Okay, ride as little or as much as you want but for neurological benefits it sounds like about an hour is best.
“Research suggests that 30-60 minutes of steady riding at a sustained pace is ideal to reap the neurological benefits of biking.”
See How Cycling Affects the Brain.
I’ve often thought that 20 km would be perfect commute distance. For me, that’s in that happy sweet spot. I’ve never lived that far away from work. My real life commutes have been between 15 and 30 minutes.
Maybe I’ll look for a house in the countryside….
What’s your favorite weekday distance?
(Weekends I love 60-100 km, preferably with sunshine, rolling hills, good friends, and breakfast.)
My favorite pre-work weekday ride is 20-25 miles, I have the option of riding hills, or flat roads/paths. Then I bike another 5 miles to work. If the weather is not too hot and sweaty (like now, here in Tucson), I can get 20 miles in for my extended play version commute to work which I like to do about once a week.
I bike a short distance but because we’re car-free, it’s convenient to go for 20 km.ride after work, then go by bike to grocery store and homeward. 🙂
When I lived for Toronto I was cycle-commuting roundtrip of 30 km. nearly daily spring to fall. I lived in Scarborough but worked in downtown Toronto.