It's a mere 2.5 miles from home to the office, and while it's nice to be able to get up at 630 and get to the office by 730 (time for breakfast, teeth, ride and then change to work clothes in the office), it's just not long enough to feel that I'm getting a proper workout. The commute from my previous home (and different work address) was a notch longer, and I had a range of nice-to-ride options to extend my ride back slightly. But I've not yet found a pleasant extend-my-ride option from this place, as getting down to the waterfront is a truly unpleasant fight with rush-hour traffic with no sensible route to take. The last two times I tried I nearly got flattened by idiots cutting between traffic and ending up in front of me. It wasn't fun.

I guess I should either ride in (mostly) in work clothes and get up even later, or get up earlier and extend the ride to the office instead, when traffic won't be so bad and I could probably survive a ride up from the waterfront without too many "incidents".

Anyone else with a similar problem? And how did you solve it?

You talk about your ride to work, but what about your ride from work? Could you significantly extend your evening commute to get some more miles in?

I live 3 1/4 miles from work. My ride in this morning was just under 10 miles.

Edit: Are there nice places to ride around your house? Can you head the opposite direction for a bit?

That's what I tried to do, but so far the routes have been unpleasant, verging on dangerous. Need to keep trying.

In that case, how about riding home and hanging out there for a bit while the traffic calms down? That doesn't exactly incorporate it into your commute, but at least you could get some miles in when the traffic isn't so heavy.

Now that's the answer. Get almost home, then veer off in a different direction and back.

Why was I so obsessed with a longer loop rather than an out-back at the end?

Let's see how well it works.

On some mornings I would welcome a shorter ride...

I generally prefer the morning ride, so one option in your case would be an out and back, then ride to work. As a bonus, if you have more than one bike, you can go for a ride with your favorite bike, come home and hop on the commuter, then go to work. Another option with such a short commute would be to run and/or walk to work instead.

I live 4 miles from my office. I have routes varying in length from 4 to 35 miles. Keep looking: your best route may start by riding in the opposite direction.

[edit]

Here's an example of a 24 mile detour. Got to do intervals to stick to the training plan; got to get home from work; why not combine the two?

https://app.strava.com/activities/48638858

Put bike on car. Drive 10 miles. Pedal to work. Problem solved.

Problem. No car.

Actually, no problem, no car.

Now that's nice. You get out into the country.

To get to the country would probably be a 50 mile commute, given evil Toronto urban sprawl.

Yes, but Canadians are so much nicer than Californians and you have better donuts and beer, eh?

Don't forget the back bacon.

My commuting distance is similar to yours. I don't consider it my "workout" for the day. It's just a more enjoyable way to get to and from work. If it's a really nice day, I'll often extend the ride home, but, for the most part, I save my workout rides for weekends and days off.

a song ... 'take the Long way home'.. By Supertramp.

Songwriters: DAVIES, RICHARD / HODGSON, ROGER
So you think you're a Romeo, playing a part in a picture-show
We take the long way home, take the long way home
Cos you're the joke of the neighbourhood, why should you care if you're feeling good
Take the long way home, take the long way home
There are times that you feel you're part of the scenery, all the greenery is comin' down boy
Then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture, oh it's peculiar, she used to be so nice

Lonely days turn to lonely nights, you take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home, take the long way home
You never see what you want to see, forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home, take the long way home
When you're up on the stage it's so unbelievable, unforgettable, how they adore you
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity, oh calamity, well is there no way out?

(Ooh, take the long way home)
(Take it, take it, take it home)

Does it feel that you life's become a catastrophe, oh it has to be for you to grow boy
When you look through the years and see what you could have been, oh what might have been if you'd had more time
So when the day comes to settle down, who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home, you took the long way home, you took the long way home (Same thing again)
You took the long way home, you took the long way home (For luck), you took the long way home
You took the long way home, you took the long way home

Long way home, long way home, long way home

I had that problem when I was going to college... the school was only about 5 miles away... and from there I went to work, which actually brought me closer to home. So to resolve it, I just went about 35 miles out of my way to get to school in the morning... I took a nice long bike ride way out of the way that eventually looped me back to school. After class I would go the mile or so to work, then after work only about 4 miles and I was home. But my day started with a great workout.

The real nice part about this is I chose my workout route... so I could use the best cycling route I could find, as long as it eventually would allow me to reconnect to get to school. I just loaded my panniers for all the tasks of the day.