Last summer I was commuting 50 miles a day, 3 days a week, from the Lower East Side to Jersey City and back. Have only done it a few times this year.

Try starting with once or twice a week, and increasing your frequency if you can.

Admirable if you can do it. Five days a week would equal 300 miles, more than many of us manage at the height of a summer holiday week that doesn't rain. Admirable, then, even if you can do it just 2-3 days a week when it's pleasant.

I did 10 miles each way for almost two years, Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. The job was a back of the house kind where it didn't matter what I looked like, so I paid no mind to sweat or grit. I would imagine at 30 each way that becomes much more of a factor. You'll be going through baby wipes and deodorant at Costco-esque rates.

There's also the time factor -- are you prepared to give yourself fully two hours to get to work? That's how long it's going to take each way, even if you aerobar-drag race it every day. Despite having a bike's small size and extralegal agility in your favor, you will find yourself inevitably behaving like a car for much of the trip -- which I found wearing both mentally and physically.

Related, I hope you plan to do this on a real road bike, with the legs to push a big chainring; smooth, high pressure tires and a fastidiously maintained drivetrain. No freddy junk like panniers, racks or fenders, though I'll grant you a minimally packed Timbuk-2 tight across your back. You won't be rolling a slacks leg or wearing a button down shirt or a fluffy windbreaker that billows out behind you -- dress clothing will be waiting for you at work, dry-cleaned locally.

I say this with absolutely no NY bike snobbery: you're going to look more like a messenger than you ever thought possible, because they know something about efficiency and not wasting an ounce or a watt.

30 miles also means -- and I'm making an assumption -- that you will be travelling in from suburbs, or at the very least, the near-suburban furthest reaches of the five boroughs. You'll have to deal with netherworldish border crossings of anarchic traffic and reckless pedestrians -- think The Hub in the Bronx; Woodhaven Boulevard or Queens Boulevard; Flatbush Avenue and Downtown Brooklyn; Washington Heights. The bike's extralegal agility may help you slightly, but the small size will put you at the losing end of any interaction with anything except your tires on the road.

These observations aside, I hope you try it. I lost twenty pounds commuting, while eating five meals a day of whatever I damn well pleased. More importantly, commuting was my entree into the larger world of the local sport -- from there, I graduated to NYCC group rides, to the SIG, to racing. As Tyler Durden put it, you'll be transformed from molded clay to being carved out of wood. You'll be fast and have eyes in the back of your head. Nobody will ever have better harrowing stories of near misses than you. You will see a New York that many of us will never see, a city that disappears as it is sped by rolled up windows or slept through subway tunnels. Good luck.

"John,
Go for it. But you might not want to do the 30 mi. every day. That could get wearing. Try 2 or 3 days a week as a goal. My commute is about 20-22 miles roundtrip, depending on my route, from Norwood Bronx to the UWS. I do it every day if it's not raining or snowing.

I don't agree with either John Miller's advice or his tone that fenders or racks are ""freddy"" stuff.
-I currently use a seatpost rack for light loads, and it can be removed easily. Previous commuter bikes I owned had blackburn racks which are light and strong. I find myself occasionally hauling stuff to and from work--more stuff than I want to put in a backpack or messenger bag. Hauling heavy, awkward or large stuff with a rack is a lot easier on the back.
-SKS makes some great removeable road fenders. Someone on a club ride I attended had a pair. They were very secure, no rattling, and installed/removed in a few seconds. She got them from Sids. Fenders keep your shoes and your rear from getting soaked if you get caught in the rain.

Rich"

Hi John,

My commute is 32 round trip. It can be stressful but other times it is opposite.

The beginning was hard as I only had 10 mile round trip previously. I would have spent the same time or longer in a car driving. Oh, the subway and bus are not my thing. My asthma has improved along with blood pressure dropping (never a problem) and weight dropped more than 20lbs.

It's a great way to get the miles in and have weekends free. Your additional miles is great training for long distance events as well.

Regarding weather ... be careful and have options. I use a Caradice SQL bag to block the water over my rear wheel - it's such a great bag! During winter I wasn't too cold - I learned how to dress appropriately. Heavy rain can keep me off the bike.

I ride in almost any weather though. Another benefit about commuting is that you can actually meet people.

Hopefully your commute is not all junky miles ... otherwise you might find your average speed on regular rides dropping.

Good luck,
diane