How many miles are each of you commuting to and from work and how long does it take?

[DSalovesh]

Tough to define when I started bike commuting.

Was it in college when I rode 3-4 miles between my apartment and campus a few times a week? I drove a lot back then too, but biked to stretch my gas budget so I didn’t have to cut my beer and pizza budget.

Was it after college when I was struggling to find work as a theater designer and riding my bike was the only economical way to entertain myself? Because this was Chicago I still drove a lot and took the el – and for a lot of my work I was hauling far too much stuff to even consider biking.

I did all that riding, sometimes 15-30 mile round trips per day plus 30-50 of “training” some nights, but I didn’t think of myself as a “bike commuter” because there were so many excuses not to ride and I used them all. Especially when I got out of theater and started working in offices – can’t be sweaty and gross, gotta be clean and well-pressed…

By my definition, I guess I started commuting by bike when I stopped using any other means to get there, which would have been 2003 or 2004. I was working as a technology consultant to non-profit organizations, many of which had offices in parts of the city that are difficult to reach (in a hurry anyway) by public transit. Also, I billed (and was paid) by the hour, so time spent on a bus, transferring trains, or waiting for some mid-day track work delay was time and money I would miss out on.

My route was varied, my distance too. Often I’d start off using Mass Ave or Florida Ave from NE to NW, some of the nastiest roads we have for casual riders. I had clients in Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Courthouse, Ballston, and Hybla Valley (and a bunch right in the center city too), so I’d do at least 10 miles on a light day and as much as 50 if a client needed an unscheduled or emergency visit. Most days I could anticipate, but not all.

Weather conditions didn’t matter, so I rode in rain and snow and ice and heat and humidity and a bunch of really nice days too. I started buying office clothing for its wicking properties – polyester shirts, convertible pants/shorts, padded undershorts, SPD shoes that look like normal footwear. Waterproof sling messenger bags gave way to waterproof backpacks as my neck got sore, and I started searching for just the right set of all-weather gloves.

(For some of this time I was also hauling a kid in a trailer, which meant no matter what my final destination was I’d always start and end with a two mile jaunt from Cap Hill to L’Enfant.)

When time came to change jobs in 2008, I was dedicated to biking to work as much as possible all year. I was also dedicated to being within 30 minutes of my kid’s school, even if that meant I couldn’t take the slightly higher paying jobs I found early on in Reston, Rockville, and even Bethesda and Alexandria were on the edge. Fortunately I found work much closer, though it took an extra couple of months to do so.

What was the question? Oh yeah…

For the past few years my commute went from home to kid’s school to the office, then office to school to home. Total was 6 miles a day, and most of them were sprinted. Now I’ve cut that in half (new school!) and almost all of it is at kid biking intensity – so, 3 easy miles split into two rides.

[Drewdane]

A little under 10 miles each way, Falls Church to Foggy Bottom on the WOD/MCT. ~35 minutes in the morning (downhill leg), 40-45 minutes home (uphill leg).

I ride in 3X/week – I’ve found I get burned out if I try to do more than that. I draw the line at having to install studded tires; otherwise, I commute rain or shine, regardless of the temperature. After all, there is no bad weather, only bad clothes!

I have trouble accepting headwinds with good grace, but otherwise it’s all good.

[Riley Casey]

I’m almost embarrassed to say that mine is less than four miles each way which I can stretch to six or seven if I include some grocery shopping. All urban and near suburban with a choice of hilly side streets, busy urban rush hour raceways or a couple of miles down the scenic Sligo Creek trail for the shopping run. Upside of a short route is being able to ride every day (almost) without regard to the weather with plain old street clothes and sweaters.

[ebubar]

I’ve got between 26-30 miles RT (13-15 miles each way), depending on the route. City is about 13 miles, trails are about 15 miles. I travel from Takoma Park to Arlington (there’s a thread on here with excellent recommendations people provided to me) and have started to do the half-time commute (bike in one day and home the next).

The total moving time is only around 60-70 minutes (quicker going home) and about 70-90 minutes with stop signs/stop lights/obeying traffic laws tossed in there. The time isn’t really an issue though, since that’s about the same as my metro commute on a good day.

Built my route and half-commute plans based on the advice of all the great folks here. Did it occasionally in the fall and then full-on committed when my wife got me a Garmin 200 for xmas. I just have to beat that little digital bike man on my commute. Let me tell you, he’s crap on the flats, but FLIES up those hills. 12 mph the whole way…amazing…

Might have seen some of you out there on the CCT today. It was the busiest i’ve seen it in awhile. I’m the dude with the black skateboarder helmet, bright yellow jacket, black trek 7.2 FX with barends and grey running pants. My students think i’m quite fashion forward in that getup! See you all on the trails!

[oldbikechick]

My commute is 17 miles round trip and I feel very lucky that it takes me exactly the same amount of time that taking public transportation would (bus + metro) and is INFINITELY more enjoyable. I have secure parking at work, so I have done as others suggested and done the one-way commute, either due to weather or when I started up my commute again after maternity leave and just did not have the energy for all of it in one day. I also have little kids and I love it that I can kill two birds with one stone – exercise and commute all in one since there is no time for exercise otherwise. I’m very impressed with some of these longer commutes!

[hoppy]

Around 6.2 miles each way, 30-35 minutes to bike each way, from Falls Church to Tyson’s Corner. Fwiw, the car route is 7 miles and takes around 20 minutes on average.

[hozn]

My commute is 16 miles each way. It’s just out the W&OD so it takes me around 50-55 minutes moving time on a normal day, and 55-60 minutes total travel time. I think it is a perfect length commute, since it provides a good workout without huge daily obligation (or take away from family life). I also love that I can detour through Lake Fairfax Park mtb (or cx, in my case) trails.

[MRH5028]

I feel guilty about this, but my commute to work is a mile. Ballston to Clarendon. I know I’m lucky to have an easy commute, but come next year my office is moving to the Reston area so that will come to an end. Some days I’m “lazy” and just walk instead of ride.

[hozn]

@MRH5028 44182 wrote:

I feel guilty about this, but my commute to work is a mile. Ballston to Clarendon. I know I’m lucky to have an easy commute, but come next year my office is moving to the Reston area so that will come to an end. Some days I’m “lazy” and just walk instead of ride.

Hit me up when you move and we can coordinate commuting our together sometime. (I commute from Westover to Reston.) I actually think I am lucky to have a longer commute; it makes me get exercise I need without me having to make special time for that. And an hour is good decompress time coming home from work.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[PeteD]

Now commuting 5 miles from Falls Church to Tyson’s. I get Virgina Lane twice a day, and Gallows Road too. It will become harder as the spring comes along as.. oh, oops, I forgot to turn off after Virgina Lane, and had to turn around when I hit Gravely Point.

[dasgeh]

@MRH5028 44182 wrote:

Some days I’m “lazy” and just walk instead of ride.

I have the same thought with errands (“I want to be lazy – I’ll just walk”), but then I realized that walking actually takes longer, and more effort — unless I try hard on the bike.

[consularrider]

@MRH5028 44182 wrote:

I feel guilty about this, but my commute to work is a mile . . . Some days I’m “lazy” and just walk instead of ride.

That was my situation for the four years before I moved to this area, I only biked to work one day during that period, but walked in every day, and only occasionally accepted a ride home with one of my wife’s coworkers.

[birddog]

I had been doing 5.5-6 miles in 20 minutes on my steel bike, but now I’m going the long way regularly and racking up 12.5 miles in 40 minutes on a new bike. BUT I still ride my old bike if it’s raining.

[MRH5028]

@dasgeh 44212 wrote:

I have the same thought with errands (“I want to be lazy – I’ll just walk”), but then I realized that walking actually takes longer, and more effort — unless I try hard on the bike.

This is true. For some reason I equate getting the bike out with “effort” instead of just walking out the door. Riding is faster than walking though, and more fun.

@consularrider 44219 wrote:

That was my situation for the four years before I moved to this area, I only biked to work one day during that period, but walked in every day, and only occasionally accepted a ride home with one of my wife’s coworkers.

If it rains I’ll normally Metro. Those are my off days. haha

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