# Ideal commuting distance



## Muaythaibike (Oct 26, 2007)

Ok, most of us dont have that much control as to how far from we have to commute each day to our jobs. If you could customize you perfect commuting distance to work what would it be. Since I average about 13.5 mph commuting I would love a 14 mile trip. 1/2 hour to and 1/2 back. Get a ride in without killing myself and I think this distance is OK even in poor weather.

What do you say???


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

I really liek my 15 miles each way commute, which is long enough that I get a lot of riding in but short enough that it's not a real chore and I can ride on the weekends, if I want.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

My commute is pretty flexible- depending on the weather and the condition of the streets, it can be as short as 5.3 miles one way to as long as 13 miles one way. 

Right now, because of the ice and crappy conditions, my route is 6.7 miles one way- that keeps me on bike paths about 60-70% of the time and on low-traffic residential streets for the rest of the ride. It's a nice distance and a pretty decent ride- It'll be even better when the city finally gets around to finishing the bike bridge over the one major crossroad...

When the roads are in better shape and there aren't glaciers covering the bike lanes, I can ride my short route- nice when I'm running late. But right now, riding that route is pretty much suicide.

When the roads are in good shape and I get up early enough to drop off my daughter at daycare by 7:00, I can take the long route around the back side of the lake and get a really nice ride in before work- that's a beautiful ride with lots of beautiful views of the city and the lake.


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## oarsman (Nov 6, 2005)

My commute is slightly too long - about 25 km each way. I think 15-20 km would be ideal, with longer optional routes on the way home.


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

In my opinion, the best commute is whatever you can do in one hour then do it at least three times a week. OR do something that's 1/2 hour 5 days a week since the recovery time is much less. For me, I try to average 18-19mph on flat ground so 17 or so miles each way is just about right for my commute, three times a week. Many people commute an hour or more by car, so if you could do the same time on the bike, all the better. The gas savings only gets better the longer you have to ride.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I've had commutes of 6.5, 7.2, 17, 10 and now 10.5 miles. I found the 6 and 7 mile commutes a bit short on the afternoon ride home, but liked them in the mornings. The 17 mile commute was too long in the morning but great on the way home. I like the the 10 mile commute. My current 10.5 mile commute takes 45 minutes and has lots of starting and stopping on about 5 miles of surface streets. The old 10 mile commute was all bike path and only took 35 minutes in the morning and under 30 on the way home. I think 30 minutes is the minimum I'd want to ride, because the 20 minute, 6-7 mile rides just weren't getting me enough of a workout. Many evenings, I'd continue on the bike path and do about 20-30 miles.

I actually did have a choice of how far to commute. I moved about a year ago. Knowing where I was working, I picked a neighborhood that put me within a certain distance to the bike path and to work. They were actually pretty high on the list of requirements when we moved.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

I'm pretty happy with 6 each ways. I figure I can always ride more if I want to, but then again, with a family, time is tight, so I rarely make a detour. I really wish I had a good dirt loop I could hook into on the route. I'm gonna check this out on the way in one of these days:

http://www.bbtc.org/colonnade/


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## slowrider (Mar 12, 2004)

My first commute was 32 miles a day (16 miles each way). My current commute is 31 miles a day (14 miles to work, 17 going home). My ideal commute would be 20 miles a day. That is far enough to get a good workout without having to worry about recovery (I'm over 40), and the weather. Plus, I could sleep later.


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

Mine are 12 and 15 miles each way and I find that to be about ideal for me. When the weather is nice and we have more daylight I'll often tack on more miles by taking the long way home a few times a week. 140-180 miles a week of commuting seems to keep me happy. I'm planning to ride on a 30-50mile Sunday morning group ride this year so we'll see if that effects anything.

singlecross


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

singlecross said:


> Mine are 12 and 15 miles each way and I find that to be about ideal for me. When the weather is nice and we have more daylight I'll often tack on more miles by taking the long way home a few times a week. 140-180 miles a week of commuting seems to keep me happy. I'm planning to ride on a 30-50mile Sunday morning group ride this year so we'll see if that effects anything.
> 
> singlecross


Mine is about that. When I'm in prime shape, I don't have a problem doing a big ride on the weekends if I take 'er easy during the week.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

My commute is about 22 miles roundtrip and I wouldn't want it any shorter. In fact, I could easily shorten my route to 18 miles RT but have never done it, although I've stretched it out to as long as 30 on occasion. Wouldn't want it longer than 30 miles RT because that would take too much time.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I really like my commute from the kitchen to the home office. And the ability to get out during the day for a ride is nice too.


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## pyrtwist (Feb 5, 2008)

I enjoy my 3 mile commute to work and the extra 9 miles I add on the way home providing good conditions. I think 10 miles to work would be great in good weather but then again busting arse to work in 12 minutes is good enough for me.


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

I have ten miles of comutting per day broken into 2-one mile rides and 2-4mile rides. I don't think it is that ideal, but it does add 50 miles per week which makes my weekly mileage sound more impressive. I'd also like to think that it helps with recovery speed, but thats probably pure optimism.


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## kannas (Feb 7, 2004)

New job, 25 miles each way. Hefty commute but I can swing it two to three times a week.
Seeing riders out an about as I drive there and back is an incentive along with the $3.89/gal diesel price this week...


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

My commute is 18 mi. one way. I'd like it better if it was closer to 10.


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

I've been a full time bike commuter for about 2 years now, and until September had a 13 mile r/t. Took about 25 minutes each way which was nice, but also just long enough to get sweaty and get the heart rate up, before I reached home/work and needed a shower.
Then I moved and the ride is not 23 miles r/t, which I much prefer. 45 - 50min on the bike twice a day is really a solid block of exercise. The bulk of the added miles are on an MUP so they are (relatively) stress free, giving me a great chunk of unplugged time before and after a 10-12 hour workday.


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## nonsleepingjon (Oct 18, 2002)

I would really like my total daily commute to be 50 miles with an optional 100 mile route without having to stop at work in the middle.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

kannas said:


> New job, 25 miles each way. Hefty commute but I can swing it two to three times a week.
> Seeing riders out an about as I drive there and back is an incentive along with the $3.89/gal diesel price this week...


I never thought that driving my TDI would start being expensive... I would totally ride my bike even the 50 mile trip that I do 2x/week IF I had shower facilities at work with these prices. Any ideas on that? Portable shower maybe?


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

1.3 mile each way. Fixed brakeless commute.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

MIN in PDX said:


> 1.3 mile each way. Fixed brakeless commute.


You coffee shop bike is killer.


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

> I never thought that driving my TDI would start being expensive... I would totally ride my bike even the 50 mile trip that I do 2x/week IF I had shower facilities at work with these prices. Any ideas on that? Portable shower maybe?


If you have a gym within a mile or so of your workplace, just join it. The money I saved by commuting pays for it.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Pablo said:


> You coffee shop bike is killer.


Thanks, i just built it up. Incidentally, I rode that to work today. In fact, I just got off the bike 2 minutes ago after sprinting home for lunch and sprinting back. It is much faster than my fixed gear bike. I have a closet that i park in, which is locked and protected by corporate-complex DMZ border.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

MIN in PDX said:


> Thanks, i just built it up. Incidentally, I rode that to work today. In fact, I just got off the bike 2 minutes ago after sprinting home for lunch and sprinting back. It is much faster than my fixed gear bike. I have a closet that i park in, which is locked and protected by corporate-complex DMZ border.


The more I look at it, the more I like it.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

2.2 miles dead flat each way. Fixed gear commuter. I sometimes wish it were longer, but I like the "option" of making it so on occasion.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*depends*

Mine is about 13 miles each way, shortest safe route. If it were raining and cold, ideal would be about 5 miles. When it's sunny, 75 degrees, and I'm in no hurry, 30 miles would be ideal.


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## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

I commute 24 miles each way, 48 per day. I drive to work monday morning (to drop off my clothes and park my car at work because Im a consultant so sometimes I have to go to architects offices in LA, San Diego and other OC cities). I then ride the rest of the week and drive my car home friday night. I joined 24 hour fitness so I could shower. 

My boss looks at me like im an idiot when i get in in the morning wearing a pair of baggy mountain bike shorts and a t-shirt. 

Oh and Im currently doing it single speed on my specialized tricross. It is taking me about an 1.5 hours in the morning plus .5 hours to shower and get dressed. It is taking me about 1.25 hours to get home at night. Im definately going to buy a surly LHT complete in the next month. Single speed is not the most efficient way to commute 48 miles per day.


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

My commute is about 43 miles EACH way, but I have never ridden it (well, 2 days a week, my commute is about 60 feet because I work from home). Occasionally, I drive about 30 miles, park the car, and ride the last 13. But that has gotten difficult with my wife's new schedule. Sooooo, I've pretty much given up on bike commuting to work and am focusing on using the bike for other trips (groceries, errands, meeting friends at the bar--is it a good idea to drink and ride?).

I look forward to moving someday and setting myself up with a 10-12 mile bike commute (each way). I think that would be ideal.


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## RoadLoad (Jan 18, 2005)

Just under 20 each way. I love it except in the winter when its dark, icy/wet and cold.


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

I've had two different distances.

I used to commute 29 miles each way, The most I would usually do would be twice a week and definitely not in the winter.

Now my commute is only 14.5 miles each way. 70 minutes in, 45 home (I work on top of a 300-400 foot hill and the winds are friendlier on the way home). I do commute year round now, but truthfully 7 or 8 miles would be ideal on the really cold days, that seems to be when the cold starts to get into my clothes on those single-digit and teens temp. days.

I find I can still commute 4-5 days a week and do a big (50-100 mile) ride on the weekend during the summer. Of course I take it easy the last two days of the week to make sure I'm rested up for it, and I ride the big ride either solo or with people of a lower fitness level so that it doesn't hurt too bad.


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## bwj75 (Nov 22, 2002)

*Commute*

Just started commuting. Day 3. 8.5 miles in and then I go home on a 20 mile route. Good combo of quick in and longer home. Had to wear the headlamp today, 19 degrees and very dark.

Hopefully I can keep it up.


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## lawndart (Oct 4, 2004)

my commute is approx 5.5 miles now. but by this weekend it'll be 12.5 miles. I felt the 5.5 is too short. I'd be warming up by the time i pull into our parkinglot. Plus it probably takes me as long to get dressed and lock up or getting undressed/shower as it does to get to work. Now it'll be a little more justified.


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## MDGColorado (Nov 9, 2004)

I've had commutes from 3 to 16 miles each way. I think 10 is about perfect. Mine is 13 now, so it's better than perfect.


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## Data Junkie (Dec 31, 2006)

Mine is 28 miles each way 3 days a week. I think half that every day a week would be perfect. 
However, I still enjoy my rides.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

I would say any distance that can be ridden in an hour, max. Anything longer and it'll take too much time.


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## Michelin Bicycle Tech (Nov 14, 2007)

During the winter months, I am forced to take roads instead of single track so that takes my commute down to 1.5 miles each way. I hate to say it, but I really don't like to commute it, even though I do. It almost seems like too little of a bike ride for me. It takes me just as long to get all bundled up for the cold New Hampshire winter weather. Sure, I usually only ride in Jeans and a down coat, but it, to me is a pain. It takes about 5 minutes to do each way and, to me, that is just a tease. I would much rather prefer 10ish miles each way. I think that would be a great way to start the day. As I am writing this, I just thought about extending that loop everyday. Maybe that will be the thing to do from now on...GENIUS!! :idea: :idea: 

In the summer, I take about 30 minutes of single track each way and that is much more fun. Gosh, I can't wait till this snow melts and I can get back out there on the trails.


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