Thinking about biking to work and wanted to get some opinions. I attached a pic of the ride from work back home—it’s about 2.3 miles and usually takes me around 15 minutes. Not super far, but the return trip has a pretty decent incline (you can see it in the photo). The journey to work is all downhill or flat which is nice.
I’d only be doing this commute 3 times a week. I’m not a hardcore cyclist, just average fitness. Wondering:
• Is this doable on a regular bike without dying every time?
• Would an e-bike make a big difference or is it overkill for this distance?
• Will I end up super sweaty on the way back?
Trying to figure out if it’s worth going electric or just sticking with a normal bike. Thanks
by IntelligentSplit1419
22 Comments
Try it once or twice, you’ll probably hate the incline the first couple of attempts but a 15 minute bike ride sounds ideal to me. In no time you’ll be looking for ways to extend that ride
I think it’s impossible for someone on the internet to recommend for or against bike commuting given your situation. We don’t know the details of your health, the climate you live in, the state of traffic, what your bike looks like, etc. And even if we did, we wouldn’t know the answer to the most important questions: do you find it enjoyable and are you actually likely to do it regularly?
This is, by all accounts, a very reasonable ride for a regular bike — especially when the weather is nice. I think you should try it a few times and see how you like it! If it seems like the day is too sunny or maybe rain is in the forecast, take the bus to work instead. But if it turns out bike commuting is something you love, lean into it. You’re not going to know until you try.
Definitely fine for a standard bike. It definitely is a bummer your way home is a climb, that can be a looming terror but it’s not that bad IMHO. Obviously an e.bike will make it easier, but what if your.bike doesn’t charge while at work? Then you’re climbing a hill with a 70 lb bike 😅
The pace that you do the commute will determine if you will be “dying every time”. I mean, if you bicycle slowly it’s like going for a brisk walk. Can you handle a 15 minute brisk walk?
use that granny gear! you’ll be fine. get at it. go.
If the climb is tough consider different gearing for your bike. 150ft over 2ish miles could be considered relatively flat by many cyclists. It is completely doable it just might take you an extra few minutes.
Id rather be sweaty when I get home vs getting to work. I actually do a 12 mi commute each way on a mid drive pedal assist e bike. I have hills both ways of my commute but on the way to work I take it nice and easy and ride at a decent pace but on the way home I hammer it and TRY to get sweaty sometimes to get a workout in.
This looks like a fairly easy commute and you will get used to it very quickly on a non-ebike
A 4% incline is not horrible but it’s also definitely not easy. However, given your distance, you’ll just get better and better at it, even if you’ll first hate it.
154′ over 2.3mi….🙄
I do a similar bike commute every day I can, you’ll probably end up sweaty on the way back. Very doable, I vary between 11-15 minutes for 3 miles, the only thing I’d recommend is having a rear bag rack so your back doesn’t get sweaty prematurely
Bro, it’s 150ft… Please don’t get an ebike for a 2mi commute.
Yes.
I used to commute every day 10 miles and 900 feet up. The view from the top was a reward, but it took me about an hour and a half the first time.
I was down to 48 minutes door-to-door after a few weeks.
I changed jobs and take the train, now, and I really miss my bike commute 😭
I think an electric bike is probably overkill for your commute.
I do around 210ft on my 1.75 mile commute on a single speed, including a couple of 10% inclines.
It was hard at first but I got stronger, now it’s fine, don’t even have to get out of the saddle.
However I’m near Seattle and the weather’s great for this. I’d use gears if it were hotter.
This has to be a troll post. I walk to work further than this in the winter lol. Reddit algorithm showing these posts is an absolute tragedy.
That’s about average for where I live. My normal rides around my house are around 100 feet of elevation gain per mile riding. It’s perfectly doable with pretty much any bike. Personally I would probably do a hybrid bike for commuting this distance with regular flat pedals, but that’s completely up to you and what you’re comfortable with.
You don’t need an E-Bike for this commute. You will be fine.
Most people that start doing such a commute regularly will find that it becomes fairly easy over time. If you get an e-bike it will probably be easy immediately. If getting the e-bike is what it takes to make this a regular commute it is worth it.
I’m sure that I’d end up sweaty on the way back (but I don’t really like taking it easy on my rides); but I have a convenient shower at home and don’t care much about how sweaty I get on my homeward commute. It probably would be possible to take it easy enough not to sweat and still make the trip in reasonable time on an e-bike (assuming it’s not hot enough that you sweat just standing in the sun).
Most of my 10km commute is flat.
On the way home, the last 1.5km has about 70m of elevation.
I don’t even consider that bit to be difficult at all.
At least with the climb you will have a built in daily exercise. I say do it and you will be surprised how quick you adapt.
I ride 6 miles to work mostly flat/downhill and then same as you, uphill home. I wouldn’t change this at all if I could. I get to work less sweaty than arriving home, where I have clean and dry clothes and I get a great workout in. My climb is about 250 feet with max grade of about 7%. Yours is doable on a standard bike, but maybe give the route a shot on a weekend or evening when you’re not pressed for time and just see how it feels. There are e-bikes that are lightweight, too. You don’t have to be stuck with a tank if you chose that option.
Absolutely doable. Even if you sweat, just bring some wipes with you and hit up a restroom to freshen up. I used to keep a bag with deodorant, dry shampoo, a hairbrush, and baby wipes at my desk. I would grab that and freshen up right before work. BTW, dry shampoo is amazing stuff. Just sayin’.
Hell, at 2 miles, I’d probably just walk it, but that’s me.
I don’t know what average fitness actually translates to and I don’t think anyone does.
That commute should be doable without leaving zone 2 pretty easily in 15 minutes. So yeah, unassisted is certainly viable.
This is my morning commute unassisted at commute pace/zone 2/3max for me.
https://preview.redd.it/93wl25jtmeze1.png?width=996&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b0b0d39e052eb2a9757d6076581563a9fcf4d13
Ebike cuts a significant 6-7 minutes off with the same effort and it’s a life saver when running late or on the occasion of waking up mid migraine like this morning.