# commuting distance



## Dippy1584 (Jun 9, 2007)

I've just recently started rideing on the road and i'm thinking about commuting to work however I was interested in the distances most of you travel to and form work and the time it takes you?
Thanks for the help


----------



## Mr Wood (Feb 23, 2006)

14 miles each way. Takes me about 50 min or so.


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=28670

There have been lots of threads about this. A little search will give you a lot of information.


----------



## Chase15.5 (Feb 17, 2005)

just moved closer to work - now 18 miles each way. was 22 each way.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

My commute is about 10 miles each way, and it takes me 40-45 minutes depending on how many traffic lights catch me. I usually add 2-3 extra miles on the way home just to vary the route and get more mileage.

BTW, for comparison, my commute takes about 20 minutes by car, but can take as long as 30-40 minutes if traffic is really bad or there's an accident.


----------



## comuter (Apr 6, 2007)

*to the ferry*

about 16 each way takes me about an hr there and about 1 hr 15min back depending how energetic I am


----------



## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

10 miles. I would like to move 5 miles farther from work. That would be nicer.


----------



## DLMKA (Oct 3, 2006)

I'm at 23 miles on almost all backroads and MUT. Takes me 70 minutes +/- a few to get to work.


----------



## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

I once read somewhere that "regular" people are much more likely to commute by bike at distances of 6 miles or less. My recollection is that at those distances travel time by bike is pretty comparable to travel time by car.

Of course, the folks on this board, and particularly the ones responding to this thread, aren't "regular" in that sense. In this limited regard I'm white-bread normal with a bike commute of 5 miles, which takes about 20 minutes.


----------



## dclements0 (Mar 2, 2007)

I have a very short, but tough commute. I travel 3.2 miles one way and 1100 feet of climbing. Usually takes me about 21 minutes or so. It's tough. 90% of the climbing are in the first mile. It will definately wake you up in the morning. I wish I lived farther away.


----------



## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

23 miles each way, 17 of which is on a MUT. There's always a headwind in Sacramento, so it usually takes me about 1 hour 22 minutes.


----------



## bsaunder (Oct 27, 2004)

~16mi each way. Takes ~1hr going semi easy.


----------



## Meat Foot (Jul 13, 2005)

I'll put my grain of salt in:
2 miles to bus stop by bike (8-10 minutes) 
26 miles by bus
12 miles by bike to office (35-40 minutes)
Total time: 2 hours :thumbsup:


----------



## StormShadow (Feb 27, 2005)

PdxMark said:


> I once read somewhere that "regular" people are much more likely to commute by bike at distances of 6 miles or less. My recollection is that at those distances travel time by bike is pretty comparable to travel time by car.
> 
> Of course, the folks on this board, and particularly the ones responding to this thread, aren't "regular" in that sense. In this limited regard I'm white-bread normal with a bike commute of 5 miles, which takes about 20 minutes.


Ditto everything he said.


----------



## Rooter (Nov 10, 2005)

~18.5 mi. each way, 65-75 minutes. I sometimes drive part way which cuts off around 4 miles and 15-20 minutes. (car commute is usually 30-35 minutes but much more irritating)


----------



## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

PdxMark said:


> I'm white-bread normal with a bike commute of 5 miles, which takes about 20 minutes.


Ditto. Mine is 6 miles each way.


----------



## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

To work is 15ish miles, mostly downhill (700 ft), that takes a little under 1 hour, most days. the return trip is a couple miles further, but mostly up hill, takes about 75 minutes. I gues this would make me abnormal, but then I know that and accept it.


----------



## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

*My commute is very short.*

My work is about four kilometers away, so not far. In the good weather months, it isn't far enough, the ride is too short. In the winter, though I find the distance just right. After we get dumped with snow and the roads aren't plowed then four clicks seems like forever. 

In order to get a better workout in the morning I take a longer route to double the length of time I spend on my bike.


----------



## dead flag blues (Aug 26, 2004)

14miles each way, 1000ft of climbs one way, 800 the other way. takes about an hour+.


----------



## bburgbiker (Apr 7, 2003)

*I'll bite*

About 10 miles each way. Takes about 35 min. if there isn't a crazy headwind.


----------



## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

Meat Foot said:


> I'll put my grain of salt in:
> 2 miles to bus stop by bike (8-10 minutes)
> 26 miles by bus
> 12 miles by bike to office (35-40 minutes)
> Total time: 2 hours :thumbsup:


Wow, that's a serious commute.


----------



## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I've had:

6.25mi - 20-22min
7.25mi - 25-30min
17mi - 55min
and currently, 10.1mi - 27-32min

All of these are/were almost exclusively on a MUT

My current car commute would be about 11 mi, and takes between 20-40 minutes depending on lights and traffic. Even the 17 mi commute took 40-60min by car, unless I was way off rush hour (read: weekend), when I could do it in 25-35. 

In August, when I move back to my permanent office from my current temporary office, I think my commute will also be about 10 miles, but will iinclude a lot more surface streets, traffic lights and scary stuff.


----------



## DarylB (Apr 19, 2007)

I just started commuting on my bike last week. I will probably do 2 or 3 days per week. It is 13 miles and takes about an hour give or take.


----------



## FredA (May 23, 2007)

Four blocks, takes only a couple of minutes.


----------



## joey1 (Jan 2, 2007)

44 mile round trip 4-5 times a week. Takes an 65-80 mins.


----------



## 99trek5200 (Jan 26, 2007)

13.5 miles and it takes 35-45 minutes. It's only 10-15 minutes more than driving. 

Our office just put in a shower, so it makes getting cleaned up for work nice.

I often need a car during the day for business. I have solved that by driving to work and bringing my bike. I then leave my car at work and ride home. That way when I ride in the next morning my car is there should I need it.


----------



## badder2 (Jun 26, 2006)

Mine is 6 miles each way though I'm either climbing or desending.

It takes me 15 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon (extra uphill on the way home). 

Most morning I am faster riding than driving as I cross a bridge that really backs up the traffic. Coming home I would be faster driving most days as my work location shortcuts the bridge lineup the other way


----------



## vwaddiction (Jun 16, 2007)

*22 miles round trip*

11 down hill to work :thumbsup: 

11 up hill to home :mad2:


----------



## biker (Apr 2, 2004)

10.5 mi to work.
20 to 40 mi on trip home.


----------



## RoadLoad (Jan 18, 2005)

20+/- each way. Its mostly down hill on the way in and averaged 19+mph. Coming home I typically average 18+/-. That seems faster than most people are commuting. That just seems to be my pace. How fast do you ride when commuting?


----------



## JimGagnepain (Jun 4, 2007)

Dippy1584 said:


> I've just recently started rideing on the road and i'm thinking about commuting to work however I was interested in the distances most of you travel to and form work and the time it takes you?
> Thanks for the help


16 Round-Trip for me, but I do it year-round, using a mountain bike in the winter snow.


----------



## scottyperkins (Jun 18, 2007)

Mine's at about 18 miles each way. Most of it's flat, with about 600 feet of climbing right at the beginning in the morning or about 800 feet at the end of the ride home.


----------



## LaxFactor (Nov 19, 2006)

25 each way with lots of hills going each way.


----------



## DoctaD (May 27, 2005)

Just over 5 miles each way with small hills. Approx 25-30 min. normal riding.


----------



## tukson rider (Jul 13, 2006)

26 miles round trip. I avg 13mph an hour (so yah, an hour almost on the dot). I'm a slow-poke, but I'm 235# on a fixxie... and it's freakin' 108F degrees right now :~(


----------



## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

15 miles each way- 1500 ft of climbing (1 way)- takes 45-60 minutes each way, depending on what part of the season and which bike I'm using.
Many times my return route is 20-45 miles- modified to make a serious ride out of it.


----------



## addict42 (Nov 2, 2006)

11mi. to school, 12-30mi. on the way back. 40-50 minutes out and sometimes a couple of hours getting back (I like to explore new [to me] roads as often as possible).


----------



## MiddleRinger (Jun 24, 2007)

Nine-point-five miles one-way, mix of MUT and road, almost dead flat, forty-five minutes in good weather.

I keep thinking I should be going faster, but the realities of traffic signals and inattentive or thoughtless trail users suggest I can expect only a little improvement in the future - I can hit twenty miles per hour in places, but there's no way to safely sustain that pace for very long without increasing the risk factor considerably.

Driving time could be anywhere from twenty to thirty-five minutes, but even if it was only ten minutes, I'd still rather ride.


----------



## factory3 (Jul 2, 2007)

30 miles each way, takes about 2 hours depending on how many NJ SUV-driving morons cut me off on the way. Most days I drive in by car and return with the bike.


----------



## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

factory3 said:


> 30 miles each way, takes about 2 hours depending on how many NJ SUV-driving morons cut me off on the way. Most days I drive in by car and return with the bike.



How do you get your car again for the next day?


----------



## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

PdxMark said:


> Of course, the folks on this board, and particularly the ones responding to this thread, aren't "regular" in that sense.


Quite the understatement.


----------



## bcyclist (Jun 16, 2007)

51 miles RT.
It can take about 1:35-1:45.
I usually don't ride as hard on the way in.... (no showers)

I ride most days unless I have to go somewhere afterwards or it is raining.
I used to ride in the rain too, but it is messy and causes bike parts to deteriorate faster.


----------



## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

12 each way, combo of bike paths and road. Releativly flat, 30-45 minutes each way, depending on the wind coming off the lake.


----------



## kjuel2 (Jan 15, 2007)

32 k round trip... doesn't sound like much, but the summer in Australia is a real killer. Takes me about an hour all together.


----------



## factory3 (Jul 2, 2007)

I bring the bike to work with my car, leave the car there over night and ride my bike home. The next morning I ride to work with my bike and drive home again with the car. Just make sure you bring a change of clothes, deodorant, towel etc. for the next morning. I usually do this Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday. You just have to get used to the weird looks you get when standing half naked in the mens bathroom


----------



## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

factory3 said:


> I bring the bike to work with my car, leave the car there over night and ride my bike home. The next morning I ride to work with my bike and drive home again with the car. Just make sure you bring a change of clothes, deodorant, towel etc. for the next morning. I usually do this Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday. You just have to get used to the weird looks you get when standing half naked in the mens bathroom


Ah,,,yeah...that's why I'd use the stalls, the Handicap one has plenty of room to take care of things:idea:


----------



## Huckwheat (May 17, 2007)

Mine in Reno is 9 miles if I go the direct route: 30 in, 45 home (500 and 700 ft climbing respectively).

I add more most morning to make it more like an hour.

My question for all the above people is.....do you all commute daily? I have been trying, but am probably more like 4 on average.


----------



## scottyperkins (Jun 18, 2007)

Huckwheat said:


> My question for all the above people is.....do you all commute daily? I have been trying, but am probably more like 4 on average.


Yep, pretty much. The only times when I don't are when I have to travel on business. I guess net/net that works out to about four days a week as well. I'm past the "I just feel lazy today" stage.


----------



## MDGColorado (Nov 9, 2004)

27 miles round trip. 45-50 minutes each way in summer, slower in winter. In winter I do some bus+bike, total only 7 miles of riding but I can do it in street clothes. Overall I'm around 50% non-car commuting year-round.

Interestingly, when I commuted 7.5 miles each way, it seemed just right. So did 9.5, so did 15, and now 13 or 14 does. Three miles was short, so I would stretch that out when I felt like it.

When you're not used to it, riding can feel like a lot of trouble. Once you're doing it a lot though, driving begins to feel self-indulgent.


----------



## BenW (Feb 27, 2007)

10 miles each way
Actually live only 6 miles from work but changed the route to one that favors bikes more than the busy winding road that is most direct.
30-40 minutes.


----------



## MTBRBrian (Feb 5, 2005)

Mine's just about 23 miles each way. I usually make it in an hour to an hour and 10 minutes. I notice that I'm a lot happier throughout the day and have seemingly more energy. I am eating a lot more, but it beats putting gas in the car! I only recently started commuting to work by bike. It sure is nice riding by the people stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Riding through the wine country and the canyon is especially nice as well.


----------



## BenW (Feb 27, 2007)

MTBRBrian said:


> I notice that I'm a lot happier throughout the day and have seemingly more energy.


+1
To me, this is the nubmer one reason to ride to work. Of course a close second is the price of gas.


----------



## z ken (Dec 30, 2006)

about 10 miles each way and there're 3 different " diffcult " roads to work depending how i feel that morning. on the easy route, it'll take me about half an hour. the middle road ( some hills ) takes me about 45 minutes and finally hilly road takes me about an hour. on the ride home usually take the easy one since i've to work 10 hours of restaurant and take extra 10 more minutes.


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

２２ｋｍｓ　about 1 hour with a cool down(No shower), versus 40 mins by car. but the stick hot summer takes away some of the pleasure. Driving sure is easier but not as satisfying. I tend to go faster going home, family and shower waiting.


----------



## Sixty Fiver (Jul 7, 2007)

I ride 13 km to work if I take the road and it's 16 km if I include the MUTS.

My 13 km ride usually takes 25-30 minutes depending on the traffic and I've been averaging 24 kmh (15mph) with a cruising speed on my fixie of 30-35 kmh.

I usually ride another 20-30 km in the evening when things quiet down and in the winter my commute takes me 35-40 minutes if the roads are treacherous...even then I still ride the MUTS which are well plowed.


----------



## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

one mile, about 5 mins.........


----------



## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

*14.65 mi*

with modest hills, 300' net drop in am, 300' net gain in pm. About 50 min in am and 60 in pm. Lots of fun on a fixed gear with clothes, breakfast, lunch, toiletries, towel, etc. My total commute is 53 miles. The first 38 are by car to the parking spot. I ride throughout the year, but not if it's snowing, raining, if the road is icy or if I have a p.m. commitment I must be home early for. On average, throughout the year, I ride every other day (more in warmer weather, of course.)


----------



## endostrat (Mar 11, 2007)

27 miles each way. It takes me an hour and a half. Mostly rolling hills all the way in and back.


----------



## Fsharp3 (Aug 30, 2005)

My commute is 2 miles. Takes me 8-15 minutes depending on how many traffic lights I hit and if I'm headed to work (slightly downhill) or headed home (slightly uphill). I realized that it takes me longer to get my bike ready and myself dressed for riding then it takes to ride to work. I just got a big squishy seat so I don't have to worry about tights and a rubberband keeps my pants out of the chain.


----------



## JimGagnepain (Jun 4, 2007)

Fsharp3 said:


> My commute is 2 miles. Takes me 8-15 minutes depending on how many traffic lights I hit and if I'm headed to work (slightly downhill) or headed home (slightly uphill). I realized that it takes me longer to get my bike ready and myself dressed for riding then it takes to ride to work. I just got a big squishy seat so I don't have to worry about tights and a rubberband keeps my pants out of the chain.


It's weeks like the last two, that make me wish my commute was only 2 miles. The wind has been against me both coming and going to work almost every day. Oh well, at least it's warm. Could be worse - zero degrees with wind!


----------



## Equakesfan (Feb 28, 2005)

factory3 said:


> 30 miles each way, takes about 2 hours depending on how many NJ SUV-driving morons cut me off on the way. Most days I drive in by car and return with the bike.


To answer Sledgehammer's question... I used to ride 29 miles each way riding one way most days...drive to work on monday, ride home. ride to work on tuesday drive home, repeat wednesday and thursday. friday ride or drive both ways 

My commute now is 11 miles one way 38-45 minutes to work (more downhill than uphill), 42-50 minutes home. It is a race every day to get a better time I wish it was closer to 15 miles and with fewer lights


----------



## HillBillies (May 16, 2007)

23km each way and I do it 3 or 4 times per week. About 50 min in and 65 mins back - lots more climbing on the way back home - average 5% and up to 18% on a couple short sharp climbs. Once or twice a week I leave home extra early and take a 75km route in - about 2 hours 20 mins at a nice steady pace. My "commuter" is a Cannondale System 6 Team - very bling. What a way to start the day....... My employer provides full facilities and I keep all I need at the office. I drive the other days to refresh supplies. Life is good.

HillBilly.

Sydney, Australia.


----------

