Going the long way around and adding just ten to 15 minutes on your commute could mean a total of two-and-a-half hours more on the bike each week.

If you’re looking to work on your endurance then you can add periods of sweetspot riding into your commute. Adding 20 to 30 minutes sweetspot means you can take the long way and still arrive at work on time.

Sweetspot intensity is between the upper end of zone three and lower end of zone four – or 88-93 per cent of FTP power or threshold heart rate, and between 75-85 per cent of maximum heart rate. It is effectively the intensity which allows you to get the most training value for your time on the bike, balancing the exercise intensity and volume of training, and so is a useful tool for commuting.

This is also an excellent option of you need to be in the office earlier than normal. Again, the key is planning. If you have an early meeting one morning then do your sweetspot efforts on that day and get to the office ten minutes earlier than normal!

You can read more about the pros and cons of sweetspot training here.