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 : https://www.bluevelo.com/quest_velomobile.html

Well then why not go all the way?

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 ..

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

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.