# Who does the longest cycle commute to work?



## DannO (20 Jul 2011)

Hi, I have recently changed job role and I now drive 30 miles to work and the same back. I recently used to work 5 miles from home and enjoyed cycling the distance on a daily basis. I was wondering if anyone would or infact does commute anywhere near 30 miles each way and would it be worth me giving it a go? Cheers


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## gaz (20 Jul 2011)

Doesn't lukesdad have a monster commute?
My commute is 17miles each way and is not the longest.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (20 Jul 2011)

mine can be upto 26 each way (placement dependent) and nowhere near the longest.


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## Melonfish (20 Jul 2011)

I read this not too long ago:

http://www.tredzblog.co.uk/2007/09/cycle-commuting.html
can't say he's still doing it mind...
pete


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## Andrew_P (20 Jul 2011)

mine is a mere 15 each way normally by friday it feels like 30 each way.


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## MacB (20 Jul 2011)

It's doable but would be draining in the long term, especially if done 5 days a week, would it be possible to mix and match with public transport or driving part way?

We've had similar discussions before and, for a lot of us, it came down to time as much as distance, though 30 miles each way would be at the extreme end distance wise. IIRC most people favoured something in the 30-60 minute range, depending on the person that probably covers an 8-20 mile distance. 

Having done a 40 mile round trip daily, though not for that long, I came to the conclusion that about 13-15 miles each way would be my ideal. You can always extend on a Summers evening etc if you fancy it. Oh, and terrain will matter as well, mine was fairly flat, or pancake by some peoples standards


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## gb155 (20 Jul 2011)

Most (None winter) days I do 20 miles each way


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## endoman (20 Jul 2011)

I don't do it every day, but it's 15 miles each way, but sometimes like today, I take a longer route home, today was 35 miles back, lovely ride as well!


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## ianrauk (20 Jul 2011)

32 mile round trip for me.

Lukesdad had a 60 mile round commute if I remember rightly and there was a girl who posted a while back who was doing a 80 mile round commute a couple of days a week. She had a blog about it. I'll try find it.


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## kevin_cambs_uk (20 Jul 2011)

I have changed route a little at the mo, and its 18.5 each way.....


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## BentMikey (20 Jul 2011)

Mine isn't the longest, it's 23 miles or so, and I can hate it. That's also because I do quite a physical job, which is at roughly similar effort to cycling at a slower pace than I do on my commute.


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## cloggsy (20 Jul 2011)

My normal route is 12.8 miles each way. I rode a longer route home tonight; 21 miles...

But nowhere near the longest!


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## 400bhp (20 Jul 2011)

BentMikey said:


> Mine isn't the longest, it's 23 miles or so, and I can hate it. That's also because I do quite a physical job, which is at roughly similar effort to cycling at a slower pace than I do on my commute.



You don't count.

You ride one of them weird things.


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## BentMikey (20 Jul 2011)

Can you blame me for using a lazy bike when I have that much physical workload?


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## MacB (20 Jul 2011)

BentMikey said:


> Can you blame me for using a lazy bike when I have that much physical workload?



not in the slightest but you need to make it clear, that you lie down on the commute, when you post in these threads. Otherwise folks will be unaware of what a bone idle sod you actually are


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## BentMikey (21 Jul 2011)

LOOL!


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## Hacienda71 (21 Jul 2011)

It was pathetic shark who had a huge commute.


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## Jezston (21 Jul 2011)

I tried doing a 40-something mile round trip commute for a few days but dropped back to 20 with the other lot on the train - it wasn't so much that it was tiring (it was) it was just the _time_. With two busy city centres and a long section of towpath it was 3 hours out of my day.

Cycling started to get _boring_ and I didn't want that!


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## jonny jeez (21 Jul 2011)

DannO said:


> Hi, I have recently changed job role and I now drive 30 miles to work and the same back. I recently used to work 5 miles from home and enjoyed cycling the distance on a daily basis. I was wondering if anyone would or infact does commute anywhere near 30 miles each way and would it be worth me giving it a go? Cheers



We created a High Roller chart some time ago, I wonder if its changed much

http://www.cyclechat...hl__high+roller


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## DrSquirrel (21 Jul 2011)

My main office minimum commute is 11+9.8 miles (yes they differ as I would never return up this specific road). Normal 10.5+11.5 with a nice 20 miler home on and off.

Next office is normally 22+22. Because of a bridge closure the other day, I had to do a 33 mile jaunt, but could return on a 20 mile road, but going on a road that i'd rather do an extra 2 miles to avoid.

Commuting to the main office on the fixed, the hills are too bad to use it to my 2nd office. All year too, rain and shine... I even made it in in 6+ inches of snow


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## Buddfox (21 Jul 2011)

This post has shamed me into action! My commute is actually only 4.5 miles, but from this morning I've added an additional 4 mile loop onto it to try and step up a little. Will never get close to the big guys but it feels good to have done it!


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## ianrauk (21 Jul 2011)

Buddfox said:


> This post has shamed me into action! My commute is actually only 4.5 miles, but from this morning I've added an additional 4 mile loop onto it to try and step up a little. Will never get close to the big guys but it feels good to have done it!





Good for you..


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## david1701 (21 Jul 2011)

I'm debating taking some part time work out in Oke which is 30 miles is each way but wouldn't be every day.


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## wheres_my_beard (21 Jul 2011)

My work is 2.5 miles away. I'm not even sure if that counts as "commuting" to be honest.


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## jonny jeez (21 Jul 2011)

wheres_my_beard said:


> My work is 2.5 miles away. I'm not even sure if that counts as "commuting" to be honest.



you're on a bike, you're going to work....that's commuting.


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## Moodyman (21 Jul 2011)

12 miles one way 5 days a week.

I manage this year round and only stop if I'm pretty ill or if it's snowing.

Would go up to 15, but not much more.

Gotta think about days when you're tired or are carrying a minor bug.


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## jonny jeez (21 Jul 2011)

Jezston said:


> I tried doing a 40-something mile round trip commute for a few days but dropped back to 20 with the other lot on the train - it wasn't so much that it was tiring (it was) it was just the _time_. With two busy city centres and a long section of towpath it was 3 hours out of my day.
> 
> Cycling started to get _boring_ and I didn't want that!



If I take a train, bus or car, my 40 mile commute takes anything from 2-6 hours (return)....SIX HOURS!!

so taking 2.5 hours to run in and out on a bike is a no brainer when it comes to time.

for me, its the effort, I've never managed more than 3 days a week and am currently averaging 1.....pfft....Will soon be back to 3 though


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## JBP (21 Jul 2011)

I'm currently doing a 14 mile each way, limiting myself to two consecutive days by bike and then one by train. 

Most of the people where I work are fairly local to the area and can't believe I commute by bike sometimes (we finished at 11pm last night and so I didn't get home until gone midnight), but it's on par with the train in getting me there and back (including walking to and from the station at each end. 

I accepted an offer of a lift home the day after having a minor 'off' last week, and due to the lift offerer having to stay behind to fill in his contract, and then only going partway to my destination meaning I had to wait for a bus, which then only went part way to my destination again, what would have been an hour or so by bike turned into two and a half hours by various means!


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## bornagainst (21 Jul 2011)

24 miles round trip. 5 days a week. Only started in Feb of this year, but I'm already convinced that I'll never go back to public transport unless I'm desperate.


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## ianrauk (21 Jul 2011)

bornagainst said:


> 24 miles round trip. 5 days a week. Only started in Feb of this year, but I'm already convinced that *I'll never go back to public transport unless I'm desperate.*



Indeed... it is vile having to get PT for any reason...


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## Holdsworth (21 Jul 2011)

I only do a 9 mile each way commute to work 3 days a week (I'm only agency and this is all they give me most weeks). I might think about extending it by a few miles just to get a bit of variety into my route.


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## XmisterIS (22 Jul 2011)

I do a 20 mile round trip on the days that I work away from home.

I have a mate from where I used to work who tried doing a 44 mile round trip every day, with big hills, he had to cut it down to a few times a week because he started getting knee problems. Doing that amount of miles, every day for months on end, with big hill climbs each way, can't be good for you.


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## AlickB (22 Jul 2011)

i do a 32 mile round trip which is 3 days on 3 days off (I have an amazing working pattern for a chef lol), the only bugger is the 14 hours of hard work inbetween  
this last week however I have been going by train as i knackered my leg avoiding a SMIDSY


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## jagman.2003 (22 Jul 2011)

I did a 48 mile round trip commute in a previous job occasionally. I was fit enough, but it was the time it took that caused the most problems. I had to get up very early compared to driving. I now do a 27 mile round trip to a different job & can get up at the same time.


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## mistral (22 Jul 2011)

I'm doing 34 mile round trip most days and find that's quite enough for me.


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## Daniel T (22 Jul 2011)

Mine is currently just over 22 miles each way, with mixed terrain. Depending on the last few miles/route for those miles it can be up to 45 miles round.

Because it's mainly rural it seems to fly by and I have gotten the time down to around 85 minutes (without a monster headwind grrr)

I haven't done the full 5 days though, as I need the car once a week during work hours.


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## Daniel T (22 Jul 2011)

Daniel T said:


> Mine is currently just over 22 miles each way, with mixed terrain. Depending on the last few miles/route for those miles it can be up to 45 miles round.
> 
> Because it's mainly rural it seems to fly by and I have gotten the time down to around 85 minutes (without a monster headwind grrr)
> 
> I haven't done the full 5 days though, as I need the car once a week during work hours.



Funny thing is,

This commute takes around 3 hours all inclusive per day. Which sounds a lot initially, but when you consider the same journey by car takes me 50 minutes, and then 5 minutes to park up, 10 minutes to walk from the multistorey to the office. Then a slightly longer drive home.

I only actually lose around 45-50 mins out of the whole day,...................which...............................ta da! I used to spend 1 hour a day at lunch in the gym doing cardio  so I actually gain about 10 mins a day through cycling 44 miles..........at a third of the speed as my car!

Road bikes rock


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## marshmella (22 Jul 2011)

ianrauk said:


> Indeed... it is vile having to get PT for any reason...



My round trip is only 13 miles approx so nothing major, but the guy i work with catches the bus ( the service from Birmingham to Wolverhampton is truly shocking.i.e overcrowded and unreliable) he travels about 3 miles, and with the waiting time never gets home in less than an HOUR. He looks astonished when i say i go twice as far as him in about half the time. Ianrauk public transport is vile and a scandalous rip off.


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## ColinJ (22 Jul 2011)

marshmella said:


> the guy i work with catches the bus ( the service from Birmingham to Wolverhampton is truly shocking.i.e overcrowded and unreliable) he travels about 3 miles, and with the waiting time never gets home in less than an HOUR.


He could easily walk that in 45 minutes!


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## marshmella (22 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> He could easily walk that in 45 minutes!



indeed he could Colin, I've told him that many times.


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## 400bhp (22 Jul 2011)

Is he a fat ****?


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## Alun (22 Jul 2011)

400bhp said:


> Is he a fat ****?



I thought we were going to be more understanding about weight issues !


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## ColinJ (22 Jul 2011)

400bhp said:


> Is he a fat ****?


I'm a fat **** and I can easily walk the 4+ miles from my house to Todmorden in about 55 minutes!


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## 400bhp (22 Jul 2011)

Wrong way round.

No exercise = fat ****

Exercise = still be a fat **** but heading in the right direction.


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## 007fair (25 Jul 2011)

When I do go into the office I cycle 8 miles to the station then 0.5 at the other end to the office. 
The return is all on bike - 40 miles by car but less by bike as I can take a more direct route. I haven't Garmin'd it yet but suspect about 35 miles So 43.5 all in BUT ..only once a week! The other days its a strenuous 15 metres from bed to desk with detour to the loo


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## noelmg (25 Jul 2011)

Mine is a baby commute compared to these - I do 8.5 miles each way, a couple of days a week. 

Sometimes it about kills me and takes about 45-50 mins, others I can do it in 35-40 mins, but if I drive and the traffic is bad its at least a 45 minute drive, down to 25 mins in clear traffic - so there isn't much difference, and at least on the bike it's a pretty much constant timing.

Only just started biking again after a few months off due to illness, and hoping I can keep up 2 days a week.


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## BlackPanther (25 Jul 2011)

I ride 11.5 miles each way. I look at it this way. When I used to drive to work it took me 25 mins there, 40 mins back.

Now I cycle every day, it's 45 mins there (steady ride in) and 40 mins back. If I wasn't commuting on the bike, I'd have to find time to exercise elsewhere. That would mean finishing work, then driving to the gym/sports centre so I'd never get as much exercise time in......and I'd have to pay!

So I 'lose' 20 mins in the morning, and a paltry 5 mins in the evening. It costs me 25 minutes a day and I get all the exercise I need, for free! Are you really losing any time out of your life?


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