I used to cycle the 19 mile round trip to work which fourtunately was almost entirely on country lanes. It has the advantage of saving money on fuel and it definitely improved my cardiovascular fitness (although with the side effect of increased general fatigue). It wasn't without its downsides though. It took two and a half times longer than driving and it got increasingly difficult to get from work to the bridge club in time for the evening duplicate game. Cycling during late autumn to early spring was more of a chore than a pleasure, the UK weather (even in SE England) is crap for at least seven months of the year, and commuting on winter nights was never great with the idiots who can't be bothered to dip their headlights.