Originally Posted by RonH
Between SAD and cool/cold temps my motivation to bike commute is in the toilet.
I get up every morning and get everything ready to go. I open the door to check the air temperature (to determine how many layers I'll need, etc.) and I quickly close the door and tell myself I'll ride tomorrow when it's warmer.
Please help me get out of this rut.
Just take it one step further and just tell yourself you’ll try 5 minutes worth of the tip. Head out and if you are still miserable after 5 minutes then come back home. Then next time try to fix whatever the problem was. It’s hard to get cold weather gear just right and the confidence that the gear is going to work as you do tend to start out cold but then you warm up. The short answer is you have to figure out some way to dive to see if you do have the right gear and a way to bail out if you don’t. Once you get the right gear riding in any temperature (within some limits) is no big deal.
Also check the temp on-line with Weather.com or listen to the weather report, a blast of cold air when you are not dressed for it is very discouraging.