100 mile a day commute?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Elizabethsdad
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

I'd reckon on it taking about 4 hours based on that is how long it took me to ride from Pershore to Kidderminster some years ago. I guess if I lived on my own I might consider it but probably not with a family. Of course there are some people who's daily commutes aren't much shorter by train or car - and considerably longer if you have to use Southern Rail these days. On the subject of a bike in Southampton, I have a Rose Bike Xtra Watt 500 e-bike that I used to use for commuting but only ride occasionally now that I am a stay at parent and mostly use a Bakfiets. So if you wanted to try that with a view to maybe buying it we could fix something up.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by The utility cyclist »

I'm glad you've opted to try the 50/50 option, even 25 miles each way is a stout challenge. 20mph average on open roads can easily drop to 16-17mph when contending with traffic/junctions/lights on a commute not to mention inclement weather as others have mentioned so that's still three hours cycling time excluding any actual stops, excluding as Natural Ankling states, getting your kit together/getting changed at either end which will add on more time to your total journey, add on more time for cleaning on filthy days and 50/50 days are still in the 4 hour total time region.

That said with your present bikes I would try to achieve a position through adjusting the set up to reflect that of a road bike, the weight of the bike in itself isn't so much the issue but wheels/tyres and how aero you can get and be comfortable over 2.5-3 hours twice a day is.
Maybe if you have some decent quality slicks you can stick on to get an idea as to how you'll do on a dry run on the exact route without having to buy/borrow a bike.
'Lightweight' is a bonus but isn't the main priority in your search for a long distance commuter, you certainly don't need to spend upward of a £1000 on a bike to achieve that but it's easy enough to drop a wedge of cash on something nice. For me personally for even half the miles you initially were aiming to do the daily grind I'd be wanting to build from the frame up exactly what I wanted not what a manufacturer puts together, bearing in mind that most half decent bikes have awful wheels as standard even in the £1-1.5k price bracket.

I was lucky, found the perfect frame, a near new top end hybrid bike and totally rebuilt it as a 3x10 Ultegra level drop bar commuter/audax/sports tourer for around £800 total (incl a Brooks Swallow :D ) It would certainly be the only bike in my stable that would give me everything I needed IF i were considering long distance commuting, certainly no straight out of the box bike comes close in terms of cost/quality or matching desired spec.

Hope you find a happy balance :)
landsurfer
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by landsurfer »

honesty wrote:Have you thought about an e-bike? Something like https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/road-eplus-1


So a motorbike then ........
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
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honesty
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by honesty »

landsurfer wrote:
honesty wrote:Have you thought about an e-bike? Something like https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/road-eplus-1


So a motorbike then ........


Bit derogatory on pedelecs there...
Elizabethsdad
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

honesty wrote:
landsurfer wrote:
honesty wrote:Have you thought about an e-bike? Something like https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/road-eplus-1


So a motorbike then ........


Bit derogatory on pedelecs there...

There does seem to be this misconception/prejudice about e-bikes by some cyclists that they are more akin to motorbikes or mopeds. I guess that might be true for those which are controlled via twist grip and do not require any pedalling - especially if they have motors that exceed the current legal limits of 250W and 15.5mph. I have used an e-bike when I used to commute. Bosch crank drive system that only provides assistance as you pedal, usually likened to having a constant tailwind. The best thing to do on the flat is keep above 16mph as much as you can as this means the assistance has cut out due to the 15.5mph limit. Saves the battery for getting you up the hills. Of course on rides with a head wind I was needing the assist a lot more, and very much appreciated it was. If an e-bike is not your thing, fair enough, but please not so dismissive of them. Just another tool in the box.
landsurfer
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by landsurfer »

I honestly believe that the ebike question is the greatest "elephant in the room " of modern cycling.

However, the thread .... I commuted 54 miles a day, 3 days a week for 2 years.. I was in a group of 6 cyclists / triathletes at the peak of our fitness.

It's a bit like Squash ... You don't play squash to get fit, you get fit to play squash. I know ..!

I think that a commute of your distance will require you to be at your peak before you start it.

It's not the milage that is the issue, it will always be the recovery ....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
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honesty
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by honesty »

landsurfer wrote:I honestly believe that the ebike question is the greatest "elephant in the room " of modern cycling.

However, the thread .... I commuted 54 miles a day, 3 days a week for 2 years.. I was in a group of 6 cyclists / triathletes at the peak of our fitness.

It's a bit like Squash ... You don't play squash to get fit, you get fit to play squash. I know ..!

I think that a commute of your distance will require you to be at your peak before you start it.

It's not the milage that is the issue, it will always be the recovery ....


this to me would be the main benefit of an e-bike. You can do longer rides without being peak fitness or without needing as much recovery. Basically you can use an e-bike to make a journey quicker, or to make it easier.

Though it would be the time taken to cycle both ways that would be the killer for me if I was even able to do the distance...
landsurfer
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by landsurfer »

Just get a moped .....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by The utility cyclist »

How much faster is an e-bike going to make you on average over X distance if you're already capable of say 16/17mph, 20, 25mph?
And how much would that take out of the battery, over say a 50 mile journey would you need to charge at work and how long would charging take/cost.

Add in the massive cost of an e-bike to start with and all of a sudden the £240/month car fuel cost doesn't seem that bad an option financially at least.
If it were me I'd drive 30 and ride 20, looking at the route you'd need to find a spot to leave the car and ride through several of the small towns which again reduces the average speed cycling/e-biking. Somewhere near Longmoor Camp (Longmoor road near the industrial estate) as there's a cycle path that runs adjacent to the A3 to Liphook then A286 and A3100, works out to be about 20 miles to the outskirts of Guildford.
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honesty
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by honesty »

I would guess it depends on how hilly the route is. If its pan flat and you can average 20mph already, then an ebike is going to give negligible benefit (unless you import an american spec one with the higher assistance limit...) If it's hilly then the ebike would keep you at your flat average speed no matter what the terrain. from what I understand most would need a full battery charge to run the full 50 miles, so you would need to recharge at work each day.
Elizabethsdad
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

landsurfer wrote:I honestly believe that the ebike question is the greatest "elephant in the room " of modern cycling.

However, the thread .... I commuted 54 miles a day, 3 days a week for 2 years.. I was in a group of 6 cyclists / triathletes at the peak of our fitness.

It's a bit like Squash ... You don't play squash to get fit, you get fit to play squash. I know ..!

I think that a commute of your distance will require you to be at your peak before you start it.

It's not the milage that is the issue, it will always be the recovery ....

The elephant in the room is a term for an obvious embaraasment that no one is prepared to mention - hardly the case with e-bikes, especially since you keep mentioning them taking every opportunity to be as dismissive of them and anyone who uses them as possible. I find your attitude to be elitist and tiresome. Pedelecs or e-bikes have there own place as a form of cycling and transport - they are not moped/motorcycle substitutes.
Elizabethsdad
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

The utility cyclist wrote:How much faster is an e-bike going to make you on average over X distance if you're already capable of say 16/17mph, 20, 25mph?
And how much would that take out of the battery, over say a 50 mile journey would you need to charge at work and how long would charging take/cost.

Add in the massive cost of an e-bike to start with and all of a sudden the £240/month car fuel cost doesn't seem that bad an option financially at least.
If it were me I'd drive 30 and ride 20, looking at the route you'd need to find a spot to leave the car and ride through several of the small towns which again reduces the average speed cycling/e-biking. Somewhere near Longmoor Camp (Longmoor road near the industrial estate) as there's a cycle path that runs adjacent to the A3 to Liphook then A286 and A3100, works out to be about 20 miles to the outskirts of Guildford.

My experience of using an e-bike to commute between Southampton and Otterbourne was that while it wasn't much quicker, it did make hills and strong headwinds easier to deal with. They also allow you to pull away quickly at junctions and traffic lights. On busy rush hour roads these are advantages not to be sniffed at. For me this meant the daily commute was a little bit easier, not just in terms of physical input but also in interacting with other traffic. I continued to get all the benefits of cycling with a reduction of some of the downsides making it more enjoyable.
tatanab
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by tatanab »

I do not think anybody has mentioned the tedium of riding the same roads day after day. Ok, a trip of that length means you can vary the route at cost of time.

I used to have a 35 mile round trip commute and I rode that alternate days because there was only one sensible route. In your case, by driving or using public transport part way you can mix things up.

Many years ago, some friends of mine rode 100 miles a day (before and after work) for a couple of weeks as part of training for a 24 hour time trial. These were club riders well used to rides in the range 100 to 180 miles a day. I take it you have ridden such distances on consecutive days to even think of this, and at your proposed 20mph.

Weather - I really would not fancy riding home over Hogs Back into a winter's evening south westerly gale.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by The utility cyclist »

I commuted by car on the same road into London every day for over 7 years, frankly that is one of the most hateful things you could ever do, by comparison cycling on the same roads to work by bike is never tedious, hard work sometimes, bloody painful even and occasionally anger inducing (due to others) but never tedious or mundane.

I've buzzed around the same local roads/routes for a couple of decades, I'm sure some have done theirs for double that and more, I'd rather do the same journey on a bike than in a car. Tedium is certainly not the enemy here, not by a long stretch IMHO.
AaronR
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Re: 100 mile a day commute?

Post by AaronR »

Routes from ~20 miles out from the south of Guildford was going to be my next few evenings work, the one mentioned from Longmoor sounds promising, but if I'm doing a split car/cycle or train/cycle effort then would rather use the M3 corridor for the first part
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