Keep in mind that fair-weather commuters are the majority. Unless you include drivers, then all cyclists are the minority.

I used to be pretty cocky about being a four-season commuter. I see it a lot. I suppose it's a phase we go through.

Anyway, your 18-miler is nothing to sneeze at and I certainly wouldn't want to do that every day through the winter.

Even so, I sometimes feel sorry for those who miss out on that twice-a-day, great, just-got-off-the-bike feeling. That's what keeps me going. I don't want to go back to feeling how I used to before cycling.

If you ever think you need extra incentive, join us on BikeJournal.com in the Commuter Cycling Century Challenge. The goal is to commute to and from work 100 days in the year. For three-season cyclists, that's just three days a week once the season starts. The three-season riders are just beginning to join us for the season. Tracking your days and weeks against the other riders gives that little extra you sometimes need to get out of the car and on to the bike.