My work is 17 km (10.5 miles) from home and I am wondering if it's possible to commute daily by bike. I live in the Netherlands so the roads are bike-friendly. Google predicts it takes 52 minutes (one-way).Do you think it's an accurate prediction?
I am 25 years old, weigh 80 kg (176 pounds or 12.5 stone), and I am 183 cm (6 foot 0 inches) tall.
That's similar to my old commute (a bit further but flatter), and I didn't cycle regularly when I started. The Google estimate is probably reasonable for the second time you do it, though may not reflect rush hour traffic. The first time will probably take longer due to unfamiliarity (a trip when it doesn't matter if you're late is helpful) and eventually you could be noticeably quicker.
You might get away without a shower in winter, if you're prepared to set off cold, but in summer it's another matter. Mild wet days are also sweaty. Is there a shower available?
When I started bike commuting that sort of distance it was quite tough. Having rest days in the first few weeks helped, and I found that a protein bar or flapjack immediately on arrival in the morning made the return leg (and the day in work) easier
Yes, you can ride that distance daily. You might find it hard at first but it should definitely be doable.
I can't say if the Google estimate is any good - it will depend on how fast you ride and delays at intersections and road crossings.
Try riding the route on a weekend to get an idea of how hard you find it and how long it takes. Then try at regular commuting time which will probably take longer due to longer waits at intersections and greater car traffic.
I am wondering if it's possible to commute daily by bike.
Easily. I used to do almost 60 km round-trip daily.
Well, it'll be easy after a while. If you're not used to riding every day, it'll be pretty difficult at first.
Google predicts it takes 52 minutes (one-way). Do you think it's an accurate prediction?
That depends on you. 17 km in 52 minutes isn't even 20 kph, though, which is pretty slow on flat ground for a fit rider on a good bike. A fit rider on flat ground with a decent bike can likely sustain close to 30 kph or even more for a long time. And your bike doesn't have to be very expensive to be good enough to commute at those speeds.
And if you ride every day, you'll get really fit pretty quickly.
If your ride isn't going to be flat, though, and you pile a lot of gear on your bicycle, that time might be optimisic. While going down hills can be fast, hauling a lot of weight up hills is slow, and because of that it takes a long time.
When you start commuting by bicycle and if you're not used to riding multiple days in a row, be aware that you'll likely feel OK for the first few days, then it will get really hard to the point you might have to skip a day occasionally to recover. But don't get discouraged, because after a couple of weeks your muscles and cardiovascular system will start adapting to the stress and it'll start getting easier.
Also, the rides home in the afternoon/evening will be a lot harder than the morning rides, especially when you first start.
Medefietser hier.
I live in the Netherlands, too, and I work 13 km from home.
It's doable, and it will get better with practice. When I started using the bike instead of the car I needed about 1 hour for the single trip, now I can pull it out in 35 minutes. Google prediction is more on the well-used-to-it side.
Few advices:
So far I am assuming you are going to use only your legs. Many colleagues, for distances above 15 km, are opting for an e-bike. That's a call for you. In my case I still enjoy the exercise and the saving on not having to go the gym, while my body has no issues on pedaling.
Yes this is achieveable. To expand on other's points:
Mix up your route, if possible. Riding the same roads over and over gets a bit old. Add 5 minutes and go a little out of your way for some variation. You might even discover a better route.
The good days are great. The bad days, less so. If you have no alternative to get home, then imagine riding at night in the worst storm you can remember, and its a headwind. Can you do it?
Also, expect your weekend rides to drop off over time. There's less interest in riding for fun after ~10 hours on the bike through the weekdays.
I'm lucky that my job lets me work from home occasionally, when the winter weather is just too much. I don't abuse the privilege and try to limit it to once or twice a month.
Spare clothes and a shower at work absolutely help. I personally keep a spare bike at work, and carry a full emergency tool kit on each bike, with two spare tubes and stickers for that third puncture. A small first aid kit can come in handy too.
Yes
If the roads are bike-friendly, then it sounds like what you are trying to achieve is definitely possible. If you don't want to have a hard time of it and have to shower at either end, you could even just get an ebike that would do most of the work for you. It isn't cheating if you aren't racing; you are just trying to get to work.
Assuming you have an alternative mode of transportation between home and work that is acceptable to you, and that you can safely leave your bike at or near work, you could also 'split the difference':
I had a colleague aged over 50 who on average cycled to or from work every day, on a route that was around 40km one way over a 600m mountain (600m gain and 600m loss of elevation each direction). He was able to maintained this for many years.
A key point is that usually he only cycled in one direction each day. He also had a motorbike, and paid for an indoor parking spot for it near our office. This allowed him to alternate the use of the two. Monday: Bicycle to work (if the motorbike was at the parking spot near work over the weekend); Motorbike home, leaving the bicycle at the office. Tuesday: Motorbike to the parking near work; Bicycle home. Etc, etc.
Sometimes he would bike in both directions on the same day. He mentioned that he was typically overtaken by someone in his 70s, who did this route in both directions every day, so I think that helped him stay motivated!
Other times he would take the motorbike both directions. For example if he had an injury, or his 5 kids did not let him sleep well, or scheduling did not leave time for cycling. I liked the flexibility this gave him. Of course, the journeys had to be planned in pairs: If he cycled home, he could not go by motorbike into work the next morning.
So assuming acceptable alternative transportation, you could use this strategy either temporarily to prepare for biking both ways every day, or permanently, or as a fall-back.
Very much so - I've done a 30 km each way commute over terrain that was half hills, half flat, for two seasons. It can be practical or not, depending on what you're comparing it to (underground is always quick, public transport I usually out-ride). Either way it was only 5-10 minutes more than a car in city traffic, and often I found myself repeatedly overtaking and getting passed by a notable car throughout the trip.
When I started doing it, I've been off the bikes for a few years. This had a toll, as the fatigue limited my schedule to Monday-Wednesday-Friday. I could do two days in a row, but it was difficult not to get bonked on the hills on the second day. The hills were the only problem - on flat terrain, it's plain fun throughout. Later I advanced to 4 days a week, still leaving one at choice to rest.
17 km each way over flat terrain should be nothing for a healthy 25 year old with basic cycling experience. You can do it even without carbs along the way, though water is still nice to have.
Google Maps is one of the less reliable services for cycling, and its time estimates have poor correlation with reality. It tends to plot longer routes that necessary, ignoring some opportunities to cut out mile-long loops by making just one pedestrian crossing. Maps.me and a number of other services are more practical.
A beginner on a road bike should be able to maintain 25+ km/h over flat terrain even with some start/stops, so 40 minutes is a good estimate for the ride. Add 5 minutes for parking and locking/unlocking the bike, though.
I would say 17 kilometers is around the limit. In Denmark around Copenhagen where it might be slightly more hillier than the flatter parts of The Netherlands, it is not uncommon for people cycling 17 kilometers to and from work each day. However, for such distances, the cyclist will usually have a good fast bike (light racing bike, not an ordinary city bike), dress up with cycling clothing, shower at the employer and change clothes. Another possibility would be an electric bike.
Absolutely, yes! I'm riding 25km each way (in Melbourne AUS). Normally takes me less than 1 hour each way - I average speeds of 25km/h most days with strong headwinds. You might want to confirm you will have end of trip facilities (showers) at your disposal when you get to your destination. At around 10km you might start to break a little sweat even if you're not pushing hard.
As others have stated, it's certainly possible. I used to do it for a couple of months. I found that:
If I would have a 15–30 km commute for longer, I would consider to get a recumbent. I don't have personal experience with one, but it's supposed to be quite a bit easier. My main worry about recumbents would be visibility in traffic and thus safety, but there is no country with as much segregated cycling infrastructure as The Netherlands, so it should be safe enough. A recumbent is a significant expense, so if you've never ridden one you might want to rent one for a week or so first; in The Netherlands that should be no problem.
¹Before these months my commute was less than 3 km each way, afterward it was around 12 km. For my route, cycling was no faster (but of course much more flexible) than public transportation, and slower if you factor in the extra time I needed for resting.
I commute 15 km one way, relatively flat with a steep way up (and down when coming back) for maybe 300 m in the middle of these 15 km (which I walk pushing my bike).
I would love to say that I commute everyday but it is not true, this is more 4 times a week, then a week or two without commute, or only one, then again a surge of strong will for a week or two, then a break etc.
This is to say that I am far from an athlete.
I found that:
I have a basic hybrid bike and the time between the moment I leave home and the one I sit in front of my desk is about 1h30 - this includes changing, shower, and a ridiculously long walk in the office to get from the changing room to the shower, then back to the changing room and then to my desk. This is probably by far the longest practical time you can expect.
Separate biking clothes are pretty much indispensible (also because ordinary trouser knees and bottom wear out indecently fast), you need somewhere to hang them at work to avoid them getting stinky fast. You might want to think about at least armpit hair removal to render the change of clothes more effective at controlling smells because then a mere wipeoff while changing clothes results in quite a lot less carryover.
I managed pretty well for a few years with 23km one-way at comparatively brisk pace (about 50min).
Yes, it can be done.
I had a coworker who did a 40km (roundtrip) most days. He did however drive when it snowed or otherwise was really bad weather.
We did also have a dressing room with showers at work so he was able to change clothes.
