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Commute Distance/Time on Bike vs. Car

19K views 60 replies 52 participants last post by  quattrotom 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok, I live 12 miles from work right now and I drive. It takes me 30-45 mins. I will be commutting on a bike and I think it should take me about the same amout of time. My question to you is how far do you commute, and what is the time on the bike vs the car.

Also I should have asked, what do you use as a commutter? I'm considering the Bianchi San Jose (thoughts on this choice are welcomed).

Thanks!
 
#4 ·
avg 12-15mph

The most direct commute route for me is 10.7 miles which I can do in about 45-50 minutes depending on traffic, etc. There is another 14-mile route I can do in an hour that involves less urban warfare. I'm commuting from Westwood, MA to downtown Boston on a fixed gear bike.

Another option I found recently is to ride my bike about 3.5 miles to a train station (15 minutes) where there is a fast train (15 minutes) to downtown. That option is the fastest way to get to work and it is a short enough ride that I don't sweat, so there is no change/shower time on either end; I'm in street clothes already.

Another option is to walk .7 miles to a train. That's the typical winter option. But walk + train = about 45 minutes.

Driving takes about 30-45 minutes or more and is unpredictible due to traffic.
 
#5 ·
12.5 mile commute

12.5 each way. Mostly down hill on the way to work- 20-25 minutes by car, 30-35 minutes by bike.

On the way home: 30-35 minutes by car, 40-45 minutes by bike.

Being able to ride past all the cars waiting at the stop lights makes a big difference in commute time. Even though I do make it to work faster on the rare occasion I drive the car, I seems like it takes longer since I have to wait in line with the rest of the cars.

There are some who will say that it is stupid/illegal/immoral to pass cars on the right. I am not sure about the illegal part (I frequently pass police cruisers at stop lights), but if I didn't pass the cars it would take me at least 15 minutes longer to get to work.
 
#6 ·
My commute is 16 mi. one way. Takes 25 min. by car vs 40-50 min by bike. Times vary because of wind weather and how pi$$ed off I am after spending a day at work.
 
#7 ·
I ride 2 or 3 time a week.

Drive is 12 miles takes about 20-30 minutes, home can be 15-45 (cause I take the freeway). The bike ride is 17 miles, I follow the MUT all but the last 1.2 miles, takes 65-75 minutes either way.

I don't have a time savings, I don't have a cost savings, but I sure love riding. I go as hard as I can, all the time, then take a bird bath in the sink and change into work clothes. When I do drive, I alway bring in another set of clothes and take the used 1's home.
 
#8 ·
Krafcik said:
Ok, I live 12 miles from work right now and I drive. It takes me 30-45 mins. I will be commutting on a bike and I think it should take me about the same amout of time. My question to you is how far do you commute, and what is the time on the bike vs the car.

Also I should have asked, what do you use as a commutter? I'm considering the Bianchi San Jose (thoughts on this choice are welcomed).

Thanks!
Sounds like you are in a good situation for bike commuting. You obviously are dealing with traffic, so the manuverability of a bicycle and it's ability to slide between cars might come in handy.

When I lived in Cambridge, MA, I could ALWAYS get around the Cambridge/Boston area faster on a bike than in a car. Congestion works in a cyclist's favor. BUT BE CAREFUL because congestion makes for a dangerous cycling environment.

RE: the Bianchi San Jose, check out the recent article in the "Rivendell Reader" about setting a San Jose up in a BOBish manner, which could take this very nice bike and make it a bit more practical in terms of commuting.

- FBB
 
#10 ·
14 miles. 45-55 minutes on the bike (lot's of lights and stops), 25-55 minutes in the car (easy ride in, ride home can vary, usually a lot of late in the week afternoon traffic). In Oregon, it's legal to pass stopped or slow moving cars on the right (and I use a lot of bike lanes) so that cuts the time quite a bit.

Sounds like you've got a great commute for the bike. Don't forget to wave to the folks in their little cages, stuck in traffic as you pass.
 
#11 ·
My options

My comute is 14.5 miles each way by bike; about 16 miles by car; or 3 miles by car and 15 miles by subway.

Here are average times:

Bike: 55 minutes in the morning; 60 minutes on the way home (there is a 400 foot elevation gain between my office and home; also the prevailing winds are in my face on the way home).

Car: 25 minutes where there is no traffic (like in the middle of the night); 35-60 minutes during normal commuting times.

Subway: 40 minutes (from the door to my house, driving to the subway station, to my desk).
 
#12 ·
Also look at the bianchi castro valley. 8 speed, fenders, and dyno light.

My commute is 8 or 9 miles. about 15 minutes in a car. 40 minutes by bike. so an extra hour out my day, including getting dressed, etc. but i get an hour and a half of cycling. lttle traffic, one stop light the whole way.

i dont commute everyday by bike because a few days a week i have to drop my one year old off at a babysitter so i need to drive.

if you have not commuted by bike before, take it easy and start with one day a week and work up to more and more days a week.

the BOBish thing is a style of bike that some people swear by. it looks retro and bohemian but often costs a ton of money which i find very odd.
 
#13 ·
Krafcik said:
where do i get that article?
Contact Rivendell:

http://www.rivbike.com/

Tell them you are trying to get a copy of the Rivendell Reader with the articles on the San Jose. I'm sure they can accomodate you, but there might be a financial transaction involved. If they tell you you need to become a member for $20/year, I recommend doing it. You get a subscription to the Reader, which is worth the $20 on its own, and you get a $5 discount on anything you buy from the Rivendell Webalog, which will be worth $20 in short order.

Krafcik said:
what is the BOBish manner?
Oops! Sorry to be cryptic, there. BOB stands for "Bridgestone Owner's Bunch." This was a group of Bridgestone owners back in the 90s who shared a passion for the design philosophy of Bridgestone bicycles. In a (highly inaccurate) nutshell, a BOBish bike is a lugged, steel frame built for practical transportation more than racing.

Grant Petersen and other ex-Bridgestone employees went on to found Rivendell after Bridgestone shut the doors on their bicycle operation in 1994. Peruse the Rivendell website (see above) for more on "the Bridgestone/Rivendell design philosophy."

You can also check out the "Internet-BOB" section at http://www.bikelist.org/ to hear the rantings of the faithful (and I mean "rantings" in only the most complimentary of manners... ;) )

Yours,

Forbes
 
#14 ·
Car vs. Train vs. Bike

I live in Cambridge MA and commute to downtown Boston.

Car - at least 25+ minutes in rush hour traffic...and factor in $25/day parking!

Train (subway) - 7 minute walk to station, 15-20 minute subway ride, 7+ minute walk to the office.

Bike - 20+ minutes riding quite slowly...that's door to door.

I wear work clothes (a suit) on my commuter bike which makes for a slow and steady commute, but also makes for zero time wasted doing wardrobe changes at either end. If it's raining when I'm leaving for work, I'll wimp out and take the subway....although with my recent purchase of a rain poncho, perhaps I'll be inspired to brave the elements.

M_B
 
#16 ·
My commute in Madison, WI is 30 minutes by car, 15 miles. At night, coming home, I usually end up getting stuck in some nasty traffic on the beltline, so it's more like 45-50 minutes coming home.

It's 1 hour by bike, 17 miles. Either way, it's the same time. no traffic jams.

I will say that even on days like today when I swear I had a headwind the entire way in to work, I still have a smile on my face most of the way. And coming home, not being stuck in traffic makes even the worst day of riding home feel allright.
 
#20 ·
About 10 miles each way. I ride a Cannondale XR1000 (Cyclocross Disc)

To work:
Car: 25 to 40 min. Depends on traffic and ability to find parking.
Bike 40 mins
Home:
Car: 35 to 40 mins
Bike: 45 to 50 mins. More hills to climb and slightly more akward route.
 
#22 ·
Colorado Springs

By car I would say 10.5 miles ech way. In the morning it takes between 20 and 25 minutes afternoon betwe 25 and 30. The traffic here is not bad.

By bike: 11.5 miles on the way in, essentially downhill with a couple hundredd feet of climbing right before work, general 18 mph average between 35-40 minutes
11.2 miles on the way home Slightly different route, mostly uphill, average mid 15 mph range in decent weather, between 45 and 55 minutes.

My ride in is pretty steady due to downhill keeping the pace up and the weather here in the mornings is almost always calm. The ride home varies a lot depending on 1. the wind 2. how tired I am and it is all a long slow rise in elelvation and MOST IMPORTANTLY 3. WHETHER THERE IS COLD BEER IN THE FRIDGE, WAITING. I have made it as quick as 41 minutes and at other times over an hour.

I ride a Lemond Poprad (853 steel) bike with a steel fork that I have set up with a road triple on front and more of a mtn cassette. This is my only roadish bike and this thing is a warhorse.
 
#23 ·
Krafcik said:
For some reason, I expected to see more people getting to and from work quicker on bike then in the cage. Since traffic is not an issue.
For me, at this time of year bike/pedestrian/skater traffic on the MUTs can actually become an issue when riding the bike. Still, it does not make a significant difference in travel time.
 
#24 ·
my commute is only 3 miles. that is good some days and bad on others. There are many days the i find myself riding extra miles because i want to. The bike is usually not faster unless you ride where there is real heavy traffic and are comfortable passing cars. Even at red lights i dont feel that it is safe to pass on the right and i wont split lanes, so i would say that it is not uncommon for the bike to take longer, but i agree with the rest of the commuters, it is more fun. There are few places where a rider can hold the speed limit, and as we all know most drivers exceed the speed limit by at least 10 mph. The only real place that you can make up time if you are sharing the road way with the cars is if you are able to pass cars stopped at lights. I dont have sidewalks to ride on, nor would i even if i did.
 
#25 ·
HillMan said:
12.5 each way. Mostly down hill on the way to work- 20-25 minutes by car, 30-35 minutes by bike.

On the way home: 30-35 minutes by car, 40-45 minutes by bike.

Being able to ride past all the cars waiting at the stop lights makes a big difference in commute time. Even though I do make it to work faster on the rare occasion I drive the car, I seems like it takes longer since I have to wait in line with the rest of the cars.

There are some who will say that it is stupid/illegal/immoral to pass cars on the right. I am not sure about the illegal part (I frequently pass police cruisers at stop lights), but if I didn't pass the cars it would take me at least 15 minutes longer to get to work.
I've been convinced by hanging around this board a few years that people who object to passing cars on the right and you should take your place in each and every light/stop sign que line do not commute and are purely recreational riders.

For me it would be un-nerving to the cars I share the road with if I did this. I don't have a long commute, but there's one light where cars back up maybe 20 or so deep. There's a 36 inch shoulder on the right. The light stays green long enough for maybe half of them to get through. And so it goes, 20 cars line up, 10 get through and 10 more stack up while they wait. If I jump into the middle of the line at say, spot 5 in one of those groups of 10, I better be prepared to get to right as soon as it turns green because 6,7,8,9,10 are zooming forward at speeds I can't match to make the green. I won't make the light at bike speeds. I'll wait through until the next cycle. By the "always que up" rule, I'm supposed to slide back into the lane in whatever spot I'm at in this 2nd group of 10. Repeat until I make it through without ever passing a car on right, while being continously passed on the left.

All the weaving in and out of the lane stopping at unexpected places is inconsistent and dangerous riding that makes the other drivers on the road wonder what you might do next. Much safer to maintain a steady line, at a steady speed, get passed while cars are traveling at speed, pass them (on the right) when you are travelling at speed and they are not.

Scot
 
#26 ·
This is what Virginia says about passing:

Passing

Bicyclists may overtake and pass another vehicle only when safe to do so. Bicyclists may pass another vehicle on the right or left, and they may stay in the same lane, change lanes, or ride off the road if necessary for safe passing. Please note that passing motor vehicles on the right side may be extremely dangerous if the motorist does not see the bicyclist and attempts a right turn.

Motorists must approach and pass a bicyclist at a reasonable speed at least two feet to the left of the bicyclist.
Reference: §§46.2-839,46.2-907


Who defines which situation is safe and which isn't? I think passing stopped cars on the right would be considered safe in most situations because having a stopped car pull out of line would be irregular (not that it doesn't happen).
 
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