I used to think that when I first started commuting on the bike. My 12-mile ride in the morning might turn into a 25-mile jaunt. After about 6 months of this it got tiresome. I just wanted to get there and be done. Plus, riding in the darkness of the early morning hours was not appealing to me from a safety point of view. Now, almost 10 years later I take the most direct route and save the long rides for the weekend.