80km round trip commute?

[AlexHuggs]

Question: is a 40km one way (80km round trip) daily commute too much?

Background info: Once I can drive again (health reasons, not demerit points!) my company will probably be moving me to a branch about 40km from home. I was doing a 40km round commute so this will basically double it. Currently working 4 days, hoping to go F/T but inevitably will have to take car home (company car, I hope) some days regardless - fatigue, time commitments, odd starts, etc.

Prevailing winds will be tail or cross winds. I'm the wrong side of 40. I ride a commuter bike (Trek Lync) with 32mm tyres fitted out with all the commuter goodies, not a road bike. I try to ride efficiently rather than hard. Expect the ride to take about 2 hours.

I can do staggered one way trips if needed (ride to work one day, home the next, car in between), but would prefer to bike both ways if I can. Public transport would take 2 hours - I'm willing to do that on my bike but not a bus.

It'll take me a while to get fit enough regardless, I'll have been off the bike 6 weeks when I can start riding again, have two weeks at work and then o/s for 3 weeks. Bit frustrating, but that's life I guess.

[europa]

No reason why you can't build up to it. People do commute that far regularly and I've done close to it - used to do 30km each way with lots of climbing on a fixed gear at one point. The trick is to build up to it but most importantly, don't go too hard and kill yourself and one overly hard ride will do more damage mentally than any amount of sensible physical pain. The fitness will come and probably surprisingly quickly. The mental desire to do get on the ride will be the hard part. Take it easy, give yourself permission to woose out and see how it pans out.

The company car is actually a drawback because one useful tactic is to drive part way and ride the rest.

[hugh stone]

My commute is 37kms each way. Do it a couple of times a week. Daily would be a big ask.

[Grgic]

I do a 94km round commute most days. Love the extra time on the bike.

[AlexHuggs]

I do a 94km round commute most days. Love the extra time on the bike.

Hooley dooley. What do you ride?

[ColinOldnCranky]

If you have the time then no. If you have two kids and share the duties evenly with your partner then maybe time will be an issue.

In recent t years I used up about 800 hours a year riding. However for the decades before that family responsibilities would never have enabled close to that time. It's significantly about time.

Unless you live in the mountains or ride as though you are on the pro tour circuit. In the context of a lifetime of riding then, maybe, daily trips of that magnitude will result in chronic injury to things like knees.

[OldBloke]

Have you tested yourself with a 40k ride? If you can manage 40 without dieing you may be ok to turn around and do another 40 eight hours later. However, recovery the next day would be a challenge. I'd suggest you start with two days a week (say Mon and Thurs) to give you recovery time and then build up the number of days. Have you looked into whether there is a train line in the general direction you want to go, even if its out of the way? Then you could cycle part way, train part way and then cycle the rest.

[human909]

I would suggest that most people with busy work and home lives would find an 80km daily commute to be too much. Both too much time and too much energy.

Sure it is possible to do it daily, but would you want to? I wouldn't tolerate a 4hr daily commute no matter what my transport is.

[Thoglette]

... I wouldn't tolerate a 4hr daily commute no matter what my transport is.

You're not alone. Excuse me for not having a cite handy* but 1hr each way is our average psycological limit, which explains the historical sizes of cities.

try Cities and Their Vital Systems: Infrastructure Past, Present, and Future Ausubel & Herman 1988 for some arguments.

[nickobec]

My commute is 84km round trip. The return trip will be into a 20kph+ headwind 95% of the time between September and April. And no headwind in Dec to March usually means 35C at 5pm

When I first started, it was invest 30 minutes of my time, to get three and a half hours of aerobic workout once a week. (Commute was 90 minutes each way by bus or motorbike, longer by car).

10 years later and the commute time is halved by a new train line. I ride more often as I have become more serious about my riding and now race. So I use the commute as a training ride, riding intervals in the morning or extending the loop by an extra 20km or so. The evening ride is either steady pace or depending on workload (employment, family life or training) take the train home with the bike.

I am capable of doing a full week of commutes, I have done a few times just to do it. But then it is all steady pace, no training in both directions. Even then jumping from 300km a week with a couple of rest days to over 500km a week(still ride/race on the weekends) takes it out of me. At 55 I need rest days and managing fatigue to race.

[toolonglegs]

I start a new job soon and have been thinking about going by bike ( won't really suit the image of the place though ). But I have plenty of time to think about it as I wouldn't consider it till at least May when it is warmer and more importantly lighter. About 40 km each way but with a solid 9km long climb in the middle ( my best time is 35 minutes ). Doing it there and back would take away too much family time especially as I wouldn't finish till 7pm.
Thinking maybe taking the car in and riding home one night, riding back the next morning... then it is only one way each day. Shame train trip is too long to use as well.

[AlexHuggs]

Sounds like time will be the factor. I'll probably end up doing staggered ride-drive each day. No trains near by - nothin would be gained (can't take the train towards the city at peak hour which is all that would work). I have done a 47 km ride without too much bother. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

[ColinOldnCranky]

... I wouldn't tolerate a 4hr daily commute no matter what my transport is.

You're not alone. Excuse me for not having a cite handy* but 1hr each way is our average psycological limit, which explains the historical sizes of cities.

try Cities and Their Vital Systems: Infrastructure Past, Present, and Future Ausubel & Herman 1988 for some arguments.

Thanks Thog. You have just settled it. Psychologically speaking I am screwed.

[SheikYerbouti]

I've commuted 42km each way... it takes me about 1.75 hrs each way.
That's 3.5 hrs a day of riding. Add that to 8-9 hrs at work, and that becomes quite a long day.
I sometimes drive to work with my bike and the next day's clothes, and ride home.
Next day, ride to work, and drive home.
That way if something unexpected happens and I need to stay back at work till 9pm, I can drive home and not be stuck, exhausted, facing nearly 2 hrs riding at night.

[AlexHuggs]

I realised today that my current commute is already about 1.5 hours each way depending on the day - that includes walking to the bus. Leave home 6.30 and don't get to work until just after 8. 2 hours on a bike doesn't sound so bad - especially it would mostly be bike paths and lanes! And especially if I have an 'out' with the car when I need to.

[nickobec]

I have done a 47 km ride without too much bother.

A 50km ride IMHO is not enough to prepare you for a few days of 80km round trips.

The built up fatigue from riding twice a day, for two, three, four or five days will take it's toll.

When I first start commuting a 100km ride was no problems, two 80km commuting days and I was fatigued

Now four days will get me fatigued, and though I am 55, I am reasonable fit, about to hit 12,000km for the year.

[trailgumby]

One factor that hasn't been considered is the terrain. If you have lots of hills, an 80km round trip will be a killer, and the fatigue will affect your work performance.

If it is moderately flat terrain, you can cruise it at endurance pace and it will be manageable if you build up to it and pace yourself - no match burning.

I have a few good hills on my route, so I only commute 2-3 days a week for 50km round trip, use PT the other two to transport clothes to work, and do a longish moderately hard mtb ride (60km+) with my younger mates on the weekend. I'm early 50s.

I need recovery or the fatigue builds up and I get sick / injured. This week I'm having a "recovery"week - easy cruise to and from work, no hill repeats.