Commuting - Fair weather commuter?

I've been getting a lot of people at work saying "i guess you're going to stop riding your bike now that the rain is starting." It's strange that people assume that because the sun isn't shining you're not going to ride the bike to work.
during the summer people thought i was crazy for riding my bike from my home,which is 17 miles from work,and now that they're used to that they'll be calling me crazy all fall and winter for riding my bike in the rain! I guess i like being called crazy:D

As someone who until last Saturday hadn't been on a bike in over 15 years and is planning to start commuting 12 miles within the next few weeks I can empathise... Actually I think I probably am a little crazy but still, it's got to beat being on a train full of school kids.

Richard

It is surprisingly easy to cycle in "bad" weather. Blustery conditions are bad, and black ice is a menace. Freezing rain is very uncomfortable, but generally, when its cold, it is dry, and when it's wet, its not cold.
You need some weatherproof gear over some modern wicking fabrics and waterproof footwear.
When I was "between contracts" I had pretty cheap gear, but kept warm and dry, even if that meant wearing plastic bags inside shoes.

Andre, I hear what you're saying. My co-workers say the same things to me.

My commute is 14+ miles one way and they couldn't believe I rode that far, even when the weather was nice.
Now that it has turned cool (it was 52 yesterday and 42 this morning) they all ask if I'll be riding any more. I responded that I would!! Just need to get out my winter riding gear.

I guess non-cyclists think that we are all crazy. :) :)


:beer: Here's a toast to all "bad weather" commuters.

Driving a car on an expressway in freezing rain can be quite a dangerous/unpleasant experience. Yet your co-workers would probably look at you funny if you asked, "Do you plan to give up driving your car now that the bad weather has started?"

In the dead of winter, it takes more time to scrape windshields, warm up the car, etc. than it does to just pedal to the grocery store. While my winter work commutes and out-of-state travel will involve the ****ed automobile, I plan to do all errands and all social visits on bike or foot.

Welcome to Rainman's bargain advice. Need good wicking undies, etc.? Check sierratradingpost.com. Do a Brand name search on Duofold and Wickers. Great prices on long tshirts, tights, bottoms made of Coolmax, Thermax, Comfortrel and other wicking fabrics. Also Coolmax glove liners, liner socks. Search on Turtle Fur for headbands and hats. They have a lot of good stuff and sometimes unbelievable prices. How about Coolmax t-shirts for $6.95 that sell for $30 most places? Check it out.
Regards,
Rainman

I have the same thing. People know I cycle but they sometimes ask "How do you get around in the winter, then? Surely you don't ride under the snow". One of my great pleasure is to come to work will my snow gear in the middle of the winter and to face the surprise of my co-workers "You came by bike in this snow?!" and to answer "Was it snowing? Realy?! I did not notice...".


Over here whether is pretty good all year round. When it rains it rains hard but it does not last long. For a couple of months (Jan/Feb - sometimes Dec-Jan-Feb) it can snow quite a bit though. I am wondering whether I should get a cheap MTB for the Winter (I have a very old one but it is in very bad shape) of if my touring bike will be ok with wide tires. I think my touring bike is a little light and tall easy to fall from, a smaller, more stable bike would be good. Anyway Winter is probably a good season to buy a second hand MTB. THere are plenty of people who bought one for the Summer. Any recommendations though? Brand? Model?

You make a good point about the height of the bike for snow riding, but in fact your touring bike will be lower than a typical mountainbike. MTBs have a high bottom bracket, to give pedal clearance over logs, so you sit higher up all over.

Originally posted by Andre
I've been getting a lot of people at work saying "i guess you're going to stop riding your bike now that the rain is starting." It's strange that people assume that because the sun isn't shining you're not going to ride the bike to work.
during the summer people thought i was crazy for riding my bike from my home,which is 17 miles from work,and now that they're used to that they'll be calling me crazy all fall and winter for riding my bike in the rain! I guess i like being called crazy:D
If someone from 100 years ago were to be transported to our present age, they would be shocked at the changes. Most of what takes place today used to be out of the question in those days...quite impossible. Now that we live daily in these impossibilities, they are normal.

People who question our cycling suffer from "future shock." They don't believe it only because they haven't experienced it. But to us, it's old news.

Riding in the rain is one of the most beautiful experiences you could ever hope to have. I remember one day last "winter' doing a pre-dawn ride in the rain (up a mountain too) totally by choice. It wasn't a commute but I did it anyway. Those who haven't ridden in the rain can miss some very special things sometimes.