The fastest way in is rarely the best way in. Five detours we take often enough that they stopped being detours.
The canal path instead of the main road
Longer by ten minutes, quieter by an order of magnitude, and flat the whole way. Worth it in any weather that is not ice.
The park cut at dawn
Only works early, before the gates get busy, but the light through the trees for those twenty minutes is the best part of the day.
The long way around the harbour
Adds distance, removes every traffic light. On a bike this is almost always faster in practice even though it looks slower on a map.
The market street on a weekday
Slow, crowded and worth it. Go through at walking pace and pick up lunch on the way.
The ridge road home
A climb you will not enjoy and a descent you will. Best saved for the end of a day that needs shaking off.