Mdthbs

I am moving next month and I need to figure out how to get to work.

Option one is driving to work, which will take 15 to 20 minutes one-way.
Option two is biking, which will take about 35 minutes according to Google Maps.

The distance is 6.8 miles one-way, and the road is mostly flat.

Assuming money/cost is not an issue, which option would you recommend? I really like the idea of biking to work, because I sit in my cubicle all day, and I want to incorporate some exercising to my commute (currently I walk 20 minutes to get to work.) My main concern is that I am not athletic enough to bike 6.8 miles one way. Is that a doable distance for beginners?

Thanks!!

I estimate 6.8mi as about 11km. That is definitely doable for a novice, though it may not be as fast as Google's estimate at first. Unless there aren't any traffic lights or stop signs, you should figure your overall average speed at no more than 15km/h initially, so budget 45-50min your first time out. (Google is notorious around here for not allowing enough time for stop lights in their time estimates, and that's without having to get back up to speed.)

Of course once you've been doing it for a month you'll definitely start bringing that time down.

If you're asking in this forum, you have to expect we're always going to recommend that
you bike! :) That said, there are places/roads that even I don't feel comfortable cycling regularly. I can use them occasionally, but wouldn't want to ride them every morning and every night. You'll want to check out the route so you know you'll feel safe (or have a bail-out option) even if it's a busy rush hour, or you get caught in a sudden rain, etc.

I would recommend taking a weekend morning and doing a test-ride to work, stop and have a coffee, then ride home. Take at least a half hour break, unless you're feeling really good. You can get a decent estimate of how long the ride will take. Plus it's the weekend, so if you're slower on the return it's not a problem and it'll definitely give you confidence to do the ride on a regular workday.

Cycling to work is one of the best things about my current job; the exercise in the morning - especially on a sunny day - really helps me arrive at work in a good mood, energized and alert. And the ride home literally helps burn off the stress of the day.

With a bicycle is doable. With an e-bike is perfectly doable (and taking into account the battery life of about 2/300 charge cycles it is still cheaper than the car).

Take into account time to change your clothes when arriving at work (as well as carrying them with you).

I live in Lafayette, Colorado and commute 7.2 miles to Broomfield, Colorado six days a week. I work for a company that takes phone calls so I am not active at all. I do not have the car option, but that is a choice. My advice to you is that if you really have a mostly flat commute and a bike for the type of road you will be travelling, ride that bike! I started out of need and now I find myself taking my bike out on my days off just to ride. The problem I ran into, I bought a cruiser from Walmart, when I ride in a pretty non-flat terrain. I have improved physically, but the bike is getting harder and harder to ride because the terrain is so brutal for the cheap frame and hardware built into the bike. The bottom line is, if I can, not only ride but, enjoy riding 14.4 miles 6 days a week on a bike that is slowly falling apart, imagine how much you will love it on the right bike!

Keep riding and even though there will be days you get to work or home at the end of the day and collapse and say I am done, but you will find it is addictive as chocolate.

Congratulations on the new move.

Bike it. It may suck at first if you're not used to it but it will get easier until you get to the point where it's too easy. Maintenance your bike more frequently so your drivetrain lasts and always have the essentials on you to fix your bike in a pinch. At the end of the day, this is not a very long or tough of a ride so it's just about your will to do this.