I live in a climate that makes riding year round pretty easy. What would be considered tough here in So Cal would be a cake walk in most of the country. Take today for instance; it was a mild morning in the 50's, with overnight drizzle so the streets were wet. On my 24 mile ride in, I saw only one other rider today. What?? It was a perfect morning for a ride! Bunch of softies! lol.....
I take more pride in my commuting accomplishments than anything else I do on a bike. I dress like a nerd. I ride a bike that looks like it belongs to your Grandma, and to top it all off, I have a Movember mustache....so I look like the old dude on a bike that I swore I'd never turn into......
That said, I don't consider myself tough, I consider myself fortunate to be in a situation that allows me to ride as much as I do. Plus, I simply love riding my bicycle.