Daily commute to work.

[Gra]

Hello all.

I am just wondering does anybody on here have a large commute to and fro work on a daily basis? I ask as there maybe a better job opportunity for me but it is based elsewhere in the North West, i.e about an hour and a half each way. Just trying to weigh up if it is a daft idea.

Cheers!

Graham.

[G]

depending on the package, yes probably daft.

My girlfriend commute 50 miles each way which sometimes take 1hr to 2hr.

The cost is £250 - £300 a month.

Worth it? Probably not, but doing what she is doing the prospects are....very good.

In the current climate where petrol is going up 1p - 2p a week, its a risky game taking a job that far away unless the benefits are very worthwhile.

[stewie]

I do warrington to skem, about 40 mins with bits added in, wheres the other job location if you dont mind me asking ?

[Gra]

That's the thing. The increase in pay would have to be very good, and I can't see it being the case. And working late would result in getting in at stupid o clock.

[Stegsie]

I am in Liverpool and when I was contracting (IT) I would commute up to Knutsford everyday. Just over an hour. Done that for just over a year, and was glad to see the back of it. Was in a car at the time though.

Now work and live in Liverpool and only have the bike as transport (Missus has the car!) Commute is about 15 mins - so love it. Especially on days like today!!

I've thought about moving jobs and to be honest, the commute is the only thing stopping me. Might be different on a bike, but I use to hate the hour long journey before and after work.

The money is not always everything......

[Gra]

I do warrington to skem, about 40 mins with bits added in, wheres the other job location if you dont mind me asking ?


It's in Leeds, so about 70 miles.

[stewie]

It's in Leeds, so about 70 miles.

M62 all the way then ? doesnt sound like fun ;)

[yorkie_chris]

You'll get lots of practice at filtering...

[yorkie_chris]

And it's going to do a set of tyres in probably 2 months, so assuming you can do your own work that's 140 quid, 25 quid for an oil change that often too, chains will last ages with that sort of use if you fit a scottoiler.

[Ceri JC]

I was (and still may be) in a similair position. Very long commutes get boring fairly quickly as you tend to spend the bulk of the time on motorways and it's not particularly 'fun' riding, albeit less annoying than being stuck in jams in a car. I'd generally not consider the fun of riding as offsetting the loss of your own time due to travelling for most journeys. So, that leaves the big factor as cost of petrol (not to mention tyres, wear and tear, depreciation, extra time spent spannering, possibly new leathers after an off), which looks like it's only going to increase as time goes on. Is the higher salary (or potential higher salary if there are very good prospects there) more than the associated higher costs of travelling?

As an aside, an investigation into happiness by a modern philosopher concluded that the hassle and lost home time of commuting a long way for a job almost always more than offset any associated pay rise of working further away. I don't recall it touching on bikes, which most of the time (heavy ice and snow excepted) are my favourite means of transport, mind.

[rwoodcock01]

I do a little over 140 miles everyday from home to London, I used to use the M1 but that's turned into a right lot of nutters, so I tend to use the A1.

Its a lot and to be perfectly honest it has ground me down somewhat, I love the bike but after a full work week riding I am not so keen to go out for a ride.

Winter time is always the worse, the weather currently is wonderfull but I am out there, ice or snow and hopefully sunny.

Where all different and I have got to know the regular riders on my route and some of them have been doing it many more years than me.

At the end of the day is the route your taking going to be to stressfull? Is there a more pleasent route you can take? Are they areas you can stop and rest?

Cost of maintaining the bike? Cost of Fuel? What time will you be getting up and getting home?

I get up at 0500 and I get home between 2000 hrs and 2300 hrs, that's a long time, give you take an hour to prepare food and eat and spend time with my wife.

Sorry I don't mean to sound so negative but realistically you need to condsider all of these things, good luck in whatever you choose. ;)

Cheers

Richard

[Odin]

I used to live in Godalming and work in Maidstone. About 75miles each way along the A3, M25 and M20 for about a year. To be honest I would not do it again unless it was for a 600 per day contract for a few months.

Having a life is more important than a few extra quid

It took more out of me than I thought it would.....but beer helped to replace anything I lost : )

[muffles]

Can't remember if it was on here (I think it was actually on PH) but there was some analysis done of different types of commute that might have helped you decide. It defined points at which people would move between different types of transport, e.g. given the choice of half an hour on a packed train vs an hour in a car, the car would be picked...make that an empty train and then the train is picked...

Anyway, I personally think anything over an hour travel is probably too much, I wouldn't do that commute.

[metalmonkey]

The longest commute I have done was about 1 1/2- 2 hours that was by car, After tax I eaned less than £1000/month. I was relived when I got layed off because, a long commute does get to you after a while. This was 2004 when fuel prices were alot less. I wouldn't do anything like that again unless I got offered very good money.

I will be living about 30 minutes away from work max, thats on the train on the bike a hell of alot less. It does make a difference to the quality of life I think after having done it. Right now I take the train to get to work, (i'm at my parents place) casue the cost of fuel is far too high. I put £20 in the car last week, done about 110 miles, used half of it alreday:mad: Its up to you but having spent 6 months doing an 80 mile round trip/day in traffic no thanks.

Good luck with what ever ypu decide.