I've been commuting to work by bike off and on for the past few years. I live close - 5.5mi with one heck of a short, steep New England hill in between. Commute time varies based on weather and how much of a mess I intend to be when I arrive. We do have showers on site, so that helps. 15-18min is pretty standard depending on the day. My CAAD9 is the daily driver, but I'll ride others depending on what I feel like any given morning. Energy levels are higher throughout the days that I bike commute, and I then have the ride home to look forward to. Commuting adds significant base miles and I certainly feel stronger on recreational rides when I've been keeping up with and pushing on the commutes.