Long Commute?

Fingalian

Hi All,
Looking for some advice. I’m fairly fit and have used a bicycle for commuting in Dublin and London so I'm used to city riding. I don't commute on a bicycle anymore but I'm thinking of getting back into it. The commute is 18 miles one way on fairly level ground, daily 36 mile round trip. I was thinking of doing it twice a week. Have showers/lockers etc in work. I was thinking of getting something like a Giant Crs 0 or something similar. My questions: Is this a huge distance to be commuting on a bike? any ideas how long it would take? and what do you thing of my bike choice? Thanks for any advice.

Cheers,
F.

07Lapierre

My Commute is 25klm each way (about 15 miles). I have shower facilities in work and my route is flat. I commute 2-3 days a week. It'll be no problem to you.

I do however think you'd be better off getting a Road bike.

martyc5674

Be lovely to do that twice a week...if its on a boring road it will seem long, if its any way scenic it will be lovely.
18 miles should take you between 40 mins and an hour depending on bike/road surface/traffic lights/fitness/what your carrying etc etc.
If you can afford this time either side of work go for it.
Marty

seamus

Yeah, go for it. Go for a proper road bike with drop bars though, you'll notice the wind a whole lot less.

How long it takes depends entirely on your fitness and the wind. I'd expect someone who wasn't entirely unfit but new to biking to take around 90 minutes to make an 18 mile journey. A strong cyclist should be able to do it in just over an hour. Someone who's at race fitness could consistently do it in less than an hour. A headwind can add anything from 10 to 40% onto your journey time.

18 miles is 28.8km. Most people here seem to average aroun 25km/h on a spin - but that's over variable terrain and over a longer period. With an hour's ride over flat terrain and no wind, I see no reason why you couldn't average 30km/h (eventually!)

Initially you'll need to be very aware of giving yourself time to rest and recover. Starting off you would be best to do the commute twice a week - Monday and Thursday, and take the other days as rest days.
Then when you don't find your legs exhausted on a Friday morning, move to a 3-day week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

You can then slowly build up to doing the commute 5 days a week and loving it, instead of trying to push it hard at the start, finding yourself exhausted by Wednesday, collapsing with the 'flu by the weekend and packing it all in.

Beasty

I started off doing 23km each way twice a week about 2 and a half years ago. It would take me about an hour each way.

I now think nothing of doing it 5 consecutive days, and typically take under 45 mins (I have done it in less than 40 minutes with a tailwind, but it can take 50 with a strong headwind). I've even taken to extending the commute, and often add 20km+ to the evening return home

I leave my gear in the office (used to carry some stuff in a backpack), normally dropping it off at a weekend when I am passing in the car anyway.

Hence, yes it is doable, particularly if you have showers at work. There's also a bit more daylight now which will help (although I commute all year round, with good lighting)

Beasty

As a matter of interest, where are you travelling from and to (I commute into North Dublin from just outside Skerries)?

Lumen

martyc5674 wrote: »

18 miles should take you between 40 mins and an hour depending on bike/road surface/traffic lights/fitness/what your carrying etc etc.

18 miles in 40 minutes is over 43kph.

Albert Contador averaged just iver 40kph in last year's Tour de France.

Whilst I appreciate that Al had a few hills and a bit of distance to deal with, not to mention the fun and games with Lance, I think that 40 minutes might be a tad optimistic for commuting on a hybrid. :pac:

Fingalian: yes, it's easily doable twice a week. Every day would be much harder, but it really depends on how hard you push.

I reckon you should plan on it taking about 1:15 each way.

martyc5674

I stand corrected Lumen...on painkillers @ the moment and they killing my brain too!:mad:

For some reason i had 40 mins/18 miles @ 30KMH.

So basically 22-30KMH is what you should be aiming to travel @ depending on all the variants listed above.
So somewhere between 60 to 80 minutes should have you there.

Marty.

Captain Havoc

€4 for a shower up here, think I'll start once or twice a week myself. 40km

Highway_To_Hell

I would say got for it. I don't do it enough but my commute is 30k each way and I do it on a fixed gear Charge Plug. During the summer i try to do it 2-3 times a week, it takes around 70 mins to do and anther 90 mins to recover:) I use the fixie as I bought it on the BTW scheme and didnt want to destroy my road bike using it as a commuter.

enjoy the commute.

Vélo

Yeah go for it. I do a 50km round trip about 2-3 times a week.


I'm determined to increase it to a full week soon.

LastGasp

martyc5674 wrote: »

18 miles should take you between 40 mins and an hour

I would think this is a bit optimistic ! Are you thinking in kms ? OP was 18 miles. To do that in an hour would be 29kmh assuming no traffic lights on the route. 40 minutes would be 43kmh ! I commute 18KMS and it takes about 40 mins, and while I'm not sprinting, I don't hang around either. I suspect you might be looking at more like 1hr 20mins or so, again depending on conditions.

joker77

I've started doing a 25Km each way commute twice a week. You'll be tired the first week but will get used to it quick enough.

It takes me an hour to do it, that's with a fully loaded pannier bag - laptop, shoes, full change of clothes and towel. Now when I say an hour - that's an hour pedalling - not taking into account any time spent at lights.

I'd say starting off you'd want to allow an hour and a half to be safe.

Go for it though - you'll feel great and it's a super way of getting fitness work into a busy lifestyle!

On a road bike I used do a small bit of cycling years back, sometimes did 45 miles, sometimes did 16 miles. I found I averaged 13 mph. I wouldn't be particularly fit but I wouldn't be half dead either

Jawgap

I do 50km each way twice a week most weeks (three times this week!!)

If you have an office get an "office wardrobe" - I did that to keep my stuff in. Occasionally I take a backpack but I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Muller_1

I do 22k each way normally 4 days sometimes 5 days a week, it normally takes around 45-50 minutes.

There is a shower in work and keep a complete set of spare cycling gear in work for the wet days. 2 days a week would be a good way to start and if you are finding that OK you could add a extra day.

shaungil

Definitely do-able although Beasty is somewhat of a freak with his hours. I do it more from that neck of the woods when it gets lighter once or twice a week or will cycle in one day train home then train in the next day and cycle home.

Build up the distances and you'll be fine. When the trains went down last summer I saw lads on mountain bikes going in and out from Skerries and it was taking them 90 mins. I think my record was 52 mins home and 54 going in.

Beasty

shaungil wrote: »

Definitely do-able although Beasty is somewhat of a freak with his hours.

Says the man who did the (1,350 mile) Race around Ireland last year (and who's 4-man relay team was soon reduced to 3, thereby increasing his and other team members workload by a third)!!

Civilian_Target

Go for it, that's more or less what I do. 26km each way.

To break it up, I often commute in on a Monday morning, and back out on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday I usually do some running at lunch time, so then I commute in again on Thursday morning and back out on Friday evening. That might be an easy way to start...

L.Whack

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, go for it. Go for a proper road bike with drop bars though, you'll notice the wind a whole lot less.

Agreed. You'll regret not getting a proper road bike down the line. It'll make your journey much more enjoyable. Like you I made the decision to commute to work and bought a FCR 3, had it 4 months and it was stolen (scumbags). Anyway, replaced it with a much cheaper road bike with drop down bars and loved it. Got into cycling as a result.

18miles, fair play. Best of luck with it.

tomasrojo

I used to cycle from Lucan to Ballsbridge every day. It's about 19km by a direct route, but I used to go via the Long Mile Road because I never liked the N4, so I'm assuming that added a kilometre or two to the route.

It took a bit over an hour on a hybrid. I didn't find it too tiring, but it was sometimes hard to get to sleep when I got home after working late. The 2+ hour commuting time ate into my free time a bit too.

justo

My commute to work is 16kms each way and I do it each day of the week. TBH I'm not sure of the logic of only commuting a few days a week. When a started I did 3 days a week, then 4 the week later and then 5 days on week 3. Now I find 5 days a week does not tax me and in fact I get a bit annoyed if I can't cycle for some reason, like working off site. I'm very lucky to have a large portion of off road cycle track - without this I would be on the bus! It takes me between 45 and 55 minutes but then again I'm not trying to boot along. I have a shower in work.

Jawgap

I usually drive at least one day just because I need to being in fresh shirts etc rather than bring one each day. I try to tie it in with a day where I would have to drive anyway.

justo

Jawgap wrote: »

I usually drive at least one day just because I need to being in fresh shirts etc rather than bring one each day. I try to tie it in with a day where I would have to drive anyway.

Yep. I agree. I have often wondered if panniers exist which are tailormade for suits?

Fingalian

Thanks for all the info and suggestions,spent yesterday afternoon looking at bikes. Beasty, my commute is from Lusk/Ballyboughal border to Ballsbridge. I was thinking of back roads into Swords and the old airport road into Santry. Probably go across the East Link.
Cheers
F.

paddyduc

I cycle in 6 days a week. It's only 7k each way for me but i often do 50k in the mornings to keep the fitness up.Have to say i feel great for the day on the days i do the long way around. 50 hilly k takes 1hr35 ish. +1 on the road bike.