My job involves very frequent travel. I'm away from home 3 nights a week generally. The trade-off is I get to work from home in the days I'm not on the road. So I never have to commute into the office.

Would it be weird to have a simulated commute where I ride a route starting and ending at my house before and after work? It will force me to get out and ride on the few days each month I'm actually home. Not truly forced though since I can just roll out of bed and be at work. And I do consider pajamas to be appropriate office attire.

I guess I would have to decide how far I live from the office. Weird idea?

Why don't you just go for a bike ride? If I didn't have to go to my office I wouldn't go the same place every time. Just pick a distance or time and go ride.

I bike commute because I can't seem to stick to a fitness routine otherwise. I really just have to dress to ride, then I might as well ride, and once underway I might as well finish the ride. Being carless at the end of the work day, it is faster to ride home than catch the bus.

I have friends who work from home, and I have often wondered if I could find the gumption to get a daily ride in and stick with it. I love biking, but, I don;t know.

If you can stick with a fitness routine, do it. You'll have my admiration.

As far as being a bike commuter...I've think it's partly attitude. Here in Colorado Springs there are plenty of sport and rec riders on the streets who seem to be more interested in fitness than traffic safety. There are also plenty of bike commuters who are not interested in safety. And then there are car-free and utility riders.

I think bicycle commuting involves a focus on traffic safety, but also combines fitness, sport and utility goals. It's a broad spectrum.

Bottom line...if you're thinking about labels, you're not pedalling hard enough.

If you're out in traffic and have skin in the game, there's nothing 'simulated' about it.

For me it helps a great deal if there's a destination and not just a loop. So, yeah, perhaps choose a destination, like a coffee shop that's 20 miles way. Stop have a coffee and then ride home.

Coffee sounds good. A 40 mile round trip before work - maybe not. I don't think my "office" would be that far. Unless I bring the laptop and work from the coffee shop until lunch.

The nice thing about bike commuting is that you incorporate the bike into your regular routine. Otherwise you're just going for a bike ride.

However, there are many things that you can do.

• Ride to a coffee kiosk. Even do some work using WIFI at a coffee shop if you wish.
• Get some cargo capacity so you can run errands such as shopping by bike. You do eat, don't you?
• Runs to the Post Office?
• Visit friends and family by bike.

How are you traveling? A folding bike or something similar might also be handy for those days on the road.

If I worked from home I would probably just go for one longer ride than two shorter ones. And I’d do it in the middle of the day when the light was better and there was less traffic.

Your idea is called going for a bike ride! Do one or two, whenever works for you, I think the main thing is to make it a habit so that work from home days=bike days.

Alternative idea: maybe find a way to go for a bike ride when you travel. Rent a bike from a local bike shop or something. If you are going to a city with a bike share, try it out.

That's what I used to do when I telecommuted. I had a few different spots that served as my morning "office" and were a nice way to start the day off. Coffee shops, library, friend who also worked from home, etc... My next step was going to be renting part of a shared office space. I have a couple co-workers who do that and they really enjoy the increase in mood and productivity that it brings them.

I think I would take advantage of better light and less traffic for a longer ride during the day as well.

So people who work from home meet up and rent an office space? couldn't you just go into the office? interesting. I have not telecommuted in with my current company. (work processes haven't allowed it There are many people who work from home. I have a friend who bike commutes 3 days a week and works from home two. I personally would find it hard to commute when I could just go for a ride.

Many people do work that doesn't involve any sort of office, many work for multiple clients, and many work for clients that are too remote to visit frequently let alone "commute" into work. For me, my employer was about a 14 hour plane ride away.

I was thinking something similar although, as a *REAL* Canadian, I was thinking in kms, not miles!

I like to do something like that in the summer although I prefer my coffee shop to be closer to the end of my commute, I'll ride a loop that is about 22km and after about 18km, I reach the coffee shop, then 4km left to work. Most times, I'll also have a scone or, in the fall, they have delicious Pumpkin Spice muffins.

Yes, a loop ride before you settle in to work is a good idea.

Oh wait, wouldn't the coffee stop then make it not just a simulated commute but a stimulated commute? (I'm on fire today!!! )

I had the same idea, for those days that I work from home, but I've never actually done a fake morning commute. It would still be "fitness exercise" and not "getting to work", and therefore no true incentive. It would work if I decided to go to the convenience store one mile away (5 minutes), or for a breakfast muffin and made a routine out of that. With time enough for the option of going further when I want.

At least this time of year, I think I'd rather ride to lunch in the middle of the day than starting at "Oh dark thirty." Daylight plus warmth (or at least less cold) would drive my preference. Pick your distance, halve it, and look for sandwich shop (or soup shop) somewhere about that far from home.