Commuting to work by bike

Dennis Collins38 said:If you want to bike to work, you gotta swipe a shopping basket from the grocery store first. It’s a total lifesaver—you just toss your backpack in there so your back doesn't end up soaked in sweat.

You think people were stealing baskets now!?😁—people were swiping those things decades ago.

😂Man, what a mess—she basically shoved a whole shopping cart right in my face at the store.🤣

But seriously, look how gorgeous this one is.

The baskets from Walmart are honestly the best. They have just the right dimensions to get your hand in there comfortably and pull it tight with a rubber band. Most of the stuff you find at those cheap junk shops is way too small and flimsy.

So, this is what Chicago looks like in the winter when you're trying to drive home from work—about 55 minutes 6.2 miles stuck in this line:


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I mean, I guess it’s just completely normal to get stuck in gridlock on the I-95 or the Kennedy Expressway... honestly, that seems to be how it stays, both in the morning rush and from 4:00 PM onwards.

How realistic is it to commute to work by bike 31 miles? I’m talking one way... I know a few people who make the trip 22 miles, yet I haven’t met anyone actually commuting 31 miles..
The entire route follows the riverbank..
I wouldn't say I'm in peak physical condition at the moment, though I used to be a professional athlete.. consequently, I still carry a decent amount of muscle mass and look relatively fit, even if my cardio isn't quite there..
The terrain is flat. It's about 80% asphalt and 20% some sort of gravel or coarse pavement path..
I'll be riding a Trek 7100 (trekking style)..
The motivation is there; I don't mind waking up early.. however, I am curious as to what seasoned cyclists think about covering this much mileage on a daily basis, especially since I'll always be on the morning shift..
Should I bother with any specific dietary adjustments, perhaps some endurance supplements?
And how long will it take me to get back into fighting shape?
Up until now, I've been driving.. which is frankly infuriating. Between the chaotic traffic, the constant stop-and-go of city driving, and all the other nonsense.. not to mention the price of gas and car maintenance.. plus the sheer stupidity of circling the block for half an hour just to find a parking spot..
Anyway, I would appreciate any insight you might have..
thanks

darkhound7 said:How realistic is it to bike to work31 miles? One way..
The entire route follows the riverbank..
I’m not exactly in peak condition right now, though I used to be a professional athlete.. so I still have decent muscle mass and look fit, even if my cardio isn't there yet..
Flat terrain.. about 80% asphalt, 20% gravel or coarse pavement paths..
Using a Trek 7100 (trekking bike)..
I have the motivation; I don't mind getting up early.. but I'm curious what other cyclists think about this kind of daily mileage.. I'll always be on the morning shift..
Should I worry about a specific diet (maybe some endurance supplements)?
And how long will it take me to get back into shape?

Look
Don't try to tackle this much mileage right out of the gate. No matter how motivated you feel or how much "residual" muscle mass you think you've kept, don't let yourself get fooled
31 miles , two hours of riding at a solid pace plus the ride back—that's just too much to start with
I don't know your current fitness level; more importantly, I don't know how far you've "fallen," so it's impossible to say how long it'll take you to "pull through"
I've ridden with "the guys from the gym"—guys who are absolutely jacked—but they couldn't hold it; they were gassed within the first few miles
My advice is to take it slow; don't force anything. It took me eight months to "get back" to the point where I could ride 31 miles in one go without pacing myself and maintain it as a daily habit. You might be better off, or maybe you'll need less, I can't say for sure
Regarding nutrition, don't overcomplicate things. In the morning, start with carbohydrates—maybe some seven-grain oatmeal or a mix of seven different fruits soaked overnight in plenty of orange juice or skim milk. Rotate and combine those. Once you finish your ride and get to work, grab some protein, whether that's a supplement or just a piece of meat, egg whites, or low-fat cottage cheese
The same applies when you get home. Drink plenty of fluids; if it's hot out, aim for a liter an hour, sipping frequently and in small amounts
Try riding a bit first to see what your limits are. Then, try biking to work and taking the bus home, then biking home the next day. Find a combination that works. Biking fifty miles round-trip five days a week while also working is a lot. I feel capable of doing that now, but that's after hundreds of hours and thousands of miles on my backside, and I'm telling you this based on my own initial experiences
Also, adjust your bike setup; you might want to consider a road bike. On average, you'd be two kilometers per hour faster, which might even be more, and that makes a massive difference
There you go

Honestly, most gym rats are way too intense for this kind of thing.
For most people, doing this every single day is overkill—though maybe once a week could serve as a decent little break from being stuck behind the wheel.
Personally, I usually found myself needing a breather from the subway more often than I did from driving my car.

Says: I used a car which means I'm talking about a woman, yet you guys keep insisting I'm a man 🙄

😁

They clearly can't read...😛
Anyway, a 30-mile commute...👍 That's a bit much, but you'll be the best judge of what works for you. Maybe doing it once or twice a week so you don't overdo it? Personally, I live less than two miles from my office, so it’s doable, but 30 miles is pushing it.😲 You'd have to get up early to beat the traffic, especially if you don't have a place to shower when you arrive.🤷

62 miles over bad roads or embankments, at least five times a week, all year round?
It’s doable, provided you have the logistics sorted and the living conditions aren't a total mess. I mean, if the job itself isn't physically draining, and you actually have the setup for decent rest, regular meals, and appropriate gear—you know, once it warms up, and definitely sunglasses to deal with the bugs—then it works. But you have to factor in the weather shifts. We're talking rain, snow, heavy winds, or those nasty thunderstorms with lightning and thunder that can make riding pretty miserable. Still, once a person adapts, the ride stops being a torture session and starts becoming something enjoyable. I’d just suggest starting slow, and certainly not in the middle of a blizzard...

... and she's a woman doing this... major respect!

... @Dana Reyes5, all five, but let's be honest, what fat molecule hasn't killed someone yet...

Look, it’s definitely easier and faster once you get going, but honestly? You don't need this massive mental, nutritional, or physical overhaul before you even start. Just dive in. You'll pick up the rest along the way—(if you want the real deep dives, go ask those experts on X... though they mostly hang out there anyway)
The real issues are the boredom—everything feels so repetitive and flat day after day—the time commitment, and the risk of someone swiping your bike when you pull up to work.
Take it for a spin next weekend and see how it actually feels. If anything hurts—besides your butt—you're doing something wrong.
Don't just mash the pedals like a maniac; focus on keeping that smooth, centrifugal rotation.
31 miles is nothing more than a number.

darkhound7 said:The entire route follows the bend of the river.

Marathon Man said:Pick a side road to run alongside the highway. On this one... Can we just stick to the facts? Profit, through creation. 62 miles Daily.

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I'd personally opt for a route along the river. At least you can hope the air is a bit cleaner out there, and honestly, a river crab isn't exactly the kind of predator you need to worry about compared to something from the ocean. Or so I’d like to think.😁
Don't sweat it; from this initial concept onward, nothing more will come of it.🤣

Looks like I’ll be relocating to a super flat part of the country for about three months due to work. My place is going to be a bit of a trek from the office 33 miles. It’s all paved roads out there—mostly side streets—and the elevation is basically zero, maybe hitting a whopping 18 meters at most 😁.

The plan is to pick up a cheap road bike over there and use it for my daily commute 31 miles. I can handle flat terrain for two hours straight without breaking a sweat, but 329 miles I definitely need to build up some stamina. I'll probably ease into it—maybe one ride the first week, two the second, three the third, and so on...

Timothy Anderson6 said:Looks like I’m relocating to a incredibly flat country for three months due to work. My apartment will be quite a trek from the office 33 miles. It’s all paved secondary roads, and the elevation fluctuates between 0 and maybe 18 meters at most 😁
The plan is to pick up a cheap road bike there and commute. 31 miles I can cruise through the flats in two hours easily, but 329 miles I definitely need to build up some stamina. I’ll probably scale up my rides—once the first week, twice the second, three times the third, and so on...

Why not just find an apartment closer to the office? I mean, you're moving anyway 🤷
p.s. Where exactly are you heading, if you don't mind me asking?

The Netherlands? 🤔

Twice a week. Don't bother with daily rides. It’s not about whether you can handle 31 miles hours on end; it’s about the sheer monotony. You'll lose your mind staring at the same scenery over and over, and when you're on a bike, you're always looking at the road. Doing it twice a week fits into a schedule, too—it's good exercise. If you actually enjoy it, you can bump it up to three times once the weather warms up. Just remember, you're looking at a minimum of four or five hours of riding.

Patrick King7 said:You’ll go stir-crazy looking at the exact same scenery, and it’s always the same when you're out on the bike.

Personally, I enjoy riding the same stretch of road over and over. Depending on the season, the insect life along the shoulder changes constantly, and in the off-season, I find myself wondering where they all went.
It stays interesting enough for me.😁

Dana Reyes5 said:I actually enjoy driving the same stretch of highway over and over; depending on the season, you see different bugs hitting the windshield, and when they aren't there, I just spend the whole drive wondering where they all went.
i it’s always interesting😁

You’re definitely one of a kind, we've realized that...😍

You’re gonna love those flies right up until one decides to take a dive into your windshield wiper fluid. 😁