500 mile commute

[WetAndCold]

I work 250 miles from home and on the weekend I can either stay at work (fuck that) Catch the train back. (£110 return. takes 6-7 hours) or (and this is where I'd like some opinion/advice) buy a car or a motorbike. I have neither at the moment.

At the moment I love the idea of jumping on a bike and bombing it home (it's a bit of motorway but mostly B road) but I understand winter's coming and even though I would buy good gear and handlebar muffs 5 and a half hours of riding might get a bit emotional. Not that I'm bothered about being a bit cold. But would there be days where if I had a car I could go home but couldn't on a bike due to road conditions?

The bike I'm looking at is the cbr500r because of it's mega cheap finance and 60-70mpg. The car would be a second hand 1.6 diesel (boring I know)

I would finish work on Friday at 1700ish then have to back Sunday at 2000 so I would do the 250 mile journey twice with just a day in between.

In summary: car or bike? One day I'll have both so it's a question of which to get first. The bike will be cheaper (I'm pretty sure it will anyway) I know the actual cheapest option is the train but if I'm paying for my bike I'll actually have a bike at the end of it. The train is just money I'll never see again plus getting a train on a Sunday can be a bitch.

Cheers in advance for any advice! Never done 250 miles on a bike before so just some opinions on that and whether it's doable twice a week would be good!
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Honda CBR600f sport
Cage: 2008 Honda Civic type-R

[J.M.]

6-7 hours for 250 miles sounds like a pretty rural area. Have you considered how well the roads around you are kept during winter? Cold riding, and riding on ice, are two very different topics.

Also make sure you have a contingency plan in place in the event of breakdown.

Personally though, if that job was full time and you're planning on staying there, I'd be moving closer. It's all well and good having a nice house further away, but personally I'd rather sacrafice that a little to not spend my life commuting.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[arry]

[WetAndCold]

[WetAndCold]

[Pete.]

Financially the bike makes poor sense tbh

Bike £5300
Gear, another £500-1000 maybe.
Okay 500 miles a week = 25k miles a year. Service every 8k miles so three of those a year @ (guessing since I never paid for one) £300 average.
At least one set of tyres plus chain& sprocket and brakes there's another £4-500/yr
25k miles @ 60mpg is approx £2550 fuel

Plus after 2 years yeah you have a bike left but with 50k miles on it and after another year it's all but clapped out. That's if you don't bin it with all that b-road riding at 50mph average.

So adding all that up using the lowest figures comes in at £9650/yr to wear your bike out in three years

Train is 110*50= £5500/yr but you get 12hrs extra rest a week. Enjoy your weekend

Or buy a £2k used diesel car with a year's ticket and good tyres , get the same fuel consumption total £4550 and stay safe and warm in the winter months saving a bunch of cash too plus you can bring your washing home to mum. Win
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[iooi]

So bike is looking at about £50 in petrol a weekend. £200 for a set of tyres every 6 weeks.
Never mind the other consumables & servicing costs.

Given you say mostly B roads? A average of 40 mph would be a fair estimate. So approx 6 hours sat on a bike.... Not exactly a fun ride.

If you are looking at a bike then a shaft drive would be far better. No chain to look after and replace every 4 to 5 months if you are lucky.

TBH. Given the time of the year. I would look at a car simply on the basis that a lot of ice/snow will see you having spent a load of money and still using the train.
At least with a car you stand a better chance of still moving.

Would be nice if you stated where from and too....
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[WetAndCold]

It's not mostly B roads to be fair. It's just that a larger portion of it is on A and B roads than motorway. It does seem a car would make more sense, just annoyed since I much prefer riding. Will have to wait out and get a bike when I can afford one as a toy I think. Thanks for the replies
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Honda CBR600f sport
Cage: 2008 Honda Civic type-R

[P.]

I'd rent closer for less than it would cost to commute.

Fuck doing that commute.

[Wednesday Biker]

I commute 25 miles each way to work and some days it is just to cold and wet for me to want to use the bike.
I haven't got heated grips though so my hands get really cold.
I suppose there are things you can do to stay warmer and drier but if biking gets too uncomfortable or hassle it takes away the fun of biking for me.
I sometimes do Whitby and back 125 miles each way and I wouldn't like to think I was doing 250 in one trip and regularly.
People are different, so may you enjoy it but I love biking but its car for me on occasions like this.

[Nexus Icon]

A car. Absolutely no question about it.

For all the reasons mentioned above, plus they're also a far handier tool to have generally.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[WetAndCold]

[Itchy]

Car.

Winter time it isn't a case of you freezing up its a case of the roads being unridable.

Plus 250miles will take closer to 7 hours, the tank MIGHT get you 160miles but YOU will need to stop as well as the bike.

While I've done crazy jaunts with plumbed in fuel tanks not stopping from Manchester to Falmouth 350miles it wasn't fun and took closer to 8 hours.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Rogerborg]

[WetAndCold]

[Pigeon]

[beardface]

[yen_powell]

[G]

Where is work and home?

Makes a decent difference to the options, I'd say - leaving London on a Friday evening in a car can be a nightmare, for instance.

You won't get fuel money or time sat in a car/bike back either - so I'd also be tempted by the train, so I could relax a bit more, watch a film, browse the 'webs and so on.

[iooi]

How much you looking on spending on a car ?

I would run to a new car such as a Dacia Sandero

50 ish MPG all for £6000.
As its new. Less likely to hit unexpected costs.

Can even be had on finance. For £69 a month....

Last car I got cost £6K new (Chevvy Aveo) other than petrol did not cost a penny over the 1st 3 years.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[WetAndCold]

[Al]

I don't see how the train takes longer then using a car or bike if it's mainly B-roads. That must be one slow train.
Even if it's a really indirect route on the train I think relaxing on the train with a coffee and my laptop would still be my choice.
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Yamaha FZR400RR 3tj
My Instagram Thingy

[WetAndCold]

[Suntan Sid]

If you enjoy riding, that sort of commute, even if it's only once every two weeks, is going to sap all the pleasure out of it.

I've never had to commute that distance, I have, however, had to be somewhere 150 miles away, in the winter, and I had to do it on my bike.
It was, literally, blowing a gale and chucking it down for the whole journey, it was cold, wet and downright dangerous.
I hated my bike after that journey!

If you opted for the train, there's always a chance you could get a good deal on car hire for the weekend. Even better if the hire company has offices either end of the journey, just a thought!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[bikertomm]

Get yourself a cheap car.

Save money & win. In the summer or when your restriction is up, get back on a bike.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!