Bicycling 36 km per day in city traffic is feasible? I am planning (still in planning phase since last 1 month :( ) to use bicycle as my commute to and from office.

My office is around 18 km away from my home. Almost half the road will be full of traffic. Everyone in my family has already told me that 36 km per day will be too much and I wont be able to continue cycling for long time.

I am aware that initially it will be tough to go 36 km per day but I think after month or so my body will get used to it.

So I am wondering how much km do other people go per day? What are your experiences about cycling? and 36 km per day is too much distance?



Update : Finally I bought one cycle against everyone's suggestion (family members and friends) and started cycling to the office. I must say it is a tough job to start cycling after 10 years but I am enjoying it. It takes me almost the same time to reach office. On my motorcycle I used reach office in 40 minutes and on cycle it takes me around 50 minutes. Dust, pollution and other people yanking horns from behind is the biggest headache for me now. I hope that I will get used to it :)

Thanks everyone for your encouragement, suggestions and answers.
I have a co-worker who rides into work on a ~30 mile one way trip. It's no problem for him because he's a good cyclist, has a good bike, and is used to that kind of distance. He's got his saddle worked out, his form is good, his lights are good, and he knows his route. 

The biggest problem he has is dealing with a locker room, and needing to move clothes back and forth. He usually drives in on Friday to haul his used up work clothes back his house. 

The things I would focus on:


The logistics of clothes, weather, being clean, and your schedule.
Knowing how to fix a flat.
Having a back up plan when you wake up and it's raining/snowing/hailing outside.
Getting used to the mileage. If you've never really ridden before you'll be dealing with soreness, kinks, and gear issues. 
Good bike maintenance. If you keep everything lubed up, fix little issues before they get big, and can do your own work (or most of it) you'll have a lot less problems.


I was riding my bike your distance to work when I was 14 years old, but I was also a competitive cyclist so the distance was nothing. A mid-range competitive cyclist can easily pack away 400 mile weeks in the winter so your co-workers are nuts that it's not possible given you have the body and bike to do it.