# poll: commuters, do you prefer the ride to work or ride home?



## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

See poll above. Do you prefer the ride to work or ride home?


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## old_fuji (Mar 16, 2009)

it's a runners' high/masochist thing...it's mostly downhill all the way to work, so it's uphill all the way back. it helps me forget about bad customers.


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## Loraura (Jun 30, 2008)

Ride to work wakes me up with no need for coffee, makes me feel like I've accomplished something already. Also generally less traffic, and in the summer much cooler. 104 degrees at 5 PM in July/August gets to be draining and not as fun. I prefer winter mornings in the high 30's over summer evenings in the 100's.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I ride mostly on an MUT, and there are few people out when I ride in to work. Plus, I'm cold and usually working the crap out my legs from the day before. So typically the ride is solitary and reflective. Especially now, when it can be in the high 30s or low 40s.

Coming home, there are a lot more people out, so it's more work to weave a course and often it's frustrating and annoying. Not solitary and not reflexive, but on the other hand, I'm done for the day, and I'm going home!


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

I like riding to work more, because I've got my daughter in the trailer and that makes it a whole lot of fun. She points out all the garbage trucks and flowers, I tel her to push when we're going up hill. 

Riding home I just gots to tow an empty trailer. 

Though really, even a bad ride home from work is better than a good drive.


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## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

Except for during the winter, I like riding to work better- I can opt for a route with some nice, steep, recently paved downhill runs. 

In the winter, the average 10-20 degree temperature between early AM and when I leave tends to cancel out the uphill ride home.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I generally prefer my morning commute because the traffic is lighter, but these dark winter mornings with lows in the teens and 20s can be tough. In warmer months, morning beats afternoon hands down.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Hand down...I enjoy the ride to work...I love watching the sun rise and I arrive at work ready to go...


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

It depends on the day . . . but It just love it both ways.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

home... outta there!


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## MarkS (Feb 3, 2004)

I prefer the ride to work because: (1) it is mostly downhill; (2) it is in daylight throughout the year; (3) I have little traffic on my morning route; (4) the one way streets at the end of my commute into downtown are much better than the one way streets on the way out of downtown at the beginning of my ride home and (5) I am well rested in the morning.


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## empty_set (Nov 1, 2006)

Can there be a third option for both? Both directions have their pros/cons for me so it's a wash.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*to*

To

In the mornings, I ride 10 miles out of town, back, then 12 miles across town. I love getting out at 5:30 when there are few cars, and the ones that are out are fairly mellow. In the evenings, it's straight home, with drivers all stressed out and it feels much more dangerous. 

This morning, though, it was thick fog and 40 degrees -- very wet and cold feeling. Not even one other bike out, just some stupid joggers out on the MUT in black sweats that I almost ran over. 

I especially like the mornings in the summer. It's over 100 going home, but mornings are about 65-70 degrees and sun up at 5:30 -- that's great.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Why not both?


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

MB1 said:


> Why not both?


Nice try. If only you had a job...


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

mohair_chair said:


> Nice try. If only you had a job...


O.K. how about neither?!? :blush2:


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

Home, because I often take the long way home. Home, because I'm headed West and the golden light of sunset is lovely. Home, because dinner is SO much better after a ride. Home, because I'm headed back to my family.

singlecross


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## max hammer (Jul 15, 2008)

Home. After a stressful day, I find the ride helps clear my head and cools me out.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

To work. At 5:00 AM there's virtually no one on the road. It's nice and cool, dark...I take my time. The ride in was all uphill, but very gradual. Te ride home featured such niceties as fast, narrow 2 lane roads with no shoulders and significant traffic, school busses, soccer moms, and cars full of high school students.


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## Deering (Apr 10, 2007)

*Homeward bound*

Well I do like morning rides, but I enjoy the commute home better than the commute to work. Since I still have to help get the kids organized and ready to get out the door, I tend to leave later than I would prefer. So my commute in is a bit stressful as I have to deal with the traffic of everybody else dropping off kids or rushing to their jobs. I also tend to enjoy the ride less as I am concerned about the day ahead of me as I go through the mental exercises of what I will be doing that day.
I tend to work longer hours so when I leave for home, the streets are quieter and the ride is a lot safer. I can also take a longer route home if I am not too wiped out.


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## javahound10 (Mar 13, 2007)

To work. Longer- usually loop around, take around an hour, see different places around the city, get a workout. Ride home is ~10 minutes straight down a hill; it's functional, not as enjoyable.

Today ride to work is going to be up same hill. . . taking too long getting out the door, running late.


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## pswann (Apr 30, 2003)

To work, definitely. I leave the house at 6am and enjoy the dark quiet streets. Plus, it's downhill almost all the way in.

Evenings are an uphill grind, but the final destination is muuuuch better.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*To work, mostly.*

I'd prefer not to have a 5:15am rollout, but, it is quiet, peaceful, and on those few days when it is clear and not winter, I get to watch the sunrise. I like waking up this way far better than stumbling out of my house and into an auto, for sure. 

The wind picks up in the valley as the day goes on, so while the air is usually calm on the ride in to work, the ride home is typically a headwind.

The only times I dig the ride home is in the summer, when it is less likely to have a massive pile of rain and headwind at me, and, actually still light out when I leave the office.


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*To work*

To work (10 miles, Sunnyvale, Ca to San Jose) is in daylight with light winds, and I can skip it if it's raining.

From work is dark part of the year or has headwinds, and if it's raining I have to ride in it at least part of the way. Riding at night with a good light does have it's appeal, though, and I get to point and laugh at the cars backed up on Hwy 101 as I cross the bike bridge.

It's flat both ways.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Both?

I live 5 blocks from the bike shop....


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Ride TO work because it's mostly all downhill.


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