Longest sensible road commute
Discussion
Bullett said:
That's not a commute though. A commute is driving to the same location over and over usually daily.
I'm also home based, I've not worked in an office for 10 years now. I get paid for every journey, this week 300 miles to Telford and once to my Company office (52 miles return). My office can take between 45 minutes and 3 hours depending on traffic which is bonkers considering it's almost all motorway (the M3 and M25).
Before that an hour was my max, as I was living in Lincolnshire that could be quite a distance.
Well technically it is as I do have an office that I go twice a week if I am not dedicated to a particular customer, and I am often based on customer sites for 6 months at a timeI'm also home based, I've not worked in an office for 10 years now. I get paid for every journey, this week 300 miles to Telford and once to my Company office (52 miles return). My office can take between 45 minutes and 3 hours depending on traffic which is bonkers considering it's almost all motorway (the M3 and M25).
Before that an hour was my max, as I was living in Lincolnshire that could be quite a distance.
Dodsy said:
Well technically it is as I do have an office that I go twice a week if I am not dedicated to a particular customer, and I am often based on customer sites for 6 months at a time
The fact that you can choose your travel times makes a big difference I think - arriving on site at 10,30 am and departing at 3,30 pm is different to needing to be there on site at 8,30 pm and leaving for home at 5,30 pm.I do a proper, every day commute of Sheffield to Birmingham.
77 or 82 miles each way depending on route taken.
I leave at 6, usually on site for 7:20ish give or take a bit.
I then leave about 4:30 and am home for 6.
The drive isn't too bad, the servicing and fuel costs do mount up, the tiredness is a killer come Thursday / Friday.
But the moneys good and I don't want to move house.
77 or 82 miles each way depending on route taken.
I leave at 6, usually on site for 7:20ish give or take a bit.
I then leave about 4:30 and am home for 6.
The drive isn't too bad, the servicing and fuel costs do mount up, the tiredness is a killer come Thursday / Friday.
But the moneys good and I don't want to move house.
I used to do 1hr 20mins (on a good day) across London to Kent. Absolute killer.
Office changed to central London now it's a 5.5mile 15min blat on the bike through London.
I basically gained over 2hours a day of my life back, and a whole load of less stress. Anything over an hour just isn't worth it in my opinion.
Office changed to central London now it's a 5.5mile 15min blat on the bike through London.
I basically gained over 2hours a day of my life back, and a whole load of less stress. Anything over an hour just isn't worth it in my opinion.
Polome said:
Spent 20 years doing a 30 mile each way commute. Doesn't sound much in comparison to the ops projected plans. However my route included Forth Road Bridge at its worst times...most days between 80 to 100 minutes drive time. Any minor bump ( very regular) could easily add an extra hour . It didn't wear the car out but the driver and clutch were regularly fragged at the end of journey. Long distance ( or in my case long time ) commutes are made a LOT easier and relaxing with ....economic diesel , auto box , good audio and the all important AC....good luck a with your choice.
^That. I've had to drive to Morden from my home in Enfield a few times for a client recently and despite being just under 30 miles it can take 2.5 hours, 2.5 hours of petty small minded london d
head drivers, roads and junctions that seem to be re-engineered by sadists at tfl to actively increase congestion, conflict, stress and pollution, and frankly it's too much. Even trying to mitigate it with the auto A/C etc van.
it saves about 5 minutes in the morning and 10 in the evening also.I used to do a 57 mile commute, took me 80-90 mins depending on the weather - 14 miles on a very rural single track road that was populated by suicidal wildlife, the other 37 of the other 43 miles had a mention on a Ducatti forum as being the best road they had ever ridden. It took it's toll on me physically as the road is so demanding, fairly regular upset stomach - and it feckin works cars hard, tyres last about 12k a set, brake wear is high, and the suspension takes a hammering; you're car has to be 'right' here, it's a constant battle to keep it just so as you're life depends on it, winter tyres are a necessity; weather is a constant variable, wonderful scenery though 
I now do 87 miles back down the same road, but without the single track part - I allocate two hours, but generally its about 1h45m; 1hr 37m is the record, but I don't hammer it as need my licence for work/they throw the book at you for speeding or dodgy driving/you'll come a cropper - I can just pedal the road well. I also stay with friends when at away work now, so it's a weekly rather than daily commute now.
Shortest commute was less than two miles - happier with the present situation. as they weres to work for.
I now do 87 miles back down the same road, but without the single track part - I allocate two hours, but generally its about 1h45m; 1hr 37m is the record, but I don't hammer it as need my licence for work/they throw the book at you for speeding or dodgy driving/you'll come a cropper - I can just pedal the road well. I also stay with friends when at away work now, so it's a weekly rather than daily commute now.
Shortest commute was less than two miles - happier with the present situation. as they were
s to work for.Edited by stevoknevo on Saturday 30th May 23:56
I've done east side of Edinburgh to Cumbernauld via the Edinburgh bypass and M8 for a couple of months, about 90 minutes unless I left at 6AM, coming home was worse. One of those situations where if I left at 5:30 it would be 7pm by the time I got home. If I left at 6pm I still got home at around 7pm! I now stay about 10 minutes from my work and won't move any further away. Car managed it well enough but considering the pay wasn't great I gave it up after a couple of months and got something more local that paid only slightly less but in real terms I was better off. I doubt I'd do more than an hour each way and it would have to be very worth it.
In the OP's case I'd likely find somewhere local and stay Tues-Thurs. I wouldn't go for a hotel though, must be someone who would love a wee bit of extra cash for renting a bedroom 3 nights a week. Perhaps even someone on here who works away from home Mon-Fri?
In the OP's case I'd likely find somewhere local and stay Tues-Thurs. I wouldn't go for a hotel though, must be someone who would love a wee bit of extra cash for renting a bedroom 3 nights a week. Perhaps even someone on here who works away from home Mon-Fri?
for me the max time would be 1hr - anything more than that (on a regular basis) just eats into too much of your life. Currently do about 40-45 minutes for 24mile journey mainly along A roads - doesn't really change much regardless of time of day / school holidays etc. I don't mind the drive as I normally play quite loud music 
When my kids were little I worked 10 minutes away from home which was cool, but they're teenagers now so they're less bothered about whether or not I'm around
When my kids were little I worked 10 minutes away from home which was cool, but they're teenagers now so they're less bothered about whether or not I'm around
The older you get the shorter you want.
When I was in my early 20s an hour was fine, plenty of meetings darn sarfh too with 400 miles each way a couple of times a week.
These days (mid 30s) I think 30 mins is enough. It takes me about 20-25 mins to do 3 miles and that's fine but we are looking to move and its going to creep up to 40-50 mins I think. Again that's ok but I would still not go further than an hour.
When I was in my early 20s an hour was fine, plenty of meetings darn sarfh too with 400 miles each way a couple of times a week.
These days (mid 30s) I think 30 mins is enough. It takes me about 20-25 mins to do 3 miles and that's fine but we are looking to move and its going to creep up to 40-50 mins I think. Again that's ok but I would still not go further than an hour.
chilistrucker said:
My new job starts Wednesday and its a 72 mile commute each way, from 1 side of the m25 to the other, not ideal but I really wanted the job.
Depends which way you're doing it, I used to do Farnborough to near Orpington which was about an hour, doing it in the other direction would have been a hour and half at least.An hours about my limit, done a few contracts that were an hour and half or so and that started to bug me. Currently loving my 20 minute commute and years of doing an hour.
I was doing 130 miles a day and when I got there I was sent straight out on a job(!).
Recently I was doing 100 miles a day for about a year. That was not too bad as it was main roads where as the other one was piddling little back roads each end that slowed you down and also were sods on cold wet winter days.
Recently I was doing 100 miles a day for about a year. That was not too bad as it was main roads where as the other one was piddling little back roads each end that slowed you down and also were sods on cold wet winter days.
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