Originally Posted by agarose2000

I'd argue that for someone commuting regularly 13 miles each way on a mountain bike, on the East Coast where rain, sleet, and now darkness are the norm before/after work, and a bike newb on top of it all - bike clothing is essential unless you plan on doing it once and being done with it forever. By bike clothing, I don't mean it has to be bike-specific per se, but should be weather-appropriate and very comfortable.

Get stuck with a good headwind even with a mild drizzle on your 1 hr 15 minute ride home in the dark with a drafty shirt on, and you'll probably never bike commute again. Heck, try commuting 1 hr 15 minutes one way, twice per day, 3-4x per week without cycling shorts as a newb, and you'll still find that alone challenging.

However, I think a lot folks would agree with me that with the right gear, commuting in some pretty god-awful conditions can be a lot of fun and adventure. That rainstorm and fierce headwind and dark doesn't become so oppressive when you're nice and toasty in your weatherproof jacket boties and gloves, comfy on the saddle with your nice bibs, got great lighting to see easily ahead and not worry at all about being invisible from the side or rear, and have a well-fitted nicely tuned bike that you're actually excited to be on. As much as I'm a cheapskate, for significant commutes over an hour in length, I'd get the best gear I could get - not optional in my book if you plan on doing it more than a few times before you quit.