How far is too far to bike commute?

Bike commuting is a great way to save money and get plenty of exercise. If I were bike commute right now, it would be a 2-hour trip one way, about 26 miles. A bit too much for me, but how close would I have to live to where I work for cycling to be worth it?

Bike commuting a one-way distance of at most 10 miles is perfectly respectable. Much more and it can easily become a problem. You’ll need to take more than just distance into consideration, though. I combed through forums to see what else bike commuters have to say.

Table of distances and difficulties

After going through those forums and seeing what people have to say about different commutes, the following table seems to express most people’s opinions.

DISTANCE ONE-WAY (Miles)	DIFFICULTY
0-5	Easy
6-10	Decent Ride
11-15	A Bit Much
16-20	That’s A Lot
21+	Crazy

At least one person in a forum I looked at admitted that they had commuted more than 20 miles one way at some point in their life. So, you really can ride as far as you would like, but spending 4 hours a day commuting isn’t for everyone.

If you are worried about locking up your bike once you get to work, I wrote an article that’s designed to get you confident! How To Lock Your Bike Without A Bike Rack.

How fit are you?

If you are really out of shape, and just now getting into biking, you can probably cut the miles in the table in half. If you are a cycling fiend, well maybe you can extend your ranges a bit more. For the average cyclist, though, 3-7 miles seemed to be pretty middle of the road.

As well, the more frequently you ride, the more fit you will become. The more fit you are, the further, faster, and longer you’ll be able to push yourself on your commute, and rides in general. If you intentionally pick a commute that is a bit longer than you are used to, it incorporates a bit more training into your schedule that you don’t need to worry about later in the day.

How safe is your path?

Your commute can consist of many different paths, each with different risks and rewards. If you have the option to take a secluded bike path, you’ll never need to worry about traffic. However, you may need to think about whether there will be shady characters if you need to come home late at night.

Let’s assume there are two main paths to your work. One path is mostly on an incredibly busy road but is only three miles long. The other path mostly safe back roads and is six miles long. Every time you decide which path to take, you’ll need to compare the different costs and benefits of each path.

How confident you are in your ability to ride with traffic is also very important. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of safety and take a back road that has less traffic. If traffic doesn’t scare you that much, then have at the busy streets. I do suggest you take the scenic route every once in a while, though.

If the shortest commute is too dangerous, and the safest commute is too long, you’ll need to make a compromise. I am not one to suggest that you take a route you are incredibly uncomfortable with. So, you’ll need to figure out how to make more time for commuting, or go ahead and stick with driving or public transportation.

Do you know how to fix your bike?

Riding further means that the chances of something going wrong only goes up. Thankfully most things that can happen are easily repairable. Keeping a spare tube, pump, and levers in your bag will be more than enough to save you on most occasions. Unfortunately, there isn’t always a way to fix everything that goes wrong.

One member of a forum recounted a time when they had unintentionally ridden over a bungee cable and it broke multiple spokes and tangled their wheel. That isn’t something a spare pump can fix. Thankfully, with services like Uber or Lyft at most people’s disposal, even big problems, can be mitigated.

How long will it take compared to driving?

While my current commute would take me 2 hours to bike to get to work, driving is only 30 minutes in the morning and a bit more than an hour in the evening. I drive past a busy airport. So, the traffic can get bad it takes me 2 hours to get home. If I could have taken the highway, it would have literally been faster to ride my bike home.

For people that live and work in a larger city, it is a similar story. Traffic can get so bad at times that biking would be just as fast. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to commute by bike. Biking can even be cheaper than public transportation, in the long run, assuming you aren’t riding a ridiculously expensive bike.

I would guess that the average person doesn’t find themselves in this situation, though. It will almost always take you more time to ride a bike somewhere than it does to drive there. However, if you have a short drive, even taking two to three times longer isn’t that bad. You’ll just need to leave earlier than usual.

Is it worth your time?

Bike commuting is much more popular with younger people, not just because they have more energy, but also because they tend to have more time. You may suddenly go from spending 40 minutes a day commuting, to spending 90 minutes commuting a day. The benefits of the exercise will be enormous, but you’ll find you have a lot less time to do everything else.

It requires that you get up earlier, and get home a lot later. If you are single, or at least don’t have anyone depending on you getting home at a certain time, it is incredibly easy to transition. However, parents or people with already packed schedules might like to spend that time doing something else. Everyone is different. You’ll need to consider what your new schedule will look like, and if you are willing to make sacrifices if they are necessary.

Should you bike commute every day?

A tip that came up every once in a while on the forums was that you shouldn’t bike commute every day. This is especially true if you are just starting out. Burn out is a very real feeling that a lot of commuters feel if they try to ride too much too often.

Even if you ride is only a few miles, it is okay to not ride every once in a while. Mixing it up like this ensures that you won’t get exhausted as quickly, and it gives you ample time to recover. This is particularly important if you have a long commute. Not commuting every day also gives you a bit more time since it doesn’t take as long to get to work or get home.

How much do you need to carry?

Lugging around a heavy laptop or cumbersome files really makes bike commuting difficult. A 10 miles ride with nothing on you is one thing, but adding a 20-pound backpack can really turn things up a notch. If you need to carry lots of things to and from work, you should shoot for a shorter commute. Otherwise, it might not be worth the extra effort.

However, it is important to consider that you may not need to take EVERYTHING to and from with you. A lot of companies now furnish employees with laptops. If you only use it at work and don’t plan on working from home, it isn’t worth bringing home at all! Commuting with heavy and expensive things are more convenient when you take a car or public transport. Don’t let them stop you from biking every once in a while though.

What about once you get to work?

One of the big things I hadn’t considered as deeply is what to do once you get to work. A shorter commute shouldn’t result in too much sweat. However, a longer commute could easily result in a lot of body odor. Most people on the forums suggested keeping deodorant and a towel or wipes at your work.

If your work provides showers, though, those are going to be your best bet to ensure that you are fresh throughout the workday. At that point, though, you’ll need to make sure you bring enough shower supplies to clean yourself off. At the very least, I would suggest a towel.

If you ride is long, hot, and you are drenched in sweat by the time you are done, you’ll definitely need to pack your work clothes. I was able to commute at one point, and I would ride in shorts and a tee-shirt. Once I got to work, I would put on some deodorant, rinse my face off, and thew on my dress shirt and pants. It was easy enough to bring a small bag with my clothes to and from work.

I hope that now you’ll be able to confidently decide whether or not you can ride your bike to work. And I hope that, if you do, you’ll enjoy every second of it.