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[neoemonk]

Lately I've been considering biking to work. It's about a 14 mile ride one way, and about ten of that is on a paved trail. Google maps estimates that it would take about 90 minutes one way. This doesn't seem impossible but would definitely take some adjustment.

I'm also not sure what to do in winter. I live in Michigan so the winters are pretty cold and snowy. Any hardcore bike commuters out there with advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[PayOffWizard]

Does your work have showers?

 

[entremet]

I did for a bit, but I got tired of it.

It's great exercise. You will lose weight and you can basically eat like a pig and not gain much.

But you will be commuting for 3 hours per day!

Mine was only 2 hour per day.

It's also better to work up your endurance. Start with 2x week, then 3x, then 4x then 5x.

 

[hitme]

I know one. Get out of my way.

Spoiler

... only if you were in California.

 

[SummitAve]

You should be able to do that under 90 mins easy. 15 mph is a pretty standard pace on bike in my opinion.

 

[Fatalah]

Dude, 90 minutes every day, each way? That's madness. At the end of a long day's work, you need to be able to relax. This commute will run you down.

Any car pool options? Or buy a scooter!

 

[eot]

You don't want to ride a bike in the snow unless it's compressed or has been plowed. Once you get past 5-6cm of snow you really start to feel it and the snow starts to steer the bike on its own. For short distances it's fine, but not that long. If your bike isn't built for it chances are things on it will stop working in the winter too. I always have trouble with my lock, the gear controls freeze etc.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Pack a change of clothes and a towel. I usually change my clothes when I get to work and change back into my 'riding' clothes before I leave.

I don't take my bike to work in the winter (I live in the Chicago area). It's just too much wear and tear on my bike. I don't like the idea of cleaning it after every ride to avoid corrosion and whatnot. Also, pedestrian trails aren't always a top priority after a fresh snow fall, so it may be problematic if you're relying on them.

You will get faster as you get more comfortable riding your bike. I've always found that Google is really conservative with it's estimated times of arrival with cycling.

ALSO: Don't just go into riding 28 miles a day without getting your body used to it. Riding 14 miles and then sitting around for 8 hours is going to cause your muscles to tighten up, and the ride back will be exhausting. Ease yourself into that type of schedule.

 

[kingwingin]

I wouldn't try this. I've been biking 15km a day since the weather got nice and it's not easy, especially sometimes with the wind, I couldn't imagine 23km twice a day.

But I'm sure it's not impossible

 

[neoemonk]

Right now it's a 25 minute drive and then I usually come home and go jog for about 35 minutes. I'm hoping I get faster as I go. I don't know how Google Maps is making its time estimation but if I could get the trip to 60 minutes then I'd say it's about the same because I'm getting the exercise that way.

When I was in high school I easily rode more than 30 miles a day just getting around the neighborhoods so it's not impossible I think. But I'm not in high school anymore.

 

[Fatalah]

You will be cast a the smelly guy at work.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Right now it's a 25 minute drive and then I usually come home and go jog for about 35 minutes. I'm hoping I get faster as I go. I don't know how Google Maps is making its time estimation but if I could get the trip to 60 minutes then I'd say it's about the same because I'm getting the exercise that way.

When I was in high school I easily rode more than 30 miles a day just getting around the neighborhoods so it's not impossible I think. But I'm not in high school anymore.

I would give it a try one day, and then maybe go to two times a week, and then to three times. Give it a gradual build. I think that winter would be brutal though, man.

 

[Shirow]

I used to bike to work for months and loved it. My ride was just 15-20 mins thou so it was cake.
That being said I think 90 minutes is just too long of a commute to work on anything. With that type of a cardio workout you will gain amazing endurance and fitness but not much else. Make sure you have road bike rather than anything else to shorten up your time.
Check local Bus Routes and other methods of transport either lessen your ride time if possible.

Can't help you with winter tips much as I am from FL.

 

[RumblingRosco]

I feel like 3 hours of bike-riding a day is excessive. Not as in you can't do it, just that it will consume a lot of your time each week and you probably need to be sure you can change/shower at work. I really hope you can do it, but it is beyond what I'd be capable of.

Anyway, I have a short bike commute - 30 minutes round trip. I really enjoy it.

 

[Thrak360]

Have you considered commuting via horse?

 

[bathsalts]

Baby wipes if you dont have showers at work and try to go with tubeless tires.

 

[mcz117chief]

You will easily do this under 60 minutes without breaking a sweat so you can pretty much ride in a suit. Unless, of course, the road is hilly or extremely rugged. What is the terrain profile of the drive ?

ALSO: Don't just go into riding 28 miles a day without getting your body used to it. Riding 14 miles and then sitting around for 8 hours is going to cause your muscles to tighten up, and the ride back will be exhausting. Ease yourself into that type of schedule.

A very good point

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Dude, 90 minutes every day, each way? That's madness. At the end of a long day's work, you need to be able to relax. This commute will run you down.

Any car pool options? Or buy a scooter!

And yet if you talk to just about anyone who bikes to work they'll tell you that it will do the opposite. My commute is one hour to and one hour from and I love it. I get the energy of riding to work and the ability to not think about work or traffic or really anything on the way home. Total decompression.

You will be cast a the smelly guy at work.

You're a real peppy guy, you know.

Oh yeah, winter tips. We don't really have 'winter' here, just lots of rain, so I'm not sure. Though for one year I commuted to work by bike while going to college near Lake Erie. Lake effect snow is nothing to laugh at, and looking back I can only assume I was a stupid kid who didn't know any better and that's why I didn't die. Check out /r/bicycling, /r/cycling, or /r/bikecommuting for ideas. You say Michigan, there's also /r/BikeDetroit and it's at least geographically appropriate.

 

[skynidas]

are you going to shower when you get to work or...?

 

[xxracerxx]

• Don't ride a mountain bike, get a road bike.
• Have a set of riding clothes and work clothes.
• Hopefully your work has a shower.
• Don't feel the need to ride everyday.
• Make sure you carry spares, pumps, and patches.
• Do not ride in the winter in Michigan.

 

[Catdaddy]

Hell, test run it on a weekend to see if it’s actually 90 minutes, if most of its on a bike trail then traffic may not that big of a problem.

The one time I lived close enough to work that I could ride a bike, traffic in the area was bad enough that I’d almost fear for my safety. Also, here in the South, weather can be an issue, it can be nice in the morning and unexpected storms in the evening, not sure about MI. My issue would probably be the afternoon ride, some days I’m so drained that driving is a chore, but maybe the exercise would eliminate some of that.

 

[metalmonstar]

I was thinking of biking to work myself as it is only 3 miles. Seems like a waste of gas to me. I used to bike to work in highschool. It was pretty nice. Just remember your hand signals and that cars don't always want to share the road with you and you should be good. Although a 90 minute bike ride the morning and evening seems a bit excessive.

 

[phazedplasma]

I commute 18 miles round trip every day all year.

What kind of bike do you have?

Some easy winter advice is to get fenders and good gloves.

14 miles one way inst bad. You'll get fast for sure. Your biggest enemy will be the wind.

Podcasts make the time fly.

 

[oreomunsta]

Watch out for the cars, OP. They pack a mean punch.

 

[Chris R]

No way it takes 90 minutes unless you are just cruising.

Try it out one night after work or on a weekend to see how long it would really take you.

And bring a backpack with another change of clothes, no showers at my work, but I still need to use a papertowl to remove most excess sweat when I get in.

 

[sir_kevith]

If you're on a nice paved trail for 10 miles you should be able to hit 15-20 mph and cut that time down.

Honestly, for a commute that long I would consider an e-bike so hills don't slow you down too much. You could get to work in way less than an hour that way and you still get to pedal and get some exercise.

Otherwise I'd say do the bike ride only 1-2 days a week. My commute is only about 6 miles of shitty neighborhood streets but with that much paved trail I'd be tempted to commute if I was you.

 

[xxracerxx]

Podcasts make the time fly.

Are you listening to podcasts while sharing the road with other vehicles? That is really dangerous if you cannot hear the world around you.

 

[thescience]

While I bike about 25km both ways per day, I get that done in about 55 mins. So the 90 minute guess sounds really conservative. Of course, I would work on building endurance especially if you are not already on a solid cardio conditioning regimen. I'd start at 2x per week and see how you do, with at least a day or so of rest in between. A road bike is essential at long distances as well as gloves to avoid nerve damage. You might want to look into a water bladder or bottle to rehydrate. Wear the appropriate gear because you are talking a lot of miles per day. Of course the flatter the commute the better. Winter can be done, I'd recommend reading bike forums for advice on this as there are people who ride year round in Canada and make it work.

 

[Servbot24]

Biking to work is fun but have a basket on your bike. If you sling a laptop bag or backpack over your shoulder you'll kill your back.

And yeah, invest in some nice sports headphones with poor isolation (so you can still hear outside noises).

Are you listening to podcasts while sharing the road with other vehicles? That is really dangerous if you cannot hear the world around you.

You'd have to have them up to ear-splitting volumes to not be able to hear other things around you.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Are you listening to podcasts while sharing the road with other vehicles? That is really dangerous if you cannot hear the world around you.

If you're not wearing noise cancelling headphones, there isn't much to be concerned with. The sound of the wind is still louder than the people talking in your ear.

 

[eot]

Are you listening to podcasts while sharing the road with other vehicles? That is really dangerous if you cannot hear the world around you.

The wind in your ears provide more noise than a podcast does.
Music is worse, but even then cars are kinda loud.

 

[atr0cious]

I saw someone say get a road bike, depending on the streets, I'd recommend a mountain bike. After a month the weight of the bike will be nothing to you anyways, so having a stronger frame is nothing but a plus, especially if you want to hop curbs or go off road. Not to mention road bikes make you feel every bump in the road, where as a mountain bike usually has better suspension by way of shocks.

I recently got a gas bike, after getting doored by an old lady, and my hour commute is now about 20 - 25 minutes depending on the hills. I live in SF Eastbay so the speed limit gets up to 30 at the most, and my bike can do 40 on a flat, with 150 to the gallon. I don't need a license or insurance, but I do have a couple nice motorcycle helmets for it and a lot of heavy duty locks. My bike cost a little over $2k, the price of an electric bike, but it's twice as fast and has better range.

As far as commuting itself, I'd recommend blinding lights and staying in the middle of the road as much as possible, especially if you're just going to go for a regular pedal bike. I bought turn signals for night, and a loud bicycle horn to stop drifting assholes. Other than that, if you're in the bike lane, watch through the back windshield of cars to see if someone is about to make an attempt on your life.

And in all cases, brake instead of go if you ever have some kind of car scenario involving intersections or blind spots, not worth getting hit over.

 

[neoemonk]

While I bike about 25km both ways per day, I get that done in about 55 mins. So the 90 minute guess sounds really conservative. Of course, I would work on building endurance especially if you are not already on a solid cardio conditioning regimen. I'd start at 2x per week and see how you do, with at least a day or so of rest in between. A road bike is essential at long distances as well as gloves to avoid nerve damage. You might want to look into a water bladder or bottle to rehydrate. Wear the appropriate gear because you are talking a lot of miles per day. Of course the flatter the commute the better. Winter can be done, I'd recommend reading bike forums for advice on this as there are people who ride year round in Canada and make it work.

What's this about gloves and nerve damage? I bought a "commuter bike" a few years ago. I used to live about two miles from my old job and rode in all the time. I just remember that's what the guy at the shop called it.

 

[bennywhatever]

What do you do for a living? Just curious, because if you're biking that much and you have an office job or work in close proximity to others, people will not like you. Seriously. Don't be the smelly guy at the office.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

I saw someone say get a road bike, depending on the streets, I'd recommend a mountain bike. After a month the weight of the bike will be nothing to you anyways, so having a stronger frame is nothing but a plus, especially if you want to hop curbs or go off road. Not to mention road bikes make you feel every bump in the road, where as a mountain bike usually has better suspension by way of shocks.

I recently got a gas bike, after getting doored by an old lady, and my hour commute is now about 20 - 25 minutes depending on the hills. I live in SF Eastbay so the speed limit gets up to 30 at the most, and my bike can do 40 on a flat, with 150 to the gallon. I don't need a license or insurance, but I do have a couple nice motorcycle helmets for it and a lot of heavy duty locks. My bike cost a little over $2k, the price of an electric bike, but it's twice as fast and has better range.

As far as commuting itself, I'd recommend blinding lights and staying in the middle of the road as much as possible, especially if you're just going to go for a regular pedal bike. I bought turn signals for night, and a loud bicycle horn to stop drifting assholes. Other than that, if you're in the bike lane, watch through the back windshield of cars to see if someone is about to make an attempt on your life.

And in all cases, brake instead of go if you ever have some kind of car scenario involving intersections or blind spots, not worth getting hit over.

Because everyone wants that driver coming towards them to not actually be able to see them.

Don't get blinding lights. Get something noticeable, but once you get past a couple hundred lumens it's overkill.

What's this about gloves and nerve damage? I bought a "commuter bike" a few years ago. I used to live about two miles from my old job and rode in all the time. I just remember that's what the guy at the shop called it.

Something like this probably. I had it worse on my mountain than I do on my current road bike though. I put most of that on the fact that you have several different hand positions on drop bars versus one for flats.