We know it sounds obvious, but having two or even three ways of getting home can be a bit of a brain-saver after a particularly depressing day at the office.

Adding an extra hour isn’t for everybody, but try not to stop yourself from going through that beautiful park, or down a lovely river path, just because it’ll add an extra mile or two onto your journey.

Useful Smartphone Apps for the Bike

Everyone wants to get home quickly, but you’ll arrive through the door a lot happier if you’ve done a more fulfilling or pleasant ride to get there.

How do you find these routes? First of all, try a couple of different apps and map services to see what they suggest. You can use this information to create a route of your own, mixing up cycle-friendly, quieter paths with larger roads where you can really put some speed down.

Often apps like BikeCityGuide or Citymapper will give you an achingly slow route, but they might show you a hidden gem you didn’t know about. In London especially, there’s always a new bridge to try.

And remember to ask friends and family! Nothing beats a good recommendation.