Commuting - That last mile poll

Last night I got with in a mile of home and I decided to turn up the heat, and hammered the pedals the last four, five blocks home, Sort of like Zabel coming up on the finish line in the TDF. I don't alsways do this, so it leads to my poll question:
When you are in that final mile of the commute do you...

My hammer, such as it is, is reserved for the 2 miles or so on the bike path.

When I commuted to a workplace w/o a shower, the last mile was for a cool-down -- lift the arms and feel the breeze!

It depends on how I feel. Sometimes, it depends on if I'm late!

All in all, I'm more likely to take it easy during the last mile on my commute home. On my way to work, especially on Piedmont Road, where it's one-way traffic and the lights are synchronized, I sometimes try to get as many green lights as I can by sprinting, but when I know I won't make the next one, I chill out.

My last mile home (about 1.2 to be exact) is all uphill. Steep and long. I have no choice but to hammer. On the way in to work, I tend to hammer the middle, taking the last few blocks easy.

Hammer. It's about 500 meters from the stop light at 15th St. to the light at 13th St. From a trackstand, I have to reach 27 mph to make the light at 13th. When I do, I sit up and raise my hands like Allesandro Pettachi.

(What the hell. My coworkers all think I'm nuts anyway....)

I always hammer the last part of my rides (except to work I use the last stetch to begin cooling down and recovery) commute or ohterwise.

Normally slow it down during the last mile of any ride, but probably more so for commutes. Good as a cool down, which makes changing clothes at the office a more pleasant experience, and my muscles seem to appreciate it too.

Going to the office cool down in the last mile. On the way home (especially the new place) it is up hill the last half mile.

My last mile is through suburban Southport, including a couple of Queensland's legendary "Halley's comet" traffic lights. They tend to dictate the way I ride it.

Especially on my way to work I try to cool down a bit. A mile is not sufficient for that, though, I need at least two. On my way home I ride hard all the way. I am usually late, so that does not affect my riding either way.

--J

Hmmmmm... I never gave it much thought, I just ride how ever I feel like riding.

Think my natural tendency at the end of any ride is to start thinking of cool down time...Of course, unless I am late. That changes everything..
Sometimes when on a recreational ride I might even get off the bike and walk the bike for the last 100 feet.. Think I do not like to walk into work all winded.

Not like Zabel -- Like Lance climbing l'Alp d'Huez. As I get to the real steep part, I even sometimes take a "look" back down at my opponent, and smile with satisfaction at my astonishingly puny 30 foot altitude gain.

My last mile is a steep short up hill followed by a nice long down hill. I try to hit the uphill as hard I can and relax on the down hill to the entrance to where I work.

my commute is just over 1 mile. :) i usually spend the entire time going as fast as possible.

Cerewa.. You said under another thread about locking up bikes, cheap bikes rock..That can be true..Some of us commute far more than one mile, like almost 30 one way...Cheap bikes are ok, but for long commuters we must have reliability, agility, and comfort.

My last mile is in an industrial area between two lumber mills. The faster I can get through it, the better.

My last mile is up a long hill which gets steeper at the top end ,what gear I end up in at the summit depends on how much energy I've got left after a day at work & a long ride home . I usualy go past my house & ride around the block in a low gear to cool down , if I don't do this I sometimes I end up getting leg cramps later on :(