To commute or not?

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Hello all

I have been thinking about commuting for some time and I have changed roles at work which has made me mainly office based. My current drive to work is 125 milesaround the M25 to West London which I do 4 or 5 times a week. It normally takes between 1.5 – 2.5hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the evening so commuting may save sometime in the morning at least not to mention the fuel cost.

The route via my Garmin says 27 miles and Google maps make it 23 miles one way so maybe 2 hours to do it if its 27miles? So myfirst question is does anyone commute from Kent to West London and if so doesanyone have any routes they could share.

I am a reasonably confident rider and ride around 45 milesmost Sundays and did 80 last night on the Friday night ride but would imagine this sort of mileage will be a challengeif I do more than a couple of days commuting a week but guess it will be a caseof suck it and see, start with one day a week and go from their.

What are your thoughts on the mileage. 25 ish miles then a full day at workthen 25 ish back has put me off till now…… should I stay put off and stick with my car?

Cheers for any input

Clive
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
I do 14 each way 5 days a week with part train journey. The full journey is 22 miles but it's just a bit too far to do every day.
I would say 25 each way every day would be tough, but you sound pretty fit.

Can you shave 10 off each way with the car or a train journey ?

I'd say it's definitely worth giving it a go, it wll change theway you look at your car forever.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Clive,
that's a long old commute.
You can do the mileage as I know you are more then able. But I think it's just a tad too long. Especially if the weather is not too good.
Have you thought about getting a Brompton and training part of the route?
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
i currently do 41 miles round trip on a brompton. on average it is 4 days a week. but i did do about 5 weeks of it everyday, it's also very hilly. if i can do it then anyone can. i'm no spring chicken either. my next placement is going to be 46 miles round trip. so just have a go. the first few weeks will feel like hell, but after that you'll be fine.
 

Sysagent

"The Most Annoying Man In The World."
Ideally you want to be commuting around seventeen miles a day there and then the seventeen back (I sometimes extend mine) this is a manageable commute, is there nowhere you can park the car up and then set off from there?

Just have a towel, change of top and some shorts for the journey home in the car.
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
Clive,
that's a long old commute.
You can do the mileage as I know you are more then able. But I think it's just a tad too long. Especially if the weather is not too good.
Have you thought about getting a Brompton and training part of the route?

+1 Clive it sounds just that little bit too far. In sunshine a couple of times, it'd probably be quite nice but when it's winter and you're in the dark all the time and it's chucking it down I think it will be a bit dispiriting.

Also think of the effect of adding 4 hours to your working day which is what you'll be doing.
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
+1 Clive it sounds just that little bit too far. In sunshine a couple of times, it'd probably be quite nice but when it's winter and you're in the dark all the time and it's chucking it down I think it will be a bit dispiriting.

Also think of the effect of adding 4 hours to your working day which is what you'll be doing.


no it isn't.he just adding 1.5 hours due his time in the car already. knock off an hours exercise leaves him 1/2 hour extra on a normal day.
 
OP
OP
Mista Preston

Mista Preston

Veteran
+1 Clive it sounds just that little bit too far. In sunshine a couple of times, it'd probably be quite nice but when it's winter and you're in the dark all the time and it's chucking it down I think it will be a bit dispiriting.

Also think of the effect of adding 4 hours to your working day which is what you'll be doing.

Yep I understand where you are coming from especially in poor weather but If I only did a day or two to start with what ever happens I can pick the best day weather wise to do it. Maybe even just do 2 days commute a week and leave it at that?

I already spend 3+ hours in the car so time is not really the concern
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
Yep I understand where you are coming from especially in poor weather but If I only did a day or two to start with what ever happens I can pick the best day weather wise to do it. Maybe even just do 2 days commute a week and leave it at that?

I already spend 3+ hours in the car so time is not really the concern

Give it a go then. Now is the best time to start as it's light and warmish. You may become so used to it that you get through winter without a second though.
 

GFamily

Über Member
Location
North Cheshire
So myfirst question is does anyone commute from Kent to West London and if so doesanyone have any routes they could share.

What are your thoughts on the mileage. 25 ish miles then a full day at workthen 25 ish back has put me off till now…… should I stay put off and stick with my car?

[/quote

Can you use the train to reduce the mileage and turn it into a bike-train-bike commute?

Folded bikes can be taken on any train, and if it means you can remove 10miles from the cycling distance, the commute may be more do-able.
 
The route via my Garmin says 27 miles and Google maps make it 23 miles one way so maybe 2 hours to do it if its 27miles? So myfirst question is does anyone commute from Kent to West London and if so doesanyone have any routes they could share.

Pretty sure JonnyJeez commutes kent -> london; not sure which part though. Worth a PM in case he doesn't spot this thread?
http://www.cyclechat.net/user/6828-jonny-jeez/
 

sayek1

Well-Known Member
Location
Glasgow
I do 19miles each way which is now pretty easy - mostly flat with a slight downhill trend on the way in along an old railway line - it takes anything from 1hr 5mins to get in and up to 1hr 20mins home depending on the wind (which is always in your face heading home) etc. I don't do it every day and I am not that fit, so you sound like 25-27miles might be doable.

Give it a go and see how you do - you can always alternate the days you do it, or as said before mix it with train/car.

Good luck.
 
Yep I understand where you are coming from especially in poor weather but If I only did a day or two to start with what ever happens I can pick the best day weather wise to do it. Maybe even just do 2 days commute a week and leave it at that?

I already spend 3+ hours in the car so time is not really the concern

Distance would concern me, but 23miles in 2hours is doable - if fit/once fitter - will be easy and probably will tumble down.

It is a lot for 5 days a week, surely some people are up for it - even once or twice a week. I'd like to do 230 miles a week :tongue:

If you started doing this, I'd probably stop the weekend riding for a bit... actually you could just see it as moving your weekend milage into the week for your first couple.
 
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