40km a day commute crazy/do-able?

Greengearz

Ok so I'm currently in college 5 days a week and I can get the bus every morning/evening so I don't get out too often on the bike during the week. (during winter anyway)

I have a good fitness level already as I'm planning on doing the Ring Of Kerry this summer, i'm doing spins of 50-80km with no big stress.

Now I'm planning on cycling to work at the weekends, reason is I'm not driving at the moment and I have to get a taxi sometimes which is €25 in and €25 back.

So I'm going to start cycling in the morning and evenings.
I would have to leave around 6:30 0r 8 depending on what times I start. I think it's do able as it will only be weekends, be good training for me and will most importantly save me money. I've done the cycle a few times in the evening during the summer and it was grand, took about 1hour ish which was OK I think.

Opinions?

I've got a cheap, decent set of lights that will do me for a few weeks until I can splurge on a good set that will last. any brand recommendations?
Also these are country roads I will be cycling on and no street lights etc for at least 19km, until I get near the main town. So any advice/opinions welcome.
(and no buses on weekends where/near I live)

Alanstrainor

It's doable I reckon. Especially if it's only 2 days a week. It might take some getting used to, but nothing too bad. I would however invest in a good set of lights before taking it on, especially given that they are back roads without lighting.

laraghrider

I assume you mean its 20km each way? My commute to the office is 35km each way so 70km per day. Can get very tired at the end of the week but great training

Greengearz

Yeah the 2 days if fine, and the main thing for me is not paying taxi fares anymore or at least as little as possible.

Yeah I plan on getting really good lights next week, I have good, bright ones for this weekend just not the kind of ones that will last for ages if you know what I mean. Plus high vis/bike gear so I should be OK. Ill bring spare clothes etc as well in case of showers. I also have age on my side if that makes much of a difference. lol

Greengearz

Yeah sorry never checked my post thought I included that. 20ishkm there and back.
Yeah I remember the first time I did 70km in one day i was wrecked but it was my first day doing it so I was v happy over all. Do you have to drive in the dark too? on average how long would it take you one way?

rtmie

if you mean 20km each way then that's very doable. I was doing it 3 days a week up til January freeze, planning to start back next week(and I'm an ould fella). If you are also doing training spins on the weekend then might be best not to commute everyday.
One thing I learned is that while you'll have had your breakfast before heading out, if your are heading home at 6ish after having a sandwich at midday you might not feel the best. Eat a banana or something before heading home!

carltonleon

You will be grand doing 40km round trip. My round trip is about 42km which is 17km in and 26km (Longer Route for training) home. Sometimes I do 44km in and go over Howth Head if the weather is really nice as it is great training and really sets me up for the day.
The only bit I find a pain in the arse is getting clothes and gear ready the night before. We have showers in work so it is grand from that point of view.
I would definitely say go for it but make sure you are well lit up on the country roads (but not too well lit up.... before I get set upon Ha! Ha!)

Greengearz

It'll be mainly on weekends for now until Summer when I'll be working more or less full time and I should be at a good level of fitness then.
That's one thing I must start doing properly, I have a habit of skipping breakfast before college in the morning if I'm running for the bus so I'll have to become more organized or ill hurn out because I cant afford to lose weight tbh as I'm skinny enough as it is! That said I'm very active, I do alot of hiking and running/walking with the dogs. Weekdays I might do the odd spin back out if I'm finished college early one day or something.

27cyrix

There are lots discussion about CREE light on boards
You can get one set as little as 20e on eBay. keep in mind you need pair it with another set of light.

Hi-vis,
BTWIN has a waterproof jecket on sale for 20£
oh, and reflective tape

thejaguar

Sounds to me like you should be able to do it no problem given the cycling you're doing already.

The most difficult part will probably be getting organised, that always gives me the most hassle. Changes of clothes, some food just in case, puncture repair kit etc.

Once you get into a routine you'll be laughing.

Best of luck with it.

SCOL

I cycle 32miles round trip to work, I do it once maybe twice a week no problems It takes a bit of getting used to but once you have you fitness up it's fine.

I also have a mororized bike for the days I'm tried it's a small engine fitted to the bicycle peddle to start and goes about 25mph ish it's about 20minutes quicker that cycling maybe something to look at. I've also seen battery powered bicycle kits available google them.

Greengearz

Thanks My dad thinks I'm a bit crazy and thinks its madness.
I think the first weekend Ill be wrecked because I haven't been out on any decent distance with nearly 3 weeks but be grande, I have decent hybrid and Ill take my time until I get comfortable with everything, especially the after dark bit.

Plastik

I'm commuting a 63km round trip 4 times a week, occasionally 5.

ted1

I'm doing 30km round trip 5 days a week, no problems and I only started cycling in September after a 17 year break.

In fact for the past few weeks I have added an extra 30km home 2 days a week.

So what I'm saying is that You'll be grand

Pinch Flat

I did a 40km round trip 5 days a week no problem in a previous job - manage just under 30km round trip now - granted I did get a bit tired towards the back end of the week, but it's completely doable.

With the longer evenings at least you're missing the worst of the winter evenings. There's plenty of advice on lights here - I personally use a Lezyne Macro Drive 400 lux and a Led Lenser B7 as back up for dark roads - no issues, it's about 220 Lux. Plenty for the darkest of roads.

tomasrojo

I've done about 20km each way five days a week in the past. It was fine, once I got used to it. Not rural roads though. Lucan to Ballsbridge a slightly round-about way was one work commute of about that length. Make sure you can fix punctures, and all the other common mechanical failures, especially as on rural roads you have fewer back-up options to get you home.

knipper

I'd advise good lights to spot potholes after dark. And a torch or detachable light as its not fun changing a tube at 2am without one believe me. Also make sure you have two back lights in case one dies and you have no way of knowing until its too late.

StevieGriff

Recently went from a part time job to a full time so struggling to get the miles in at the moment. When the days get longer and the weather gets a bit better I'm hoping to start riding to work 2 days of the week, 100k round trip per day.

equivariant

tomasrojo wrote: »

....Make sure you can fix punctures, and all the other common mechanical failures, especially as on rural roads you have fewer back-up options to get you home.

This is really important. No matter how good the tyres are, you will have to deal with punctures when doing a long commute. They also tend to come in clumps (when the tyres are worn). I have had periods of months puncture free and then have had three or four in a week.

Choice of tyres can make things easier when it comes to roadside repairs. I have used Bontragers and Conti's in the last year. The Conti's were *much* easier to remove and replace. Made tube replacements very easy. The Bontragers are a real pain to get back on, especially when the fingers are cold. I have snapped a couple of tyre levers with them.

Kaisr Sose

ted1 wrote: »

I'm doing 30km round trip 5 days a week, no problems and I only started cycling in September after a 17 year break.

In fact for the past few weeks I have added an extra 30km home 2 days a week.

So what I'm saying is that You'll be grand

I am in the same boat as above. 40km a day winter, 50/60km a day summer. All on 20yr old MTB with slicks. Go for it! Long eves bright morns are coming...the tip to fuel up mid afternoon is a good one, especially if its windy and cycling into it most or all of the way home.

del88

I do 42km round trip commute 5 days a week..great way to get really fit plus you'll burn around 800 calories which is great for keeping the weight down..takes me 50mins on the way and 60 on the way home due to hills ...start once twice a week and build from there...

Greengearz

Awesome thanks for all the advice/tips. That's the reason I came to post on here as I'm normally more of a lurker then a poster here but I knew it would be the place to come ask/compare!

I'm not up to skill with changing a tyre/puncture yet but it's defo a skill I need to learn, again about the tyres I'm not 100% sure what make they are. It's a tuscan hybrid bike anyway, I think I should have gone straight for a racer/road bike as I still think for going up hills and the like I feel I could go faster but I'm sure that's the case with lots of people.
I had a chat with a relative today he mentioned dynamos or something in terms of lights?

Garzard

When I was attending college in Dun Laoghaire my own round trip was similar - 40km, typically 5 days a week. The distances and the cycling among traffic was a whole new territory for me and did take a few weeks worth of getting used to. A full year of it though did no end of good for my endurance and I could mostly forget about the extortionate bus fares! And if nothing else I found it an excellent way of clearing the head, with the hours my course back then demanded.

sherlok

I'm not up to skill with changing a tyre/puncture yet but it's defo a skill I need to learn, again about the tyres I'm not 100% sure what make they are.

I had a chat with a relative today he mentioned dynamos or something in terms of lights?[/QUOTE]



I'd suggest practicing changing a tube in the comfort of your living room, so when the time comes (and it will come) you'll find it easier to get going again. Like most skills, a wee bit of practice helps.

You can get nice fancy dynamos these days, but they're pricey. The old school dynamo that run on the sidewall of the tyre creates a lot of drag, and I thinl it wouldn't take long to start hating it. As one of the previous posters suggested, look out for some good LED lights. I use a LED light with a rechargeable battery. You can generally set them to a higher output to really light up country roads. I have a 40k commute and only have to recharge the battery every week, so I really would recommend a LED setup.

fat bloke

Plastik wrote: »

I'm commuting a 63km round trip 4 times a week, occasionally 5.

I've started cycling the kids to school, 1km 5 days a week and I'm b0lloxed after it!

arybvtcw0eolkf

fat bloke wrote: »

I've started cycling the kids to school, 1km 5 days a week and I'm b0lloxed after it!

Children can wear you down alright :pac:

OP, I'm a 40km a day commuter too. As others have said after a weeks work it does get tiring.

I rarely cycle the weekends, preferring to rest but I'll spend a bit of time cleaning and servicing the bike on Sunday and have it ready for the rest of the week.

gerrowadat

If it's only 2 days a week you'll be grand. I was doing 37km each way a couple days a week last year (Clane to Ringsend, I'm one of those fair weather lads, and have since moved house so can't do it any more). It's definitely tough the first while but you get used to it. People have this notion that you'll drop dead after a few km on a bike, I was dubious of being able to cycle 10km to a train when I started out.

Useless Fecker

Greengearz wrote: »

I'm not up to skill with changing a tyre/puncture yet but it's defo a skill I need to learn, again about the tyres I'm not 100% sure what make they are. It's a tuscan hybrid bike anyway, I think I should have gone straight for a racer/road bike as I still think for going up hills and the like I feel I could go faster but I'm sure that's the case with lots of people.
I had a chat with a relative today he mentioned dynamos or something in terms of lights?

Loads of videos on youtube about changing tyres and fixing punctures, GCN channel a good starting point

Mec-a-nic

Having been off the bikes for years (thanks super-convenient LUAS), I tidied up my 20year old tourer and have been doing my 50km roundtrip commute twice a week, this past winter. It's completely doable, a lot easier after the first few weeks and the money saved/skills learnt can be ploughed back into other things - I upgraded the lighting on this bike to LED/dynamo so that it is much more useful in the dark (and you could do something silmilar for just 2day's worth of taxi fares).

When people express 'amazement' at this long haul across Dublin - I truthfully explain my near neighbour, and colleague, drives this and it takes them more time unless they shift working hours to avoid rush hours.

tomasrojo

Nice set-up!
Any vandalism problems with people trying to damage the lights?

(Do I see Pitlocks too? )

Mec-a-nic

tomasrojo wrote: »

Nice set-up!

I have two bikes with this setup (the first one for a year) and have had no problems at all with interference. The lights look boring and not as tempting as quick release battery lights. Since I spoilt myself with a small, expensive dynamo that makes my front wheel worth more than my back, yes I did pay out for some piece of mind with a pitlock set.

Overall, it got me cycling more through the winter, which will set me up better for commuting the rest of the year.

Greengearz

So I cycled in Saturday morning and I cycled back tonight. Didn't do back yesterday because winds were getting ghale-like and my dad was having a fit at the thought of me cycling in ti! Didn't cycle this morning as that would involved leaving at 6, but in the future I hope to get motivated to leave that early.

Cycle on Sat morning went well, I calculated it's actually been over a month since I've been on a good cycle so .

Cycle this evening, My legs, i dont know, they were having none of it! I couldnt get any decent speed/pace as they were just unbelieveabile, but I got there, although about 20/30mins longer then last time
(I did stop for about 10 minutes to give them a rest)

Greengearz

So I cycled in Saturday morning and I cycled back tonight. Didn't do back yesterday because winds were getting ghale-like and my dad was having a fit at the thought of me cycling in ti! Didn't cycle this morning as that would involved leaving at 6, but in the future I hope to get motivated to leave that early.

Cycle on Sat morning went well, I calculated it's actually been over a month since I've been on a good cycle so I was happy with how it went for the most part, some annoying hills but no one likes those!. It took me just over the hour to do 20km.

Cycle this evening, My legs, i don't know, they were having none of it! I couldn't get any decent speed/pace as they were just unbelievable, but I got there, I kinda stopped pushing too much and went the "slow+ steady" way although it took about 20/30mins longer then last time (sat morning)
(I did stop for about 10 minutes to give them a rest) need to get everything organized in advance though as bringing a backpack with work clothes etc is a nuisance. and Must get proper cycling shoes or at least thicker socks as my poor feet were so cold/wet/sore when I got home lol (got a good few showers of hail on way back)

Overall I'm happy with how it went, I cant wait to improve a whole pile though. Its amazing how much "cycling fitness" you lose quite quickly when not out a lot. Even though I'm very active, my heart/breathing rate was grand the whole time, my legs need work!