storckm

I'm considering applying for a position that will be a bit farther from my house than my current position. Right now, I ride about 4 miles each way, and haven't driven for more than a year. (Actually, I don't remember when I drove last, but I'm sure it's been over a year.)

The position I'm considering would be between fifteen and eighteen miles, depending on the route. Because I'd have to cross two interstates, a significant creek, and at least one set of railroad tracks, there will be some points where only a few roads go through.

My main commuting bicycle is a Schwinn hybrid from the mid 1990's. It's not super-light, but it claims to be cro-moly, and has served me well. I've put on drop handlebars, generator lights, fenders, and front and rear racks, and in the winter I run studded tires, which slow me down a good deal.

I'd like advice and thoughts about how to handle such a relatively long commute. I've been commuting by bicycle for a few years, so I know the basics, but I am a little intimidated by such a long ride, which I'd estimate would take me about an hour and a half.

starla

I would definitely ride the route a couple of times at different times of the day beforehand. That should help you feel more comfortable about the route, whether you are mostly concerned about the bike, the distance, or the limited routes available.

iforgotmename

My commutes tend to average 20ish miles one way (construction worker) If you start feeling fatigued try using public transportation for part of the route to make the ride more manageable. In my experience my legs get a bit heavy after a couple of months, but my job is physical in nature. I have a bus that is 7 miles from home, it's a nice break every once in a while. Good luck.

fietsbob

A Multi Mode use of Public transportation isa good backup ,

for the days that riding to where you meet the Bus is enough.

It may be an advantage for Punctuality in the Morning..
then you wont have the time constraint on the way home.

WonderMonkey

The shortest possible route for me on a bike is 14.5 miles and typically is around 15.5. I have other routes I can take to go 21 miles or as long as I want. Other than riding it on an off day to check it out you just have to decide if you want to be on the bike that long. If you don't want to or can't then using public transit to cover part of it or even drive to a parking spot along the way is your option.

hubcap

It's not like you are trying to take on a 35mi rt commute with no experience. It's just more riding than you do now. I'd bet you would get used to the physical effort part of it in a month or so.

As others have said and will continue to say - you need to come to grips with the amount of time you will be spending on the bike and how that affects your life outside of work. Be conscience of how that much time affects a significant other. Then be flexible to keep everybody happy.

I'd try it using your current commuter bike for a while before considering changing bikes.

joyota

You're in good company, I'm astonished by how many 10+ and even 15+ mile commuters there are here. I use a ~40lb, late 90's Nishiki ATB that I've slowly converted into a commuter and my commute's between 13-16 miles depending on the route. Over two interstates, so routes are somewhat limited for me as well. Sounds like your setup is perfect to start with. I agree with hubcap, go with it and let your own experience tell you what you need to do/change/buy.

My biggest motivation for riding vs. driving is that I'd rather spend 45min - 75min doing something I love than spend 30 minutes of mundane.

Joemess

I second what all have said in regard to riding the route at different times. My commute is 15 or 16 miles depending on one slight variation. (16=flat vs. 15=big ole hill) You get used to it. Some days are harder going home than others, however the days I feel "slow" typically are not much longer than my fast days. I typically take between 54 minutes and 65 minutes.

It only takes a little but more planning...

bent-not-broken

I switched from a 5 mile each way commute to a 15 miler a couple years ago. What I learned was my every day commute (over 200 per year) now averages 100 per year. A five mile commute can be done on any style bike with minimal planning. 15 miles takes a lot more planning and a reliable bike (for me drop handles are a must). I rode the 5 miler in snow and sub zero (Wisconson). 15 miles is just too far on studs or if a snow storm is probable. Even in good weather 5 days a week can be a grind. 15 miles in the rain is a long way. Even with half the commutes I am still commuting 50% more miles but it definitely takes more planning.

FBinNY 

A 15 mile ride daily during an Ohio winter can be rough. If you're fir it's doable, but may wear on you mentally. Especially because you'll be going at least one way in full dark.

A frend has a longer commute, and solved the problem by joining a car pool. He bought a bike rack for the car used by the pool, and in the morning joins them with the bike on the rack, jumping off at one of the other member's place of work, and finishing the 2 miles or so to his job. Going home, he can make a decent ride of it, but if conditions are miserable, he rides the 2 miles and uses the pool for the trip home.

alan s 

It will take some time to build up stamina to do that every day, and weather will take its toll. Best thing is never to push hard, because you'll pay for it the next day. My regular commute is 30 miles RT each day, and it's no problem now, but when I started out at that distance, it took a few weeks to get used to it. Definitely have a backup plan for bad weather, sickness, or sore muscles.

JPinWI

I am right there at 17.1 miles one way...mine's mostly rural, but I do ride a couple miles on a County Trunk Highway and cross another that is fairly busy with 55+ mph car and truck traffic. My motto is share the road, so I try to stay out of everybody's way unless it would be compromising my safety. Within the last month I've had two incidents where drivers clearly didn't see me and turned in front of me. In both cases I was able to avoid them because I anticipated their ambivalence. Longer commutes require constant vigilance which can get tiring. On several occasions I have had to chastise myself for taking chances with traffic in order to minimize my stopping.

I haven't driven since April 28th of this year so I am a consistent bike commuter over a long distance. For the most part, I enjoy the long commute...it's the highlight of my day...I use a bar end mirror and safety vest as well as front, helmet, and rear lights to try to increase my visibility...Although "there's none so blind as those who will not see" certainly seems to apply to the drivers, I try not to let that keep me from enjoying my bike commute.

So far I have resisted the urge to get studded tires and extend my commute year round. The urge seems to be getting stronger every year so studded tires could be in my future...My main concern is being in frigid conditions for an extended period of time and staying warm if something disruptive should happen. I also look at Winter as my time to rest and recover from the 5000 miles or so I pedal in the other seasons.


I say go for it....you can always ease back and drive some of the time or part way if necessary.

tarwheel 

My commute increased from 11 miles to 15.5 miles each way about two years ago. I didn't realize notice the extra distance much, but I did notice the additional time. I had to start getting up a half-hour earlier and get home that much later in the afternoons. The cumulative effect of the extra miles tends to wear me out more, and I sometimes take rest days unless bad weather takes care of that for me. I got a better lighting system because I was riding in the dark more for longer periods of time, and battery run time was a big factor. My route is hilly, so I started looking for ways to pare weight on my bikes. I had been commuting on my touring bike more when my commute was shorter, but picked up a lighter sport touring bike (with lighter tires) for the longer route. I still commute on my touring bike on occasion, such as when I have a lot of gear to carry, but most of the time commute on my sport tourer or cross bike.

CoachManny

My commute to racquetball practice is 22 miles one way. At the beginning it took a toll in stamina and the next day I would be pretty tired but over time I got use to it. I do this 2 times a week sometimes I do take a bus depending on how I'm feeling.

I would recommend (IMO) getting a road bike or cyclocross with road wheels when weather is not the greatest like snow. Your speed will be up and on a trip like that I would think your pace matters as to the time you leave home and get to work.

Good luck

spivonious

That's a big change in distance. I'd try it out on a Saturday and see how it goes. If it's too long, look into multi-modal or start out doing 2-3 days a week instead of all 5.

Personally, that's a bit too far to commute. An hour each way on the bike takes away from my "home" time.

fietsbob

For a Longer (12mile) commute, I got ahold of a Zzipper road fairing

So It Redirected the air around me rather than through my Clothing.
& added aerodynamic efficiency a few%.

and as a side benefit I could hear the books-on-tape, recordings easier .

It was a quiet rural route between places and at 6~7:00 most of the Drivers
were home watching the TV by then.

rumrunn6

reject the position

MMACH 5

In 2006, I went from a 36-mile round trip, daily commute to a 50-mile round trip commute. I realized fairly quickly, that the extra distance along with the hillier terrain meant I was better off riding the entire route every other day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would ride to a bus stop about four to six miles away.

There is no shame in taking a bus for part of your commute. Taking a break, when you need it will do wonders for preserving your bicycle commuting. If you're miserable when you get home, you'll be less inclined to ride to work the next day.

Consularrider

Six years ago I started with a ten mile round trip commute with two basic options, the first solely on streets or the second 90+% on MUP. After about six months I started varying the route to add more distance. I am now up to a 25 to 30 mile round trip commute, 95+% on MUP. I still live in the same house and work at the same building. I have two flat bar bikes that account for about 90% of my commuting miles, a mid-90s Raleigh M60 (rigid steel mtb) and an aluminum 2009 Giant Transend. Both are functional for the longer commute and can take fenders, rack, and studded tires. I occasionally ride my 2009 Salsa Pistola steel road bike if I am going to do even more milage or it's a nice day and I don't have to carry anything to work.

I would echo other posters who encourage you to start as multimodal. That way you can gradually build up your milage by moving your cycling starting point closer to your home as you become accustomed to the route and added distance. Are you close to a COTA route that can get you part way? I see from their website that they have front bike racks. I occasionally use the DC Metro buses or the subway with my bike if I need to get to the other side of the area.

CommuteCommando

My commute is 7 miles to a train station then 5 miles from the station to work (Bike rides the train with me). Eighteen isn't bad if its flat. I like to Google Map w/ street view before exploring new routes, then driving it. Driving it tells you things Google maps can't. Google maps will reduce the amount of driving you have to do.

FBinNY 

The key to long bike commute, and maybe to bike commuting is not to look at is as a black and white proposition. If you mentally lock yourself into a do or die 5 day per week deal, it'll get old and frustrating and you'll be tempted to quit. But if you accept that anything is better than nothing, and mix it up with a plan B (car pool mass transit, or just drive sometimes) it becomes much more sustainable.

Also consider options like intermodal, bike/train/bike, one way car pool, or some other alternatives to take the pressure off you'll look forward to the bike rides, rather than seeing them as a chore.

Leisesturm

I very much disagree. There are very few bicycle commuters per capita at all and of those the one's cycling more than 10 mi. drops off precipitously. I am 55 and I do my 7.5 mi. regular commute in less than 30min pushing moderately hard and my 10 mi. summer commute in 15 minutes at the same effort. That is a lot faster than the 30 somethings I occasionally drop on the way. I am not dropped often. I can't remember the last time that happened. Maybe you can do 13 real world miles in 45 minutes, but know that that isn't a common thing. A 15 mi. one way is beyond most peoples ability to do daily. It just is. It also depends heavily on what you do once you get to work. To put it kindly, some people have cushier jobs than others.

H

FBinNY 

Is there a typo here? Or do you expect us to believe that you can sustain 40mph for 15 minutes, only pushing moderately hard? That's beyond full sprint for pros.

tsl

Agreed. I'm on Lake Ontario and find more than 20 minutes to a half-hour in traffic to be mentally wearing in foul weather. In the cold but nice weather, 45 minutes to an hour is enough for me.

In the three seasons, I routinely extend my commute to over 16 miles to work and 13 miles coming home. The thing I've found is that at that distance, I have to start treating the commute like a "real" bike ride.

I have to warm up into it. I can't just hop on and drop the hammer. I have to work up to my regular cruising speed. Then I have to cool down at the end, and do recovery food afterwards.

I get to work a half-hour early so I can cool down, eat (sandwich, banana, trail mix bar) and change before starting. Coming home, I have a glass or two of Ovaltine in fat-free milk while I make dinner.

If I don't do these things, I'm worn out by midweek. My legs feel like lead and I get muscle aches and pains. YMMV of course, but it's something to keep in mind.

Null66

I'm doing 50 rt with 2400 ft climb, just once a week.
Takes me a long time, as I'm slow.
But it's a nice time.