7 miles each way to twenty ?

[J4CKO]

There are rumblings at our place of us moving office from Knutsford to Birchwood, they are one of those companies that decide to move people from one office to another on a semi regular basis, I have been here less than three years and have moved once which is why I took the job on a permanent basis but not they are going on about moving the Birchwood near Warrington again.

I am happy with my 7 mile journey, feel like I could do some more and during the summer take a longer route home but Birchwood is twenty miles and I am not sure I am up to that ! its only a possibility at the moment but these things tend to get legs.

I can do it, but not sure how often, I reckon it will take one hour 15 mins and I am not sure I want 2.5 hours in the saddle a day.

I dont want to give it up and I will try it if push comes to shove but I really dont want to move, anyone else been in the same situation, anyone do a 40 mile round trip that is a normal person and not some uber hybrid wheeled humanoid ?

 

[jonny jeez]

you would be surprised.

Is it "semi rural"...by that I mean, would you avoid congestion and traffic lights.(apologies, I am not familiar with the territory)

if so you could make it in under an hour with no problem. My route has over 80 traffic lights and is very congested at parts, which brings my average speed down dramatically but i can tell you that 1 hour could be your target...after all there are the downhill bits that get you up into the 30mph's.

regardless 1 hour 15 is super respectable.

The real challange is consistency (not time), how often can you commit to the ride.

personally I have never (since last summer) managed a full week of commuting, I just get very tired (overall) at about 3-4 days and tend to do an average of 3 days a week in the summer and 2 in the winter. Many people, however, do manage 40 miles a day, 5 days a week...and one or two do it on fixes (for the love of god!!)

can you buy a scooter or a motorbike to break up the week...thats my strategy and it works well for me.

 

[J4CKO]

1 hr 15 is just an estimate, may be longer, my computer says I average 13.7 at the moment, thats since I fitted it 3000 miles ago which would be nearer 1 hr 27 but the average takes into account everything like moving it round the garage.

I think some of it can be done semi rural, basically its M56, M6 but there are loads of country lanes.

I very rarely manage a full week, there is usually something, like tommorrow, dentist appointment then I will work from home, picking kids up (mine that is), school functions like parents evening, days off, Snow etc so I could probably do it 2 or 3 times a week at best as I expect it would knacker me, Im 40 in November, not that I intend to use that as an excuse as thats when you start a slippery slow of justifying not doing anything due to age.

So, who does a 40 mile round trip 5 days a week, then goes out for a hundred miler on Saturday and Sunday, is 65 and doesnt think its a big deal and I should MTFU !

 

[gaz]

doubt you will find anyone like that who is just your average joe. i commute 140 miles a week, or 28 a day and do some 30+ mileage every other weekend.

 

[thomas]

My past commutes have been 15 and 13 miles (each way). The 15 was on a very hilly route and took about 1 hour and 10 minutes. The 13 wasn't too bad...about 40 minutes I think.

20 miles a day at 1 hour 15 minutes wouldn't be too bad (similar to my old 15 miles). I didn't do that every day though. Was at most 3 days a week. I think it would have been tough every day.

 

[BigSteev]

I used to do 40 miles a day across central London and I'd find that by the journey home on Thursday I was really feeling it and eventually I gave in and bought a scooter. It wasn't so much the distance but the ridiculous amount of lights etc which made it a real stop-start journey. Now I've moved it's a 14-15 mile round trip and far more pleasant.

 

[J4CKO]

I used to do 40 miles a day across central London and I'd find that by the journey home on Thursday I was really feeling it and eventually I gave in and bought a scooter. It wasn't so much the distance but the ridiculous amount of lights etc which made it a real stop-start journey. Now I've moved it's a 14-15 mile round trip and far more pleasant.

Sounds like mine, very do-able distance even when not feeling great or the weather is crap but going up to twenty is where the heros live, not at seven miles like myself.

 

[Bong]

Where are you travelling from J4CKO? if you are south of the ship canal then your routes will be limited. Birchwood is not easy to get to from anywhere really unless from the motorway. I live in Lymm and the motorways and ship canal are quite restrictive for cycling. There are some offroad routes from the Warburton Bridge/Hollins Green area to Birchwood. My son discovered these on a summer placement at Birchwood but my impression was that these were not so good when wet.

20 miles each way is a long way. I struggle to build up to, and then maintain 15 miles/30 miles return into central Manchester several times a week. It can be a real slog. At present I am driving to Flixton station with the bike in the back of the car and cycling in from there on those days when I don't catch the train. 8 miles in and back is much more manageable. Hopefully builing up some miles for the door to door trip as the weather and light improve.

 

[ianrauk]

My usual commute is between 35+- miles in the winter and 40 miles in the summer. Then I am usually out every Saturday or Sunday. I used to go out 7 days a week but have now knocked that on the head to 6 days for a rest/bike clean day. Your body soon get's used to the extra mileage. But as you know yourself your 40 miles could be very different to mine, roads, traffic,elevation etc

Give it a go.

I know Knutsford well.. is the Cross Key's still open. And can you pop into Est Est Est and apologise for me... ta

So, who does a 40 mile round trip 5 days a week, then goes out for a hundred miler on Saturday and Sunday, is 65 and doesnt think its a big deal and I should MTFU !

 

[Alien8]

If you do it regularly I don't think the distance will be the problem - it will be whether you mentally want to do it (and commit the time).

I used to have a 20-mile country-lane pancake-flat commute which would average out to about an hours ride-time. It was hard work but I liked it.

 

[J4CKO]

Will see whether anything comes of it, would be a pain really as I like my current setup, can always extend from 7 but it doesnt work the other way on 20 !

Est Est Est is now Gusto so I think you are probably off the hook, would love to know what it is you did. Cross Keys is still open but it isnt one I have been in, only been out in Knutsford a couple of times, really nice town.

There are routes to Birchwood, was thinking to Altrincham, then Dunham and there are country lanes from there but all country lanes are no created equal, some round Mobberly are useless to car drivers apart for access so are great but some are rat runs, heavily used between trading estates and the airport, I guess its a suck it and see, makes you learn the alternatives if nothing else.