I start my commute rides easy, and let things develop from there. Sometimes traffic is bad and I pedal a lot harder to find and maintain some open space. Sometimes I'm just not feeling it, and I go slow the whole way. Sometimes I ride slow for the first two miles, and then hear a song that gets my blood pumping and end up racing the rest of the way.

I do enjoy the slower rides though - I like noticing everything in the environment. When I'm riding hard I miss all the stuff off to the side and mostly focus on my mirror and the asphalt ahead of me.