I've been commuting in for a while now and my commute is relatively short. Okay, it's really short. I've switched to riding fixed to make it more interesting but even that's not enough. I'm thinking of adding miles but then I'll have to deal with actually bringing in work clothes and such due to being either sweaty or wet from the rain.

Does anyone else actually add miles to their commute?

I often take the longer route to work.

Occasionally on a nice day I will increase my mileage to 70 or 80 miles. I have not done this for a few months.

I will definitely add miles. My commute until the last week of the month is about 10 mi. RT. So, I'll add on 17 in the morning before work two to three days a week. It's not much, but makes me feel better. I do the single speed thing right now, getting a gearhub for the 30 mi. RT commute that I'll be doing after the move. The SS thing definitely makes it more "interesting" and I just try and sprint the whole damn commute. It's not the bestest cycling workout, but it gives me something in the area of a jog every day. With the long addition I get a good sweat going, and I do it in a paved park with no lights, so I get a groove going, too.

I carry my clothes and shower at work EVERY DAY. I like it.

I take the most direct route in (6.5mi) so I can lift or do abs at the gym before I shower, and then take varying routes home, just to mix it up a bit. Sometimes I go a mile or two past home to the store/restaurant/library, some days I add only maybe 1/2 mile but it contains a downhill then a steep uphill I wouldn't normally hit, etc.

My commute is going from 6.5mi one way to close to 12 when I move in 2 weeks, so I'm sure for a while I won't have the time or energy to be lentghtening it, but I will be experimenting with different routes.

Yesterday I spent an hour chasing down a min-pin who was loose while I waited for Animal Control. I think I got poor response time due to my wife being the ACO on duty
Probably rode an extra 5 miles or so and then I tried a new long way which didn't end up well. A stop sign to cross a 8 lane 60mph highway? Oooopppssies.. Took about 15 minutes for me to cross but eventually there was a break in traffic.

Now that I get a new shower at the new office I'll probably do it more usually I keep my random flights of fancy to my return trip when my wife is working late.

My commute is just under 2 miles each way, so I add on the way home and throw in a small hill. I also started commuting on a single speed to get a better workout. A couple days a week I'll ride after work up to 30 miles, depending on how much time I have. Weekends I usually clock 40-50 miles.

Nearly every day.

I moved further away from work to extend my commute and put me in a place that has better roads for non commuting rides.

depends on the weather. on clear, dry days i take the steep hill and the narrow bridge route (shorter). on crummy days i opt for the wide bridge, long gentle hill but crappy pavement route (longer).

My commute is 9 miles one-way the most direct (safe) route. I stretch it to 10 miles going to work and 12-18 miles going home, depending on the weather and how I feel on a given day. Most days I end up with 22 miles round trip, but I've stretched it as a far as 35 miles RT.

I will often find imaginative ways to add miles. Lets say for some errand, I will go twice the distance on the bike, just because I like a cashier better. If there is a reason to extend a ride, i will find it.

My direct commute is 4km one way. Unless I'm in a huge hurry I will take an alternate route that is 10km one way. At least once a week I pack an extra water bottle and take a different route that is 20km one way.

4km is just too short.

Why not just extend the commute home?

I add miles a couple of times a week. Sometimes inbound, sometimes outbound, and on Saturdays usually both.

Yes, in either direction, if I have extra time and daylight.

Yeah, I add on the way home all the time. Usually take a route that's around 15 instead of 11 and hillier. Takes too long in the morning though.

Oh, hell yes. My commute is only 1.6 miles. If I never added miles, I'd be as fat as Kelly Clarkson.

Yes, I add miles fairly often. My commute is ~29 miles round trip, but I'll meet some friends in Central Park early in the morning (~6AM) to do some laps on my way in to work. Each lap is 6.something miles so I add 12+ miles on those days (did it today). Sometimes I'll do better still and ride 20ish miles in across the Hudson on the roadie in NJ before hopping on the folder to commute.

I commute via bicycle to train. The train stations are anywhere from 10 to 20 miles apart. I live just over 2 miles of flat from the near one, and 6.5 miles of mountain pass from the second closest one. So when I'm feeling good, I ride the pass. When I'm feeling ill, I just do a brief ride into the local station.

-- James

Also, I like to explore from time to time. Occasionally the bug hits and I wander off in a new direction. Exploring by bike is fun. You can find all kinds of interesting shops.
The only downside is if you accidentally venture onto a busy street but then you turn around.

If I am leave work early then I add a few miles to my ride home or I ride home, drop off my bag of stuff and ride up the local hill. Some days I leave extra early for work and take a trip to a coffee shop that is out of the way to increase the mileage and delay the workday. Still don't get more than 2-3 extra miles in this way. Boulder isn't that big.

The kind of day at the office can factor into how many miles I add. This is something I have to give up when the kid is born. Around here, at least, daycares charge late fees for picking up your own kid after a certain time. sigh

Yup, usually on the way home, plan on doing it tonight infact as it is gorgeous out.

I add miles whenever I can, partly because the direct route is pretty short (just over 5 miles each way) and also because it's not very scenic. It depends on how much time I have to get to work, really. That could change when it gets seriously cold though.