Commuting - Any one prolong the commute because you're liking the ride?

I recently stopped going directly home after work after finally accepting the fact that my bike rides fine when loaded down with my work gear. Beforehand, I'd go home and unload the bike and then perhaps go out again for some enjoyment riding. Seeing as how the weather is getting colder still as the hours go by into the dark of night around here, I started figuring, hey, why not? I'm already out and cookin' up a sweat, so prolonging the ride home is something I started to do.

I do that on errands all of the time. Always come home satisfied!

It depends on the weather and if I'm running late. But I'll go the long way around. I'll go up extra hills. Yes. Absolutely. More time on the bike is more time on the bike.

Darn skippy!

Yep, I'll leave a little early to add a few pretty miles. I often find I'm in a hurry for no reason on the way home - a habit I'd like to break - so I'm considering joining the shop ride that intersects my route on Monday nights, when I can. I like to explore new route options, but I curtail that somewhat when it's dark so early, like now.

I prolong my commute simply because it's too short! When I'm running late (or hung-over), I can wimp out and take a relatively direct 1.6 mile route, but normally I stretch it out to as long as possible. Usually 5 miles is what I wind up doing.

Since I'm so close to home and restaurants during the day, I also always take a ride during my lunch hour. So, yeah... I'm all for prolonging the pleasure ! ;) When I've got the time and the weather is good, I can still get in a good 15-20 miles in.

Most Definately, have been known to do upto an extra 50miles

I extend my commute on fridays, depending on wind, from the original 12 return miles to 50.

Not to do too much or anything, but every time I can I try to push a metric century split in two at least.

Used to go way out of my way when I was in college... 30 miles to go 5 miles away. These days I just extend it a bit here and there... depending on weather and the traffic.

I moved further away from my job simply to make my commute longer.

When I leave work early, I take a longer route. I sometimes stop by my son's martial arts school, or stop by the LBS to browse.

my commute's already long, each way, and I'm usually in a hurry to get home to eat.

Not as much now that the weather's getting colder, but absolutely when I have the time.

...take the long way home....


absolutely!

In the summertime it actually interferes with my personal life!

I've got a long way home that adds an additional 3 miles to my ten mile work commute. Once in a while I'll go that way. There's another route, the really looong way home, that I haven't tried, yet. I normally don't have the time if I want to get home before dark.

Yes, shortest route is 5 miles one way on the dot, but I have it up to 20 miles on Saturdays, and about 7 to 8 on the return, weekdays. Note that the trip is only longer on the return, not the arrive.

Usual commute is 18 miles each way. When I want to prolong it I ride the entire way home. That bumps it to 35 miles each way. Not lately. Been a bit too busy.

I've done that. My "standard" commute is just about 7 miles: 1/3 MUP along Cook Inlet, another 1/3 on pretty heavily trafficed urban streets, and 1/3 on neighborhood streets. On nice days, I stay on the MUP, which does not see much traffic and is more like a closed-course road (except for the ocassional moose) that winds all the way from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park. There's a biatch of a hill at Kincaid, but when I get home I feel great. The whole thing is about 14 miles. Twice the length of my regular commute, but more than twice as fun.

I look at how much time I have to get where I'm going, and add miles to fill the time. Too often, I'm late or have only enough time to take the shortest route, but I've added as much as 50 miles. It's a little trickier in the winter, when I have to consider run time on my lights as well.

Anyone prolong their commute when they're driving? I mean, anyone not in a car commercial?

I usually don't add distance in the morning, but I love to take a longer ride coming home. It's like a drug, and I'm addicted. Hi, my name is Scott, and I'm a commute a holic... ;)

I never lengthen the commute in the morning, but coming home, I'll occasionally take a longer way home that increases the mileage from 8 to 16.

I am always running late...
:rolleyes:

Not since around November 14th or so, whenever the time change was.

Only to the bar...

I usually take that long ride on the way to work at 3:00 PM, then go directly home at 11:30 PM. But I have been known to take a long night ride, even last week when the first snow started, I did about 10 extra miles.

My ultimate goal is to lengthen my commute to a 40 mile round trip. I've done this only once so far, and realized although it's a good idea, it's not very practical now that daylight is so limited.

My direct route commute is 12 miles round trip.

My eventual goal is 30+ miles each way. Something like 300 miles a week.
150 is hard enough at the moment.

My straight line ride is about 5 miles on an major 4 lane road. Fast, reasonably safe, but not too pretty.
Perfered route is 10 to 12 miles through neighborhood streets and local trails.
I have, on occasion, extended the commute to 40+ miles, just to get a good ride in. One weekend I did 54 miles, ending at the office for a half-day of work, and got home with another 10 miles to make it a metric day.