15 Mile Ride?

Question

Hello,

I'm thinking of riding my bike 15 miles to work. (15 miles one way, 30 miles total.) One reason to work off some weight and second to save on gas $$$. To a you cyclist pros: Is this reasonable?

A one and half hour ride into work?

I would leave early in the morning 7am and then go home 5pm on the ride back. The time in between I sit at a desk all day. What do you think? Is it doable or am I just crazy?

Answer 1

Very feasible I usually do 20 miles a day in the morning and it takes me just over an hour to do that, an inshape cyclist should be able to do 15 miles in about 45-50 minutes.  if the 15 miles scares you try doing half the distance and build up.  You'd be surpised how easy it is to do 15 miles and a comfortable pace and you'll build up quickly.

Answer 2

yes, it's doable.  i don't know your age or your condition, nor do i know the roads and terrain.  but i can tell you that i ride about 20 miles each week end in reasonably hilly terrain and try to average 15 miles per hour.  i'm 58.  one issue about your commute is sweat--you'll need a place to clean up.  try it a couple of days per week, don't use the exercise as an excuse to eat an extra donut and  you'll lose weigth--guaranteed!

Answer 3

Yes it is doable put if you are concerned there are some good electric bikes that could take the edge of it. Weather main prob to putting people off. Go for it

Answer 4

Like many others have said, it is def totally doable!  I ride 17.5 miles to work, every other day, and it takes just a little over an hour like 1:05-1:10 for me on a mountain bike with less aggressive tires.  I ride in the rain and sun without too much worry, though ice worries me because I have a couple big hilly roads.  Seattle has rain a lot and I didn't want it to stop me and I've been trying to ride 3-4 days a week each week for the last year.  

It really helps if you have showers at work, as we do, and lockers to keep fresh clothes in.  Then, you can bring in clothes 1-2 times a week for the week!

Answer 5

Certainly reasonable.

My previous employer was 17 miles away.   I could nearly always get there in under an hour, even on my mountain bike.   Often, I would beat motoring friends home when traffic on the expressway stalled.    

Bear in mind that I'm in shape, and have done Ironman several times, but the bike commute saved me a lot of time because that covered a large portion of my bike workouts.  

You may or may not be able to do it year round depending on weather and darkness.   I won't ride if its icey.    You can dress for cold, but traction can be a real safety issue.   Darkness can also be a problem.   It was less so for me because half the route was on bike path, and I could use residential streets for most of the rest.

Answer 6

I recently converted my MTB into a hybrid of sorts.  My Rock Shox Recons Lockout, I purchased a cheap set of 1.5 urban tires, and even placed a Bell rack on the seat post to do the same.

Although I ride often, I do want to save money on gas, help the environment and lose some pounds.  It is VERY doable!

*What you would need to do is route the course.  Find the safest path to and from.

*Tell your co-workers what you are doing.  This way if youa re late, their concern can send help (if needed0

*Have an In "case of emergency card" ready and easy to find.

*Make sure you have a spare tube and multi-tool (I prefer to the Topeak mini 18).

*A camel back is a wise investment but if you are backpacking a change of clothes, a water bottle is fine.

*Check the weather!!  Don't wanna get stuck in a rainstorm

*Do It!  15 miles is cake especially on road tires / road bikes.   Depending on the route and bike, you can probably do it in an hour.

Answer 7

This is totally reasonable as long as you have the time to fit the commute in.  150 miles a week might be a bit much to begin with if you're out of shape so you might consider doing it every other day to start.  Once you're in shape, you should be able to go 15 miles in an hour or less.

One bit of advice from a bike commuter who was not into cycling before: buy padded bike shorts.  If you don't like spandex wear them under your regular shorts but trust me on this one, your butt will thank you.

Answer 8

15 miles will be a piece of cake soon.  just be careful of traffic and always wear a helmut.

Answer 9

Certainly doable if you are in great shape and have a bike that is in great mechanical condition.  

The first thing I think of is the weather.   A big wind will make the ride take much longer.    What if it rains unexpectly?  15 mi is a loooong way from home when its raining and you are on a bike (I had an unexpected rain hit my ride about a month ago when I was 15mi from home......it sucked bigtime).    

The time factor is also a consideration.  Do you have 3 hrs. a day to invest in this?  

What about flat tires or other problems along the way?   Do you have tools, skills, etc to handle this ?

I'd try it one day and see how it goes;  you may find its too much for you to do everyday, and you may want to limit it to a day or two during the week..only you can make that call.

Answer 10

I admire you for your ability to make this decision.  First of all you can practice that distance to make sure you can make it in the time you planned.  May I suggest, if you can, at first drive your car part way and ride the rest until you get into shape.  A fifteen mile ride, providing there are not stop lights will take the average in-shape rider about one hour.  One and a half hours is good planning.  That's 10 mph and that is very realistic. You are crazy like a fox.  Don't forget to adjust for the factor that you will be sweating.  ---  I ride to work slow enough that I do not sweat and ride back home at a faster (and longer) rate.  Oh, you may want to consider signing up at www.presidentschallenge.org, there you can keep track of your progress and get awards too.