at my desk about 8:45, and I leave at 7am.

To be honest I don't find it that tiring, I try to take it easy at least one way but I've always got a headwind home. High cadence works for me. I've still got plenty energy and desire to ride about 50 miles most weekends.

I love it, can't wait for the ride home. Now is a great time of year for the year round long distance commuter as all the racers are emerging from a winter of resting - there's lots of folk to be chased down and they get quite a surprise when the guy on the full mudguarded bike rattled by. They're there for the taking 🙂

I'm 47 btw and fitter now than I've ever been.

I do 23 miles each way 1 day and 10 miles each way 4 days a week. Anymore and it effects my mountain biking at the weekend.

I used to do 15, doesn't sound like much but it soon got fatigueing. Took about 3 months to aclimatise to doing that and still going for a ride once at the weekend and once mid week (about 14 hours a week in the saddle).

20 miles would be doable, but I suspect you'd have to build upto doing it daily between now and September, and by October you'd be tapering back down again as the weather turns.

[i]and by October you'd be tapering back down again as the weather turns. [/i]

Pah, no need for that nonsense 🙂

I drive/ride, ride/drive on my 18 mile commute. Work bike storage is woeful so I don't want to ride both ways, plus storage of kit etc would also be a pita. Only once a week at the mo as I do other stuff on some midweek evenings so riding as well would eat too much time/energy.

Interesting reading, start a new job on monday which could be a 14 mile canal towpath commute,but through some rough areas of Birmingham 🙁 ..... looking at maybe 2-3 times a week once ive settled in, may build a SS crosser for it 🙂 .. any excuse

17 miles for me. Bolton to Preston. Hardest thing is getting up and out, but once out, I love it. Aim for 3 times a week.

I do 17 miles each way twice a week. It OK in the morning, but coming home is difficult not least because of the headwind and the amount of traffic and lights. Also after a long day at work, its not something I enjoy and takes up to 1hr 45 mins in winter.

even 5 miles 10 times a week can be tough: no recovery.

I spent a short time doing 15 miles e/w. was shattered by the weekend - but as above the time adds up; especially of you have long unpredictable hours.

I decided that 15 was about the maximum i'd want to do 3-4 days a week; didn't matter as we only moved 6 miles from work (9 by my route)

I used too when I worked in the office.
I've changed jobs now, so my Truck is my office, and I'm all over the place, so can't.
I miss it.
( The riding, not the job..)

My commute is 21Km each way. Did a long stretch of 5 days a week last year but it took a little while to build up to that. It's a mixture of 1/3rd rural, 1/3rd urban, 1/3rd canal towpath. I was definitely getting tired later in the year and dropped it to four days per week.

All depends on how hilly the route is.. I do 10 miles each way to work usually 3 times a week.. There's more or less 1000ft of climbing each way. Wouldn't really want to do it more

I can stretch my commute to 19 miles each way- flat, along towpaths and river banks - when I want to. Usual route is 12 miles each way.

Twice a week is usually enough, normally just to ride home along the river after yet another shit day, pausing for rehydration at a canal side hostelry.

Frankly, even a flat commute that length kills me if I do it too often, spoils my weekend rides.

45-50 mile round trip which takes up 3 hours of my time which would otherwise be spent lard-arsing in a car - it tkes the same time to cycle as ride due to traffic. Haven't driven once in the last two years even mid winter and heavy rain... over 10,000 miles a year is a lot of disel and a hell of a saving I can spend on bikes 🙂

I did 15 miles each way for three months a few years ago tues, we'd and thurs only. Amazingly was only rained on once during those three months. Absolutely loved it. Felt great at work. Was as fit as I'd been for ages. Would love to be able to do that again. Probably helped that I knew it was for limited time though (and no rain!).

I often do c. 30km off road commute although it's actually only 2km in a direct line. live in millhouses and commute via eccy, Blacka woods, Houndkirk, or drop to hathersage and go over stanage and/or porter valley to the top end of ringinglow. As its usually early there are some 'quite nice' cheeky alterantives. Sometimes go on the road for a couple of hours, although usually on the MTB.

In my last job it was about 7 miles across town, even using all of the traffic free cycle paths I could find it still took less time than sitting in the car in traffic. Not sure I could face a commute any longer.

Not sure how helpful any of the above is to the OP. It's doable i guess but depends on your fitness, You'll possibly need to drop other riding for a few weeks until you've adapted to it.

A flat 15 mile each way for me averaging 2-3 times per week over the last 2 years but I'm bored of it now so I'm having a break. The winter's hard work as well.

I actually feel like it hasn't been making me any fitter, I got very good at riding 15 miles but had lost fitness for longer, hilly rides so this year I've cut it right back and have been spending my energy on evening/night mtb and long weekend road rides instead.

28 miles each way with 1600 foot of climbing. At least twice a week sometimes three. Done this for the last two years, my fitness has rocketed. Be prepared and have the right mindset, as others, I love the ride in on a fresh morning and sometimes extend it. Ridden in some hellish conditions like.

I actually feel like it hasn't been making me any fitter, I got very good at riding 15 miles

Good point. I can ride a flat 12 mile route at a steady pace any day. Just need to find a club that specialises in those kind of rides.....

It can be tough. Mines 25 miles each way, I can't do it for the full week as it builds up to a unbearable point on day 4 and makes riding a chore. I then need around 3 days to recover. I do work 12 hr shifts too, which may make it worse.

I'm once again amazed at how fit people on here are. I used to do 13 miles a day total 3 or 4 times a week. I was ok, but if I did 5 then I was gubbed.

For the last 4 months I've been doing 25 miles a day 2 or 3 days a week, and that is hard work. I once did 4 days and it nearly killed me.

I can't understand how people can do 20+ per day for 4 or 5 days a week. I just don't get it. They must be machines.

24 miles each way here. Great when the weather's good, depressing when not. Totally knackered by Friday so a rest day or two is advisable otherwise it becomes a real chore.

In my late 30s/early 40s I did 20 miles in and 20 back but it was quite wearing so I reverted to every other day and that was comfortable. Then I went to 25 miles in and 25 miles back and that was uncomfortable but manageable. Then circumstances led to 10 miles in and 10 miles back and that was sustainable on a daily basis.
That was all on a 26" hard tail with nobblies for the most part.

More recently I was doing 2 miles, then train, then 11 miles and then the reverse home, on a Brompton, three consecutive days a week and that was doable, although the London traffic took some getting used to!

I think the answer is to try it, and see what is comfortable for you. I'd suggest, every other day might be the best starting point.

I used to do 12 on my HT ok but we moved & It's now 15. Last time I tried it was when I was on nights about 2 years ago, by Thursday morning it was taking me 1 1/2 hours to get home, my legs just wouldn't work & I was knackered. I don't do it at all now.

17.5 miles each way but it's straight down a major road into Manchester and can be pretty horrible so I only do it if the weather's good and I can go outside the really busy times. It's quicker door to door than the train but I probably only do it once a week on average.

I did 17 in 13 back for a while. Usually 6 days a week. No alternative so you became accustomed to it. Knew a guy that used to do about 15 miles each way but would run into work once a week. Knew few who did low 20s each way. I think the biggest thing is becoming accustomed to the time it takes. I was living in a part of London with poor public transport so it was quicker to do 17 mile on the bike. Same for the guys I knew who did 20 ish miles. You learn to plod along even when very tired.

I think the difficulty for Cirencester to Swindon is that it is all to easy to have a lie in and drive in and take it easy. For me I had to get up at the same time, or would arrive home if I cycled or took the train, plus it would cost me more money and be crowded.

Just started doing 16 each way into London following the Thames from Surrey so pretty flat. I'll do it when I'm in the office which will be 3/4 times a week but is every day for the next month or so at least, quicker than commuting by train even allowing for a shower and change. 20 miles each way would be hard graft as a daily ride.

Just started doing 16 each way into London again following the Thames from Surrey so pretty flat. I'll do it when I'm in the office which will be 3/4 times a week but it's every day for the next month or so at least, quicker than commuting by train even allowing for a shower and change. 20 miles each way would be hard graft as a daily ride but you do get used to it.

I did 18 each way - during a 20 months driving ban -I had good days but sometimes it was a nightmare .. If you've got the option to drive I'd bet good money your motivation will dwindle - The worst was putting wet clothing back on - And then again the next day - often I'd get home and couldn't be arsed to dry clothes - It's also mega time consuming.. Seriously dude wouldn't bother - sorry to sound defeatist ..

I have a 34 miles each way commute. Until I'm really fit, I drive in one day and cycle home, then cycle back the next morning and drive home - tomorrow being the case.

I find that the biggest challenge with a 68mile ride plus a full day at work, is that the commute alone burns 3000 calories and I struggle to get enough food into me during the day. 5500 decent calories in a day is hard to do!

23 miles or so each way, I ride it once a week. Get the train the other days and last week I managed to beat the door-to-door time of the train. (extra 15 mins for a shower though so its not perfect yet)

If I plan ahead, I take clothes in prior to biking in, and try and avoid needing the laptop at home so I can reduce the load.

35 miles each way here, on a good week I do it 3 times, a bad one its just once, there are many more good weeks than bad. I've found getting the train Monday and Friday means I can drop off and take home clothes whilst also leaving me fresh ish for the weekend. I can do it in 2 hours on a good day so it's not that much slower than the train.

It does wear me out though, I'm dead on Fridays but can live with that. It also means I can eat like a horse and not get too fat.

[i]I can't understand how people can do 20+ per day for 4 or 5 days a week. I just don't get it. They must be machines.[/i]

I guess I've just got used to it and some days I ride in and don't really feel like I've done any exercise at all. It wasn't like that at the start though.

I don't have a lot of climbing though, only 700ft on the way in and 1000ft home - most of which is gained on a 4 mile climb.

I disagree on the point about only making you good for that distance, riding twice a day does huge amounts for your endurance, throw in a couple of days a week where I do intervals, traffic lights are great for this, and it doesn't harm speed either.

Off road 12-15 miles each way.

Like a lot say it wears you in a way regular riding doesn't. Doesn't feel like a proper exercise to me either.

Do it 2-4 times a week.

But then I like to ride harder at the weekend and sometimes feel a bit stuffed from the gentle commute.

I do 12.5 in and sometimes a bit further home. Not regularly, it's not a good road particularly in cold dark wet winters, and because i need to be home and fresh in good time to take my kids to various after school sports clubs I can only do it once or twice a week from clocks forward to clocks back, and then up it in the holidays (twice this week, maybe 3x a week in summer holidays). Takes about 45-50 mins depending on traffic / traffic lights and whether there's a train at the level crossing.

It does increase fitness, but here's a question; most of my weekend mtb'ing is substantially longer than these 45 mins, typically 3-4 hour rides. To get the best out of the commutes, my impulse is to push hard particularly up the 3 short hills (total is about 130m climb) and try to use it to build some top end speed and power rather than endurance. But then I hit the office sweating like a DJ at the computer repair shop (no showers at work, wet wipe wash only), and spend the next 2 hours coughing. Am i getting any significant benefit from doing this a couple of times a week or should I just ease back and enjoy the ride?

I do 10 each way, but it's more often than not extended to about 14. Quite hilly though (300m of climbing average).

I don't think there would be much in it between a 20 mile and 10/12/15 mile commute. Its another half hour on the bike (the fun bit!), but just as much getting changed and packing clothes etc.. (the boring bit).

Getting changed in the toilets at 5 while everyone else is out the door like a shot gets me down. Then I have to lock up and close the office down... Also, making sure the bike kit gets washed every night and I have a supply of clothes to take into work. That stuff makes commuting everyday hard, not really the riding. You can always get up 20 mins earlier and have a steady ride into work if you're tired.

I do ~37 mile round trip usually 4 days per week - half rural cyclepath, half main roads, determined to do it every day at least once this year but usually bad weather / headwind induced fatigue has caught up with me by Friday! Having Wednesday as a rest day works well for me just now, used to do 3 days per week & take Tuesday & Thursday off which was good to start with - this was coming from a 18 mile round trip before we moved & to be honest I was surprised at how quickly I got used to it - the good weather last summer helped massively.

Give it a bash & don't beat yourself up if you simply can't be arsed some mornings, likewise if the weather is horrible - i've tried doing it through heavy wind & rain but it's really no fun being cold & wet for an hour + first thing in the morning, then putting wet gear back on at night to do the same & you end up burst the next day.

[i]Getting changed in the toilets at 5 while everyone else is out the door like a shot gets me down. Then I have to lock up and close the office down... Also, making sure the bike kit gets washed every night and I have a supply of clothes to take into work. That stuff makes commuting everyday hard, not really the riding. You can always get up 20 mins earlier and have a steady ride into work if you're tired. [/i]

Everyone getting out the door before me doesn't bother me, its not a race and I'm happy knowing generally they're either going to stand and wait for a bus or sit in a queue of traffic.

I have enough kit that I don't need to wash it every night, usually do a wash on a Wednesday and Friday. Buy more kit.

I take a supply of clothes on the days I drive, or if I pass the office at the weekend but I have a locker.

Like @theotherjonv we've no showers at work (meant to be getting some at some point as there's a few who cycle in to work) so I tend to take it easy on the way in to avoid working up too much of a sweat, then it's wet wipes and a bit of deodorant. It helps that it's generally downhill on the way to work.

I leave a pair of shoes and a pair of trousers and coat at work so I don't have to take those every day - we don't have to wear formal clothes at work so so long as I'm presentable it's not a problem. I also leave a pair of underpants and socks at work just in case I forget to put those in my saddlebag and don't have to go commando 😳

After a while you get in to the swing of things, my saddlebag has tools, spares and rain jacket in it permanently so I don't forget them, I just need to shove t-shirt, underpants, socks, wallet and phone in to a dry bag which can be done the night before.

If it's chucking it down in the morning then I get the train - I'm cycling to work because I want to, not to make some kind of point - putting wet cycling kit on to ride home isn't pleasant and you have the whole day to think about having to do it.

I do a massive [b]4[/b] miles 😀

I leave some a poloshirt, jeans, socks, underwear and shoes in my office. But, I carry my laptop, lunch and other clothes on the panniers each day to and from work. I try to stay under the sweat/effort limit as I've not got any showers available here.

I've found that cycling with luggage takes a lot more effort. Try to avoid that if you can.

Im about to do my first ride home tomorrow, 18 miles off road, cant be arsed with on road even tho its about 5 miles shorter. 13 miles on a Alpine 160 doesnt appeal to me if im honest. lol.

Brought my bike and stuff in today, will catch the train to work tomorrow morning and ride home after work.

20 miles each way, every day is a lot of endurance miles. Whilst the distance isn't so bad, the intensity will mean that you will be great for endurance but struggle to recover - think 12 mph or less average speed at least two days a week. If you are riding intervals on the way in as well to raise intensity then the ride home should take about an hour and a half or more. That's a lot of time in a week.

I ride a flat 20 miles into work at least twice a week (including hard intervals), plus recovery 7 miles on the way home. On Tuesdays I ride 7 miles in followed by a 40 mile club ride. On other days I ride 9 miles both ways. Finally on Fridays I ride to a different site which is 14 miles each way. If I work late Friday evenings and am racing Saturday then I sometimes catch the tube home with the bike.

20 miles each way, every day would see me struggle for variety and time commitment, to be honest. Recovery is important.

I ride my bike to work when I can - it does require careful planning with clothes etc - you don't want to lug a heavy bag or panniers. And sometimes you have those meetings where a clean smart suit is required.

The facilties make a huge difference, where I am now we have a brilliant and mostly empty girls locker room and shower, with this giant clothes dryer thing to dry kit during the day.

No secure bike storage tho, so I have to drive in, leave the car overnight then cycle home, other way in the morning. Out of respect and admiration the security guys upgraded my pass so I can leave the car in the secure compound with the fleet cars, which was nice !

18 miles each way. Just about every day, each way Monday to Friday. I hate it sometimes.

I don't get this 'washing kit being a drag' bit. Maybe im a scruff but I wear one set of coolmax-y pants per week and get them washed at weekend with my mtb gear.

I've got another 2 sets of the same pants so can be (relatively) fresh as a daisy. Shoes can be put on a shoe dryer in the bike shed at home or sneakily put on a radiator at work if the morning commute is wet.

keeping on top of kit isn't a hassle I find but I do about 7 miles each way and don't have to work up a sweat

Facilities do make a big difference, one place I worked at had locked internal bike storage (only those who biked to work and asked had a key); showers; drying facilities and didn't mind you using your desk drawers to store clothes or personal hygiene products or charging lights.

No doubt a few firms won't install cycling facilities because "no-one bikes to work", it's a chicken and egg situation.

12 miles each way, but with longer daylight hours that goes up to about 23 in and 16 home. I found the sweet spot to be three days a week with Tuesday and Thursday off. We finish early on a Friday so I try to stretch the run home out to 30 miles with some hills thrown in.
I feel no guilt going to the pub on Friday evening after walking the dog.

I think I'll start with drive in Monday, ride home, ride in Tuesday, drive home and drive the rest of the week. For one it means that once I've ridden home on the Monday (when I should still be reasonably fresh) I'm committed to riding in on the Tuesay morning as the van will be at work. I'll see how that goes for a few weeks and then maybe repeat on Weds/Thurs.

It does increase fitness, but here's a question; most of my weekend mtb'ing is substantially longer than these 45 mins, typically 3-4 hour rides. To get the best out of the commutes, my impulse is to push hard particularly up the 3 short hills (total is about 130m climb) and try to use it to build some top end speed and power rather than endurance. But then I hit the office sweating like a DJ at the computer repair shop (no showers at work, wet wipe wash only), and spend the next 2 hours coughing. Am i getting any significant benefit from doing this a couple of times a week or should I just ease back and enjoy the ride?

Probably, I always figure any 'training' is better than nothing unless you're too tired for the next session. I usualy tried to do the morning at a regular pace then aim for a PB on the way home. Did it by setting the computer to display average speed then aiming to be 0.1 mph over the target at the start (which was fairly flat) then killing myself on the hills so it didn't drop, then getting a bit of a boost down the other side. If I missed the target the next day was a rest day at an easier pace, then try again the day after. This was in the days before strava.

I used to commute Cirencester (Siddington) to Swindon. I would not have done it everyday off road. Did it a few times for fun but my standard route was on road. I remember a lot of cars used to fly around those lanes.

I also had a deal with my wife that if I did not want to cycle home she would pick me up en route between Swindon and Cricklade. This worked well as she avoided the wonderful rush hour traffic in Swindon.

Point is, its ok, but have a back up plan.

Do it. It's a long way to do every day, but you'll get fit and save alot of money!

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22 flat miles each way, 2/3 times a week (i work long hour shifts, only 3 a week) so leave at 5:30am to be in work showered at 7:15am, and finish at 20:30pm, don't do it when I'm on nights, if I'm on a late sometimes ill take a 2/3 hour ride to work

sometimes i do the car to work, leave car ride home thing, always checking the weather apps, if its icy i don't, its all back roads, if its due to rain i wake up check outside and if its hammering down have another hour in bed, all common sense.

30mile round trip for me. 3,500ft of climbing (Bristol!).

Been doing that for about 4years every work-day (and about another 8 years before that around 1/2 the distance and climbing).

Used a road bike for the last 18mths but was on various HTs with knobblies before that.

Just about to move jobs to a 40mile round trip, but probably less than 1,000ft of climbing.

Clean shirt in the camelback every day (and a laptop, lunch and 2 D-locks). Current work has showers but old work was a refresh in the disabled loo!

Manage one weekend MTB rise of about 4hours and have one weekend day off the bike.