I'm gonna be the one to say it:

Get an e-bike. Then you can be faster without actually having to work for it.

What if you ride really quickly, but take the scenic route?

i think karma is on his coworkers side

Now you're talking!

Get a pro bike fit!

It's more important what you do in the transition time before you leave and after you get home.

Hey, that's Ezra!

You just need a really good peloton. OR you could load up your panniers with weights. Either way.

Move closer to work.

Consider A Velomobile.. a fully faired tadpole trike, An HPV for the Street.
example : http://www.bluevelo.com/quest_velomobile.html

Well then why not go all the way?
http://www.liegeradmagazin.de/images/modelle/NoCom.jpg

Schlumpf high speed drive for the bottom bracket (250% gear range), and an electric assist. You'll get there in just twenty minutes! :-)

FWIW, came across this thread. Thought about it, as my commute times, despite my fitness getting better post knee surgery, have leveled out. I climb and descend both ways.

So this morning, on a whim, I decided that instead of my normal riding on the hoods, I'd stay in the drops the whole way. Not easy for me, I do have some back issues, but my bike's bars are relatively high for a road bike (it's really a touring model anyways).

So, in the drops, I took a full minute off my best time (22 something compared to 23 something). My gps only calculates my actual movement.

I certainly felt like I worked harder, although I won't know until I review the data. I am such a nerd.

Yeah my bike is probably too small, I'm starting to think. I want a longer distance from seat to handlebars, and I want drop bars. I'm going to have the bike shop fit me on a Trek with drop bars in March, and then order a Trek Portland to match; I'm sure they charge for fitting, but I'll have them waive the charge (look, I'm going to put down a 100% deposit on a brand new $1700 bicycle to be ordered; you are going to fit me properly and you're not charging me for the fitting, end of story).

I see people staying down in the drops all the time, when going slow around 10mph ... they're working hard. Nutjobs. I want drops because I can't stay up when going 30mph ... it's too hard; once I break 22 and want to accelerate fast down a hill, or break 15 and want to accelerate or maintain on level ground, I need to go down. With my flat bars, it's awkward; drop bars for me.

SO OP, it has been about a month. Have you gotten faster? If not may I suggest two things:

1. Start training with intervals. Sprint for 1 min, face-paced ride for 1 m, relaxed for 1 min, repeat.
2. lift weights.

No one really discusses lifting on bikeforums, but as an aged athlete I know it was crucial to bringing my times down in track. Of course this means you cant take the easy way out and just buy a new product - which one solve the problem anyway.

No, I haven't gotten faster. I went from 2-3 days a week to every single day; tripled my mileage; and lengthened my route a bit. An hour to go 8.5 miles...

I haven't been doing Yoga that frequently at all, and my legs become sore ... when I do bother, it's notably better. Also I walk up the stairs ... after 2 floors it hurts, but my stamina is excellent.

My stamina seems to have gotten better not because the muscles don't fatigue, but rather because I feel what used to be mind-erasing pain and pretty much ignore it. Of course it's a deterrent; when I ride, I ride up hills in higher gears, but only at 10-12mph where I used to go 4-6mph in first gear. On a good day, I can just blast up those hills, get myself moving, go up 2 more gears, and roll along at 15mph easy. On level ground, I just ride casually ... basically I don't put in any effort because I'm sore. I could, but screw that.

But, a lot of that seems to be tendon pain or whatever ... if I stretch out, do yoga, the like, it's ... a little rough, given that it takes muscles and those muscles are currently quite abused. Still, the next day, I'm much better off... hell, 5 minutes later I'm much better off.

The other thing is no rest on weekends (I do errands), so I'm basically always on my bike. o_o The past 2 Saturdays have comprised 11 mile trips to the MVA for driver's license renewal, which then turned into 30 mile trips all over the damn place. Yesterday, I went about 30 miles because I had to go to UPS to get a package after work. My normal commute is 18 miles round trip.

As for buying a new product, I think a nicer bike will decrease my time by maybe 1%. It may also decrease fatigue or such, because it'll be sized properly and I'm also aiming for a posture that I find more comfortable; that just lets me ride longer and more frequently, not necessarily faster. Again, minimal effect; it's just nicer.

start earlier in the morning .. :rolleyes:

Stop posting and use the time for training.

Carry a couple hundred less pounds of water.

If you leave for work 20 minutes earlier and ride 10 minutes faster, you can leave work _30_ minutes earlier.

It's not quantum physics...

If you're not taking a day off and continue to ride that ammount of miles, I'd probably say back off a bit on the intensity. Purposely make some of the rides less intense to let your legs recover.

I go a lot faster when I leave later - in other words I have to go fast or be late for work. So leave later and put yer hammer down!

I think getting to work as fast on a bike as it takes you in a car is pretty damn good. I can get to work (17 miles with some big hills) in 30 minutes in my truck. It takes me an hour and 20 minutes on the bike.

Yup. You're slow :P

Best time was 40 minutes, which is what it takes in my car; but that's a 7 mile route. My bike can go places where roads don't lay.