long distance commute

[RANDOR]

i have a 20km each way (ie 40 round trip) ride.
i do it in about an hour
looking for tips to go faster , and also regarding luggage!
and also regarding how to balance it with rest of life , since adding the shower and changing clothes it adds up to 1.5 hrs each way , and my legs are always tired , so not sure how to optimise / improve...
i have started getting off the bike to run with it on some up hills just to have some variety!

 

[Sharky]

An hour each way is a good commute. One that you can comfortably repeat each day of the week.

But riding everyday, dulls speed. You can knock off 5 to 10 mins, in a couple of months, but after that, times are more dependent on weather conditions.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Tyres with lower rolling resistance, see https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

Reasonably tight cycling kit.

Depending on route elevation, an ebike, a legal one can do 25kph.

Road bike more aero than gravel, hybrid or mountain bike.

If hilly, lighter bike will help.

Bend your elbows, hold bars around brake hoods or on the drops, to make your torso more aero.

Most time gains are usually made by more effort on hills and into a headwind, less effort on descents and middle of two on the flat.

Riding your commute like a time trial everyday each way is a recipe for overtraining.