long distance commute

[HLaB]

i have a 20km each way (ie 40 round trip) ride.
i do it in about an hour
looking for tips to go faster , and also regarding luggage!
and also regarding how to balance it with rest of life , since adding the shower and changing clothes it adds up to 1.5 hrs each way , and my legs are always tired , so not sure how to optimise / improve...
i have started getting off the bike to run with it on some up hills just to have some variety!

You are going a reasonable speed if you are lugging stuff (laptop, change of clothes, towel etc) have traffic and elevation etc. For a similar distance I think I was 45-55mins but I was only doing that once to twice a week and wfh for the three other days. On my longer flatter route probably with a tailwind the best average estimates 40minutes for 20km. If I had been doing my old 20km commute daily I'd probably been more like 55-60mins. I was on a fully guarded aluminium road bike with lycra, and I preferred my luggage in a back pack as it was more agile, so quite fast set up.

 

[RANDOR]

What are you using now. When I was doing five days a week in the office I was using a fixed gear road bike. Fast tyres, panniers and did keep heavy stuff like shoes at work. I used to extend the ride home if the weather was nice.

I'm now only three days in office doing 21 miles (34km) but I'm on an old 90's MTB with knobbly tyres. That's hard work but my commute is partly off road.

I use a mountain bike , sometimes I choose to go through a field

I also have 2 recumbent bikes in fact that I sometimes use

I tend to not be so vigilant on keeping my tyre pressure up , so that also slows me by a few minutes

 

[roubaixtuesday]

i have a 20km each way (ie 40 round trip) ride.
i do it in about an hour
looking for tips to go faster , and also regarding luggage!
and also regarding how to balance it with rest of life , since adding the shower and changing clothes it adds up to 1.5 hrs each way , and my legs are always tired , so not sure how to optimise / improve...
i have started getting off the bike to run with it on some up hills just to have some variety!

I do 16km each way, so not too different, 5 days a week, all seasons, and have been for many years.

Thoughts:
(1) The time isn't so different to driving - you just have the shower after rather than before commuting. If you were to get the exercise another way (gym, running etc) it would probably add up to *more* time.
(2) Luggage - I do a single trip each week with a pannier, with shirts, towel etc for the week. Other days, no luggage. Needs you to have a locker at work of course.
(3) Speed. Running is much slower than cycling! It's impossible to comment on how much room for improvement you have; 20kmh is anything from fairly slow to fairly fast dependent on hills, traffic lights, surfaces, junctions etc. My speed ranges from 15-30kmh on my route.
(4) Tiredness. If you're always tired, you're pushing it too hard. Take a couple of days a week deliberately taking it easy to recover.

Enjoy the ride, and of course, the coming of spring!

 

[ianrauk]

A long commute is also a mindset. 20K's and an hour and a half which includes riding, traffic, faffing at the office etc is about right. You need to get it into your head that an hour and a half is what it is, if you can't spare the time then look at shortening the commute by other means, car or train.
In regards to tired legs. You may be trying too hard. Cycling a decent commute 5 days a week will help your fitness and stamina no end and it will come, but build it up. You may be going hell for leather all the time, and that's natural, but try easing back. You really won't lose that much time, it will surprise you how little.

Speaking as someone who for 18 years until recently did a 56km round trip commute 5 days a week.

 

[fossyant]

I was going to add - how long does it take using other transport. It takes me longer door to door in the car or via public transport and 40 minutes of walking. Yes getting changed each end adds 30 minutes.

I get up at the same time if I drive, but I've not had 45-60 minutes exercise each way. So it's actually gained time !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I had a similar length cycle commute for a few decades. It was the most consistent commute time ever. On the odd occasions I drove it could be quicker but equally it could be much slowe (than cycling) due to traffic.

 

[fossyant]

I had a similar length cycle commute for a few decades. It was the most consistent commute time ever. On the odd occasions I drove it could be quicker but equally it could be much slowe (than cycling) due to traffic.

Yep, I arrive in work within 2-3 minutes consistancy. 41 minutes if I'm flying, and 44 minutes if I take it easy. Car, anything from 45 to 90 minutes, never guaranteed.

 

[HLaB]

I was going to add - how long does it take using other transport. It takes me longer door to door in the car or via public transport and 40 minutes of walking. Yes getting changed each end adds 30 minutes.

I get up at the same time if I drive, but I've not had 45-60 minutes exercise each way. So it's actually gained time !

Mine is only a short 4miles commute now to the train station, it takes me a fairly consistent 17-18mins. By bus I have a 1km walk to an hourly service which takes 14 minutes, then 400m walk at the far end or I have a 1.3km walk to a 15minute frequency service that takes 50minutes to get to town,with the same 400m walk at the far end. Its no wonder that most folk drive from this 3-4 year old new build estate and I cycle!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

no wonder that most folk drive from this 3-4 year old new build estate and I cycle!

It is what comes of people no longer living local to their job.

 

[ianrauk]

I was going to add - how long does it take using other transport. It takes me longer door to door in the car or via public transport and 40 minutes of walking. Yes getting changed each end adds 30 minutes.

I get up at the same time if I drive, but I've not had 45-60 minutes exercise each way. So it's actually gained time !

Mornings: Cycle to train station. 0.75miles, 40 Minute train journey then 7.5 miles other end. So leaving house just after 7am, get to work 8.40am. Its a bit quicker on the way home as I get the fast/through service which only takes 25 minutes. So brings it down to less then hour and a half.

If I was public transport its walk/train/bus/walk and can easily take 2 hours.

Driving would be an absolute nightmare as you would be heading into central London through one of the busiest parts of the South East.

 

[cyberknight]

10 miles for me and as I don't ride during rush hour it's quicker in a car ,under 20 mins easily but the bike is around 35 mins up to 40 mins on a slower day.
There is no public transport to anywhere near my work and even if there were I doubt it would run at the times I need.

 

[RANDOR]

You are going a reasonable speed if you are lugging stuff (laptop, change of clothes, towel etc) have traffic and elevation etc. For a similar distance I think I was 45-55mins but I was only doing that once to twice a week and wfh for the three other days. On my longer flatter route probably with a tailwind the best average estimates 40minutes for 20km. If I had been doing my old 20km commute daily I'd probably been more like 55-60mins. I was on a fully guarded aluminium road bike with lycra, and I preferred my luggage in a back pack as it was more agile, so quite fast set up.

I have a baby chair on the back which I chuck my backpack on. I am planning to try out panniers. I have only a few traffic lights en-route. It's mostly bike lanes and mostly pretty flat except for some hills I purposely take to add some variety.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I have only a few traffic lights en-route. It's mostly bike lanes and mostly pretty flat except for some hills I purposely take to add some variety.

Well, I think it's now possible to help with your "looking for tips to go faster"...

(1) Don't add extra hills in
(2) If you do, cycle up them rather than running!

This will also help with the "tired legs" you complain of...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Bike lanes are generally slower than the road. More interruptions, two way traffic in a smaller space, phone zombies etc.