How long is your commute?

Just curious about how long everyone's commute is. How many miles do you do each day, to work or school and back, and how long does it take you? Do you take a bus/train to supplement your commute? And if you would like to add why you commute via bicycle rather than drive or take public transit. I am not looking for detailed routes, just general information and I thought this was something that would be interesting to find out.

I commute a total of about 16 miles round trip a day. The commute is 7.8 miles one way if I take Lincoln Avenue and 9.5 miles one way if I take the Lake Shore/Lake Front Path (my summertime preferred route). It takes me about 40 minutes on Lincoln, about 45-50 minutes on the LFP. I am not a fast cyclist, and I tend to stop at every light/stop sign. Sometimes I will cycle to the train station 2 miles away when it is very cold or kind of treacherous out, but then it seems to take me closer to an hour to get to work. I hate public transit as I do not like crowds, gas is too expensive and I hate driving, and I love to ride my bicycle and get the "did you ride today?" question from all my co-workers.

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on February 15, 2011 at 3:11am

Short route (city streets) in Winter and on bad weather days, 12 miles round trip.

Long route (LFP) on nicer days, 16 miles round trip.

LFP is definitely my preferred route.

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Permalink Reply by Bike Bloke on February 15, 2011 at 5:06am

8 miles each way, west to east and back. I use Wrightwood, Logan and Diversey, and it takes me 30-35 minutes, about the same time as driving - which is seldom done. Only 2 miles of that route involves buses and trucks, so I feel quite lucky. I also like the all-way stops every block west of Logan Square - they discourage motorized traffic in the first place and slows them down to much safer speeds.

In winter I use the Fullerton bus a lot (sorry to say). The bike comes out when the temperature is above 20 degrees and the pavement is dry (or dryish). I'm OK zoning out on the bus with the iPod, the DroidX and/or something to read, but with the helpless/powerless waiting at the bus stop and the walks at either end, the bus option takes up to 1h20m - way too long. On the bike I get to do some cardio, get some fresh air and save on bus fares. In fact the bike commutes are the best part of the working day for me. I'll also use the bus if it's raining seriously in the morning. Yes, I keep a close eye on the Trib's weather radar. Coming home rain is not an issue as I can jump in the shower as soon as I get home.

I do stop at all red lights, but if there's nothing coming either way, well, why the heck not? Nobody was endangered!

Where do folks park their bikes while at work? Since my old bike was stolen the day after Thanksgiving from a street sign outside work, I now park the nice new one in the basement at work. I feel lucky there too.

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Permalink Reply by Melanie K on February 15, 2011 at 5:26am

I have two places I can park & lock my bike at work- one is in the back of the office inside a locked gate and under a porch (the office is run out of an old brownstone building with 2 parking spaces enclosed by a gate in back) but that requires me to lock the bike under the wooden porch or the chainlink fence, and it is a pain to open the gate from the alley, drag the bike carefully between the bosses' cars, and then down steps to lock to a wooden porch support. We also have a wrought iron gate enclosing the front of the office entryway- I usually bring it in there and lock it on the iron fence, on the side of the building, but near the front door. I am lucky in that I work in a smaller, informal office, and everyone knows that I am here by my bike locked up out front.

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Permalink Reply by Davo on February 15, 2011 at 5:58am

I bring my bike into the shop and can leave it by my booth no lock necessary.

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Permalink Reply by pb on February 15, 2011 at 6:02am

16.5-ish miles roundtrip in the winter on surface streets, 18 miles roundtrip once the snow and ice melt on the North Shore Channel trail, Lincoln Square/Albany Park to Evanston. Usually takes a little under 40 minutes, maybe less on the trail route if I catch a few green lights. Transit takes at least a half hour longer. Bike goes in my office on campus, construction dudes and professors alike ask about my ride/the cold on the elevator ride up. As far as I know I'm the only one in my building that rides in winter.