Do you commute, by bike, to work?
If so…
How many miles is it 1 way or combined,
What time do you have to be at work,
What time do you leave,
What kind of bike do you ride?
and finally, is it worth it? (dumb question, I know)
Trying to decide if I should start commuting, but don’t know if it’s too far for what time I need to be there, so just trying to see how others do,
Thanks.
Get on your bike & ride! I just switched jobs & ride 4-5 days a week now. It’s only about 5.5 miles one way but i’d do it if it were 20! Often I will extend my ride in the afternoon. Even on hot days when smog is bad spinning around feels better than clutching it from light to light. I just built a funny bike & have been riding that a lot. Normally I ride my road bike & there is a cluster of small but tough climbs I throw in at random. I leave the house around 6:30 am. Totally worth it!
Hmm… my work is about 20 miles away, so I bike 2 miles to the train station with a jank mountain bike with cyclocross wheels/tires on it (much faster than mtb wheels/tires), then I bike about 2 miles from the train station to work.
It’s sort of fun to bike around on the mtb bike and practice bunny hopping, track stands at lights, going off curbs, just riding on dirt for the hell of it, etc.
Because I bike to work when traffic gets heavy (8:30AM and 5:30 PM), my ride actually takes only a few minutes more than if I were to drive the entire thing (saves me a lot of money too).
I used to ride my bike home from work at least 2x a week. I would take the bus to work those days. I actually took the bus to work a lot so I could read on my way in and home.
It was 30 miles one way. It would take me 2 hours to get home (30 min to get outside of ‘town’ and then it was nice straight riding with minimal lights.
I rode my road bike with clip on aero bars.
I’m not a morning person so riding in to work in the AM just wouldn’t work for me. Plus the whole issue of showering etc was too difficult to deal with.
It was worth it to me. I got in extra miles on the bike. I always had an excuse to leave by 5PM (or it would be dark when I was riding).
It’s not feasible for me to do this now (I’ve thought about every way possible to make it work, and just can’t) since I need a car to do a lot of my work, but sometimes I wish I could.
I try to fit in at least 2 to 4 of 10 trips per week. It’s 33 miles one way. I’ll normally drive to work, ride home in the eveing, then ride back in the next morning, drive back home that night. I’ve done the AM/PM rides a couple of times, but I’m ussualy very tired by the end of the day if I do the double.
My job is relatively flexible with time, as long as I’m in the office by 9 no one would complain… Even if I were late like 9:30 a couple of times no big deal. I’m ussually at my desk by 8:15 though. On avg the ride will be about 1:50 at a nice easy pace. Which is only 50 minutes longer then a normal drive (I take all back roads)
As long as I leave my house by 6:40am or so I can make it to work “on time”. However, I normally go by the sun rise… If I can see the road at 5:00am, I’ll jump on it, make it a 2 hour trip and be able to either throw a run or stength session in at my office gym.
It’s always worth it, I only wish it were just a little closer like 20 miles… If I had a 20 mile commute I’d probably be riding 10x per week M-F. I think the biggest advantage is the timesavings associated to my family. My commute is 1 hour anyway you slice it in a car. Mornings don’t matter to the family they are always sleeping then anyway, but afternoon/evening rides home buys me 1:30 - 2:00 hours of training time but only dips :30min - 1:00 hour into Family time.
– ~25 km each way (fire roads, some paved roads, a little bit of singletrack, quite hilly)
– old mountain bike with rigid fork and 1x9 gearing (36/11–26), Maxxis Flyweight tires, backpack
– Worth it! Great way to get in some base miles. (Takes me an hour on the bike, while the train would take 30 minutes + walking to the station.)
Just started this week, Its about three miles each way on the commute fairly hilly ride, I roll around 6:20 in the morning its a wide BLVD with no traffic, I have yet to see a single car yet at that hour, for this first week I have been rolling my Litespeed Saber, it makes it fun to go to work! I am currently looking for a fixed gear bike just for the commute, and yes it is worth it!
21 miles I alternate drive monday morning ride home monday night. Ride in tue morning, drive home monday nigh. I started doing a brick after the morning rides in 5K. In a big city like mine the time difference is only 10 minutes more than driving so it is really worth it. I usually leave at 6:15ish and it takes just over an hour. I find that riding both ways every day is a real drain.
My commute is 5.5 miles either way but I often add a 20 mile loop on the way home. Showers and lockers at work, building used to be a health club. I have only not ridden 7 times in a year and a half, this doesn’t count the couple of times I have run instead of ride. I have to be at my desk by 9am, I leave around 8am and then have breakfast and a little ST at my desk before 9. I am usually there by 9:35 with stoplights and stuff. I ride whichever bike I feel like since i get to bring it inside, most often I ride my old fuji touring that is a work in progress, currently I have changed the handlebars to straights and am debating wether to change the drive train or go fixed before getting ride of the 27in wheels and going to 700s.
I commute less than I should. It’s 12.5 miles each way, I can bring the bike in the building, and there are showers available right in my department. I have a flexible schedule now, but I actually rode more when I had a rigid schedule. The trip is 20 - 25 minutes by car, and about 50 minutes by bike. One stretch of road is a little too bike-hostile for my taste, but the main reason for me not to ride is simple inertia.
I do like the idea that replacing a 20 minute car ride with a 50 minute bike ride only “costs” 30 extra minutes but gets me 50 minutes worth of exercise, but the shower and other logistics erase most of that.
I use my TT bike. I have a rear luggage rack and a pannier, so it looks a little silly but only another triathlete would notice. To my coworkers it’s just “Steve’s bike.” The odd thing is coming to work on the bike, not the appearance of the bike itself. I take the rack off for races only.
Yes, it’s worth it. I should do it more.
Yes
5 each way, but I typically take a long way home making it 20+
8:30AM
7:45-8:00 - stop for coffee a couple of blocks from office - in office, at my desk by 8:30
Fixie, unless I’m going to do a specific training ride after work, then yaqui ocotillo
Yes.
How many miles is it 1 way or combined,
10 miles direct, longer if i wake up early or leave at a reasonable hour.
What time do you have to be at work,
9:45AM
What time do you leave,
6PM on most days, 8PM twice a week
What kind of bike do you ride?
My regular road bike during the summer. Cross bike fall, winter and spring. I use a messenger bag to carry my clothing on a daily basis. I tried a rack and panniers, but did not like it.
and finally, is it worth it? (dumb question, I know)
** Yes, it justifies to my wife my bikes. Ideally, I would completely take my name off the car insurance. **
Trying to decide if I should start commuting, but don’t know if it’s too far for what time I need to be there, so just trying to see how others do,
Thanks.
Do you commute, by bike, to work?
If so…
How many miles is it 1 way or combined, 37.4 miles one way. 1250 ft climbing. drive in, ride home. next day ride in, drive home. No shower, but a good big utility sink. a sponge and a towel cleans me off plenty good.
What time do you have to be at work, whenever I want, I own the joint. But I like to be working by 8
What time do you leave, 5:30 am
What kind of bike do you ride? 1994 Specialized Allez. 1x8: 53x11-23. downtube rear shifter. 105 aero levers. campy chorus rear der. american classic sprint 350s
and finally, is it worth it? (dumb question, I know)
**Well, I’ll save around $750 a year, but it’s dang hot here in the summer to be riding home. so i often find a reason not to. **
Trying to decide if I should start commuting, but don’t know if it’s too far for what time I need to be there, so just trying to see how others do,
Thanks.
How many miles is it 1 way or combined? 5.5 miles
What time do you have to be at work? On “normal” days, I get there between 8 and 8:30.
What time do you leave? Normal days: between 5 and 5:30.
Edit: I assumed you were asking when I "leave" work in the evening. I leave for work in the morning anywhere between 6 and 7 and am sometimes able to get in some extra miles or a swim at the YMCA across the street from work where I shower.
What kind of bike do you ride? Merckx road bike, cyclocross bike (w/ rack and sometimes a baby seat), or fixed gear road bike.
and finally, is it worth it? Yes. I enjoy any excuse to ride a bike. All of the other benefits (health, environment, time and money savings, etc.) are a bonus!
Do you commute, by bike, to work? YES
If so…
How many miles is it 1 way or combined, 15 miles each way or 7 miles each way depending where I’m going
What time do you have to be at work, 9 at the latest, I’m normally in by 8am and at my desk by 8.15
What time do you leave, 7-7.15am
What kind of bike do you ride? Old Lemond road bike with some Specialised Armadillo 25c tyres - route is 95% roads and good cycle paths but there is a short section of slightly rough cycle path and a few places where it is useful to be able to go onto the pavement to get round traffic/junctions
and finally, is it worth it? (dumb question, I know) Yes! I always regret the days where I hit the snooze button and don’t cycle in (I have a motorbike which gets me there in 25 minutes which is always a temptation when it’s raining or I’ve had a beer the night before…)
Trying to decide if I should start commuting, but don’t know if it’s too far for what time I need to be there, so just trying to see how others do,
Thanks.
Definitely do it - the logistics are a bit of a pain at first but get easier. I’m an IT consultant and work in a few different locations and hotdesk at all of them so I nearly always have to carry my lock, work clothes and laptop in a rucksack. The best thing is the feeling of going out on my other bike at weekends with quick tires and no rucksack!
5.5 miles each way. Half of it is city streets with bike lanes, and the other half is bike trail.
I go to work at all sorts of times. Sometimes I’m there at 7am, other times at noon. I usually head home between 7 and 10pm. In MN that means lots of riding in the dark during the winter, and I’m still trying to figure lighting out.
I ride a Trek 720 MultiTrack frame built with drops, 105/Ultegra, and full SKS fenders. I think the frame might be a rebadged 520 touring design. Road tires most of the year; CX when there’s snow. I carry my stuff in an Ortlieb waterproof backpack. I’d avoid a high-zoot frame if you’re locking it outside in an urban area.
I started last fall, and this is the single greatest thing I’ve done to improve my quality of life in the past year. Time requirements are about the same, I probably save money, and there’s nothing like starting the work day riding your bike.
17 miles each way, yes it is worth it (I get to cross the Golden Gate Bride), I do it about twice a week. There are no showers at work so baby wipes and an extra deodorant in my desk does the trick (nobody has complained). I only have one bike so I use that.
30 miles each way Start work at 0730 Leave house NLT 0530 Bike: Bianchi Pista Oh yes, its worth it
Dave in VA
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Do you commute, by bike, to work? Yes
If so…
**How many miles is it 1 way or combined, **I ride one way. I put my bike on the bus on the ride in and then ride home: ** **24 miles one way if I ride on surface roads. 37-40 if I ride on the American River Bike Trail.
What time do you have to be at work, 6AM- 6:30AM
What time do you leave, Catch the bus at 5:20 or 5:40.
What kind of bike do you ride? If on the trail I will take my road or tri bike. If the nasty 24 mile route I take my beater.
and finally, is it worth it? (dumb question, I know): Yes it is worth it. My commute is my bike mileage. 3 or 4 days gets me 120-150 miles per week.
Trying to decide if I should start commuting, but don’t know if it’s too far for what time I need to be there, so just trying to see how others do,
Thanks.
A few years ago I road to and from work (26 miles each way). That was tiring when I included lunch runs in the day. If your commute is more than 20 miles try to incorporate public transit.
How many miles is it 1 way or combined, --10K in each direction. Pretty much all downhill on the way in, and a couple of hard climbs on the way home. 100k/wk of free training per week!
What time do you have to be at work, – I like to be there at 7:30, but it’s flexible.
What time do you leave, – In the summer I leave home between 6:30 and 7am. I leave earlier in the winter because it takes longer in the snow.
What kind of bike do you ride? – **Rocky Mountain with slicks in the summer and studs in the winter. The salt really beats up the bike and I’ve had to replace the entire drivetrain. **
and finally, is it worth it? – They did a survey last year. There are only 2 or 3 other cities in the WORLD with more expensive parking than here. I could replace my drivetrain every other week and still save money. Biking takes less time than taking the bus and I don’t have to deal with sitting next to smelly smokers if I ride. Needless to say, riding is a no-brainer for me.