# How long is your commute ride?



## sbn (Jul 27, 2008)

Hi all... just curious to know how far people commute every day. 

Next month Im moving away from the city (Copenhagen, Denmark) and then I will have a 25km (15.5miles I think) bikeride to work and then home again. It will be mostly on road (paved bikepath most of the way).
I love bike riding and have been riding all my life so the distance is no issue. Im buying a Kona Rove AL for my commute. Planning on getting som fenders on it since I will be riding it no matter the weather conditions. 
My "race" bike is a Focus Cayo carbon 6.0 which I dont want to commute on. 

Anyway, please share how far your commute is :thumbsup:


----------



## cyclingdutchman (Mar 18, 2015)

Shortest way is 11.15 km / 7.1m . I regularly vary my route between this and approx. 13km / 8.1m .

But why leave CPH whereas it is one of the best cycling cities on this planet??

CU, your fellow commuter from "next door" (hamburg).


----------



## bogdanch (Jun 29, 2015)

10km in a bike unfriendly city. Bucharest, Romania.


----------



## sbn (Jul 27, 2008)

cyclingdutchman said:


> But why leave CPH whereas it is one of the best cycling cities on this planet??


Well Im only moving 25 km away. Im still going to work in Copenhagen. So I'll be there all the time. Moving away to get away from expensive small apartments


----------



## SlipSpace (Feb 3, 2014)

Mines about 7-8 miles each way. Relatively flat in the big scheme of things but I go down to, and up from, the same river several times on the route. 

Mixture of road and MUP. Road surfaces are pretty poor , generally worn out or a patchwork of repairs and potholes. The MUPs are populated by dumbdumbs mostly with no awareness of anything other than themselves. Keeps me on my toes though.


----------



## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

16 miles round trip


----------



## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

45 miles round trip


----------



## Lard_Vader (Aug 6, 2015)

1.2 miles. Door to door.


----------



## WaywardTraveller (Oct 2, 2011)

15km to work, 25k home when I have the time to hit all the single track available along the route.

Decisions decisions...Fixie for the most direct commute. FS when I want to get there fairly quick but want to play on the way home...but really don't like to commute on that. SS 69er for a slower commute but fun spinfest, and great to play on the single track on the way home.


----------



## wagonguy1989 (Jun 19, 2015)

22 miles round trip, unless i detour to have fun or go to second job....


----------



## nbwallace (Oct 8, 2007)

I'm riding a bit more than 13 miles each way. A mix of MUP, streets with bike lanes and low use road. Takes me about 54 +/- 3 minutes, but by day four I start to wear down. Right now my quads are sore.


----------



## Grom Redman (Jun 28, 2015)

12 miles of dedicated bike path/trail each way except a short jaunt in a suburban neighborhood...

7-speed beach cruiser with 40T crank and 30T climbing gear. Couple big hills but doable...


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

About 44mi RT, though the middle of the city, for one of my part time jobs. Lots of intersections where I have to stop, so it's about 3 hours added on to my day. As a result, I don't ride it all that often, because by driving (similar distance, but very different freeway route), I knock the commute time down to just under an hour added to my day. That means in the summertime, I can oftentime fit in a mtb ride on the days I finish work earlier, or a mtb ride before work on the days I go in later.

For my other PT job, it's about 15mi RT, and the commute takes less than half an hour each way. That only adds about 10min relative to driving, so it's not a big deal. What is the big deal for that job is the fact that I oftentimes make deliveries around the city, which can add as many as 40 miles to my day, with a pretty significant load. If all I need to do is ride to the office, I'm more likely to bike that commute. But I oftentimes work from home so that isn't necessary.


----------



## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

To infinity and beyond! I don't work, and when I don't work, I do it out of my home office. I am building back up to 30 mi RT.


----------



## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Pi miles each way for me (wish I had a "PI" key on my keyboard).
I also wish some of the many rehashes of this topic had come up in the Similar Threads box at the bottom of the page so you could compare with past commute length polls, but for some reason that box gives a bunch of irrelevant suggestions in this case.


----------



## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

~15 miles round trip. Sometimes 20ish, sometimes 30ish.


----------



## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

rodar y rodar said:


> I also wish some of the many rehashes of this topic had come up in the Similar Threads box at the bottom of the page so you could compare with past commute length polls, but for some reason that box gives a bunch of irrelevant suggestions in this case.


Ah-ha, I found some!

The grad daddy of "how Far" threads:
http://forums.mtbr.com/commuting/what-time-do-you-commute-how-far-744534.html

And a more recent one that looks it it in a different way. Er... many different ways.
http://forums.mtbr.com/commuting/longest-regular-commute-distance-776106.html


----------



## KentheKona (Jul 6, 2013)

About 5.5 miles to my normal workplace one way. Sometimes I have to work other places and that can cut it to a couple blocks to 12 miles or anything in between.


----------



## Kleebs (Mar 18, 2014)

30 miles round trip


----------



## z1r (Apr 17, 2014)

My Commute is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) each way. Mostly on bike paths. In the summer I have the luxury of adding in some additional miles either before or after work.


----------



## ljracer (Nov 6, 2009)

40 miles round trip with about 1000 feet climbing. Use my carbon road bike with 28mm tires and a seat post pannier rack. Sometimes I go big before or after work and get 30-50 instead of 20...one way


----------



## Seph (Jul 27, 2013)

40 mile round trip through the heart of the Silicon Valley. Not exactly a load of fun and I spend an average of 10 minutes each way sitting at stop lights, but better than driving.


----------



## Guest (Aug 15, 2015)

I have four routes depending on the temp and weather. If its really crappy I drive to the trail head and ride 11.2 each way, moderately crappy I'll drive to another trail head and ride 13.1 each way, the full ride is 18.7 each way and occasionally I'll take the long way and hit 20.5 each way (when the gravel roads get really loose, the long way has 2.5 miles less gravel road).


----------



## santa cruzer73 (Oct 22, 2013)

bogdanch said:


> 10km in a bike unfriendly city. Bucharest, Romania.


Would love to see some pictures!

7 miles round trip!


----------



## Guest (Aug 15, 2015)

bogdanch said:


> 10km in a bike unfriendly city. Bucharest, Romania.


 You're braver than I am. It's a beautiful city (although it could use some maintenance on some of the buildings), but it looks like hell to bike through (I mean other than the trolley tracks, traffic volume, roads with no bike lanes and sidewalks that look like Roman ruins).


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

My normal routes are 10, 7.5, and 6 miles one way. So the shortest option is 12 miles round trip...but I don't usually do that.


----------



## blockphi (Mar 26, 2012)

Short route = 12 miles RT - I only use this in the winter when the temps dip below 0F

Standard route = 17 miles RT- I can't say I've ever actually done this route in that I always extend the ride in the afternoons if it is above 0F, so... that's not really a route

Actual standard route = 25 miles RT - I have a variety of routes, but my general goal/approach is to hit a minimum of 25 miles a day

Long route = Usually 30 to 32 miles RT, but some days will push it up to 40 or beyond, depending on what else I have going on. 

As of today I have 3328.9 miles for the year.


----------



## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

8.5 km one way.

Like others here, I usually round it off a bit..... to about a 50km round trip with the road bike, 45km on the CX bike, 35km on my MTB.

The new math, so to speak.


----------



## cyclingdutchman (Mar 18, 2015)

blockphi said:


> Short route = 12 miles RT - I only use this in the winter when the temps dip below 0F


OT: Whoa! Even in winter temps rarely come below 20F here.....for that, we have 3 seasons of autumn with lots of rain all the time. I do not know what is better...


----------



## blockphi (Mar 26, 2012)

cyclingdutchman said:


> OT: Whoa! Even in winter temps rarely come below 20F here.....for that, we have 3 seasons of autumn with lots of rain all the time. I do not know what is better...


My personal preference is cold and dry rather than chilly and damp. Today it is in the 50s (F) and rainy and it is just about impossible to be comfortable in those conditions while riding. At least for me.


----------



## jake2185 (May 31, 2010)

Between 35-38 miles RT using the two shorter routes. All paved through cow pastures and the outskirts of the Ocala National Forest. Nice ride. Just started this week too.

Looking forward to Wednsedays, group road ride after work so should put me around 60-70 miles for a work day...not too bad.


----------



## Gotcha38 (Sep 5, 2014)

About two miles one way. It makes it really easy to commute.


----------



## Reallytho (Jul 30, 2015)

4km/2,5 miles one way. Not very far, heh. Not worth investing in a road bike for that distance, so I stick to my XC bike.


----------



## Tan&Green (Feb 25, 2013)

On the days I do ride....

18 miles (28.97km) to work...not a lot of traffic..
9 miles (14.48km) home....I take the train part way home....traffic in LA County during the evening commute can be treacherous.....


----------



## 2wTrekr (Oct 1, 2015)

Well I have two ways I can go. One way is shorter, more direct, but it's a lot of hills up and down, and there's not much side/ road-shoulder to ride on if needed. Instead, there's a lot of ditch on the sides of the roads on that route...needless to say, I don't use that route very often. The commute is about 6 miles RT that way, but takes me longer because of the complications and with traffic.

The other way I usually go is about 13 miles RT, along a stretch of highway and 5-lane roads. There's lots of side-road shoulder to ride on, to avoid traffic and still have pavement to ride on. One stretch has a big median in the middle, that I use on my path. It's a great route. it makes me wish there were more bike-friendly routes all over America. Where's the 'Clean Air Initiative' on *that*, U.S. gov't? 

Start making all the roads in America more bike-friendly!!!


----------



## Volsung (Nov 24, 2011)

35 miles RT to school, but I only have class 2 nights a week. 10 miles RT to the gym, which is 3 or 4 days a week.

Classes are M and Th which doesn't leave for a lot of recovery time.


----------



## Endless Soul (Oct 1, 2015)

My work is 11 miles away, so on the days when I do commute, it's a 22 mile ride round trip. Takes me about an hour each way.


----------



## danec99 (Jul 22, 2010)

AM: 4 miles to transit (BART), then 2 miles to work (45 minutes)
PM: 13+ to home by various routes, usually into the hills for dirt. 90% MUP until the dirt. (1h 10m or so back home.)


----------



## m3the01 (Aug 11, 2008)

26 miles round trip... Average 3.5 days a week plus mid week night ride and weekend long ride of 25-30miles. Any ride is a good ride,


----------



## nefariousvw (Jan 29, 2015)

21-26miles round trip with only 4 miles of that on pavement. The rest is single/double track.


----------



## Big Fil (Nov 5, 2014)

I have a an 8 mile round trip with 750ft of climbing taking the most direct route. Takes about 18-23 minutes.


----------



## samwe (Jul 27, 2015)

40 round trip, but with winter coming I am starting to use the bus to shorten it.


----------



## laadams85 (Oct 24, 2015)

6.7 One way, takes about 30min. All road/sidewalk. Ridden with a free-to-me walmart special FS mountain bike.


----------



## stingray (Mar 12, 2014)

8 miles round trip, just about every workday for 35 years with 5 different bikes.


----------



## eness215 (Jul 22, 2010)

I started a new job (rode in for the first time today) and have a couple routes I can take. Shortest is probably 8 miles, but it would be all on road. My preferred route is 10.5 miles and 8.75 is on paved or gravel river trail and then the remainder is through a quiet neighborhood, so there is very little time spent on main roads. Then if I want to take the long way in, I can make it as long as I want.


----------



## Guest (Nov 3, 2015)

I've been considering routes for next year. If my shoulder heals up enough to gravel race next year I've picked out a route that's 20 miles in (with some gravel) and 30 miles home (all gravel) that I plan to try 3 times a week. It really all depends on the shoulder and getting an early start on the big rides.


----------



## p08757 (Mar 15, 2012)

My commute is 12.5 miles round trip with 95% on a very nice MUP that goes right past my back yard. My current commuter bike is a Surly KM with Nexus Alfine 8 speed hub. I only have one short climb. Its a very nice ride.


----------



## indigo_falconm40 (Jan 18, 2012)

My route is about 17-18 miles one way and 34/36 round trip when i start commuting next March.


----------



## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

Shortest way is 18 Miles round trip, the extra long way with some single track is 28 miles.


----------



## Demers18 (Jun 8, 2012)

My commute is 16.2 km each way. It normally takes around 36 minutes. That time increases when the river floods the bike path as I have to hit a heavy traffic light area. I use my cross bike for commuting unless I plan to hit the trails on my way home. 

What do you guys use for carrying your gear? I'm thinking about getting some saddles but I hate the look (I know, I know). I use a back pack currently.


----------



## stingray (Mar 12, 2014)

It is so much better to lower your center of gravity by carrying your load in panniers. I can't imagine wearing a backpack for 32.4 miles a day. It is easier to stay cool without a backpack.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I have moved since I posted in this thread... I'm averaging somewhere north of 20 miles per day... usually around 14 or so in the morning and 8 or so in the evening. And a backpack all the way. Although I've been toying with a frame bag... wouldn't hold it all, but all the standard bike stuff and then some....


----------



## Demers18 (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks for the insight. 

My dilemma is that most often times carry a laptop as well and I do find my back getting sore. Need to include my lunch, change of clothes and morning coffee. Just makes the backpack pretty heavy. I wonder if the weight of the saddles affect the way you ride or the balance of the bike?
How much of a pain is it if I wanted to remove the saddles and rack?


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ Most good saddle bags are super easy to remove and carry. 

I carry about the same as you sounds like...right down the coffee. Although I recently did upgrade to a Macbook Air computer... dang this is a pretty light computer. 
I worry about the computer getting jostled around in anything attached to the bike. The backpack seems to be much easier on it to me... I know guys haul them around in panniers and don't have a problem though... I have dirt roads that I ride regularly and I can just see it getting beat up. 

I have a Timbuk2 Especial Medio backpack and it was worth every penny. Love it.


----------



## blockphi (Mar 26, 2012)

I ride daily with panniers and between the two of them most days they are between 25 and 35 pounds in the morning and quite a bit lighter in the evening, though still heavy. I haven't noticed that they change the handling of the bike all that much. I'll even do light off-roading with them on in the afternoons and most of the time don't even notice they are there. When I have them really heavy, on those days with the laptop and lots of extra winter gear (Alaska!) and running gear and lunch and coffee I do notice it is a bit more effort on the hills, but other than that switching from a backpack to panniers was the best upgrade I made for my commutes.


----------



## blockphi (Mar 26, 2012)

CommuterBoy said:


> ^^
> 
> I worry about the computer getting jostled around in anything attached to the bike. The backpack seems to be much easier on it to me... I know guys haul them around in panniers and don't have a problem though... I have dirt roads that I ride regularly and I can just see it getting beat up.


I have a macbook pro that rides with me. Fortunately it is an SSD so no worries on that front with it getting jostled. I do put it in a neoprene sleeve to help protect it some if something would happen and the bag would fall off or something, but I figure I also have a full day's clothes around it to provide cushioning as well. Also, the HDD in a laptop isn't nearly as delicate as those found in a desktop computer, so not much worry there. Your macbook air has no moving parts in it, so the only thing to really worry about is a full on drop and I've seen them take some pretty big drops and come out just fine. (IT guy dropped mine on the day it arrived from the top of a standup desk to the floor and not a scratch.


----------



## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

^^ Yeah that was part of the attraction to the macbook... pretty durable. I bet you were thrilled with that IT guy :lol: 

I just really don't like stuff attached to the bike... never have. Even on the MTB I use a camelbak rather than bottles because I just don't like stuff on the bike. I'd much rather have the sweat spot under my camelbak. Just personal preference.

BUT... my fatty came with a frame bag, and I gotta say, it's really growing on me.


----------



## SlipSpace (Feb 3, 2014)

I went back to a backpack when I restarted commuting. I hated it, I couldn't wait to get the rack sorted so I could use the panniers again. Each to their own.


----------



## Kleebs (Mar 18, 2014)

I prefer my backpack to panniers. I almost always leave my laptop at work so I don't have to bring it home, though it does fit in the backpack if I need to bring it with me. I notice a difference in handling when using panniers so I prefer the weight on my back so that my bike is unloaded. Feels more nimble to me.


----------



## Demers18 (Jun 8, 2012)

If it was a shorter commute I'd do the backpack all the way. I just need to get over the look thing of the panniers. I have a great back country pakc that I use, but 32k commute I think I'm rather get the weight off my back.

Any recommendations on the pannier/rack combo? Not looking to break the bank, but I also don't want to cheap out either.


----------



## stingray (Mar 12, 2014)

I've used a Ortlieb "Back-Roller Classic" with the "In-Put" inner pouch for 15 years. They are sold in pairs, but I only use one. My wife uses the other one. Both of us attach the panniers to our bikes with Blackburn's Mountain Rack. I like the way Ortlieb's securely clip to the rack, they will never fall off. Ortlieb's one compartment design allows me to load it with just about anything. I can over-stuff it by not clipping the top closed. That increases the volume by 50%.


----------



## DrewPowell (Mar 22, 2016)

Today's weather is particularly good weather, the distance from home to the company is about 10miles, usually about half an hour away.Today I raise my speed used about 25mins


----------



## Demers18 (Jun 8, 2012)

stingray said:


> I've used a Ortlieb "Back-Roller Classic" with the "In-Put" inner pouch for 15 years. They are sold in pairs, but I only use one. My wife uses the other one. Both of us attach the panniers to our bikes with Blackburn's Mountain Rack. I like the way Ortlieb's securely clip to the rack, they will never fall off. Ortlieb's one compartment design allows me to load it with just about anything. I can over-stuff it by not clipping the top closed. That increases the volume by 50%.


I've read nothing but good things about Ortlieb. I'll probably go that route as well.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

My commute is 10 miles RT to get to/from the train. Been using my 1984 Trek 560 Series rebuilt and modified. I love it - steel IS real! Have my old man mountain rack on it now with an old pair of panniers I bought for $20 at a yard sale. I leave at 6am so with the time change its dark all the way to the train again (boo!). Can't wait for the sun to come up earlier again. The ride is through some beautiful country and the sunrise over the mountains lighting up the fields is breathtaking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Drewsome (Mar 8, 2016)

If only I could commute more often, but work hours make it difficult when I have family obligations. Mostly that is because my commute is a bit over 35 miles each way. mostly flat with a total of 1700ft. to climb bunched in a 6 mile section.


----------



## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I also wish I could ride more. My commute kinda sucks. I guess I'm about 35 miles from my job. There's just not enough time to ride all the way so I got a Dahon folding bike and ride from my house to the railroad, fold the bike up, take the train into Manhattan, then unfold it and ride the 25 blocks to my job. Ride uptown is mostly uphill, so if I ride fast, I'm sweatin' when I get there. 
In another year or so, Time Warner (who I work for) is building a new building MUCH closer to Penn station. There goes most of my ride. I'll have to figure out some way to keep some distance in it. Maybe make a loop. 
I'd hate to sell off my Dahon. It's all tricked out now.


----------



## thunderpants (Jun 8, 2006)

55 miles RT, 2000ft climbing, all road-less! Just started last week and am pretty stoked that the whole trip doesn't require riding on the road. My goal is to commute three times a week.


----------



## escapedturkey (Oct 8, 2015)

Approximately 30 to 40 miles, depending on route, with a few 9 to 12 % steep grades.


----------



## Guest (Sep 21, 2016)

^^Ooh, never talk about flatting. It's practically a guarantee that you'll flat.^^


----------



## escapedturkey (Oct 8, 2015)

I use to get flats a lot with the Nashbar Slick City Tires, until I started using this:

Stan's No Tubes 2Oz Refill Bottle > Components > Tubes & Tubeless > Sealants | Jenson USA

Every once in awhile I hear a pop and swoosh of air .. keep pedaling and see a little bit of serum ooze out of the tire ... fixed.


----------

