Commuting - How long does it take you to warm up?

After my short commute (3 miles) this morning, I looked at my computer and it said that I averaged only 12mph. Over the weekend, I put in a longer ride (40 miles) and averaged almost 16mph.

Granted I wasn't pushing myself too hard to get to work, but I was wondering about how long it takes before you feel like you're riding at your best. Sure stretching helps, but it seems like a salad before the steak (if that makes any sense). Just wondering.

Never noticed any warm up time. I just get on and ride.

About 10 minutes.

I can tell you exactly where it is in my commute, but I have no idea how long that is. I would guess about 5 minutes.

A solid 15 to 20 minutes. This is true for me in other sports too -- my metabolism resists being kicked into a higher gear, especially in the morning.

it varies according to how much sleep and how much tension the day before, but somewhere between 1/2 to 1 mile.

Sure stretching helps, but it seems like a salad before the steak (if that makes any sense). Just wondering.

Stretching to me is like salad to the steak, but I like salad. Stretching allows me to warm up faster, say within a quarter mile. I don't feel 'right' unless I stretch before and after.

I'm a big, slow diesel. At least 30 minutes, but, for me anyway, sweat does not always mean warmed up! I learned that from road, cyclocross and mtb racing. Never felt great until about midway through the event. Look at how long Tour De France racers spend on the roller before a critical time trial: at least 30 minutes.

...I was wondering about how long it takes before you feel like you're riding at your best...

a minimum of 10 minutes work before my legs are up and running. I used to have a commute that started with a long up hill (1.7km) that always made me feel like cr*p. Not quite like having a second viewing of breakfast but pretty close.

about 2 blocks :) some mornings i'm feeling sluggish and think i'll just ride to the bus stop with my bike and ride home.

but after a couple blocks i'm awake / feeling great and ride all the way in

It depends. For long road rides, half hour to an hour. On the commute? As long as it takes to get to a stop light I want to pass before it turns red. :) Seriously, it depends on if I'm hungry, hydrated, rested, etc. I'd say a good 10-20 minutes minimum to be really warmed up and loose, probably more.

I'm pretty new at this, but it seems to be between the 2 and 3 mile mark.

About 8 minutes.

I have a 30 mile commute home when I bike it. I know I am very sluggish early on and at 5 or 6 miles I'm on cruise.
Before getting on the country roads I have to go thru city traffic and ride like a messenger. That gets me warmed up a little quicker. By the time I hit the hills and dales of the New England backroads I'm ready and warmed up for a good spin home.

definitely I need at least 4 miles before I get into the zone, unfortunately this is almost half of my comute :(

I think 7-10 minutes.

I've got an unfair gravity advantage for my morning commute (a very slight slope, maybe 5 degrees at most) which lets me hit good speed as soon as I hit the road, my HRM tells me otherwise though, I stay fairly low (~120) for my morning ride (6mi) vs ~140 for my afternoon (15+ mi)