Now that winter is upon us it has devastated my "average" speed. I'm just happy to get to ride, do it safely and go whatever speed is necessary to do that. When snow and ice are not an issue my 10.7 mile commute into town via some streets and about 8 miles of bike path with mulitiple intersections takes any where from 33 minutes to 40 minutes depending on how much sleep I've had, what the wind is like and if I get motivated to kick it up a bit. On most days I'm carrying a briefcase and a backpack in my milkcrate on a hybrid type bike, which with fenders, lights, lock and cable, weighs in at about 35 lbs.

I wish I could say I am detached from the whole speed issue but the distance I rack up and the speed at which I do it does serve as a motivator at times. I definitely notice if my speed (really my time in minutes) falls below or rises above my "average".

If I push the pace on the way in it's usually because I'm late- the ride home is either lazy- I'll sometimes stop and have a beer in the summer or just sit by the river or I'll hammer home just for the fun and the exercise.