Commuting - Do you take the long way?

My route to work was only 8 miles one way so I started taking a 16 mile route instead. Its not a big deal, its mostly flat. So 16 easy miles, but more time on the bike, wake up, etc. Anyone else take the long way to work?

I'm less han 3 miles from work. My long way home from work has gone from 10 to 11.5 to 13 & now is up to 15 miles.

I'm 11 miles from work but today was so nice I had to leave early so I could get an extra five miles in would have done more but coffee & cake started calling me. I was still an hour early to work :)

8 miles one way - some days on my way home I'd like to take a longer route but I usually come home to see my family. When my commute was < 5 miles I sometimes added a little bit on the end.

I'm a big fan of mindlessly transporting myself from point A to point B. So, I sort of autopilot to work. From what I've read that's not normal for a bike commuter.

the shortest way to work is also the safest, so i take it (3mi). coming home sometimes i take a longer route, but only 1-2 times a week. I enjoy not being hot, tired, or sweaty when i get to work or back home.

Yep. I did a neat hillier route (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/SPRI-Union-to-Comcast-Union-6-mile-route) to tack a little distance on last week. That was a nice way to end a Friday workday.

Yes, often.

The only times I DON'T take the long way is when: a.)I'm running late; b.)I'm carrying cargo -- groceries, etc.; c.)the weather is just too nasty (T'giving to about Val. Day).

I live 2 miles away from work, and my average RT is 10-11 miles daily. I'm looking at a transfer within my employer company, to a location 9-10 miles away -- partly to take on new challenges, work with a manager I respect a great deal, get away from a pack of clowns, and TO HAVE THAT COMMUTE!

Never the long way going to work. But the long way leaving work as often as I can.

You could say it's the long way. 3/4 of my 15 mile commute is on a recreational trail that follows a creek into town and is reasonably flat. Of course, being that its a recreational trail, I know I'm putting in an extra two to three miles to snake around the "scenic path."

16 miles each way - no real time to take the long way on the commute there and back, but add a mile or two sometimes when running errands on my off time. I sometimes change the "from work" route to add some hill training, which makes it more challenging, but doesn't add to the mileage.

My bike ride to work is actually more direct compared to the same drive. I have to take all sorts of side streets in my car to avoid stuck traffic, while on my bike, I can just go past the stopped cars.

My commute is/was 14 miles each way so it takes a good bit of time and I too want to get home to my family, but, I found out that if I take the 15.5 mile route, I miss a couple of lights so I do it in the same amount of time. I guess I do take the long way

My round trip riding is 16 miles along with a 45min light rail trip to my office. Once a week I take the long way which skips the light rail ride and makes my round trip 58miles. Sometimes depending on my meeting sched I do the long way twice a week, but that has happened only twice this year.

Sometimes I'll take a longer route home along Lake Michigan, but not on the way to work.

No, I take shortest route.

My direct commute route is about 6.5 miles each way. Most days during the year I take a longer route to work, which is 13 to 15 miles. I take a different long route home so that my round trip becomes a zig zagging 25 to 30 mile loop through the cities of Mission Viejo and Lake Forest, CA. There are a dozen variations on my long loop routes, and I mix it up occasionally. During the summer season I don't add in too many tough hills, but typically I have about 1000' vertical each way on my commute ride.

There is no real winter in my area, but I take the direct short route a few times a month due to high winds, rainstorms or if I have plans that don't allow enough time in the afternoon for a one hour ride home.

Never on the ride in, sometimes on the ride home. Probably not today, though... usually by the time I leave work, I just want to get home, have a quick shower and dinner. I've been toying with the idea of evening rides after dinner, but usually once I get home I find it hard to leave.

The direct route is less than 4 miles. Any day that I take the direct route both ways is considered a failure.

I have a variety of routes that I pick and choose from, everything from 12 miles direct route to a 35 mile long way. Lately I have been taking the 20 mile option quite abit to get some extra miles in without having to get up too early to get to work on time. On the way home it turns into play time a lot so that mileage really varies.

Chief

I only take the long way on the way home. Try not to press my luck on the way to work.

7 miles in

30 miles out

space time continuum, disrupted :P

For me, the short way is 3.25 miles one-way on 50 m.p.h. 4/6 lane suburban arterials. There is enough of a shoulder to bike on, though it's pretty thin in some spots.

The long way is 8 miles one-way on 25-35 mph residential streets, with a 4'-6' fully marked and paved shoulder.

The long way is most certainly better than the short way, even if I'm in a hurry.

I definitely go out of my way on the commute to access flatter roads, and roads less traveled by (including greenways). Thankfully, though my office is situated off of two of the busiest roads in my area, there is a greenway that allows me to come right up on it.

Yeah, it adds a few miles, but I've found I actually save time and I am less sweaty when I show up to work than tackling the busier roads with the climbs. Spending more time on the bike is just a bonus. So it's a win/win/win.

In the morning I am lucky to actually get myself awake enough to be to work on time taking the shortest way :D

Never on the ride in, sometimes on the ride home. Probably not today, though... usually by the time I leave work, I just want to get home, have a quick shower and dinner. I've been toying with the idea of evening rides after dinner, but usually once I get home I find it hard to leave.

Well after all that, the weather was too nice not to take the long way home today :D

Yes, the direct route is ~ 7 miles, the indirect route via the local greenway which runs directly by the back of my work is ~ 10 miles. I much prefer the longer route, I have to dodge groundhogs, turtles, bunnies and the occasional skunk, but better that then having to dodge garbage trucks, school buses, construction trucks and distracted soccer moms trying to dump their kids off at school.

I have a short commute of 4 miles to and from work. I generally take a slightly longer route home which takes me to 6.5 miles on the way home. I've been wanting to take the same slightly longer route in to work in the morning, but I keep hitting the snooze one too many times.

I would love to, but can never seem to get ready early enough.

What Would Supertramp Do? (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wkmxNpF44n0)

Shortest Commute 17.5 miles
Standard Commute 20.4 miles
Long way in 18.6 miles (at least once / week)
Long way home between 18 & 25 miles (whenever feasible with work and home schedule)

I'm not a morning person so I take the 9.5 mile route in. Going home I've started taking a longer route - about 13 miles.

My ususal route is 17 miles, so, most of the time I just do the minimum. But, maybe I should take other's advice and take the long route.

nice, so lots of people don't just commute they love the ride. I just did my new route to work, I think its about 8 miles but I did it an an avg speed of 23mph which is high for me. We have a nice private shower here so no problem with sweatiness. I took the really long way on Friday and put in 60 miles. Tour De South Denver (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/co/denver/788154776645).

and the next question is, do you also ride on the weekends in addition to your commute?

I always sprint to work direct (2 miles), but end up often trying to add another 4 miles or so when coming home just for fun.

On the weekends I try to ride 20-50 miles.

I started commuting and just went the 8 miles there and the 8 miles back, but as I started to get more into cycling, I felt it was more fun to take the long way. which is about 12 to 13 miles as opposed to just 8. Nothing serious, but it gets me off the urban streets and passed some farm land away from the majority of traffic, so I like it.

Though I still take the short route to work, simple because I can't bring myself to get up earlier. :-(

Not too much anymore. I used to turn my 49-mile RT into a 60-mile RT doing winter base training, but 5 hours a day in the dark and the cold at a pace slow enough to barely keep you warm plus work left very little time for a life, let alone sleep. My new commute is about 40 RT and that seems just about right. 1:15 to 1:20 twice a day is good enough.

I only take the short way. That's 25km, making 50km round trip.
I'll take some long ways as soon as I have the physical fitness for it, not for a while I guess ;)

I took the long way today!

Pavement is horrible! I mean, really, really bad. I'm gonna have to find a new long way.

Yep...short way is 6 miles. Current route is 10. I'm working on extending that a few miles.

My new commute is about 40 RT

I'm jealous, my new short route is a measly 14 RT. Going to try something this afternoon and find out how long it is, may be able to get 12 miles out of it.

On the way home I usually take a route that is almost double my inbound route. I am usually running so late in the morning, I have no choice but taking the shorter (albeit more dangerous) route... On my Fridays I work at a CSA farm and I take a road with a lot of traffic on my way to the farm. This way is shorter and as it is in the morning almost all of the traffic is going toward toward Portland as I am leaving it for the country. In the afternoon I am not keen on taking that road, so I go way out of my way so I can get to a MUP and stay off the roads as much as possible...

so I can get to a MUP

Whats is a or an "MUP" ?

I tried a different route in today that is slightly longer (like a half mile)
It was more on side streets and in neighborhoods than on the main drag...only 1 traffic light this way, and the trees arch over the road so you get to cruise in the shade :thumb: i can dig it.

Whats is a or an "MUP" ?


Multi Use Path.

different than a bike lane i beleive.

Whats is a or an "MUP" ?

Multi-Use Path

nice, so lots of people don't just commute they love the ride. .....
and the next question is, do you also ride on the weekends in addition to your commute?

Of course we love TO ride, but the not always the entire commute route. I wish I could exchange a few miles of my route. But yes, I ride on the weekends. That's when the longest rides can be done!

I always take the short way (6.5 miles) to work, I can't get up any earlier! The way home usually is longer, stretching up to 20 miles if I feel like it!