Acceptable Commuting Distance

[fitnhealthy]

I find this an interesting thread as I am moving out of Adelaide 40 km's to Aldinga in August and I am thinking about trying to ride to work one way, but I'm not sure if I could or not. It would take at least 2 hrs if not more as not very fit. I currently ride 10kms each way everyday, which is enjoyable, but a lot of stop and start with traffic lights.

I guess like everyone is saying I will try it on the weekend and see how I go.

[V17L]

Hi fitnhealthy
I ride to work and back, from Henley to Elizabeth. I ride 13km to the city along linear park and then train it to Elizabeth and bike the remaining 2km to work. If you think it's to far on your bike, just bike to noarlunga train station and go PT the rest of the way.
keep riding
steve t

[fitnhealthy]

Thanks Steve, do you have to buy a ticket for your bike as well for the train?

[V17L]

Hi Fitnhealthy
Before 9am and after 3pm on weekdays you have to have a ticket for your bike on the train, the other times of the day and weekends are free.

The ticket is half the cost of the ride, ie I buy a weekly ticket (10) for $28 and also buy a weekly ticket for $14 for my bike. You can't take a bike on the tram or bus. The weekly ticket is just 10 rides, and does not have a timelimit on it. In other words you can ride three times one week and 2 times the next week.

There are lockers at the central railway staion but I read they needed a deposit to store your bike there. Check out the STA website for info.
cheers
steve t

[fitnhealthy]

Thanks Steve, that is really helpful.

I will have a look into it

[gregorian]

I have been looking at this too. Travelling the grand arc along the side of the Eastern Freeway and Eastlink tollway down to Mulgrave in Melbourne.

I'm sure I have the fitness for it, but it's the Time. A total 4+ hours commuting each day is enormous.
But that's Melbourne for you. The city is so fricken huge. And hilly.

[smeg]

i commute from sutherland to sydney airport (21km) 3 times a week and usally throw in a 60k ride on my days off, its the best feeling riding past all the fat sloths on the way from the carpark to work (huffing and puffing) best way to start the day!!

[moons]

Hey everyone, new guy popping in to ask a question!

I am currently working two jobs + doing full time uni, this is because I get my full motorcycle licence at the beginning of jan and would like to have the dosh to upgrade my bike etc. One job is telemarketing the other is an on the side deal I can do on a bicycle fairly easily.

Telemarketing (night shift) + uni is taking its toll, I generally leave home 7-8 in the morning and get back at 9pm. This leaves me little time for study and exercise (being an exercise and sport science student, not happy jan!).

In a nutshell I am quite sick of everything and would like a change, and am considering quitting telemarketing and buying a road bicycle to commute on (thus no travel costs).

35km each way, largely on the M4. Is this doable? I don't mind it being hard at the start, in fact I will be a little disappointed if it isn't.

Uni is 5 days a week although with the wonders of technology and such I can get away with going 3 days p/week or thereabouts most of the time.

Any opinions are much appreciated!

[Mulger bill]

G'Day Moons, welcome outside.

35kms is easily doable if you've got a decent level of base fitness. Might I suggest you do a few practice runs first so you can get a feel for the route without the pressure of a deadline.

Cheers
Shaun

[not4resale]

Hey moon,

Definitely do-able, I'm one of the cross overs from motorcycle to pushbike and was relatively unfit when i started doing a 27 k each way commute to uni.

The worst thing for me was getting the muscles used to it and not fatiguing on the "later in the ride" hills. Definitely would give it a go though, my first few runs were taking me an hour and a half and now i'm doing it in an hour... hoping to get 45 mins by the end of semester!

[mikedufty]

I used to 25km each way to uni, and it was generally good, but often the last 5km home into the sea breeze I'd have rather skipped. Did 7km each way for a while which was just a little too short, couldn't quite decided whether to ride slowly in work clothes, or shower and change and go faster.
Currently doing about 12.5 each way which is very pleasant and doesn't make me too tired to interfere with doing anything else.

[whitestivo]

and here i thought i was nuts, i got nothing.

my commute is 8.5 km. and time is most important, some days that's all i have.

other days i have 16km of time, and others i can do a 30km loop.

Aall down to time. I wouldn't extend my commute if it meant i was riding in the dark, even with a light.

whitestivo

[gregorian]

My round trip is about 40Km.
I do the trick of driving halfway. Largely because of the time constraints of work and family and life. A carpark next to a kids playground. Nod my head "Mornin'" at another guy who does the same thing but heads off in the opposite direction as we unpack our bikes from their car racks. Note that he is far better kitted out than me.

[slowflow]

Currently riding about half way & trying to get to a 34 each way commute. The 34k trip takes just over 80 minutes, expecting an extra 20 minutes on the ride home due to the climb. Expecting to be able to do the round trip by August. Average 23 kph but it is mostly flat & that will go down. Takes about 35 minutes by car.

[thekovac]

waw what a threadmine!

Anyway yeah I just started uni this week and its my first year of commuting to uni.... on Sunday I did my usual church rides for our 3 services, where I do camera work, during the day so I clocked up 60k's that day. Then the following day on Monday I rode to uni (around 25k's) and I was fine but on the way home (3 hours later) I was absolutely knackered - took me over 1.5 hours to get home in the winds, when that morning it only took just over an hour...so it just goes to show its about your fitness level and time it takes for you to cover the distance, in accessing what is a "acceptable" commuting distance....

For me I've now had to reduce my commute to about 30k's a day, although I've done 140k rides in the past, it doesn't seem I have the endurance and stamina to be able to continually do around 60k's a day 4-5 time a week. I go to Monash uni that has two campuses and I ride to the closest one to me and then get a shuttle to my campus....for now its only a 15k run from my house to my nearest campus but over time as I get more an more fitter and used to riding I will eventually ride to my campus....

I've realised now that you can't just set yourself a massive goal from little bike riding experience - you need to build yourself up to it gradually...

[wqlava1]

My round trip is about 40Km.
I do the trick of driving halfway. Largely because of the time constraints of work and family and life. A carpark next to a kids playground. Nod my head "Mornin'" at another guy who does the same thing but heads off in the opposite direction as we unpack our bikes from their car racks. Note that he is far better kitted out than me.

Just saw this. You wouldn't be one of the couple of others i used to see at that carpark at the Springvale Rd freeway exit, turn L and L again as you come off the freeway heading east? I used to (till changed job last May) park there in school holidays and Blackburn High when the kids were in term time, to shorten my trip down to 28-30km to St Kilda Rd. The 20 min car plus 1 hour ride was always faster than the 1h45m bus into town plus a tram down St Kilda Rd, and the car was only quicker when I was at work before 7am and departed after 6pm! The 1h35 ride from Warrandyte (39.5km) just used to tire me by Thursday, so I only did that occasionally in the holidays.

[Thoglette]

Currently riding about half way & trying to get to a 34 each way commute. The 34k trip takes just over 80 minutes, expecting an extra 20 minutes on the ride home due to the climb. Expecting to be able to do the round trip by August. Average 23 kph but it is mostly flat & that will go down. Takes about 35 minutes by car.

Similar distance, similar problem - it's an extra hour on the day to commute. If I worked sane hours it would only be an extra 1/2 hour as the traffic at "normal" commute times drives the drive time up to 45minutes

[JB]

i do a 'long-cut' route of 33km each way.

luckily my short cut is only 9 km so i'm not forced to do the kms.

if i did not have my short cut, 10 X 33 km / week would = severe fatigue 4 me.
i usual do around 5 X 33 / week + 1 grp ride = 220 km /week.

[rearviewmirror]

My wife and I put an application in for a house in Point Cook today (Sanctuary Lakes), this thread has made me feel better about the commute. Google maps shows it to be 28km taking the Westgate, my bike route should be about the same or perhaps a bit shorter. There is a new bridge in Sanctuary Lakes that links to the bike trail, I'll take that and end up on Queen St, through Altona then up on on Millers Rd. From Millers I'll turn on Mason cut through Newport station then head north to the city from there.

I've commuted daily from Williamstown for over 6 months, but the addition of the trip to Point Cook is a bit daunting, but doable. Good thread. I too have been seeking to add to my commute, this is definitely going to do it! It's amazing how easy it is to get around Melbourne by bicycles.

EDIT.. Just did a bikely map, it is ~27.1 km biking the route I posted above, so right at 1 hour on a road bike. Not too bad, there will be times I dread it, but commuting ~270km/week will do me good. It could be worse, some people sit on the train for an hour each way!