Hello! I'm new to the forum and have a question. I normally bus to work - 4 km, almost one km being a very steep hill. However, bus pass prices are increasing by a huge amount in January and it's going to be a big stress on my budget. I have a mountain bike and am considering starting to commute to work, but I'm afraid that the west coast weather (constant rain and about 0-5 Celsius) and that steep hill will turn me off. Does anyone have any tips for starting a commute like this in the winter? The hill scares me enough in warm weather, let alone in pouring rain and cold!

Thanks!