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Thinking of commuting a couple of days a week to save on fuel, but I live 32 miles from work is that just too far, a couple of big hills on the way in and some on the way home, what road bike would you recommend for £900 Thanks, what sort of time would you do it in approx
£900 for a commuting bike? Are you sure you're doing this to save money, or is this what you're telling the missus?
Too far imho for everyday - but possible, you may burn yourself out very quickly!
Assume a couple of hours each way.
I wouldn't do it. I've tried commuting every day by bike and found I was knackered at the weekends 🙂 You could try every 2nd day - or do a one way trip every day, relying on public transport to do the other trip.
must equate to about a £5 in fuel cost each way to work?? Enough to justify a road bike i reckon 😀 Giant defy 1 gets a very good write up at £1000
Possible occasionaly by all means, but its at least 2 hours each way and quite tiring on top of a days work. I've done similar length commutes a few times, usually when its the only option for getting some miles in mid-week.
I do 26 each way twice a week in the summer on flatish roads and am a pretty keen road cyclist. I don't think I would want to do 32 regularly. Thought about driving and parking half way in? 16 is doable every day I recon.
Jeffus, vfm wise i dare say Boardmans are unbeatable, and £900 gets you a good one...i have a Team Carbon and its bloody lovely. 2 days a week i reckon you'll be fine (as long as the weather plays friendly).
Too far for everyday +1. Everyone's different, but 15 miles each way every day is enough for me without being completely burnt out by the weekend.
I think it would be OK a couple of times a week but not ideal. I generally extend my commute home to 24 miles a couple of times a week but doing that on the way in would be tough, Its 13 miles direct.
Ok for a couple of days max. My commute is 20 miles each way when I do it.
I'd drive in, ride home, ride back in the next day.
I do a 30 mile round trip 2 or 3 times a week. Double that, every day? You can **** right off!!!!
Canyon Roadlite 6.0 SL, but I'm biased 🙂
Boardman? 32m isn't far especially if you have a shower at work?
I try to do it once a week - 25 miles in (I cheat a bit and take a train in part way!) and 40 miles back. Depending on the route I take and the day I've had at work, it can be once hell of an ordeal!
All good at the end of the day though, even it it doesn't feel like it at the time!
I do 27 each way 2 to 3 times a week. Either use my road bike, fixie or this week having a glass of MTFU and doing it on the MTB.
If you've got showers at work it makes it a much more pleasant experience. I wouldn't want to do that sort of distance without
Bikes? Anything with mudguards - Have a look at the Dolan training bike for around £700, an 8-speed pompetamine or build a road-rat up?
I do a 30 mile round trip 2 or 3 times a week. Double that, every day? You can **** right off!!!!
And imagine doing it on a bike also!
😉
That sort of distance you'll want showers at work, change of clothes brought in on your off days and a mountain of food to eat. You'll also want to borrow a road bike for a while to see if a 64 mile round trip is something you will actually do when it comes down to it. I reckon you're closer £10 a day on fuel costs at the moment so it might take a while to be economic, but don't let that stop you!
My commute is about 15 each way with a couple of decent lumps to get over, and twice a week is enough for me to do it and enjoy the weekends still.
You definitely need showers at work, and don't forget to budget for a rack+panniers (or equivalent), you wouldn't want to do that distance with a heavy backpack.
And I agree with the rest of the posters, I wouldn't want to do that everyday. What do you mean by "big hills"?
can you drive/ride, ride/drive back to back to start.
32 miles isn't too far for a couple of days a week, but not 5.
i'm doing ~125 km a week (not equally split though) and riding on sundays atm. saturday is my day off.
+1 mudguards - proper ones.
i'd consider myself fairly keen, and cover a fair few miles in a week these days.
but doing 300+ purely for commuting? not for me im afraid.
to get showered and ready for work you'll need to be there 8.15 ish? so leaving at 6.45 or so?
nice for once in a while, far too far for a daily.
Like TSY in the past I've driven in then ridden home and back in the next day. It's only an issue if you need a car in the evening and I have quite and early start next morning which is never nice.
If you do ride there and back in a day, my suggestion would be Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can then drop your kit off Monday and Wednesday nights ready for the ride in the next day. The only stuff I have to carry to work is my security card, phone and some money.
30 miles with a heavy rucksack won't be much fun
It's 36 miles (E/W) for me.
I generally take the train for the 'middle bit', leaving about 5+2 miles each way.
As a treat (and when life allows it) I'll ride back, but couldn't even dream of doing it regularly as a commute!
However, If you've no kids, a job that isn't tiring, and facilities at work, why not! GIve it a go for a few days and report back....
DrP
Jeffus - how much riding / exercise do you do at the minute?
If you are having to ask the question, its too far.
How many miles do you currently ride a week?
simondbarnes of this parish rides that far each way on a regular basis. Doesn't seem to have done him any harm.
Not strictly true. Its cost him his sanity 😉
I only ride mountain bike at the moment, 40 - 80Km a week fairly fit ish, just not road bike fit most of my rides involve long climbs.
No showers at work 🙁 maybe drive in ride home would be a good call, I work shift also would mean leaving home around 4 am 😯
Mate of mine does 35 each way a couple of times a week - south side of Glasgow to Ayr. Certainly doable but would be good to have a train option half way if need be.
bad sign that the commute is in miles, but you normally use the morale-boosting unit of Km for ya weekly intake
😉
Yeah, organising change of clothes is a ballache, don't mind carrying stuff back in the camelbak, but shirts don't look very good when they've done a long commute stuffed in the bag!
+1 for too far. I do a minimum of a 20 mile round trip, more if ride the mtb in and do a night ride. That and being on my feet all day as well as doing test rides (I work as a bike mechanic) left me very tired at the weekends!
I've since taken to driving into work on Saturdays so that i can actually be bothered to ride on Sundays.
I used to have an office 31 miles from home.
I'd drive in, ride back, then next morning ride in, and then drive back at the end of day 2.
It worked fine. I tried riding both ways in a day and just felt crap in the evening, didn't enjoy it.
(1hr 43minutes was my best time, Reading to Hounslow, despite all the red lights and traffic on the A4. And that was on a singlespeed. graaawww)
I only ride mountain bike at the moment, 40 - 80Km a week fairly fit ish, just not road bike fit most of my rides involve long climbs.No showers at work maybe drive in ride home would be a good call, I work shift also would mean leaving home around 4 am
It's too far.
plus need to keep somewhat alert on the road to avoid numpty car drivers, and fume intake (although probably ok at 4am) which offsets some of the health benefits...
It's too far.
It's too far - for now.
Otherwise known as training, get on with it man! 😀
No showers at work maybe drive in ride home would be a good call, I work shift also would mean leaving home around 4 am
Can't see you doing it often if it means an hour less in bed at that time of day! The lack of showers is a problem, too - my route in to work is mostly downhill, and only 11 miles, but even then I have to consciously slow down to avoid starting the morning as a sweaty mess. I don't think it'd be possible over 30 miles, which means wet wipes and much faff...
As others it's fine for a couple of rides per week.
Clothes are easy if you're planning to drive in a couple of times a week and get organised.
I find I eat a stack of food though when I ride in (38 mile round trip). You'll probably end up eating your petrol costs in food on ride days.
We don't have a shower here, but the office next door does which we can use, it's cold most of the time though, so I tend to have strip wash through the winter (can't be doing with having a cold shower when it's freezing out!). But come the summer I use the cold shower in the office next door, it's quite nice.
Doesn't sound too good an idea, it was mainly too save on fuel and get a few extra miles in, I seem to be spending £10 a day in fuel, it is also the 3rd most dangerous road in the UK, mainly winding A roads with 6 miles of carriage way at the end , it is also the main route for wagons going from Wrexham across to the M6 , over by Crewe.
The more I think about it , it seems a silly idea, I don't have a road bike to try the route out at the weekend ,which would be a better judge of how I would be fairing on the ride.
[i] I don't have a road bike to try the route out at the weekend ,which would be a better judge of how I would be fairing on the ride. [/i]
You don't need a road bike to try it, get dropped off and ride your MTB home.
The more I think about it , it seems a silly idea
there's two silly ideas in there - one is the route, the other is buying a road bike...
1 x 10 on the mountain bike 😀 spin spin , plenty to think about. 😀
Had a blast on my mountain bike roads and some trails 10.8mph average, 1061 feet of climbing , 10.6miles in an 1hour 4mins 46secs top speed 35.5mph, so my commute will take 3 hours + on my mountain bike 😯
Roadies must be really quick 😀
used to do 72 miles return everyday commute. ON average would do this 4 days out of 5 over the 6 months i had to do it.
I run restaurants and hotels for a living so all my work clothes stayed there and obviously i had shower facilities, washing machines and dryers for my lycra ( nothing worse than cycling home in smelly stuff).
The commute itself wasn't to bad, generally going to work i had a tailwind so ranged from 1:23 ( quickest) to about 1:45, generally around 1:30 ish though. The way home was always about 30mins slower because of headwinds and it was a slow climb all the way home.
Shifts meant i left home as early as 4:30 in the morning to returning home at about 3am. You do get days where you cant be arsed, or if its windy or really wet . Getting up was horrible but once your going its fine. ON top of that i was also doing 2 nights training rides of 40 miles plus an extra 60 on saturday ( before work) and anything from 25 (mtb) - 100 (road) on sunday.
What i would definately say you need to be a keen cyclist to do this and very fit, physically and emotionally. It does play with you alot. I looked at the other side of the ball, where i was training everyday anyway and this meant i didn't need to do anything extra, plus saved on going to the gym etc.
If you have a cushy 9-5 job i would certainly do this everyday. If i was you though and you can only manage 4 times a week, on the day you drive leave 5 days of work clothes there and pick up your dirty ones from the week you worked. Leave toiletries, deodarant, toothpaste, hair gel, aftershave etc all at work if poss so your only riding with a toolkit, phone etc
No way!!!! 32 miles is too far too flipping drive (as one who did that for a while). If I was to ride that twice a week it would be on an audax (not sportive) or touring bike. The problem I find with racing bikes is you need a good lick of speed for any kind of comfort but afer a tiring day at work that might not be in your legs.
Not read the rest of the replies but here's my view...
Perfectly fine for a couple of days a week. My shortest commute is 28 miles each way. Did it 2-3 times a week all through the winter and have started extending it occasionally as well. Did 4 commutes last week and still got out for nearly 4 hours / 103km yesterday. Rode in today as well including extending the route home.
You just need to make sure you fuel yourself properly, don't race and get plenty of sleep.
Your arse will be sore, thats a given.
I've been toying with this myself recently as I am about to move 55 miles from where I'm going to be working. With any luck I'll only be working 2-3 days a week at most but I really don't want to spend all that money on driving.
So my plan was - Drive down monday morning with bike in back. Bike back monday aft/eve. Bike down tuesday morning and drive back. It'll cut my journeys in half and get some good miles in.
The other thought I had as mentioned above was to drive halfway, find somewhere I can leave my car and ride the rest of the way.
My commute is 35 miles each way.
Most I've done is there and back twice in a week. Getting in is not too bad, but the return leg is a killer after a day at work. Takes a while to get used to it. Find a way to do 1 way legs and build up from there.
I don't bother in the winter
Finding a pleasant route makes it much nicer
Done it in the past - did it twice a week from my old house.
Not that much fun in winter really. Had to leave at 5.30am to get to work on time and didnt get home till 7
In the summer it was ace - then i moved house onto some dangerous roads did it once then decided i liked living.
Moved again and will soon be back on 12 miles each way largely off road 🙂
I've occasionally done a much shorter one - I live c 20 miles from work (Nottingham), but I can drive the first 14 or so in 20-25 mins, park outside decathlon and take a 9 mile back route into the office - c 35 mins some hills, not much slower than the car for the last bit.
Always used a pannier (esp for laptop!) and carried suit trousers and a shirt in it.
Always used shower after
But, if you've got a painful last section in then it can save time
I don't bother in the winter
Not that much fun in winter really
Commuting bonkers distances all through Winter makes Summer more fun as you go into it super fit. Another plus point for commuting by bike is that you get to see views like this occasionally 🙂
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/6870687052_cbf38e0f90_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/6870687052/ ]This is why[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simondbarnes/ ]simondbarnes[/url], on Flickr
Oh i did it dont get me wrong but it is not fun ......
Id do it 7 days aa week in summer for the sights and scenary but in the winter its actually depressing ridng in in the dark and home in the dark . No sun rises or sun sets to take im
Id do it 7 days aa week in summer for the sights and scenary but in the winter its actually depressing ridng in in the dark and home in the dark . No sun rises or sun sets to take im
I look at it as a challenge 🙂
Time not distance is your enemy when commuting. A couple of days a week will be fine. Look for a used Dawes Audax or the like. I would certainly not be buying new until I'd done the journey a for few months and knew exactly what I needed.
I do 45 miles each way into the City. Ride in/train home, then train in/ride home, generally once a week, with a couple of days in our regional office, which is 10 miles each way. Used to drive halfway and rode halfway, but prefer doing the whole thing.
Biggest killer is the fact it's into London frankly, constant traffic lights!
I'd do 32 each way a couple of days a week, or do the ride in drive home thing!
I wouldn't do it as a way to save money - Probably better to hook up in a car share for that. The only reason I'd look at it is if you want to improve your fitness and sneak in some extra miles (I have a 25 mile E/W commute I do once per week for that reason). If I thought the route was dangerous, though, I wouldn't even consider it.
I do it partly to save money! £36 a day on the train, good incentive to cycle one way!
Once or twice a week might be ok, depending on the weather (wind in particular). 13 miles each way 4 times a week works for me.
Biggest killer is the fact it's into London frankly, constant traffic lights!
Too right major pita.
I try to do once a week from woking to london and back normally on same day - total of 57miles
does not save money though I still have a season ticket, and would have to cycle more than 1/2 the time to make it worth getting a non annual ticket.
Also I take in shirts on monday using the Brompton and Train and take home dirty stuff on Friday which means no need to lug stuff on road bike.
Yeah I don't carry anything, take shirts in on train days, makes it far more pleasant! I'm quite lucky we have a regional office I can go to, so only get the train 1-2 times a week, saves needing a season ticket. I'd struggle with paying £3800 for a train ticket!
Regarding the 'packing clothes' problems, see [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/psa-for-cycle-commuters-clothes-packing-content ]here[/url]...
DrP
saves needing a season ticket. I'd struggle with paying £3800 for a train ticket!
especially when you have to sit on the floor...
Used to do 17 each way 4-5 times a week. No hills.
It's now 26 each way with a big hill at the start/end. Illness last year meant months off the bike, so when I did do it more than once a week it was pretty tough.
Assuming I'm allowed back on the bike, I'm going to build up to twice a week over summer.
My commute is 33 miles each way. I break that up by cycling part way and catching the train the rest on most days.
What I've found helps is varying the route and distances and not been too rigid on riding every day (I don't have the option of driving but can walk to local train station) .
My weeks vary a great deal - I have weeks where I may never be in the office and others where I'm there everyday.This creates a bit of variety and means I'm usually quite keen to get the bike out on a morning. In a previous job I was at a fixed location and had to cycle in everyday as there was no public transport and I didn't have a car - on the whole it was fine but to be honest on somedays I could have thrown the bike in the canal and probably jumped in after. In my experience there is a big difference between wanting to cycle to work and having to cycleto work.
I have three routes I do on a morning varying from 8 -15 miles from home to main train station. On the way home I either do the mornings route in reverse which gives me 3 options,or I get off at a different station each with two route otions home or if I can get away at good time and I'm feeling that way out (not as often as I'd like TBH :oops:) I'll ride the full distance home which is another 3 options varying from 33-45 miles. - in total I have 10 different routes I can use and also the option to catch the train almost all the way home.
I use a touring bike to commute (Kona Sutra) that way I can stick a rack and panniers on if need be, it can also, with the right tyres, handle a fair bit of off road riding too , which adds to the variety of the riding.
Having a shower at work is a big + to any level of commuting. I'd also suggest having a few changes of clothes at work including cycling kit.
As for food, you'll always be hungry . I tend to stock up on things like rice cakes, cereal and peanut butter at work, and generally have a couple of cereal bars in the saddle bag. In the winter I have a small flask of coffee for on the train. Lunch varies from a really healthy sandwich to pork pie, fish and chips etc. Usually grab a banana either just before I set off or on the train on the way home and I try to drink plenty of water/diluted fruit juice throughout the day.
By the time I've got home had a bath and something to eat I'm usually knackered which can p##s the other half off at times.
32 miles each way 5 days a week is very hardcore - it's a big commitment and while the sun is shining and the breeze is gentle it'll be fun more times than it isn't , but when it's p####ing it down with rain and blowing a gale it'll be a totally different story.- You'll be wanting a warm shower at work on those days.
The fitness it's possible to build up to, no question. Not sure I've the strength of mind for it, but any regular cyclist could do it with a a steady build up.
For me it's a problem of losing time with the family - the wife works one day so I need to be back earlyish then, the children are young enough that 19:00 is 'official' bedtime .. it doesn't take much of a problem at work to mean I barely see them over a week, and cycling home at 20:00 isn't so much fun, you just want it over with.
If you're on shifts a lot of that might be irrelevant anyway.
In my experience there is a big difference between wanting to cycle to work and having to cycleto work.
Stan has it, i do a 16 mile round trip Mon - Fri , 95% of the time it is fine but the the other 5%, i'd rather chew my arm off then ride a bike!
For me it's a problem of losing time with the family
This also.
The potential of missing my son before his bed time often results in nausea inducing sprints in order to get to the train on time (can make 5 hilly miles in 13 minutes at a push!). It often results in me skidding on my SPDs into the station, and jumping on the train just before departure!
DrP
Rootes- I'd be surprised if you had to cycle in more than once or twice a week to make it worth while buying daily tickets. Accounting for bank holidays, annual leave and the odd day out the office I only have to cycle just over once a week. If it looks like I will be on the train more often, say in the winter, I get weeklys
I did 42 miles each way for up to four days a week. Just go really slowly at first and see how you feel. 2 days a week seems very doable.
And do get a nice road bike - a commuter bike will be a touch slower, and that'll add up to a bit of extra fatigue or maybe 10 mins over that distance. It'll add up.
I found it good for spending time with the family - you get in four hours of riding but only actually lose two hours of the day because you're giving up two wasted hours sat in a car (in my case at least). Two early starts a week and you've done plenty of riding, so come the weekend you can spend it hanging out and having fun with the family.
I'll add that much of my route was beautiful open countryside though. Your route sounds bad, surely there must be an alternative? There are often nice B or even C roads that you don't even see when looking at the map through motorists' eyes.
I do 17ish each way, 5 days a week.
I think I'd consider up to 25 miles each way - but probably only if it would be along clear roads, traffic lights are complete killers.
Might do further if I didn't have to do it every day, but much more and all your time not working or sleeping is spent riding. Which I suppose wouldn't be horrible.
Depends on the hills & what time you start.
I found that, even with showers and lockers, there's a degree of admin that one inevitably carries. Hence, the rucksack ceased to be a tools, sarnies and bladder functional item. After a week or so I began to 'understand' the ‘fit-for-purpose-beauty’ of the otherwise hideous panniers....yes, you will want them….you will ‘lust’ for them….they will save your lumbar spine & wrists.
Unless you’re allowed to work in cycling gear, or you’ve pre-loaded your locker with a weeks-worth of office garb, towel, shower kit, spare undies…socks, food (can get expensive if you ‘eat out’).
Having come across as bit of a ‘party-pooper’, my C2W days were the best ever….hope to be doing it all again soon.
Let us know how you got round things, folks ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.
I have a very similar commute - 35 miles each way is the direct route.
Blunty, as others have already said, unless you already a fully paid up moonlighting roadie (as I am!) it's gonna seem like a loooong way. The bike WILL make a considerable difference for this too, as I've discovered recently/ Last year all trips where bring every (food, clothes etc) in/take home on days when I was in the car, ride in on the road bike with phone, keys, and work ID in my pocket. In preparation for a LEJOG in May I've been coming in this year some days on my 'light tourer' (CX with road tyres and a rack) with the days stuff in a bag on the rack. Good time on the road bike: 1hr50min one way. CX bike carrying stuff is at least 20 mins slower than that. I had to ride the road bike in to convince myself I hadn't got loads slower then last year!
I'd get a road bike and see how you get on - if you take to it well there's still plenty of long summer days to try the 70 mile round trip in. Not sure how on earth I would manage without a shower though.
A bit remis that no one's mentioned it before but OP is the £900 budget before cycle to work benefits? Of so you can spread your costs and be looking at more expensive blingy bikes. Win win!
[url= http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuilder.asp?action=showframes&sub=conf_BBRW&type=RIBMO ]good commuting bike but 32 miles is far[/url]
Re luggage - I got a Camelbak Octane super lightweight thingy, I think it was a special edition. It weighed bugger all anyway. I left my shoes and lock at work and then my clothes and towel were very manageable, hardly noticed it at all. Take a small towel, perfectly easy to dry yourself with one - you could also get an outdoor gear type pack towel, they are very light and work well enough. I reckon it causes less drag than panniers too.
I did it a few times over the Chilterns on a SS audax bike. Allow a couple of hours and be prepared to burn out. I did it once a week for two weeks and then the Dyfi enduro at the end of those two weeks - I went down a belt size.
+1 either driving halfway (what I used to do) or doing it twice a week (that's still 128 miles of fuel saved).
I wouldn't even drive 64 miles a day!
just plotted up my most direct route to work on bikeroutetoaster.
28 miles, 2300 ft of climbing in, 2600ft back.
damn having dartmoor in the way.
[I wouldn't even drive 64 miles a day! ]
No choice there are no jobs in Wrexham so I have to travel,
Thanks everyone for your input and experiences, I'm almost at the point of trying it twice a week in the summer and see how it pans out , I'll go my LBS see what they recommend bike wise, I believe there is a Giant road bike that is less racer and more leisure shorter TT , I think someone mentioned it earlier on, and as said it will free up more time for the family. 😀