Originally Posted by
jaytxvo
So...all summer long I would commute to work about 20 miles round trip. It takes me 45 mins to get there. I was so annoyed in the summer when I couldn't ride my bike and had to take my car.
Anyways, lately its been getting cold here in Boston and in the morning I just do not want to get out of bed. I have to wake up early for the commute and instead getting up I lay there and when I have to get up I drive to work.
Any tips or tricks to stay motivated?
Howdy neighbor,
I have an ideal reverse commute all year round from downtown Boston (Kenmore Square) to Norwood. It's 14 miles straight and I lengthen it in the nice months, but I only do the straight distance from December to April. I even have the alternative of the Commuter Rail, but I rarely take that.
My main motivation to ride is the fitness factor, and commuting is an ideal way to fit that into my busy schedule. In addition, meeting the technical and physical challenges of cold weather riding is exciting, and getting dressed in the morning assumes the anticipation of an astronaut preparing for a space flight. For me winter commuting produces tolerance to cold and thus enhances the rest of the season. It's like saying
"In your face" to Old Man Winter.
All-weather riding also boosts my image as a Road Warrior, and on really bad weather days, I look forward to that perennial question,
"You didn't ride you bike today, did you?" See also Rule Number 9:
Originally Posted by velominati
Rule #9 / If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.
Finally, one good all-purpose motivation is to realize that almost no matter how you don't feel like getting on the bike, you likely will feel good about it once you hit the road.